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BBQ Crabs


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24 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

I love them. I used to go down to Sartin’s in Sabine Pass for all-u-can-eat. But I think most people find them to difficult and messy to eat. 
 

A lot of Vietnamese restaurants serve them. 

Man, I remember having them at that Sartin's.  They'd bring platter after platter, and a big  30 gallon garbage can directly to the table for the shells.

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28 minutes ago, CooterBrown said:

The company that owns the original spice mix recipe refuses to produce it or sell it off. However, Bolner’s Fiesta makes their own version that is legit if you want to make it at home.

Yeah, that's infuriating and stupid.  It's got value, they should realize some revenue from it.

23 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

I see those are BBQ kind of like Mr. B's BBQ shrimp.  Those pictured above even seem to have a bit of batter on them?

Yep, they are seasoned with something like a slightly sweet season salt blend, then deep fried.  It's got a kind of "bbq seasoning" flavor to it, thus the name.

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The company that owns the original spice mix recipe refuses to produce it or sell it off. However, Bolner’s Fiesta makes their own version that is legit if you want to make it at home.

Zestful seasoning...

grew up in the Triangle getting my grub on those pockets of crustacean ambrosia.

easily eat my weight in them to this day...
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Rooting around on this, I saw this article. https://www.houstonpress.com/restaurants/barbecued-crabs-the-secret-recipe-6433692
Said the original was Liquid Smoke and Alamo Zestful Seasoning, which was acquired by Sexton and discontinued.

TexJoy Seasonings in Beaumont poached the recipe and it’s a damn fine counterfeit.

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On 4/12/2021 at 8:40 AM, GreenspointTexas said:

 

Why arent these more ubiquitous? Had a dozen at Reel Cajun in PA yesterday on the way to Sea Rim... one of the best things ive ever eaten

 

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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

So what was the "market price" of that stack?  They fry these up in their own BBQ seasoned butter according to their menu. Look damn good. For a second I thought PA meant Port A, alas... Port Arthur is not as frequent on my travel rotations.

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29 minutes ago, horn4life said:

So what was the "market price" of that stack?  They fry these up in their own BBQ seasoned butter according to their menu. Look damn good. For a second I thought PA meant Port A, alas... Port Arthur is not as frequent on my travel rotations.

Yeah, sorry, should have clarified. I think the stack was $36-40 for a dozen. Not bad, just harder to eat than your regular crabs

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Yeah, sorry, should have clarified. I think the stack was $36-40 for a dozen. Not bad, just harder to eat than your regular crabs

Jesus fuck...it was in the past 10 years that platter service (aka all you could eat) bbq crabs was $26.00 at Sartin’s on Nederland Ave.

the catch was that everyone at the table had to order it, too. which ain’t no thing to locals but miffed visitors.
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3 hours ago, Kyrie Eleison said:


Jesus fuck...it was in the past 10 years that platter service (aka all you could eat) bbq crabs was $26.00 at Sartin’s on Nederland Ave.
 

When I was a teenager, a couple of times a year, some buddies and I would go to Sartin's out by Parkdale Mall and get the all you can eat deal. $19.95 for fried shrimp and BBQ crabs. We'd sit there for a good 2 1/2 hours, just knocking out plate after plate. 

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3 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

god I love those things. My fingers would hurt for 2-3 days after a sesh, but it was so worth it. 

The key is to eat them the second they bring them out to make sure you burn your fingers. 

Also, in a "no pain, no gain" scenario, you're almost guaranteed to get a few cuts on your fingers so small that you'll only know they're there when they come into contact with seasoning.

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49 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Wait.....you wore a shirt?  Well la-de-da, lookie here, fellas, one of us musta gone to fucking CHARM SCHOOL.

Touche'  A shirt was a bit much for SP, but on Friday nights you gotta try for the ladies' sake.

How else would you make them smile and show off that (one) pearly white.

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yeah...that shit wore like smoke. but it was a badge of honor to let everyone know you fucking gnoshed.

best meal i ever had was the broiled red snapper and bbq crabs at Al’s Seafood on Gulfway Dr in PA for my birthday one year, after my dad and i smoked full limits of trout and redfish on Sabine one morning )i have a fall birthday).

there’s nothing that will ever top that. and i’ve had some damn fine meals over the years from Beard winners to Michelin star places.

that meal stands alone...

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4 hours ago, Reagan1k said:

I was taught to wear a throw-away shirt to Sabine Pass.

The grease stains and the aroma never fully washed out.

I actually had this conversation with Brisket, KE, and GOLL on Saturday when talking about crawfish boil attire. You don’t want to show up looking homeless, but you also don’t want to wear anything you cared about. 
 

When my mom came to town, or first night dinner was always Farm Royal on Memorial. That was the fanciest place I’d ever eaten until I was probably 17. 

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I actually had this conversation with Brisket, KE, and GOLL on Saturday when talking about crawfish boil attire. You don’t want to show up looking homeless, but you also don’t want to wear anything you cared about. 
 
When my mom came to town, or first night dinner was always Farm Royal on Memorial. That was the fanciest place I’d ever eaten until I was probably 17. 

loved that place...and El Charro right down the road.
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55 minutes ago, Kyrie Eleison said:


don’t need to be live, bro. many a cleaned, frozen blue has met its final end coated in Zestful and deep fried.

what you want to look for is whether they’re full.

100% this - But, there is something quaint about a patio full of drunk rednecks armed with with icepicks and live crabs climbing out of buckets, pinching bare feet that sort of sets the mood!

Waking up with a shriveled up, cured mouth from the salt/spice and having the grease coming out of your pores is proof of a good night

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2 hours ago, Pescado_Rojo said:

I actually had this conversation with Brisket, KE, and GOLL on Saturday when talking about crawfish boil attire. You don’t want to show up looking homeless, but you also don’t want to wear anything you cared about. 
 

When my mom came to town, or first night dinner was always Farm Royal on Memorial. That was the fanciest place I’d ever eaten until I was probably 17. 

My go to crawfish clothes are an old, faded old 3-button shirt and golf shorts fraying at them hems.

Looks good from afar but far from good.  Up close its evident I'm there to eat but the neighbors don't think I'm homeless when they see me walking up the drive.

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100% this - But, there is something quaint about a patio full of drunk rednecks armed with with icepicks and live crabs climbing out of buckets, pinching bare feet that sort of sets the mood!
Waking up with a shriveled up, cured mouth from the salt/spice and having the grease coming out of your pores is proof of a good night

chugging water by the gallon 12 hours later...feel like Spongebob got trapped on the beach.
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11 hours ago, Kyrie Eleison said:

pro-tip...if you don’t want the deal with the time and mess of deep frying, many a time i’ve coated them in olive oil, doused them with Zestful or the equivalent, and grilled them.

and it’s outstanding.

We've done that.  Olive oil wasn't my favorite but still plenty good.  Could have been the choice/grade of oil.  

Our variation I like better is to use melted butter, then grill offset from the flame until almost done.  We have a second pot of melted butter with Zestful or knock-off stirred in.  Put that in the fridge for a few minutes and let it start to congeal.  Finishing touch is to brush that thickened mixture on and throw them directly over flame for a short time and let it flare up- same as char-grilled oysters.  Delicious.   (Then again, I'd probably like a cow chip doused in butter and char-grilled).

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1 hour ago, Reagan1k said:

We've done that.  Olive oil wasn't my favorite but still plenty good.  Could have been the choice/grade of oil.  

Our variation I like better is to use melted butter, then grill offset from the flame until almost done.  We have a second pot of melted butter with Zestful or knock-off stirred in.  Put that in the fridge for a few minutes and let it start to congeal.  Finishing touch is to brush that thickened mixture on and throw them directly over flame for a short time and let it flare up- same as char-grilled oysters.  Delicious.   (Then again, I'd probably like a cow chip doused in butter and char-grilled).

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On 4/14/2021 at 9:23 PM, Kyrie Eleison said:

pro-tip...if you don’t want the deal with the time and mess of deep frying, many a time i’ve coated them in olive oil, doused them with Zestful or the equivalent, and grilled them.

and it’s outstanding.

This! I was never a fan of heavily salted and fried at Sartin’s.  The other pro tip is to clean crabs before cooking. Even if just boiling, you get twice as many in the pot, and they’re a lot more pleasant to eat. 
 

Blend S/P, cayenne, garlic, etc in oil, toss with the cleaned bodies, and grill on moderately high heat.  I know for many this is sacrilege, but it’s better than anything I ever ate at the original Sartin’s in Sabine Pass. 

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On 4/14/2021 at 9:06 PM, utee94 said:

I wear fine linen pants and silken shirts, and have my servants throw them away when the meal is over.  But then again, I never wear anything twice, so it's just like any other day for me.

I’m guessing your refurbished airstream is insulated with old underwear and T-shirts.  😂

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On 4/14/2021 at 6:38 PM, Anastasis said:

https://www.bluecrab.info/bbqcrabs.html

 

Where to procure live blue crabs in ATX?

i have a crab guy i drive to in killeen that i meet in the strip club parking lot.  live blue crabs imported from the gulf almost every friday.  papa jazzy takes good care of me (though he does think i'm insane to deep fry them). also crawfish, shrimp, oysters. super high quality.  you must call ahead.

 

https://www.facebook.com/papajazzysseafoodexpress

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2 minutes ago, Leeroy Jenkins said:

Native Eastern Shore Marylander here.   WTF is this shit?  LOL.  The only crab your should eat fried is soft crabs.  I prefer them on the smaller side and pan fried.

I’ve lived within 50 miles of Chesapeake Bay for 51 years, within a couple of miles the last 30.  I imagine I’ve eaten crabs every possible way there is ... soft shell is my favorite, hands down.  Prefer mine fried in peanut oil after dredging in egg and seasoned flour with a touch of panko or corn starch.

Crab cakes are second, if somebody else does the pickin’ ...

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So, they’re battered and fried and then you have to shell them?

In the triangle you clean them a little bit first—rip off eyes, top shell and clean out gills and lungs with cold water. Take out reproductive organs, and then rip them in half. Some people kind of precrack the claws too. Then dredge in zestful seasoning and deep fry. You have cayenne pepper in your cuticles for days.
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