Question About De-veining Shrimp

[TaylorTRoom]

OK, the only shrimp I've grilled came from the supermarket. My dad has given me a frozen solid zip-lok filled with shrimp he bought at the Galveston pier. He tells me I have to de-vein it before cooking.

What is involved in that? I want to cook the shrimp on the grill with the shells on, until they turn red and puff out. To de-vein, do I need to remove the shells? Are the supermarket shrimp de-veined already?

 

[Fried JJ Pickles]

"devein" means to pull the leftover **** out of the shrimp's ***.

Split the bottom end with a knife and if you see ****, pull it out. That's all there is to it.

It's not a health thing. It's not dangerous to eat shrimp without deveining. But it does seem gross.

 

[TaylorTRoom]

Thanks! I can do that.

 

[texashorne]

Why do they always have to de-turd these things?

 

[Tex Pete]

Lots of times, people don't de-vein them. It really isn't that big of a deal.

I have seen shrimp de-veiners in seafood shops and grocery stores.

 

[midtown]

You can buy a shrimp deveiner at any grocery store. realize when you devein the shrimp you will also take off the shell. In other words any peel and eat shrimp you eat mean you are eating shrimp poop.

 

[AustinBat]

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[scottsins]

you can devein without taking the shell off, fyi.

 

[Cap33]

I use kitchen shears to cut down the back and remove the vein. You can keep the shell or discard with this method.

 

[happy fun ball]

What about on the really big ones, where it seems there is a "vein" on both the back and the underside? Are both filled with crap, or is one crap and the other is pre-digested sand/nutrients, or is one really a vein?

 

[NCAAFBALLROX]

I don't know the answer to Happy Fun Balll's query, however the "****" you see is minimal in volume & gets boiled for many minutes anyhow... not that big a deal to me.

I have been known to eat bat shrimp before, so 'non' deveined shrimp isn't that significant on the radar.

 

[bozo_casanova]

Shrimp are incredibly disgusting, and this thread is just another example of why.

 

[Brisketexan]

Shrimp. Oysters. Whole clams (with bellies). Crawfish. Tacos de tripas.

Mmmm. Apparently, I loves me some ****, because all of those have some sorta poop still attached, and all are mi-tee fine eatin'.

Indeed, if you gave me a heaping mixed platter of shrimp, crawfish, and oysters, I might declare you the greatest person on earth.

 

[Mrmyke709]

HEB has pre-deveined shrimp from Thailand. Right now it's $4 a pound. They're kinda small, but will work well in gumbo.
Prep time is dramatically shortened.

 

[accuratehorn]

Yeah, if you are boiling the shrimp, you take them out of the pot, put them over a bowl of ice cubes in the fridge, then an hour later you can shell and de-vein them under running water in the sink. You can just peel off the shells, use a deveiner or a sharp knife to cut down about 1/4 inch along the back, and use your finger to push out the dark vein.
If some member of your family refuses to eat it otherwise, like a spouse or someone, I mean.

 

[DRAG69]

You really do not need any kind of tool.

I can peel and devein about 3 to 4 shrimp a minute doing this.

I start the water at a slow trickle over the disposal.
I have a bowl lined with some paper towels for the clean shrimp and another bowl for the shells.

Start by grabbing the legs and removing the peel over the back of the shrimp. This should get all of the shell except for the last segment that holds the tail. I then squeeze the last segment and pull the tail off all at once being careful not to lose that last little bit of shrimp. Then using my thumbnail I devein the shrimp starting at the "head" end working down toward the tail under the running water.

Of course if you are a nail biter you cannot do it.
It is quick and effecient and you do not have to handle any kind of tool as well as the shrimp.

 

[Perham1]

Shrimp are incredibly disgusting, and this thread is just another example of why.

Yeah, what's the word I'm looking for? Shrimp just aren't kosher.

 

[jt09]

that's cool, i'm not jewish.

 

[DLev]

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[Ag with kids]

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[Anastasis]

I have a tool like the one on the far left in TexPete's picture. Works well, takes about 5 seconds to devein each shrimpy. I usually do that, leave the shell on, and head out to the grill.

 

[DRAG69]

Why are you cooking your shrimp on the grill with the shell on ?

You need to season the meat and get some of that smoke flavor into it. You cannot do it with the shell on.

 

[Anastasis]

When you devein the shrimp with the tool I mentioned it splits the shell. I haven't had any problems having my shrimp come out sufficiently seasoned and flavorful, in fact I think that cooking in the shell adds flavor. I have also noticed that the shrimp seems to shrink less when you cook them in the shell versus commando. Maybe doing a better job keeping hte moisture in? And its not just the shell material, the actual meat seems to shrink less, but that may be all in my head.

 

[someone]

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[DRAG69]

Well you obviously have never tasted my garlic/lemon butter shrimp cooked over a hickory fired grill.
No shell.