Jump to recipe

Robert Tabak smokes food the way most of us heat up leftovers -- a lot. "I'll prepare two or three things," he says, "like grilled and smoked swordfish and shrimp on the side. And I love to grill vegetables -- onions, peppers, and new potatoes." A Dallas native, the 33-year-old architect (he designed the Las Colinas restaurant complex) says barbecue is a lifelong passion that kicked into high gear when he was an undergrad at the University of Texas at Austin. "I lived with two guys from Memphis, Tennessee, the home of hickory-smoked cooking," Tabak says. "They taught me a lot. I called it Barbecue 101."

With his trusty Ranchwood smoker, Tabak has created a number of adventurous recipes. His smoked sugar-cured salmon has taken months to test and develop, and his smoked-tuna salad leaves the familiar, bland sandwich stuffing light-years behind. But his crowning achievement is this spicy recipe for smoked and grilled shrimp. "The secret is cooking the shrimp slowly," he says, pointing out the advantage of a steady, low, smoky fire that infuses food with flavor rather than incinerating it.

Smoked and Grilled Shrimp
Serves 5 - 6

2 pounds large shrimp, shells on
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
Salt, to taste (optional)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 limes, halved

Rinse shrimp well, and drain. Lay shrimp flat in large glass or ceramic pan. Mix spices and salt in small bowl. Brush shrimp with half the oil, squeeze on juice of 1 lime, and sprinkle on half the seasonings. Turn shrimp over, and repeat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Recipe requires low, steady fire: Use mostly hickory chunks with a little mesquite. Wood is best if soaked in water overnight so it smokes and doesn't burn. (If you have a smoker pan, use the water that the wood soaked in.) Add wood to fire about every 30 minutes. Smoke shrimp for 2 hours, turning twice. If fire is hot enough, shrimp can be finished by quickly grilling on each side.

If true smoker is not available, adapt recipe for household grill as follows: Arrange coals on one side of grill bottom, and light. When coals have ashed over, add soaked wood chunks. Place a pan of water over coals (refill as necessary). Lay shrimp on grill, away from coals. Cover grill and close vents. Cooking time will be reduced by 1 hour or more.

Note: Shrimp can be prepared ahead of time. Slightly undercook in smoker, and do not grill. Twenty minutes before serving, place in 350-degree oven.