mud bugs boiled in clean unseasoned water = the best

[Chad2682]

The 250 qt yeti was full of live bugs

Plus there was not a Brute to be seen.

That's cause the brute was holding the most important part of all... The cold beer!

[Sackett]

For the record, the "ice quench" isn't to bring the temp to room temp, just help the meat suck up the seasoning. The slight temp difference is all you need. Cooler is better, but not required of your mix is on point. Just like letting a steak rest for 5-10 minutes after taking it off the grill.......

Actually, letting a steak "rest" and quenching mud bugs is two completely different physiological processes Letting a steak rest distributes the natural juices throughout the meat that have "risen" to the surface during the cooking process, thus creating a more "juicy" steak throughout. Quenching bugs simply stops the cooking process immediately and in doing so the physics of "cooler water/seasoning" fills in the heated, expanded molecules of the bugs.

[Bonesplitter]

It's no different than boat trailer bearings! Pulling the trailer down the road heats the bearings up and then you back down the ramp into cooler water...voila, you created a vacuum drawing the water into the bearings. That's why bearing buddies etc. were invented, to create a positive pressure to stop the vacuum.

[Todd-ty729]

Trailer bearings in a bug-boil thread

[Bowhunter004]

I had some crawfish this fella cooks at a boat show every year and they were amazing. He steams the crawfish and then soaks them in seasoned water for 20 minutes. Best, easiest to peel, most flavorful crawfish I've ever had. Watch this link, he shows you exactly how he cooks it. When he is done with the steamed crawfish water he pours it out and it looks like MUD!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zZHy_J86HeE

[Bonesplitter]

Trailer bearings in a bug-boil thread

It's relative....

[Ironman]

It's relative....

And a good analogy.

[Bonesplitter]

And a good analogy.

I thought so too!

[cwill]

Did 100 pounds the old fashioned way yesterday evening and they were great. Would love to try this method for kicks.

[stickman]

Did 100 pounds the old fashioned way yesterday evening and they were great. Would love to try this method for kicks.

I was reluctant to try it but I am glad we did. These were by far the most tender and flavorful bugs I have ever had.

[Poco]

mud bugs boiled in clean unseasoned water = the best

I was reluctant to try it but I am glad we did. These were by far the most tender and flavorful bugs I have ever had.

Saying this will only make breezy's noggin even bigger but this cooler soaking method was awesome!! This was also my first time trying it using this method and I will probably do mine this way from now on.

Ray

[Tommyh]

The hot bugs going into a cooler full of not so hot seasoned water will make them draw in the seasoning. I season boil mine and then soak in another tub of seasoned water before putting in the cooler. Way better and juicy!

Thanks, i didnt want to essplain it .

[Specktackulure]

I know everyone one has their own method, with saying that here is the one I tried yesterday, they turned out really good too. I used a combination of methods. Part of this is taken from the Frog Bone guys in the you tube video.

In a 120 quart pot I put in about 7 inches of water, 4 pounds of boil mix, 5 lbs of sausage, 5 onions that I pureed and about 1/2 a bunch of celery pureed as well. I had already bought lemons so I halved them and put them in as well (Will use lemon juice next time instead of lemons). Got it to a rolling boil killed the heat and placed the slurry in a big styrofoam cooler. At that time I added the gallon of mustard, a stick of butter, mushrooms and fresh corn (not frozen) into the cooler. Also, a head of cauliflower.

Then put 2 inches of water into the 120 quart pot and got it rolling to steam the crawfish. , dumped a sack of crawfish in the strainer and then placed it in the pot. Stirred occasionally. Once the white foam stated rising above the mudbugs set the timer for 4 1/2 minutes.

When the time is up I put the crawfish in the slurry. Frog Bone guys said you need a temp of 140-150 degrees, in the soaking slurry. Mine was much higher, so I dumped in a block of ice and another stick of butter. Let them soak for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes my temp was still around 175 degrees, I wasnt worried at that point and time, the very hot soaking slurry had cooked the corn and the mushrooms and the head of cauliflower.

Crawfish were super easy to peel and very juicy, everything was very well seasoned. This slurry is supposed to be able to season more than one sack, I only did one sack, but I will try more sacks around Mothers Day.

Again, I know that everyone has their own perfect way of doing crawfish, I have done many boils over the years and usually have tweaked a little bit on each boil. I can say that the soaking method is way more juicer than the boil and sprinkle more seasonings over them. IMO

Jeff

[Mr. Stickers]

A buddy of mine introduced me to this method...... Will be the only way I cook them from now on we did use good ol boys recipe, but pretty sure it will work with what ever your favorite seasoning is.

[r_u_sharp_2]

what kind of mustard? Regular old yellow? Gonna try this with my neighbor at the end of the month.