As a self-described food lover, that does not mean that I simply like to eat many foods. Yes, I enjoy eating and tasting different foods. However, being a food lover or what some call a “foodie” is much more than one who enjoys eating.
Being a food lover has many aspects; it seeks out different ways of cooking, trying new flavors together, and even enjoying the pursuit of good food; I guess that is the hunter in me. When I say the pursuit of food, I enjoy harvesting wild game to cook, and I enjoy the trip to the grocery store, farmer’s market, or whatever it may be to complete the whole meal.
I recently made a trip to the Gulf of Mexico, where I found myself enjoying spending time with my family and exploring the culture and the flavors of food from the gulf coast, as well as piecing together a recipe and enjoying what other parts of the country offer along the way.
Being from southern Missouri, the trip to the Gulf of Mexico was approximately a twelve-and-a-half-hour drive. We might have been able to make the 692-mile drive a bit quicker, yet as I said, we had to make stops to explore along the way. We enjoyed delving into the southern delicacies such as boiled peanuts and a freshly made key lime pie. However, besides having fun with the family, the mission for this trip was to enjoy freshly caught seafood from the gulf. That is precisely what we did to make the 692 Mile Shrimp Kabobs.
At a fresh seafood market, I purchased a pound of gulf shrimp. After placing the fresh shrimp in my Yeti Hopper Flip 18 cooler, I knew they were ready to make the long journey home. Along the way back to Missouri, we stopped at a family-owned food stand in southern Alabama. This stand was made from an old silo converted into their checkout counter, where many of their fresh vegetables were on display. Here, we purchased fresh yellow squash, onions, and cherry tomatoes to go along with the gulf shrimp.
The following day, after arriving home, I began piecing together the kabobs. I used venison sausage from a deer that I harvested last fall in Missouri to add another type of meat. Therefore, I titled this kabob the 692-Mile Kabob—shrimp from Florida, vegetables from Alabama, and venison sausage from Missouri.
Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp
4 links of fully cooked venison vausage
2 – yellow zucchini squash
1 – large onion
15 – cherry tomatoes
1 bottle 16 oz Italian dressing
Kabob Skewers
Prep:
- Preheat grill to 300 degrees.
- Cut squash and onions into 1″ to 1 1/4″ pieces to fit good on kabob skewers, then place in a bowl with Italian salad dressing, and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
- Clean and devein shrimp
- Cut venison sausage into bite-sized pieces
- Place all ingredients on skewers, alternating shrimp, squash, sausage, tomato, and onion. Repeat until the skewer is full.
- Season the entire skewer with Meat Church Seafood Rub, or other favorite seasoning.
*To cook, I used my Traeger Grills Pro 780 with pecan-flavored pellets.
Cook:
Place a 2 inch thick Pink Himalayan Salt Block placed directly onto the bottom grate during my cook.
- Place kabobs onto the salt block and cook for approximately one hour at 300°F.
- Cook until the internal temperature of shrimp is at 145 degrees. During this time, your vegetables should be tender and cooked thoroughly, as well as venison sausage should be cooked to an internal temp of 160 degrees*.
*Being as the venison sausage is precooked – Once the shrimp reaches 145 degrees, the sausage should be ready as well.
These 692-mile Shrimp Kabobs create the perfect taste experience for the “foodie,” outdoorsman, or adventurer. Next time you find yourself on a road trip, do not be afraid to try the local cuisine and see what you can create on your own with flavors from around the country – you will be glad you did.
