Box Crabs - Cooking (Steaming) 101

Cooking box crabs is comparable to cooking any other large crab.  Unfortunately, most people (myself included) was not familiar with how cook king crabs, as the typical American grocery store versions are frozen and previously cooked.

The most important item for cooking king crabs is having a big enough pot.  At the beginning of our whole crab cooking experience, we went out and purchased a 24 quart canning pot.  However, any pot large enough to fit your crabs will work.  Next comes the dirty work.

Step 1:  Put your crabs in the freezer for a minimum of 15 minutes.  This step is not absolutely necessary but is generally considered a humane step (by numbing the crabs just before their steam bath).

Step 2:  While your crabs are in the freezer, put enough water into your pot until it is 1/2" deep.  Put on the stove and bring to a boil.

Step 3:  Move your crabs directly from the freezer to the pot.  Put the lid on the pot and set the timer.  How long to cook your crabs depends on their weight.  A good rule of thumb is to cook your crabs for 8 minutes per average weight of each crab.  For example, one crab that weighs 3 pounds should be steamed for 24 minutes (8 minutes per pound * 3 pounds = 24 minutes).  However if you have two crabs, one that weighs 2 pounds, one that weighs 3 lbs, they should be steamed for 20 minutes (8 minutes per pound * ((2 pounds + 3 pounds)/2 crabs) = 20 minutes).

Step 4:  Once the crabs have finished cooking, allow them to cool to the touch before cleaning and picking.