Comparisons · Two cuts
Peeled king prawns or Squid
The two fast shellfish that punish a slow grate, where the failure modes are opposite: one goes rubbery from too long, the other from a fire that was never hot enough to finish it quickly.
What each one is
Peeled king prawns
Peeled prawns, usually skewered so they can be turned together. Faster than shell-on and far less forgiving.
Squid
Either a very short cook or a very long one, with nothing usable between. That is a property of its connective tissue rather than kitchen folklore.
Where they overlap
- Both are the same food form, so the same safety rules apply to each.
What actually differs
| Aspect | Peeled king prawns | Squid |
|---|---|---|
| Typical weight | 12–25 g | 80–200 g |
| Typical thickness Thickness governs timing more than weight or cut name does — Weber's own chart roughly triples the time between a one-inch and a two-inch steak. | 15–25 mm | 3–8 mm |
| What tends to go wrong From BBQHQ's troubleshooting index. Choosing between two cuts is partly choosing which failure you would rather risk. | came out tough, stuck to the grate | came out tough |
Can one stand in for the other?
Workable, once you change the cook
You can use one for the other. The cook changes, and the changes are below — do not carry the timing across unaltered.
What has to change
- They are not the same thickness, and thickness moves timing more than weight or cut name does. Expect the window to move substantially, and probe rather than transferring the time.