Summer is here and shrimp are an excellent barbecue choice for those who are less than enthusiastic about red meat.When you get it right, shrimp can be a fast and easy, yet classy meal for any day of the week, any time of the year.Unfortunately, when you get it wrong, shrimp can be a rubbery flop.Over-cooking is one of the most common mistakes people make with shrimp, especially since many supermarket shrimp are sold frozen, and already cooked.Those that are pre-cooked only need to be heated through.If a recipe containing shrimp calls for a long cook time, it doesn’t hurt to hold the pre-cooked shrimp back and throw them in the dish during the last couple of minutes of cooking.The alternative is to purchase uncooked shrimp, and use these throughout the entire cook time recommended.In terms of human health, shrimp can appear on both healthiest and unhealthiest food lists.They are healthy because they contain vitamin D, vitamin B12 and selenium. They are unhealthy mostly because of the ways that we often cook them frying, for example.Another downside is that shrimp contain cholesterol, four ounces of cooked shrimp contain about 220 milligrams of cholesterol.The worst thing about cooking shrimp is the preparation. Inevitably, hubby will bring home a bag with the tails on, or the store doesn’t have any tails-off shrimp left.In Asian countries, it is common to cook and eat shrimp with the tails on. They claim the tails retain some of the best flavour of the dish.But for others who can’t stand that crunch, removing tails can be a time-consuming task.There are actually many shrimp options besides tail-on and tail-off.There are farm-raised shrimp, tiger shrimp, cold water shrimp and Gulf shrimp. Those groups can also be divided there are different types of Gulf shrimp, for example.The Gulf shrimp image has taken a real beating after the oil crisis in the Gulf of Mexico.In February, the National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration declared 4,000 miles of water in the Gulf of Mexico open to shrimpers, deeming royal red shrimp there to be safe for consumption.So the shrimp industry is coming back in the Gulf, which is good news because 95 percent of the shrimp we eat comes from this region or from the southern Atlantic.Shrimp experts say that the origin of the shrimp makes a big difference in terms of taste and texture.Wild shrimp is supposed to be more flavourful because it has a chance to feed off things like seaweed, it also has a chance to swim in open water, building up its body into a tastier shape.Who wants to eat a flabby shrimp that just sat around on the farm all day?On the other hand, if you eat farm-raised shrimp, at least you know you aren’t depleting ocean stocks.There are some health strategies to follow if you are preparing shrimp for yourself or guests.First, check with your guests to make sure they aren’t allergic to seafood or crustaceans. Some people can have bad seafood allergies. When defrosting shrimp, always do it in the microwave or the refrigerator, don’t leave them out all day to defrost naturally, because they can go off quickly.They should only smell of seawater, if you catch any other smell they may be past their prime.Unfrozen shrimp should be eaten within a day of purchase. Any black spots or rings on the shrimp mean it is going bad and should not be eaten.Barbecue ShrimpDevein the shrimp before trying to cook it, although the vein is edibleFor grilling purposes it is probably better to use medium or large shrimpUse sweet marinades such as honey barbecue sauce for your shrimpFor a tasty, yet admittedly unhealthy, twist wrap the shrimp with baconPre-heat the grill to a high heatPlace the shrimp on the barbecue and cook for three to five minutes. Remember that shrimp cook very quickly, and the smaller they are the faster they will cook. They are done when they turn pink.Baste your shrimp with melted butter or fresh lemon juice to keep them moist and tastyServe right away, straight off the grill.Sweet barbecue sauce recipe for shrimp2 tsp of garlic2 tbs of melted margarine or butter⅔ c of cider vinegar18oz tin of tomato sauce¼ c of sugar, brown sugar preferred1 tbs of dry mustard1 tsp of saltAdd pepper and hot sauce to taste