How to grill lobster tails like a pro...

[lspencer534]

A brief tutorial on frozen lobster tails (since you're not likely to find fresh tails):

Lobster tails are flash-frozen. If the lobster isn't red and is gray or grayish-brown instead, that means it was dead before being processed. Pick red ones.

Thaw the lobster fully before cooking it. Although they can be cooked frozen, the meat is tougher that way. The easiest way to thaw lobster is to put it in a sealed plastic bag and soak it in water, changing the water every so often as it gets cold.

To the cooking:

Start at medium to hot fire in your grill. While that's heating up, lay the lobster tail on a cutting board belly side up. Using a sharp chef's knife, put the point about 2" from the tail end of the tail and cut it all the way through lengthwise.

Pull the meat away from the shell, leaving the shell attached to the 2" you left at the tail end. Rinse and pat dry. Put the lobster belly down on the heated grill for 1 minute. Turn it over and heat another minute. Remove from the grill; the lobster will not be done. Take it back to the kitchen.

Put a half stick of butter in a large skillet, and add 2 cloves of finely minced garlic and chopped parsley (about 3 tbsps.). When the butter is bubbling, add 3/4 cup water and bring back to a simmer.

The next step sounds tricky, but it isn't: Tilt the skillet so that the butter remains on the heat and put the lobster tails on the elevated side of the skillet with the meat closest to the butter and the end of the tails on the rim of the skillet. Belly side up, of course. Don't let the meat simmer in the butter. Use a large spoon to scoop and pour the butter mixture on the meat; the hot mixture is what does the rest of the cooking. Keep doing this until the lobster is done; this takes about 5 minutes. If your butter mixture runs low, just add more water and bring back to a simmer.

Serve with the remains of the skillet miture drizzled on the meat and/or clarified butter and lemon.

[m and t's77]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

A brief tutorial on frozen lobster tails (since you're not likely to find fresh tails):

I can get fresh tail anytime.

[jaxgator]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

put the lobster tails on the elevated side of the skillet with the meat closest to the butter and the end of the tails on the rim of the skillet.

If the lobster tails are on the rim of the skillet belly side up, how do you keep them from slip-sliding away into the butter on the other side of the pan.

Seems to me, if done as deescribed above, that this would happen since the lobster tail is curved and the curve would be on the wrong side for the tails to just "hang onto" the rim.

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by jaxgator

If the lobster tails are on the rim of the skillet belly side up, how do you keep them from slip-sliding away into the butter on the other side of the pan.

Seems to me, if done as deescribed above, that this would happen since the lobster tail is curved and the curve would be on the wrong side for the tails to just "hang onto" the rim.

Use a clothes pin if you have to, but I've never had a problem with them sliding down.

[lspencer534]

Folks, I just want to remind you that lobster cooks amazingly fast. A minute on each side on a hot grill takes you about a third of the way there. The skillet, if the butter mixture is simmering, takes at most 5 minutes. Over-cooked lobster is tough.

[jaxgator]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

Folks, I just want to remind you that lobster cooks amazingly fast. A minute on each side on a hot grill takes you about a third of the way there. The skillet, if the butter mixture is simmering, takes at most 5 minutes. Over-cooked lobster is tough.

It definitely has to be cooked correctly or it'll be ruined.

[Bucwheat]

When we go somewhere for Lobster it always taste like chewing on rubber.