Grilled Lobster Tails

By Mike Lang

Lobster is decadent, it is expensive, and whenever I order it out, which is rare anymore, I’m disappointed.  How do I guarantee a great lobster dinner?  Easy.  I make it myself.

My wife, Zoë, has this “thing” about me killing dinner in the house.  For that matter, the backyard is off limits too.  With these caveats in play, I always opt for the lobster tail.  Less mess, no fuss, and I can mostly guarantee to coming home and finding my key still works in the backdoor.

There are several different ways to prep a lobster tail for the grill: the soft tissue underneath the “tail” shell can be removed or the tail can be cut completely in half.

There is also a third way, which is a variation of the two.

Cut the shell with a pair of kitchen shears, but go no further than the tail.  With a knife, split the meat along the same path as the shell cut line, being careful not to slice all the way through the lobster.

Open the lobster like a book.  The remaining soft membrane will keep the sections intact while exposing the meat.

Lobster is grilled over direct medium heat.  Rub the flesh with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Grill flesh side down for approximately 5-7 minutes, then flip. Figure another 4-5 minutes after you flip the tail. I am using 6-8oz tails here. 

Finish cooking flesh side up, still over direct heat.

At this point, it’s a great idea to baste the lobster with a herb butter mixture.

The lobster is done when its internal temperature, checked by an instant read thermometer, reaches 135 F.

There you have it, a seafood extravaganza.