Grilled Lobster Tails

Photo Courtesy of Foodista

Here's simple, step by step instructions for grilled lobster tails. Grilling lobster tails is a great way to impress the neighbours. I've had a few requests lately for information on how to grill lobster tails, and so here I'm giving you my version.

Personally, I think charcoal grilled lobster tails taste better than those cooked on a gas grill, but that may just be nostagia for my youth. That could be because it was my father getting his hands messy with the charcoal, not me! I use a gas barbecue myself because it is so much more convenient and not nearly as messy. That's since I've gotten over my fear of blowing myself up with the gas.

Before cooking lobster tail on grill, make sure the grill is very clean. You don't want to have the taste of your last meal changing the taste of the meat.

You also want to be sure that the meat doesn't stick to the grill. You can grease the grill to stop this from happening. I like to use olive oil, because it's easy to use and it's one of those healthy oils. Once it is well-greased, turn the grill to high heat to pre-heat it.

If you have live lobster, you must kill it before removing the tail. If you are using frozen lobster tails, they must be completely thawed before putting them on the bbq. Tails that are fresh can go straight on the grill without pre-cooking. Some grilled lobster tail recipes will say to par-boil the tails before grilling them, but I don't find that is necessary.

The simple way to prepare the tail is to cut the underneath, softer side of the shell. Cut on both sides, and remove the shell. Then remove the intestine (the black stringy thing). But, if you want to be fancy, you can also butterfly the lobster tail. Stick a skewer lengthwise through the tail. This will keep the tail straight while it cooks. Otherwise, it can curl up.

Once the tail is prepared, put it on the barbeque with the meat down and cook for 2-3 minutes. This should give some nice grill marks on the meat. Then turn the tail over, and put it back on the barbeque with the shell side down. Cook for another 7-8 minutes. The meat will be opaque when it is fully cooked.

Serve with drawn butter. I would recommend one per person if you are serving it with steak, and 2 per person if it is the main course of the meal.

And there you have it. That is my grilled lobster tail recipe.