Be a Pit Master With Grilled Lobster Tails

You may be wishing for some way to take you grill game beyond the obligatory hot dogs and burgers. Who can blame you? Those things are great for a cookout and beloved by all who move outdoors and match fire with food, but if you want a little sophistication, you’re going to need a new approach.

This grilling season try something new by grilling lobster tails. Sure, this might not be for every week, but for a special dinner this is just the thing to set you apart. You’ll look like a grilling rock star and your diners will have no idea how ridiculously simple it is to make.

The ingredients:

• 4 lobster tails, fresh or previously frozen
• 2 ounces butter, softened
• 2 ounces olive oil
• dashes of hot sauce, to taste
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• chopped fresh chives for garnish
• 8 lemon wedges

If you have not worked with lobster before, you will find this far less intimidating than dealing with a live one. You can purchase the tails fresh or previously frozen at most good seafood markets. If yours is frozen be sure to thaw it fully before preparing.

Begin by cutting a straight line down the top of the tail from the hole where it was attached to the tip of the tail. Use kitchen shears to cut through the shell and into the meat about ½” deep. Use your fingers to gently pull the shell open and away from the center revealing the meat inside. If there is a vein (digestive tract) still inside the meat it must be removed. Grab the vein with a dry paper towel and gently pull it up and out of the meat.

Heat your grill to medium-high. Rinse the lobster tails to remove any small pieces of shell that may have broken off into the meat. Run a metal skewer through the meat of each tail and out the tip of the tail. This will prevent them from curling up as they cook.

Place butter, olive oil, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk to fully combine. Using a pastry brush, spread about a tablespoon of the butter/oil mixture on the meat of each of the tails. Place the tails, meat side down, on the grill and cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn the tails over and coat the meat again with the butter/oil mixture. Cook for another 3-4 minutes or just until the flesh has become opaque. The shells will be the signature red-orange lobster color.

Remove the lobster from the grill and let them rest for 3-4 minutes before removing the skewers. Top each lobster tail with chopped chives and serve with two lemon wedges.