Cooking with Fire Episode 18: Lobster Tail

Josh Cary and Chef Tom Jackson talk about their favorite starter grill, give a little history on lobstering in Maine and have a fantastic recipe for grilled lobster tail.

Grilled Lobster Tail Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 lobster tails
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper

For the compound butter:

• 4 oz European style butter, room temperature
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• zest of 1/2 a large lemon
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

To make the compound butter, bring the butter to room temperature. Add the minced garlic and lemon zest. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground back pepper. Mix well. Place the butter on a sheet of plastic wrap, in a log shape. Wrap the plastic around the butter, and roll tight. Store in the refrigerator until set up and ready to slice pats.

Preheat your grill to high heat (450°F+), set up for direct grilling. Using a very sharp knife, or kitchen shears, cut down, lengthwise, through the center of the top of the lobster tail shell. Slice down through the meat, but not through the bottom shell. Press the tail flat, so the flesh can all touch the grill at the same time, but both halves are held together. Loosen the flesh from the shell, but keep it attached at the tail end. This will allow the butter to melt down around the flesh, but hold the butter in the shell. Season the flesh with salt and pepper.

Grill the lobster flesh side down until you have nice grill marks. Flip over, shell side down. Slice pats of the compound butter and place over the flesh of the lobster. Allow the butter to melt as the lobster finishes cooking. The lobster is done when the flesh is opaque (140°F internal temperature)