Lobster on the Grill?

GrillinFool

New member
What have you got? NEver done it. Doing it tomorrow and looking for ideas...

ETA, Lobster tails, not whole lobsters....
 
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High Cheese

Saucier
Never heard of it. lol

Par boil the tails first then sear on a ultra hot grill, baste with clarified butter and parsley or some other basting liquid....a white wine and shallot reduction would be nice too.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
I simply cut the tails off then cut in half clean and grille them. They grille a bit slower than shrimp but they too will let you know when they are done. I've use all kinds of things with them such as lemon and olive oil as a baste but prefer butter, garlic and lemon juice after they are done. I've never boiled them first and then grilled it seems like it is pre cooked then.
 

GrillinFool

New member
Pre-boiling them? Doesn't sound like the route I want to take. If I want to precook them I will indirect them for a while. Gotta be done on the grill the whole way...

Butter is probably a given here. Just don't know if I want to split them down the middle or keep them whole.
 

chowhound

New member
I saw them done straight up on a cooking show, no precooking. They skewered the tail with a metal skewer through the entire length to keep it from curling. They judged doneness by observing the end meat. Probably no different than judging a shrimp that's been wrapped with bacon, I'm sure you get a feel for it after your first time.
 

GrillinFool

New member
I saw them done straight up on a cooking show, no precooking. They skewered the tail with a metal skewer through the entire length to keep it from curling. They judged doneness by observing the end meat. Probably no different than judging a shrimp that's been wrapped with bacon, I'm sure you get a feel for it after your first time.

That was my mentality going into this. Think if it as a really, really, big shrimp!?!? Gonna do some bacon wrapped shrimp for apps/sides....Seafood delight yet again!?!?!
 

High Cheese

Saucier
You're better off keeping them in the shell. Hitting lobster meat with all that dry heat can turn out to be a disaster. That's why I par cook mine in boiling water. A quick sear on a seasoned grill is enough to capture the grilling essence. I've done alot of shell fish starting raw but never lobster. Scallps are good too, but you need a scorching hot grill.
 

buckytom

Grill Master
the cheese-kinz knows his stuff.

imo, grilling lobsters is more effort than it's worth to get them done properly, or a waste if overcooked, toughened, and dried out.


anyone remember dan akroyd grilling huge lobster tails in "the great outdoors"? made my mouth water. the only tails i've ever seen like that in my life were south african.
 

Mama

Queen of Cornbread
Site Supporter
When I saw the thread titile, I immediately remembered those those great pics that HiJeeks posted a while back...I knew they'd be posted again...
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
I have lobster twice and year, my birthday and DW birthday. We always steam it ourselves as though I've made grilled lobster a couple of times I'm not a fan of it. I also prefer my lobster alive before killing and cooking.
 

buckytom

Grill Master
joe, are we seeing a different side of you? do you enjoy watching their little crustacean lives slip away amidst the roiling bubbles? do you derive pleasure from watching them belch out their last breath until they stop and turn deliciously red? hmmm, hmmmmmmmm?

oh wait. maybe you just meant not frozen.

nevermind...
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
No, you have it correct but I don't watch them, I cover the pot so they don't climb out. :whistling: To me lobster, crayfish, crabs etc are food and since I don't, like most creatures in nature eat their food alive or raw, it does require they die before completion of the cooking process. No different than what you buy in the super market really except the packaged stuff has been killed for you.
 

VeraBlue

Head Mistress
Gold Site Supporter
First, shove a thick skewer through the raw tail so it doesn't curl when you cook it. Then, lay it, underside down, on the grill....close the lid. Your temperature will determine the cooking time.
 

Mama

Queen of Cornbread
Site Supporter
Good idea with the skewer VB! :thumb: I'd give you karma for it but the stupid thing said I've given out my limit for the day..
 

GrillinFool

New member
No, you have it correct but I don't watch them, I cover the pot so they don't climb out. :whistling: To me lobster, crayfish, crabs etc are food and since I don't, like most creatures in nature eat their food alive or raw, it does require they die before completion of the cooking process. No different than what you buy in the super market really except the packaged stuff has been killed for you.

I had an issue with this till Alton Brown said that the closest evolutionary species to the lobster is a cock roach. I still shoved a knife through their brains before boiling them alive though....

The Skewer thing is a good idea. I don't have any thick ones but I think 4 or so thin wooden ones together will suffice....

I was thinking, shell side down over med-hi heat till the lobster firms up a bit. Flip over on the heat flesh side down. Get a bit of a sear then off to the side to indirect till desired doneness with a couple of butter bastings along the way....
 

VeraBlue

Head Mistress
Gold Site Supporter
If you do that, Grillin, you'll blacken the prettiest side of the shell....
Think presentation. Start with the side that will be down on the plate and you shouldn't have to flip it.

Also, the shell is very thick and will prevent the meat from cooking quickly. The bottom side is thinner.

Try it my way and see if you don't like it better....:bounce:
 

chowhound

New member
Good idea with the skewer VB! :thumb: I'd give you karma for it but the stupid thing said I've given out my limit for the day..

Give me karma, I said it first :mrgreen:
And definitely leave it in the shell. That's a given, although I used to split lobsters down the back and broil them meat side up. Always came out just the way I like.
 

AllenOK

New member
It's been years since I've grilled tail. We always pulled the entire tail out of the shell, and cooked them separate on the grill. The tailmeat was placed on the cooked shell for presentation.

Personally, I like my tails split, but not completely detached. Open them up, grill cut-side down for a few minutes to put a sear on them, then flip and move to a cool side to finish indirectly. Baste with the liquid of your choice, butter, wine, (beer?), etc. I normally only season grilled for with salt and pepper, but I'm on an Herbs de Provence kick lately. Not sure how that would work out.
 
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