Prepping Lobster Tails for Cooking
from https://lobsteranywhere.com/

There are several ways to prep a lobster tail for cooking. Fully defrosted lobster tails can be cooked whole in the shell. The shell protects the meat from high heat cooking methods like boiling, steaming, and grilling. The shell also adds flavor to the tail meat.

How to Piggyback (you will also see this called Butterfly, which see below) a Lobster Tail

Prepping the lobster tail using this technique, the meat will rest on the top of the shell. This not only makes the shell easier to remove after cooking time, but it can also allow the lobster tail to cook more evenly. This is the technique to use if you want those beautiful, puffed up lobster tails. Some people prefer to keep the meat in the shell saying this helps retain moisture.

* Cut the upper hard back-shell down the center with scissors or chef knife.

* Leave the under-shell and tail fan attached.

* Pull apart the shell-halves so you can see the tail meat. Run fingers under meat to loosen it from the shell. Let the meat’s connection to the tail fan remain; it will act as a hinge.

* Lift the tail meat up through the split shell to rest on top of the shell.

* Pinch the split shell closed under the meat to its original position. Position the meat on the back of the shell.

How to Butterfly a Lobster Tail

The butterfly lobster tails prep allows the tail meat to absorb the complementary smoky tastes from grilling, roasting, broiling, or even baking. Butterfly lobster tails make it easy to marinade in advance, and baste while cooking.

* With kitchen shears, cut the upper hard back-shell down the center from the big end to where it meets the tail fan, but, leave fan-tail and the bottom shell intact.

* With fingers, pull apart and spread the shell halves apart so you can see the tail meat in the shell, but be sure to leave the bottom shell intact.

How to Fan-Cut a Lobster Tail

In this method the tail is cut off under-shell, leaving the tail fan in place. This technique works well if you want to make a stuffing to add on top of the lobster, but it is also used for just basting the lobster with a lemon butter.

* Turn the lobster tail on its back. You’ll see the under-shell is protected by a much thinner, flat, and flexible membrane shell compared to the domed hard back-shell.

* With kitchen scissors, cut lengthwise from the big end to the fan-tail through the thin under-shell at both edges where it connects to the thick back-shell.

* Once cut, pull the under-shell up and snip it free where it connects to the tail-fan to remove it. Leave the lobster tail-fan in place.

* Loosen the tail meat from inside the back-shell. The lobster meat will look as if nestled in a boat.

How to Split a Lobster Tail

In this method, the lobster tail is split completely in half, lengthways down the middle. The tail and meat will separate in two units, each facing up, each resting in its own split shell.

* Turn the lobster tail on its back, with the softer under-shell up.

* With a sharp chef’s knife, cut lengthwise through the under-shell and fan-tail, through the tail meat, and through the hard shell.

* Aim to split the tail evenly in two, and completely in half.

How to Remove the Lobster Tail Meat, Whole

Removing the tail meat raw in one whole piece lends itself to butter poaching or gentle steaming.

* Turn the lobster tail on its back, with the softer under-shell up.

* With kitchen shears, starting from the big end to the fan-tail, cut a slit on each side of the back of the tail so the entire back membrane piece can be peeled back.

* Pull the middle of the underside membrane back like a band-aid.

* Pull back and crack both sides of the shell and carefully remove the tail in one whole piece.

Recipe for Butter Poached Maine Lobster Tails
Recipe for Lobster Poached in Beurre Monté