GrillAmerican
Grilled lobster tails
Split tails, butter, a two-zone fire. The holiday pin that is over in twelve minutes if you do not panic.
Made it?
25 min · 20 min hands-on · pull 140°F · rest 3 min
Ingredients
2 lb on the fire · ~1.4 lb to the table · 3 plates at 8 oz
- lobster tails, 6–8 oz each4 (2 lb)
- butter, melted4 tbsp
- garlic cloves, grated2
- kosher salt1 tsp
- lemon1
- paprika or chilipinch
Method
- 1
Split the tails down the back of the shell with kitchen shears. Crack open so the meat sits on top. Oil and salt.
- 2
Two-zone medium-high. Flesh-side down on the hot grate 60–90 seconds for marks, then shell-down on the cool side.
- 3
Brush garlic butter. Lid down until the meat is opaque and 135–140°F, 6–8 minutes more. Do not chase 160.
- 4
Lemon. The leftover butter is for the table, not another pass on the fire.
If you don’t have it
- Tails → Split whole lobster. Same two-zone idea. The body finishes faster — pull it first.
- Grill → Broiler, shell-down on a pan. 6–8 minutes, same butter. Less smoke, same doneness.
Same cook, different day
Herb butter
Tarragon or chives. Same melted butter, herbs off the heat so they do not scorch.
Chili-lime
Less steakhouse. Paprika, lime, a little garlic. Still pull 140°F.
Surf after turf
Steaks are already on. Tails on the cool side while the steaks rest. They only need 8 minutes.
On the plate
With this, try
- With this dish, try making grilled onions.
Alongside a tri-tip or skirt. Thick rounds, oil, salt, the cool then hot zone until soft and marked.
25 min
- With this dish, try making steak fries.
Par-cook while the steak dry-brines. Finish when the steak rests. Russets, ½-inch sticks, soak, dry. 325°F then 375°F, or a hot sheet with oil if you refuse a pot of fat. Salt the second they leave the heat.
45 min
- With this dish, try making grilled asparagus.
When the meat comes off to rest. Thick spears, oil, salt. Hot grate 2–3 minutes, roll, another minute. Lemon. Pencil spears go in a hot skillet, not on the bars.
10 min