Grilling Lobster Tails Step 1: How to Kill a Live Lobster

When grilling lobster tails, you generally have two choices- using a live whole lobster or frozen lobster tails.

If you are using a live lobster, follow these steps to prepare it for grilling.

Step 1:

Make sure the rubber bands around the claws stay on during this process, as you don't want to be dodging the claws while cutting up the lobster.

You must first cut it in half down the center. This job is one that is best left to a 10 inch chefs' knife, and one with a good deal of heft.

With the lobster sitting where the tail curls towards the table, flatten it out and in one hand grasp the tail where it joins the body.

In the other hand, take the knife's point and aim for the place an inch or an inch and a half from between the eyes towards the tail. The blade of the knife should be facing away from your hand that is holding the tail.

Step 2.

Press the point of the knife into the head at that point until the point of the knife goes all the way through the lobster's head to the cutting board, then bring the blade down between the eyes to finish the cut of the head.
This kills the lobster as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Source: Laura Karwisch, Executive Chef of Red Fish Grill, New Orleans Restaurant

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