Lobster Tails by Steve Valentino

Lobster tails are considered the favorite portion of the lobster for eating. The majority of lobster meat is in the tail and can be eaten plain, with butter or lemon juice. Lobster tails are available mostly as frozen, but you can get fresh ones also. They are available in small, medium or large sizes, ranging from 3 to 24 ounces. They are very popular with savvy cooks and are much easier to obtain than fresh lobsters since they can be stocked easily.

Once thawed, they can be grilled or boiled. The meat from the tails can be used in recipes requiring cooked lobster meat. The tail of a female lobster is more popular since it is broader than the male lobster's as she uses the tail to carry her eggs. Tails of cold water lobsters are known to be healthier and do not get spoilt as easily as tails of warm water lobsters. Warm water lobster tails come from Florida, Caribbean, Latin America, Cuba and Nicaragua and have distinct yellow spots and a yellow band, while cold-water lobster tails generally come from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

Cold-water tails are also costlier than warm water lobster tails and have whiter meat and are considered tender. Maine lobster tails turn out to be very expensive since these lobsters outgrow their tails when they are around 1 pound in weight. So the bigger the Maine lobster, the less meat it has in its tails.

While cooking lobsters, its tail may flap for several seconds leading to splashing of boiling water. Lobster tails can also be barbecued, grilled, baked, broiled or steamed. There are a number of delicious recipes available to cook lobster tails in different ways. It is much easier to procure and cook the tails, instead of the lobster. While cooking if the tail stays mushy, doesn't firm up, falls apart easily or has an ammonia odor, then consider it spoilt and discard it. While eating, you must learn to properly open the tail without injuring your hands with its shells. It is recommended to cut open the tail first by squeezing its sides inward, grabbing the edges of the shell, placing the thumbs on the dorsal side and pulling the sides apart. To enjoy good healthy lobster tails, buy them from a reputed vendor and check the appearance of tails. The best time of year to buy lobsters tails is considered during winter, when the prices tend to be lower, otherwise you can get them for around $50. They can be bought from seafood outlet, fishery retail shops or from the Internet.

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