steam Lobster tail with shrimp

Steamed lobster tail—Click picture for photo credits

To Steam lobster tails is the most reliable means of cooking them. The timing of the cooking process is not quite as critical as other methods. The meat also tends to be moister than preparing with a dry heat method.
Lobster tails are normally sold frozen so be sure they are thawed before you make them. With a heavy scissors, cut through the top of the shell, stopping before you get to the tail. Do not cut the tail. Separate the shell and work your fingers around the meat to separate the meat from the shell, leaving the tail end as is. You can either leave the meat in the shell or you can pull the heavy end of the lobster meat on top of the shell. This will give the lobster the puffed up appearance like the picture above. Leave the tail tip attached. With a sharp knife put a slit down the middle of the meat about ¼ inches deep. This will give the lobster a puffed out appearance like ones served in a restaurant.
You will need a pan with a cover, large enough to hold the lobster without crowding. Add 2 inches of water to the pan and bring it to a rapid boil. Put the tails on a rack above the water and cover the pan. Start timing when the steam begins to escape from the pan.
Total cooking times should be about 1 minute per ounce of tail. If you are cooking more than one tail use the individual weight not the total weight.
For example, if you are cooking two-12 ounce tails, cook for 12 minutes, not 24.
Don’t ruin an expensive meal! Use a meat thermometer to steam lobster tails. . Lobster is done at 140 degrees.