- 4 lobster tails
- kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper
- For the compound butter:
- 4 oz european style butter, room temperature
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-tip Seasoning
- zest of 1/2 a large lemon
- For the beer butter sauce:
- 2 cups beer
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp shallots, minced
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 12 oz european style butter, diced
- kosher salt
- fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
If you want to cold smoke your butter, place the butter on a FrogMat on the second shelf of your Yoder Smokers YS640 pellet grill. Flip the switch to the on position, but do not press the start button. This will allow the fan to run without producing heat. Then, fill an A-MAZE-N Tube Smoker with your choice of pellets. Place the tube on the bottom left side of the grill and light the end with a torch. Allow the flame to burn for a minute, then blow out the flame. The pellets will burn back adding smoke to the chamber, and the fan will keep the smoke moving. Smoke for two hours. Remove from the cooker. Place in the refrigerator, uncovered. When it has cooled down, place in a vacuum seal bag, and vacuum out the air. Store in the refrigerator for 3 days before using. The smoke flavor will mellow to a pleasant level in this time.
To make the compound butter, bring the butter to room temperature. Add the minced garlic, Cattleman’s Grill California Tri-tip Seasoning and lemon zest. Mix well. Place the butter on a sheet of plastic wrap, in a log shape. Wrap the plastic around the butter, and roll tight. Store in the refrigerator until set up and ready to slice pats.
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640 pellet grill to 450ºF, set up with GrillGrates for direct grilling. Using a very sharp knife, or kitchen shears, cut down, lengthwise, through the center of the top of the lobster tail shell. Slice down through the meat, but not through the bottom shell. Press the tail flat, so the flesh can all touch the grill at the same time, but both halves are held together. Loosen the flesh from the shell, but keep it attached at the tail end. This will allow the butter to melt down around the flesh, but hold the butter in the shell. Season the flesh with salt and pepper.
Grill the lobster flesh side down on the GrillGrates until you have nice grill marks. Flip over, shell side down. Slices pats of the compound butter and place over the flesh of the lobster. Allow the butter to melt as the lobster finishes cooking. The lobster is done when the flesh is opaque (140ºF internal temperature). Serve with the beer butter sauce.
To make the beer butter sauce, preheat a Lodge Logic 12” cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the beer, cream, garlic, shallots and thyme to the skillet. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer until nearly all of the liquid is reduced out. Turn off the heat. Slowly whisk in a couple of cubes of butter at a time. This will create the emulsion that makes the sauce creamy. Continue until all of the butter is incorporated. Strain the solids from the liquid. Discard the solids. Hold the sauce warm in a small bowl over a pot of warm water. Overheating or allowing the sauce to cool with cause it to break
