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1
Bring a large stockpot of water to a rolling boil.
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2
Add a generous handful of kosher salt, and add the lobsters.
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3
Boil for about 6 minutes, until the lobsters are beginning to turn red.
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4
Remove the lobsters from the water with tongs, and reserve until cool enough to handle.
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5
(We par-cook our lobsters before grilling, so they can cook evenly and all the way through.)
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6
Preheat a charcoal grill to medium heat.
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7
Once the lobsters have cooled, use a pair of kitchen shears or a very sharp knife to split each lobster completely in half through the entire shell and flesh, starting from the tail end and working your way through the body.
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8
It will be easiest to use your chefs knife to split the thickest part of the lobster.
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9
Give the claws a whack with the back of your knife to break open a portion of the shell.
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10
This will allow the meat to be exposed to the smokiness and heat of the grill.
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11
Once theyre halved, use a spoon to scoop out and discard the tomalley from each half (the green gunkthe stomach and intestinal tract).
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12
Brush the exposed lobster meat with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
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13
Grill the lobster halves, exposed meat side down on the grill, for 4 minutes, until theyre lightly charred and the meat is opaque and cooked through.
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14
Remove the lobster pieces to a platter.
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15
Mix the hot melted butter with the garlic, lemon zest, basil, salt, and pepper.
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16
Drizzle the butter over the tails, and serve remaining butter on the side.
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17
When buying live lobsters, look for lively guys who will curl their tails and wiggle when you pick them up.
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18
Splitting the lobsters before grilling may seem like a hassle, but it makes it easier to eat so you have more time to enjoy each other, rather than wrestle with your food!
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19
We like to use charcoal in this recipe, because the lobster will only be on the grill for a short period of time and the charcoal adds just enough of that smoky flavor.
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20
Soft shells are easier to split in half, but if all you can find are hard-shell lobsters, use a sharp chefs knife to split their bodiesand be careful!
