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togmeister

When you boil up a bunch of lobsters and the meat is chewy, did you cook them too long or not long enough? How long do you boil them? Does it make a difference if you're boiling 10 instead of 2?

Retriever

usally the larger the lobster the more chewy. a general rule is to pick a lobster up by the antena. it should come off with the weight of the lobster. i prefer to steam mine by just putting in about 1" of water. hope this helps. also lobsters should cook basically at the same rate, sometimes the ones on the bottom cook a little quicker but not so much that you would make a differnce

AlloyToy

We steam them too.....7 min/per pound after the water boil is what we use....

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Scup

Good advice by Retriever and Alloy Toy, steaming does work well. You must either have a bunch of small lobsters or one hell of a big pot to do ten at a time. Chewy is good, what you do not want is a lobster whose meat is mush and crappy tasting. I am not exactly sure how to determine when a lobster is going to be good or bad ahead of time. I am not even sure the experts know in advance either as I see a lot of large lobsters being tossed out after they have been cooked for their meat and then found out to be worthless. I do know this, soft shell lobsters are almost always watery, but the meat can go either way. Hard shelled lobsters are always good. I happen to like OLD BAY seasoning which was made famous for use with Blue Claw Crabs but it really gives lobsters an enhanced flavor.
This is a discussion point for which I do not know the correct answer. Many claim that if you put the lobsters in the pot cold and gradually bring up the heat it relaxes them and results in a more tender shellfish. I tried it once many years ago, and one of them pushed the lid off the pot and almost got out. They did not seem to be too relaxed to me, and it definitely screwed up my cooking time.

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seayalater

definitely steam them, i use a propane cooker that heats the water very quickly and even cooking multiple lobsters it still only takes about fifteen minutes.

Captain Curt

I steam mine in about 1-2 inches of water add some salt alot of old bay seasoning(right on Scup) and add one or two beers.About 13 minutes and I try to use a pair of tongs and rotate them in the pot.

Great now I'm hungry

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piscator

This may help.

How to Steam Lobster like a Real Mainer-Steaming Lobsters 101 | East Coast Gourmet Blog

If I'm doing a clambake (8-10 people), I have a 15 gallon pot I take out back and fill with 3" of salted water. When I'm in Maine I use water right from the surf. I use a propane burner that is like a turkey fryer on steroids and sounds like a jet. Once that starts rolling (boiling), I throw in a collander, upside down. If I'm in Maine, I'll cover the collander with seaweed, then I'll throw as many as 15 lobsters in at a time, cover the pot with the lid and put 2 rocks to hold the steam. In general 1 1/4 lb'rs will be done in about 15 - 17 minutes after I see the first hints of steam trying to throw the lid off.

Tough chewy lobster is overcooked. Don't forget that they'll continue cooking after they're out of the pot. If you're going to make something like bisque, lobster salad or lobster pie, it's a good idea to dunk them in an ice slurry to stop the cooking.

Crazy Joe

Boiled Lobster - A simple way to cook lobster

Scup

This link also suggests that if a lobster is relaxed as it is cooked its texture could turn out better, and like me the author is not convinced this is not an old wives tale. I once knew a girl that was so squeamish she would not even toss a live lobster into a pot of boiling water. What I had to do was put the live lobsters into a brown grocery bag and have her toss the whole shebang, bag and all, into the pot. Most of the roadside lobster cookeries in tourist country up Maine way during the summer typically keep a massive pot of boiling water going all the time. Whatever you select, they toss it into a mesh bait bag to keep it separate from other orders and into the pot it goes. Steamed or boiled, lobster is always one of the highlights of a Maine vacation.

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Pt.Jude Joe

You are being put into a pot of boiling water and I am going to EAT you! Now just relax.
One thing you should know is NEVER cook and eat a lobster that is already dead! You will be on the toilet for 3 days.

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