Instructions: Steaming -
Pour 2 inches of water into the bottom of a large pot. Add two tablespoons of salt for every quart of water. Bring the water to a rolling boil over high heat. Put in the live lobster, one at a time, dropping them in head first. Cover tightly, return to boiling as quickly as possible and start timing.

Allow 16 minutes for 1 to 1 1/4 pound hard-shell lobsters and 18 minutes for 1 1/2 to 2 pound lobsters.

Boiling -
Fill pot with water, one-half to two-thirds full. Bring water to a boil. Place live lobsters in the water head first, completely submerging them. Cover the pot tightly and return to a boil. When water is boiling begin timing. Make sure that the water doesnt boil over by regulating heat.

Cook for 12 minutes for the first pound and 1 minute for each additional 1/4 lb.

Remove immediately from the boiling water; serve warm.

Cooking Test -
Lobster is fully cooked when the 2 front antennae pull out easily. Lobster meat should be white, opaque and elastic, and the outer shell should be bright red. Walking legs will pull out easily from the body. Tomalley will be green and firm. If it is black and oily the lobster is undercooked.

How to crack and eat a hardshell Lobster - 1) Twist off the claws.

2. Crack each claw with a nut cracker.

3. Separate the tail piece from the body.

4. Bend back and break the flippers off the tail piece.

5. Insert a fork where the flippers have been broken off and push out the meat.

6. Separate the back from the body. Dont forget that this contains the "tomalley" of liver of the lobster which turns green when it is cooked and which many people consider to be quite a delicacy.

7. Open the remaining part of the body by cracking apart sides. There is some good meat in this section.

8. The small claws are excellent eating, and may be placed in the mouth and the meat sucked out like sipping through a straw.

New York Strip Steak:
Combine and pour over meat. Let stand 3 to 24 hours.

Preparation -
When cooking, follow the times below. If possible turn your steaks just once. Theyre ready to turn when the meat juices start to bubble up through the meat to the top of the steak.

Red-hot Charcoal, 2-3/4" from heat source

Rare
First side = 5 minutes
After turning = 3 minutes

Medium
First side = 6 minutes
After turning = 4 minutes

Well
First side = 8 minutes
After turning = 6 minutes

To test for doneness, press the meat with your finger. Rare meat will be soft and wobbly, medium will have springy firmness, well done will feel very firm and unyielding. A steak will continue to cook for a short time after removing it from the grill or oven, so stop broiling when the steak tests slightly less done than desired.

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