The Best Lobster Roll Meat Surprisingly Doesn't Come From The Tail - Tasting Table

"Making lobster rolls at home can be a labor of love. After you've decided that buying whole lobsters is worth the price, you then need to cook them gently to keep the meat tender, and afterward comes the tedious process of extracting all the meat from the hard-shelled exteriors. Once you've gotten every last precious bit of lobster meat from the shells,"

"You might assume that a lobster's meaty tail is the best part of the crustacean to use for a lobster roll, but it's actually not the most tender part of the animal, according to Le. He reveals that they "use a big majority of claws and knuckles just because [they're] more tender and sweet" at his restaurant. "If you think about it, it's a less moving part of the lobster," he adds. "The tails are flopping around, but the knuckles and the elbows [themselves], they're not really moving.""

"The difference between Connecticut vs. Maine lobster rolls has to do with both condiment and temperature. One is warm and drenched in butter, while the other is served chilled and lightly enveloped in mayo. When asked if butter or mayo better complements knuckle meat, Le explains that he doesn't have a personal preference for one style or the other. "If you do them right, they taste identical to each other," the chef notes."

Making lobster rolls at home requires buying whole lobsters, gentle cooking to keep meat tender, and careful extraction of meat from shells. Claw and knuckle meat is recommended for rolls because those parts are sweeter and more tender, with less frequent muscle use than tails. Tail meat is firmer because the tail muscles move more often. The Connecticut versus Maine difference centers on temperature and condiment: Connecticut rolls are served warm with butter, while Maine rolls are chilled with mayonnaise. Dressing choice is a matter of personal preference; both styles can taste identical when prepared properly.

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