On valentines day, instead of going out (we're an old married couple) my wife decided to cook at home a "surf 'n' turf". I grilled some NY strips & she boiled 2 small lobster tails. The tails were frozen in a package from HEB & were only a couple of ounces each. They cost 2 for $10 so you get the idea. These looked like oversized crawdad tails (LOL). Surprisingly, we both commented that the lobster tails, although small, were fantastic! We've bought some of these before & were not overly impressed before.

If I wanted to surprise her & splurge on a couple of DIY real, full sized lobster tails, how would I go about that? Some say only Maine lobsters, don't get them at HEB, they must be live to start, etc. Any advice/experiences would be most appreciated.

When I get lobster tails, I will take them meat from the shells and give them a few icey salt water baths. Then I just grill them because well it's so easy and taste so great. Serve with garlic butter to dip in, then you sir will have a wonderful meal. You can't beat those prices on lobster tails from the HEB.

Be careful not to overcook them!

I've bought from these guys online before. Also been to their shop and eaten at the restaurant when I lived a few miles down the road at school.

https://www.giovannisfishmarket.com/seafood-online/lobster.aspx

If you want to do it right and have the cash get the live lobsters when they have em. CA lobster vs Maine lobster doesn't matter much in my opinion. You can get just tails also although that doesn't save you much $.

Budward is right with regards to overcooking. Boiling is easy way to cook em but grilled is better flavor although harder to cook.

My favorite way is mix of both, boil them to cook em most of the way then throw them on the grill to finish em off and get some better flavor. You could probably sous-vide them if you have the equipment. I don't and just boil then grill usually.

While you're at it place an order for some other stuff from them. They have the best scallops (get the big ones) I've found anywhere (dry pack makes a HUGE difference and is 10x better than what you'll find at HEB that has been stored in water) and some of their shark jerky and salmon candy stuff is awesome as well.

Also, if you haven't cooked em much before get another round or 2 of the cheap ones from HEB to practice on. Then when you get the high dollar ones you'll be able to do them justice and have a much lower risk of over cooking them.

Just like crab legs & Shrimp, over cooking is the #1 destroyer of good lobster.

I second what TX_Diver said about practicing on a couple of cheap ones before diving into premium seafood; and actually you can practice on cheaper crabs and shrimp first. You simply need to get out of the mind frame of "It looks done now" while the food is still in the water or on the grill.

Seafood especially shell fish cooks QUICK- you drop large shrimp in a pot of boiling water and they are literally done in 2 minutes; and when you take them out of the hot water they continue to cook simply from residual heat.

Best tip I ever got was from an old fish monger - "You know you have over cooked shellfish when the meat is done but the shells are soft; you want the meat to be done and the shell to CRACK like a piece of glass when you go to break it."

This is all I can add they get rubbery.

Best tasting lobster tails are 1 to 2 lbs lobsters....After that they begin to get a tad bit tougher with each pound and a little less sweet.... I stick with cold water lobster tails, which unfortunately, because of price many restaurants are switching to warm water...There is a huge difference in taste... I try to stick with Maine or Atlantic lobsters when possible.. I only cook two ways ... Steam in the shell whole lobster and secondly cut a slit down the back..pull the meat out without completely pulling it out and broil it for a few minutes in the oven...

Personally I'll disagree with the assertion that larger tails aren't as tasty. My belief is that larger tails are harder too cook and often the outside is overcooked before the inside is done (a large part of my preferred method of heating up in water then grilling to finish.

A buddy got this guy one night when we were diving (yes that's a standard sized dishwasher it's on top of). We cooked it up along with a variety of other sized lobsters and there was no difference. I'm not an expert but I've eaten a good amount of lobster as I used to dive for em when I lived in CA.

Grilled tails with garlic butter

Wife and I had some at a very expensive restaurant recently. It was tough as an old boot.

Cut the tails in half length-wise and brush on heavily a seasoned/herbed melted butter.
Throw them on the grill or under a broiler shell side down until the meat is done which only takes a few minutes.
brush again with the butter after removing from the heat, and peel them out of the shell.
They pop out easily and have some more of the seasoned melted butter handy. yummy!

Hit the nail on the head. I eat a lot of lobster and shrimp cooked on the grill. If it's rubbery, it's overdone.

I split and remove the shells the the tail, leaving just the fan. Brush with melted butter, put them on a hot grill and continue brushing with butter. Flip when they go from pink to white, remove when they're done, usually a couple minutes or so if the grills hot enough. They cook fast and you want them to cook fast, they'll stay tender if you do.

Hard to screw up when you cook them this way. Unless you walk off and forget they're there