Scroll back a bit (or use our search feature!) and you’ll see my first game invitation, I brought along both a Brisket and a Pastrami flat. I was invited last minute, had been curing the pastrami for the first time and didn’t know how it’d turn out. Unfortunately, I set the tone bringing a dynamite pastrami and a full packer. How do you up the game from that? Since the home team was playing a team by the Atlantic Ocean, we’re going to bring a lil’ seafood.
I hope you weren’t coming here to see the whole lobster boiling water dunk. MrsForensicBBQ would not be happy with me bringing a live creature into the home and having it meet its end in the pot. Ain’t no thing, I bought some frozen and thawed it out. Hurt the wallet a little bit, but tasted phenomenal, so I was okay with the trade off.
My big conundrum was: Warm or cold? Butter or mayo? Connecticut or Maine? New England isn’t a style, because there’s no such thing as a New England. If you’ve been around here a little bit, you know what my answer was. Both.
I’ll abandon the normal “Prep Table/Process/Result” formatting because we’re getting right into it. The night before, I needed a taster. What’s the right amount of butter (a lot), worth toasting the bun (yes) – okay, I didn’t NEED to do the taster, but I did. And it was heavenly. We gotta put the cold ingredients together, so let’s do that:
I’ll add in here, that the post thaw lobster needed just a little bit of attention to shed the stray shell here and there. Gave it still a cold bath and rinsed off any of the packaging funk, should there any. I’ll give ’em credit though, it was fresh and smelled/tasted great.
Mixed up the blend, minus the lobster and put her in the fridge. We’re going to do the assembly at the tailgate – gotta at least make a presentation. Zach was bringing a blackstone, so I knew I’d have the heat available to fulfill the hot. I had my lunchbox with ice packs ready to go with containers of: The cold blend, lobster, butter, and sliced lemons/scallions. That’s all that’s needed. Bring along some top-split buns, and some Old Bay for the curious, and it’s showtime.
All I had to do here was mix up the meat with the mayo blend. My goodness was this going to be a treat. Even though it was simple, it was going to be grand.
In a funny twist, but not at all shocking – our buddy decided that chicken fried rice was a perfect compliment to the lobster rolls. Not entirely sure if they meshed at all, but it happened. The rice was good, but I was coming out swinging with the lobster. Threw down an unhealthy coating of butter and just warmed up the meat.
No doubt, top-split bun was essential for bringing home the lobster roll. Gave it a buttered toast on each side.. not too much, just enough to impart the butter flavor and just a little bit of that toasted texture. Even the cold roll needs the toasted bun.
So I think this one was the tailgate favorite. The cold meat and the toasted bun really married up together perfectly. It was a delicious, fresh bite and before you knew it, the roll was eaten. Good thing I had more.
This one hit so much differently than the cold roll. The butter bomb was ever present, but it was welcome. It was heavier and hit you differently, but as I verified the night before – it was so good. Lobster is one of those things you don’t get often – at least I don’t. So when you get it, you want to make sure you don’t just eat it, you experience it.
While we couldn’t inspire a victory that day – nor probably anymore this season, it was a good time with good food and good friends. On a bit of an Admin note: MrsForensicBBQ will be out of town for a few weeks, so you’re stuck with me. I got a couple fun ones lined up.. and with her out of the house, I may prep up some weird, bizarre cooks knowing she won’t be seeing the meat in the fridge.