Martha Stewart’s Foolproof Method to Remove Meat from Lobster Tails May Just Blow Your Mind

Few foods are as highly coveted (and possibly contested) as lobster. Its elegant appeal is humbled by the fact that in some cases, to enjoy this quintessentially coastal treat, one must sport a paper bib and use some claw-crushing hardware. On a recent trip to Maine, I enjoyed lobster in nearly all its forms — lobster bisque, lobster rolls, and lobster mac and cheese — but strayed away from dining on the arthropod in its purest form. And that was because I felt it was simply too much work.

While extracting the meat from a lobster is notoriously labor-intensive, American businesswoman and domestic diva Martha Stewart has a swift and simple method for pulling all that meat out of the lobster tail in one fell swoop.

In a TikTok video, bib-wearing Martha holds a lobster tail upright, digging a fork upside-down all the way down into the shell, as far as it goes. With a little bit of elbow grease, Martha twists the fork back and forth, loosening the meat from the shell, until seconds later, she pulls it out, effortlessly.

Despite the “oohs” and “ahhs” of her dinner table companions, viewers took to the comments to share that they were less than impressed. Some rely upon kitchen scissors, while others indicated that they prefer their fingers. I, however, will stick to Martha’s method, as she’s has proven from her host of recipes and homemaking tips that there’s really something to all those tricks up her sleeve. And if you’re still reluctant about her tip, even food stylist and former food editor Greg Lofts (@brooklyncooks) agrees that this method really does work like a charm.

The only better thing than extracting the meat is enjoying it — specifically, between two buttery brioche buns. If you’re keen to put Martha’s kitchen wisdom to the test, perhaps use the fruits of your labor to make one of her perfect lobster rolls. Now that I, on the other hand, have embraced lobster in its purest form, I’ll stand by the fact that there’s nothing quite like the richness of a lobster tail dunked in warm, drawn butter.