1. Preheat a broiler or prepare a charcoal grill to high heat. If broiling in an oven, preheat to 425°F (220°C).
2. Have the lobster cleaned and split at the market, or do so at home: place the live lobster on a cutting board, insert a sharp knife at the cross-mark behind the head, and cut swiftly down through the body and tail to split it. Remove the stomach sac and intestinal tract. (This technique is the standard period method for preparing a live lobster for direct heat cooking.)
3. Place the cleaned, split lobster flesh-side down in a buttered wire broiler basket (or on a broiler pan rack).
4. Broil flesh-side down for 8 minutes, until the exposed meat begins to turn opaque and shows light browning at the edges.
5. Turn the lobster shell-side down and broil for an additional 6 minutes, until the shell is deeply reddened and the tail meat is fully opaque and firm when pressed — an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the tail should read 140°F (60°C).
6. Transfer immediately to a warm plate and serve with melted butter.
7. Alternative oven method (per Farmer): Place the cleaned lobster in a roasting pan or dripping pan and bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes, until the shell is bright red and the tail meat reads 140°F (60°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Farmer notes this method produces nearly identical flavor with considerably less effort.
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