Lobster roll ingredients

Pineedles · 08-21-2008, 08:35 PM

I am posting saMeredith's post from the WP thread, hopefully with his permission because he asks a very important question. What should be the makeup of a lobster roll and what should it cost?

The lobster roll tasted OK, good, but still just somehow does not look right with all that stringy leg meat. Yes, there was tail and claw pieces, but the leg meat was the primary make up of the roll. It tasted fine, just like lobster. Maybe I just don't remember correctly, did they always have all that leg meat? I don't think so, but am not sure.
If I had to guess, maybe with the costs of everything skyrocketing, this mix in of leg meat, or the meat being purchased by them is what is needed to keep the price reasonable. Maybe a roll of just chunks of tail and claw meat is no longer possible without charging 20/22 dollars.

So should LR Purveyors post their leg vs. claw/tail percentage? Would YOU like to read what this percentage is, before paying $12, $15, or $20 for a roll? Mickey Dees post the nutritional value of their cheeseburgers, so why not ask for a percentage of what the Lobster Roll is made up of? Whether you advertise 10% or 50% of the makeup as leg meat, as long as you price it correctly the customers will come. See sa's comments "It tasted fine " Posting the ingredients lets the consumer choose.

SAMIAM · 08-22-2008, 09:25 AM

That's a fair question,Pineneedles,and one that deserves an answer.Used to be that a lot of restaurants used langostino's as a filler because it was less costly and and actually looks and tastes good.Lately,everyone wants to advertise 100% lobster rolls.....and that's where the fun starts. Fresh lobster meat claw/knuckle/tail is over $30 lb ,frozen c/k is around $18 and is what most people use,along with a little leg meat at $12 or so.Leg meat is sweet and tasty but doesn't look very good,so a little is great but a lot isn't,but saves a lot of money.But,wait....there is one more culinary trick.....leg and body meat at $6 lb....YUM...This is machine harvested and mostly tiny fragments of body meat,cartilage and who knows what else.....pretty nasty stuff but easily mixed with claw and knuckle and I don't think many places use it.

PennyPenny · 08-22-2008, 09:06 PM

That's a fair question,Pineneedles,and one that deserves an answer.Used to be that a lot of restaurants used langostino's as a filler because it was less costly and and actually looks and tastes good.Lately,everyone wants to advertise 100% lobster rolls.....and that's where the fun starts. Fresh lobster meat claw/knuckle/tail is over $30 lb ,frozen c/k is around $18 and is what most people use,along with a little leg meat at $12 or so.Leg meat is sweet and tasty but doesn't look very good,so a little is great but a lot isn't,but saves a lot of money.But,wait....there is one more culinary trick.....leg and body meat at $6 lb....YUM...This is machine harvested and mostly tiny fragments of body meat,cartilage and who knows what else.....pretty nasty stuff but easily mixed with claw and knuckle and I don't think many places use it.
I agree with you Sam. All these restaurants that advertise 100% lobster meat are probably serving that. However, some make it a mixture including the filler of leg meat that lets them serve a hefty sized roll that is making customers say it is big in comparison to so and so. I agree that lobster meat is very expensive for the primo ie claw,knuckle,tail. I guess in the long run people want a gapping, full roll of lobster. As long as it taste like lobster, they will eat it and pay the price. Many consumers never actually purchase the 'filet' of lobster by the lb.

phoenix · 08-24-2008, 07:59 PM

Samiam you know a lot about lobster rolls maybe next year you can do a best in the lakes region

SAMIAM · 08-24-2008, 09:16 PM

Good idea ,Phoenix....how about instead of a "chowderfest" in Meredith every year,we could have a lobsteroll fest.That should put the question to rest.

EricP · 08-24-2008, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

Good idea ,Phoenix....how about instead of a "chowderfest" in Meredith every year,we could have a lobsteroll fest.That should put the question to rest.

I had a similar thought

but the businesses at the Chowdah Fest donate the Chowdah to the cause as it's all for charity. You'd be hard pressed to find any business wiilling to donate enough Lobster rolls it would take to feed the masses that show up. As it is I'm sure the Chowdah cost is significant enough! I do realize you're kidding, but it would be an iteresting concept.

SAMIAM · 08-25-2008, 11:08 AM

You are right about that EricP....I only suggested that with tongue in cheek. I did the Chowderfest one year and as I remember,it cost well over $1,000 in materials,payroll etc.Lobster rolls would be way more than the cost of chowder.

08-21-2008, 08:35 PM	#1
Pineedles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Moultonborough & CT Posts: 2,548 Thanks: 1,073 Thanked 669 Times in 368 Posts	What's in a Lobster Roll? I am posting saMeredith's post from the WP thread, hopefully with his permission because he asks a very important question. What should be the makeup of a lobster roll and what should it cost? The lobster roll tasted OK, good, but still just somehow does not look right with all that stringy leg meat. Yes, there was tail and claw pieces, but the leg meat was the primary make up of the roll. It tasted fine, just like lobster. Maybe I just don't remember correctly, did they always have all that leg meat? I don't think so, but am not sure. If I had to guess, maybe with the costs of everything skyrocketing, this mix in of leg meat, or the meat being purchased by them is what is needed to keep the price reasonable. Maybe a roll of just chunks of tail and claw meat is no longer possible without charging 20/22 dollars. So should LR Purveyors post their leg vs. claw/tail percentage? Would YOU like to read what this percentage is, before paying $12, $15, or $20 for a roll? Mickey Dees post the nutritional value of their cheeseburgers, so why not ask for a percentage of what the Lobster Roll is made up of? Whether you advertise 10% or 50% of the makeup as leg meat, as long as you price it correctly the customers will come. See sa's comments "It tasted fine " Posting the ingredients lets the consumer choose.

08-24-2008, 07:59 PM	#4
phoenix Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: phoenix and moultonboro Posts: 1,561 Thanks: 63 Thanked 276 Times in 194 Posts	Samiam you know a lot about lobster rolls maybe next year you can do a best in the lakes region __________________ it's tough to make predictions specially about the future

08-22-2008, 09:25 AM	#2
SAMIAM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 2,918 Thanks: 341 Thanked 1,692 Times in 594 Posts	That's a fair question,Pineneedles,and one that deserves an answer.Used to be that a lot of restaurants used langostino's as a filler because it was less costly and and actually looks and tastes good.Lately,everyone wants to advertise 100% lobster rolls.....and that's where the fun starts. Fresh lobster meat claw/knuckle/tail is over $30 lb ,frozen c/k is around $18 and is what most people use,along with a little leg meat at $12 or so.Leg meat is sweet and tasty but doesn't look very good,so a little is great but a lot isn't,but saves a lot of money.But,wait....there is one more culinary trick.....leg and body meat at $6 lb....YUM...This is machine harvested and mostly tiny fragments of body meat,cartilage and who knows what else.....pretty nasty stuff but easily mixed with claw and knuckle and I don't think many places use it.

The Following User Says Thank You to SAMIAM For This Useful Post:
Pineedles (08-24-2008)

08-22-2008, 09:06 PM	#3
PennyPenny Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 140 Thanks: 4 Thanked 8 Times in 5 Posts	That's a fair question,Pineneedles,and one that deserves an answer.Used to be that a lot of restaurants used langostino's as a filler because it was less costly and and actually looks and tastes good.Lately,everyone wants to advertise 100% lobster rolls.....and that's where the fun starts. Fresh lobster meat claw/knuckle/tail is over $30 lb ,frozen c/k is around $18 and is what most people use,along with a little leg meat at $12 or so.Leg meat is sweet and tasty but doesn't look very good,so a little is great but a lot isn't,but saves a lot of money.But,wait....there is one more culinary trick.....leg and body meat at $6 lb....YUM...This is machine harvested and mostly tiny fragments of body meat,cartilage and who knows what else.....pretty nasty stuff but easily mixed with claw and knuckle and I don't think many places use it. I agree with you Sam. All these restaurants that advertise 100% lobster meat are probably serving that. However, some make it a mixture including the filler of leg meat that lets them serve a hefty sized roll that is making customers say it is big in comparison to so and so. I agree that lobster meat is very expensive for the primo ie claw,knuckle,tail. I guess in the long run people want a gapping, full roll of lobster. As long as it taste like lobster, they will eat it and pay the price. Many consumers never actually purchase the 'filet' of lobster by the lb.

08-24-2008, 09:16 PM	#5
SAMIAM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 2,918 Thanks: 341 Thanked 1,692 Times in 594 Posts	Good idea ,Phoenix....how about instead of a "chowderfest" in Meredith every year,we could have a lobsteroll fest.That should put the question to rest.

08-25-2008, 11:08 AM	#7
SAMIAM Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 2,918 Thanks: 341 Thanked 1,692 Times in 594 Posts	You are right about that EricP....I only suggested that with tongue in cheek. I did the Chowderfest one year and as I remember,it cost well over $1,000 in materials,payroll etc.Lobster rolls would be way more than the cost of chowder.