1. Twist off the claws. Separate the pieces of the front claws at each of the joints.

3. Separate the tail from the body with a twisting motion.

5. Using a fork or your finger, force the tail meat up and out of the other end. Beneath the outer top layer of meat is the digestive tract which should not be eaten. Remove the meat covering from this tract (which looks like a vein) and discard the tract. The outer meat may be eaten.

7. Remove the smaller claws from the body. There is meat in the body at the points where each claw was attached.

2. Crack the claws and claw pieces with the nutcrackers. Use the pick as needed.

4. Break the tail flippers from the tail.

6. Unhinge the body shell from the body. You can eat the tomalley (green substance).

8. There is some delicate meat in the smaller claws. Break apart the claw sections and squeezing the meat out between your teeth.

The greenish-gray "stuff" inside the lobster's head is called the tomalley. It is considered a delicacy by most people.

The "red stuff" that you sometimes see inside a lobster are immature, unfertilized eggs. Although red after cooking, before they are cooked, the eggs are black. The eggs are also called spawn, roe, or coral. It's caviar to lobster enthusiasts.

How To Eat Steamers

Grab the meat by the foot, which is rather black and shiny once the skin is removed, swirl it in clam broth, dip it in butter, and then pop it into your mouth. It will be sweet and succulent!

When the steamers are gone, old-timers here on Cape Cod finish off the feast by taking a couple of sips of the clam broth.