Remove the bands from the claws.

Wear latex gloves to protect your hands. The jagged shells will sometimes cut bare hands.

Gently rock the lower claw back and forth to loosen it. Pull the lower claw to the side to extract it. If you are careful, the lower claw meat will stay intact.

Remove the knuckle from the bottom of the claw with a twist.

Do this to both claws. Notice the transparent white cartilage attached to the lower claw. If this does not come out with the lower claw, you will need to remove it from the claw meat before serving.

Brace the claw standing up on the cutting board. With the back of a heavy chef knife, smack the center of the top of the claw.

Flip the claw over and hit it again with the back of the knife.

This will cause the shell to snap in half. You can now pull the two halves of shell apart and easily remove the claw meat.

For the knuckle meat, have your heavy-duty kitchen shears ready.

Cut away the triangular section of the knuckle shell.

Slide the tip of your shears into the end of the knuckle shell. Make a cut all the way through the shell. Do the same to the opposite side of the shell to halve it.

Lift one half of the shell away and easily lift the claw meat from the shell.

Latex gloves will be most helpful when cleaning the shell from the tail.

Allow the tail to curl and lay it on its side.

Place the palm of one hand over the entire tail.

Lay your other hand on top and press straight down. Apply enough pressure to the shell until you feel it collapse under your hand.

This pressure will break the shell down a natural division in the tail. You can now break the shell along the division.

Gently remove the tail meat from the shell.