Gator Meat is ON the MENU

[3R Shooter]

Just wanted to share a recent success of taking a 8 foot 1.5 inch sow gator in Florida last month.

   

I got a good chunk of meat and the hide. I plan to mount the back plate on a board and put it on the wall. Not doing anything with the belly hide right now, too expensive to have tanned (over $300). I am getting the head mounted (with skin on it, the ones I saw looked really neat), and from the paws one will be a business card holder, one a pen holder, and two just plan.

Any recipes would be great to get if you have cooked gator before.

[rushlush]

Congrats, Thats a nice gator.

[Mike Vines]

Nice lizard.

2 more years and my boys will be on their first gator hunt.  I booked it a couple weeks ago.  One will be 10 and the other will be 8 hears old.  They are both going trad hunting for them.

[KentuckyTJ]

Nice one, fried gator does a body good.

[AMB]

I haven't cooked any gator, but I have eaten it.  It was cut into little strips and deep fried.  It was tres bon!

[toppredator]

Nice gator, I've always thought it would be cool to hunt one of them bad boys; someday perhaps.  The one time I've had gator we did an egg wash then into a dredge of Andy's fish batter, then into the deep fryer.  Delicious!!!  TRW

[wislnwings]

Congrats on the gator.  Cut up in bite size pieces and fried is good.  Blackened is also good.  Alligator sauce picquante is also good.  I've got 3 gator tags and my hunt starts Saturday.

[Jack Denbow]

Way to go Johnathan.
Jack

[kasey]

I did mine in bacon on the grill

[Gen273]

Congrats, that is a great Gator!!!

[skilonbw]

what a cool hunt to do.

[pitbull]

Awesome swamp lizard, congrats on some fine eating.  

[Tradpup]

That's a real nice gator you got there, congrats!

[Lone Ranger]

going out next wed myself~

if you didnt bleed it out immediately, soak the meat for a few hours in buttermilk- roll in cornmeal and fry. OR soak in buttermilk and roast in the oven.  ya can pound em a bit and grill em too. I like the cheek meat myself- nothing else quite like it imo.


L.R.

[Doc Nock]

Tastes like Chicken!    

always wanted to try gator and mt. lion! Might someday!  

Congrats! Sounds like a plan for the whole thing...I'd try to self tan the hide vs let it go... but maybe reg tanning stuff won't work?

[Whip]

Nice lizard Johnathan!! Cangratulations    
Do you have any pics of what the business card holder and pen holder will look like?  I have some gator feet in the freezer from last year.  Had no idea what to do with them, but they are too cool to throw away.

[MikeW]

Any recipes would be great to get if you have cooked gator before.

Try this(garunteed success) I've only done this with tail meat so I don't know about the rest of the Gator and it's the same recipe I use for fresh Gulf Shrimp.

Cut into 2" cubes or bit size pieces, marinate in soy sauce(and I like to add a little liquid smoke) then make a mix of 70% corn starch and 30% flour. Dip pieces in egg & milk then lightly season with Tony's Charchere's, Lowery's Season Pepper and some sea salt. Then coat pieces with the corn starch/flour mix. Place in fridge for a half hr.(helps coating stick to meat) then dip in egg/milk mix again then roll/coat in Panko bread cumbs,place back in fridge for a half hr for the same reason then deep fry at 300-325 degrees til golden brown....killer..yum yum!

Congrats on your gator!

[Mudd]

[jcar315]

Congrats!!

[JDunlap]

Very cool! What kind of set up did you use to land that thing?