How To Cook Alligator Meat On The Grill

Whole Smoked Gator Recipe

Y'all know I'm all nearly learning how to cook just almost anything on the smoker or grill. Alligator is i animal that I never would accept attempted on my own. Then when my buddy The BBQ Ninja, Mr. Craig Verhage himself, offered to cease by and testify my how it's done I jumped on the chance to learn something new.

Craig typically catches, cleans, and cooks alligators he catches, but alligator flavor hasn't started yet. So I called upwardly my buddies at Gamekeeper Butchery and asked if they had a source for alligator. They had simply what I was looking for and a couple days later a 31lb alligator showed up at my front end door! Information technology was froze solid to Chell'south delight, so I had to let it thaw out for a couple of days in the refrigerator. The rest of this recipe is all Craig! We started with a 24 hour cajun brine (recipe beneath). The gator was placed in a large cooler and the alkali was poured over the tiptop. Nosotros placed a 20# pocketbook of ice over the gator to weigh it downward and proceed the libation cold. After the brine, Craig trimmed all of the fat out of the gator's tail. The tail is made upwards of 4 muscles with a thick layer of fatty between each. If you don't remove the fat the meat can take a "fishy" taste. The whole thing gets seasoned with my Rex Craw cajun seasoning and a skilful dose of Hot Rub since nosotros're smoking it. You can use simply about any seasoning y'all desire according to Craig. The tail is then stuffed with a cream cheese, spicy boudin mixture. Then nosotros placed the gator on the pit. Ms. Jolene refused to let me melt such a creature on her, so I borrowed my buddy Marking Williams' Outlaw Smoker. Marking told me Ladies Love Outlaws and so I knew Ms. Jolene wouldn't mind. (shout out to Swine Life BBQ if you're not watching his channel go subscribe) Once the Outlaw was upwards to 275 using pecan wood, we loaded the gator on the cooking grate. Information technology took about 4 1/two hours for the gator to become to 165 internal in the tail where Craig said information technology was washed. At this indicate we removed the gator from the pit and hit the bark with a 50/50 blend of my The BBQ Sauce and Vinegar Sauce. And so I jumped out of the way because, in true BBQ Ninja style, Craig bankrupt out the propane torch and hitting the gator with a "cajun brûlée". The sauce quickly caramelized and looked cute. Don't endeavor that at abode unless you lot're experienced with a flame thrower! I did lend a little manus in garnishing the gator. I idea information technology would look cool if nosotros propped the gator'south mouth open up durning the cook with a wood block and at the end inserted a chicken its' oral cavity; so I smoked a whole chicken on my Traeger forth with a Depression Country Steamer of shrimp, corn on the cob, potatoes, and smoked sausage. This at least insured that I would have something succulent to eat if the gator wasn't my speed. After the "Cajun Brûlée" we prepare the gator on the counter, poured the low country steamer in the center, and permit the BBQ Ninja show me how he serves it upwards. Outset he removed the stuffing and pulled all of the muscles off the tail followed by the leg meat and jowls. And so he chopped information technology all upward into bite size pieces. Craig likes to serve what he calls "gator rolls" (a play on the lobster curlicue). He places a little of the cream cheese boudin mixture into a hot dog bun, then piles on the chopped pieces of gator meat and tops it all with a drizzle of bbq sauce. I know it sounds crazy but I was shocked by how good it was!! This was definitely out of my wheel house, but now I feel similar I could melt a pretty skilful gator should we ever cross paths! Impress

Description

The BBQ Ninja offered to stop by and show my how to smoke a whole gator – and I jumped on the adventure to learn.

xxxlb Whole Alligator (dressed)
1/4 cup Malcom's King Craw Cajun Seasoning
1/iv cup Killer Hogs Hot Rub
1 bottle Killer Hogs The BBQ Sauce
1 bottle Killer Hogs Vinegar Sauce

Place the cleaned and dressed 30lb whole gator in an empty cooler. Pour the alkali solution (recipe below) over the gator. four gallons total should cover the gator depending on the size of cooler you are using. Place a 20lb purse of ice over the gator to weight information technology downwards and go on it common cold during the brine process. Soak the gator for 24 hours in the brine.
Remove the gator from the brine and allow information technology to drain well. Pat the exterior downwardly with paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Place the gator backside upward on cut board, separate the tail muscles effectually the bone and trim away all the fat under and effectually the muscles.
Season the gator with King Craw cajun seasoning and Killer Hogs Hot BBQ Rub on all sides. Stuff the tail cavity with the boudin cream cheese mixture (recipe below) and flavour the top of the stuffing with the same cajun and hot rub. Prop the gator'south jaws open with a block of forest (conscientious the teeth are sharp!)
Identify the gator on a 275 degree bbq pit using pecan forest for smoke flavor.
Cook until internal temperature in the tail reaches 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer most 4 1/2 hours total.
Remove the gator from the pit and glaze the outside with 50/50 Killer Hogs BBQ sauce and Killer Hogs Vinegar sauce.

**Optional

For garnish I smoked a whole chicken for 2 hours at 325 degrees on a pellet grill. Remove the block of wood and place the chicken in the gator's oral cavity.
Utilize a propane torch to caramelize the outside of the gator (Don't endeavor this at home unless y'all take experience with a torch!!)
Garnish the gator with steamed shrimp, corn on the cob, potatoes, and smoked sausage (this was my bear upon for the people that might non like gator)

To serve:

Remove the stuffing, tail muscles, tenderloin, leg meat, and jowls
Chop the meat into bite size pieces
Identify a piddling of the stuffing into a hot god bun topped with chunks of the gator meat
Drizzle the tiptop with bbq sauce and enjoy!

Gator Brine Recipe

four gallons h2o
4 cups sugar
4 cups salt
6oz Malcom'south King Craw cajun seasoning
2oz cup dry Louisiana crawfish/crab eddy seasoning
2oz Louisiana liquid crab boil
Juice from 2 lemons

Place one gallon of water in a big boiler pot. Add the sugar, salt, King Craw, dry crab boil, liquid crab boil and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer stirring often to dissolve dry ingredients. Remove from heat and allow absurd to room temperature. You lot can stir in a trivial water ice to speed the procedure. Add the remaining h2o and pour over the gator in a large cooler. The gator should exist completely covered with the alkali. Soak for 24 hours. As well helps to weight the gator down with a 20lb purse of water ice.

Gator Stuffing Recipe

ii blocks foam cheese softened at room temperature
1 lb jalapeño pork boudin sausage casing removed
one bundle Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
8 strips crispy salary crumbled
i Tablespoon King Craw cajun seasoning

Identify the cream cheese, boudin, ranch mix, bacon, and Rex Craw in a big mixing bowl. Stir well to combine and shop in the fridge until ready to stuff in the gator.

Keywords: alligator, gator, Smoked Gator, smoked Alligator, Alligator recipe, how to cook alligator, how to smoke gator, whole gator, bbq gator, barbecue gator

Ingredients: 30lb whole alligator dressed 1/4 loving cup Malcom's King Craw cajun seasoning 1/4 cup Killer Hogs Hot Rub 1 canteen Killer Hogs The BBQ Sauce 1 bottle Killer Hogs Vinegar Sauce Directions: Place the cleaned and dressed 30lb whole gator in an empty cooler. Pour the alkali solution (recipe below) over the gator. iv gallons total should encompass the gator depending on the size of cooler you are using. Place a 20lb bag of ice over the gator to weight it down and continue it cold during the alkali process. Soak the gator for 24 hours in the alkali. Remove the gator from the alkali and allow it to drain well. Pat the exterior down with paper towel to remove backlog wet. Place the gator behind upward on cut lath, separate the tail muscles around the bone and trim away all the fat under and effectually the muscles. Season the gator with Rex Craw cajun seasoning and Killer Hogs Hot BBQ Rub on all sides. Stuff the tail cavity with the boudin cream cheese mixture (recipe beneath) and season the pinnacle of the stuffing with the same cajun and hot rub. Prop the gator's jaws open with a block of forest (careful the teeth are abrupt!) Identify the gator on a 275 degree bbq pit using pecan wood for smoke flavor. Cook until internal temperature in the tail reaches 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer virtually 4 i/2 hours total. Remove the gator from the pit and glaze the outside with 50/50 Killer Hogs BBQ sauce and Killer Hogs Vinegar sauce. **Optional For garnish I smoked a whole chicken for 2 hours at 325 degrees on a pellet grill. Remove the block of wood and identify the chicken in the gator's mouth. Use a propane torch to caramelize the exterior of the gator (Don't try this at home unless you have experience with a torch!!) Garnish the gator with steamed shrimp, corn on the cob, potatoes, and smoked sausage (this was my affect for the people that might not similar gator) To serve: 11. Remove the stuffing, tail muscles, tenderloin, leg meat, and jowls 12. Chop the meat into seize with teeth size pieces 13. Identify a fiddling of the stuffing into a hot god bun topped with chunks of the gator meat fourteen. Drizzle the acme with bbq sauce and savor! Gator Brine 4 gallons water 4 cups sugar 4 cups common salt 6oz Malcom'south King Craw cajun seasoning 2oz cup dry Louisiana crawfish/crab eddy seasoning 2oz Louisiana liquid crab eddy Juice from 2 lemons Place ane gallon of h2o in a big boiler pot. Add the sugar, table salt, King Craw, dry crab boil, liquid crab boil and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer stirring often to dissolve dry out ingredients. Remove from rut and allow cool to room temperature. Y'all can stir in a little ice to speed the process. Add the remaining water and pour over the gator in a large libation. The gator should exist completely covered with the brine. Soak for 24 hours. Also helps to weight the gator down with a 20lb bag of water ice. Gator Stuffing ii blocks cream cheese softened at room temperature 1 lb jalapeño pork boudin sausage casing removed 1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix eight strips crispy salary crumbled 1 Tablespoon Rex Craw cajun seasoning Identify the foam cheese, boudin, ranch mix, bacon, and King Craw in a large mixing bowl. Stir well to combine and store in the fridge until gear up to stuff in the gator. Malcom Reed Connect on Facebook Follow me on Twitter Subscribe to my YouTube Channel Follow me on Instagram