How to Smoke an Alligator
This week’s guest article is written by Robyn Lindars, the “GrillGirl” and adventurous foodie behind GrillGirl.com, GrillGirl Magazine, and Sunshine State of Mind Craft BBQ Rub. She and her dad are also proud members of the award-winning Shed BBQ Team. Follow her grilling adventures @grillgirlrobyn and her homesteading adventures @therobotranch.
Don't run away, because GrillGirl Robyn Lindars is sharing how to properly smoke a gator.
I transplanted myself to Florida in 2007 via Atlanta, and never in my wildest dreams did it occur to me that I would turn into the unofficial reptile cooking queen of the state. And yet here we are! I say reptile because I discovered the tastiness of iguana (aka chicken of the tree) via a Colombian Instagram follower while Florida was going through an iguana overpopulation problem. But let’s save that food adventure for another time, shall we? Let’s instead discuss alligator in all its mysterious glory.
My first true encounter with a gator as a bonafide protein source on the grill (and I’m not talking about those fried gator bites on every restaurant menu) was when I was a judge on American Grilled on the Travel Channel. I was a national judge along with Patty Register, who owned a gator farm and roadside gator attraction called Gatorama. The chefs on the show had to cook with her gator meat and we judged them. It was then and there that I learned that the key lesson in cooking gator meat is to not overcook it!
It’s incredibly important to not overcook your gator.
In Florida, alligators are a federally protected species. Their population almost went extinct from overhunting, and they were the first animal to be put on the Endangered Species Act in 1973. Now the alligator population has rebounded to more than 1 million in Florida alone. Any body of water in the state most likely has an alligator in it. It is not uncommon, at least where I live, to see alligators as roadkill.
My next gator encounter was when my husband got a limited entry tag to hunt one. Because they are federally protected, you have to apply for a hunting permit via a lottery system. My husband Scott and his buddies got tags and caught themselves a 10+ foot gator on Lake Jackson. It was through this process that I learned all the gator calls, the sounds you make to lure them to the boat, the treble hook you use to pull them into the boat, and the bang stick you use to humanely kill them. With that portion of gator meat, I made gumbo, which I believe is one of the best uses of gator meat.
Robyn’s husband Scott and his friends caught a 10-foot gator at Lake Jackson.
But gator was never up close and personal until I moved from the Greater Miami area to Fort Myers into my rental house on the Caloosahatchee River. The Caloosahatchee River flows into the Gulf of Mexico, and you get an awesome display of biodiversity in its brackish water — you can simultaneously see manatees, dolphins, and gators swimming in the river.
Our house was bordered by water on three sides as it was on a peninsula that jutted into the river that was also on a canal. One day I was smoking a Tri-Tip on my Big Green Egg and the gator smelled the meat and was hanging out as close as possible to my smoker without getting out of the water. Luckily, there was a seawall, so gators couldn’t just climb into our yard. However, I didn’t like these gators hanging out so close when I had an old half-blind Chihuahua that I was worried about falling into the river and getting eaten by a gator, so I decided to call the Nuisance Gator Hotline.
Keep an eye out for gators in Florida, because they might run off with your Chihuahua.
That is how I met Tracy, a licensed nuisance alligator specialist who was also a preacher at a church up the street. Locals call him the “Gator Preacher.” Tracy showed up at my house with a CD player that played the same sounds I had heard Scott making to lure gators in. He was never able to lure that gator in. If he had, he would have taken him to the gator farm, where Tracy also sells gator meat. And that is who I called when I decided to smoke a gator.
In fact, when I did call Tracy, he said, “You're in luck, I have a fresh one I just got this morning.” Evidently, the second gator I smoked was living in someone’s drainage ditch under their driveway and came out to give the mailman a scare every time he delivered the mail. See what Florida mailmen have to endure. And that gator went on to make some tasty smoked gator tacos!
In my opinion, when cooked correctly, gator meat can be very good. It tastes like a cross between chicken and fish, which is why it is imperative not to overcook it and keep it moist.
Follow the tips below for a successful gator cook and you’ll be the talk of your next block party. I like to make gator tacos as everyone (and I mean everyone!) likes tacos and the fixins. The tacos also make it easy to eat gator meat even for those who are squeamish about eating a reptile. Set up a taco and hot sauce bar to go with the gator meat and let everyone make their own tacos. Pair it with a pitcher of margaritas and you’ve got yourself one epic gator party.
Make sure you have the right size smoker for gator if you’re going to attempt preparing it.
How to Smoke A Gator
Measure the length of your smoker: Before ordering a gator, make sure you have a cooler and grill large enough to fit. The gator can be placed in a circle with the tail folded around to save space on your smoker but you want to be sure you have enough room on your smoker to easily mist with moisture and add bacon. For reference, I fit both a 3-foot and a 5-foot gator on my Green Mountain Grill Ledge, which has 458 square inches of cooking surface area. (For reference, a 3-foot alligator could squeeze onto a large Big Green Egg, but a 5-foot one will be too big.)
Don’t cross-contaminate: When you buy a whole gator, it will come skinned but with the head still intact with the skin on. Reptile skin houses bacteria and you don’t want it touching the meat, you will need to cover the head of the gator with a plastic bag and tightly seal it with a rubber band and then keep the head away from the rest of the body while in the cooler.
Brine: Don’t even think about smoking a gator without brining it overnight first. I like to pay homage to the fact that this is a Florida gator, so I used Citrus as the theme of my cook including using citrus in the brine and using my Sunshine State of Mind Rub with Citrus undertones. If you get yourself a gator from Louisiana or Texas, you might think about using a Cajun-style preparation to pay homage to its roots.
Keep it moist and add fat: Gator is incredibly lean meat. Your key to gator smoking success is keeping it moist and adding in fat. While smoking, you want to mist to keep moist and then add fat like butter and bacon. For my gator, I wrapped the entire exposed part in bacon after it had been brined, drenched in butter, and then misted.
Stuff the cavity: With citrus and aromatics and then close the cavity with toothpicks. I’ve seen some people even sew the gator up with a string and hook.
Don’t overcook: Just like with seafood, gator should not be overcooked. Don’t go above 145 internal degrees in the thickest part. As with all meat, you can pull it off a few degrees under because it will continue to cook.
Timing: As with all smoked meats, this is going to depend on your temperature and the size of the gator. A 3-foot gator smoked at 250 degrees will take anywhere from 4 to 5 hours give or take depending on the conditions and consistency of your smoker. Internal temperature, never time, should be your guide.
Smoked alligator tacos are a great choice for large groups.
Pull the meat just like pork: After you have given your guests a nice display of your gorgeous smoked gator, you can then pull the meat like pork. It will come off like chunks of pulled pork and take a fork and flake it. Now, that will get everyone excited to make alligator tacos. Give them a strong margarita first so in case they’re not natives, they don’t get weird about eating gator.
Have fun: If you follow these guidelines, you’re guaranteed to have gator success, the only other requirement is to have fun and enjoy the cook and the people you surround yourself with!
The full recipe for a smoked alligator can be found on GrillGirl.com or you can watch a video outlining the process with Robyn here. Feel free to reach out with questions and comments to robyn@grillgirl.com.
Robyn Lindars
Publisher and Content Creator, GrillGir
—Goldee’s Barbecue was mentioned in a CNN Travel feature about the state of Texas barbecue. (Photo by Sean Ludwig)—
HOT OFF THE PRESS
The most recent edition of the Texas Monthly Top 50 BBQ Joints list, released in November, is being used this summer by those who are looking for some of the best barbecue in the country. CNN Travel spoke with Texas Monthly BBQ editor Daniel Vaughn about how the list was made, the narrative that “the big city” has become the place where top barbecue joints are setting up shop, and the state of Texas barbecue generally. He also shared a tidbit about how Goldee’s Barbecue in Fort Worth ended up at the top of the list. "When it comes down to No. 1 ... there's such a fine line between each of these top 10 places,” Vaughn said. “Once you're in the top 10, the difference between the No. 1 place and the No. 10 place is pretty minuscule." It comes down to "who doesn't screw up. And we visited Goldee's enough to try to get them to slip up, and they just didn't." READ MORE.
The Holy Smokes Lowcountry Barbecue Festival, which celebrates Carolina barbecue, will return on November 19 in North Charleston. The event is hosted by Aaron Siegel and Taylor Garrigan of Home Team BBQ, Anthony DiBernardo of Swig & Swine, and Robert Moss, author and Contributing BBQ Editor for Southern Living. For the 2022 edition, the festival will move to Riverfront Park in North Charleston "in order to have additional space to grow.” General admission tickets will go on sale on July 19. READ MORE.
The Lexington Barbecue Festival in Lexington, NC will return on October 22. While the event is still months away, organizers are working to ensure they have enough food, supplies, and staffing to pull off the event. Restaurants and festival staff are working behind the scenes to get things lined up, especially volunteers. “We’re trying to figure out how that day’s going to work for all of us,” said Cecil Conrad, owner of Bar-B-Q Center. “That may look a little differently on our end, but we’re still going to try to put out a great product for everybody. … We’re bringing an extra 200,000 people to town at different points through three days, so we have to be able to cover shifts to cover that amount of people,” READ MORE.
Yet another excellent-sounding barbecue event has been announced in the South this fall, with the inaugural Bourbon & Barbeque Louisville. “We want to honor the history and heritage of Louisville and celebrate the role that barbeque plays in so many cultures,” said event co-founder Brook Smith. “We’ll combine food, music, demonstrations, entertainment, podcasts, interactive stations and discussions from bourbon experts and chefs to create a celebration that will become a tradition of the holiday season in Louisville and give back to the city – and the Commonwealth of Kentucky – for years to come.” READ MORE.
With Father’s Day fast approaching, Today has compiled a list of “19 hot Father's Day gifts for the grill master in your life.” The list features a diverse selection of grill/smoker accessories, rubs, sauces, and meats. If you have a BBQ loving spouse, dad, or granddad in your life and they want to cook outside more, here’s your chance to give them what they really want. READ MORE.
Gatlin’s BBQ owner and pitmaster Greg Gatlin, chef Michelle Wallace, and chef de cuisine Darius King will soon open a new restaurant called Gatlin’s Fins and Feathers. “We thought, ‘Let’s get into a little bit lighter fare and connect with people on the Gulf Coast,” Gatlin told Eater Houston. “Growing up, if you’re in the South — fried fish and chicken, that was just something on the dinner table on a regular basis. If you didn’t have it on the menu from mom or grandma, it’s like, where were you living again?” READ MORE.
ADDITIONAL READS
The well-known Mobberly Avenue Bodacious Bar-B-Q in Texas is getting a new pitmaster from the joint’s founding family on June 14.
Huntsville, Alabama’s barbecue options just got much more interesting with Fusion Barbecue, which blends Southern and Asian flavors.
Celebrated California pitmaster Daniel Castillo of Heritage Barbecue has helped create “a 100% flame-resistant apron that can stand the heat” while keeping its owner (relatively) cool.
Chef Ara Malekian of Harlem Road Texas BBQ (and friend of The Smoke Sheet) has shared some of his secrets to a perfect brisket with Click2Houston.
Texas Monthly’s Daniel Vaughn has shared seven great new barbecue books with inventive recipes like smoked duck lasagna and key lime cake.
This past weekend, the Troubadour Festival brought the ultimate barbecue and live music experience to Georgetown, Texas.
Richmond, Virginia ‘Pitmistress’ Alex Graf of ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque was recently profiled by StyleBlueprint.
In a move that will impact BBQ restaurants, the Los Angeles City Council passed a motion that would ban most gas appliances in new commercial construction, citing an effort to combat climate change.
Here’s the science behind what makes the smoky and charred flavors in barbecue so desirable when cooking over an open flame.
Longtime Bellaire BBQ joint Brisket Bar-BQ has announced it will close after a 40-year run.
Tasting Table shares information about preferences for barbecue sauce bases and explains why you should never pour water on a hot charcoal grill.
—In a new episode of Beat Bobby Flay, BBQ gurus Megan Day and David Sandusky seek some “BBQ revenge.”—
WATCH
BBQ’d Revenge — Beat Bobby Flay
BBQ Brawlers Megan Day and David Sandusky are back to seek vengeance against Bobby Flay, who did not pick them for his team on Brawl. BBQ Brawl judges Brooke Williamson and Carson Kressley are there to help them get sweet revenge. WATCH HERE.
LISTEN
Lee Ann Whippen Interview — Grab’em In The Brisket
In this episode of the Grab’em In The Brisket podcast, the hosts are joined by the newly announced Barbecue Hall of Famer Lee Ann Whippen. They talked with her about her background, restaurant, competition BBQ, the Barbecue Hall of Fame, and much more. This great interview starts at about the 32-minute mark but the rest of the episode is a fun listen as well. LISTEN HERE.
READ
Fire Feasts: The Awesome BBQ Book for Feasting with Friends and Family — Christian Stevenson
DJ BBQ is back! This time with a feast of dishes for outdoor occasions – he wants you to get grilling for friends and family with a medley of new dishes that are perfect for sharing. Whether it's a "Breakfast of Legends", finger food that everyone can tuck into, like a Triple Wing Whammy, Sticky Baby Back Ribs or Deep Fried Tomato Pie Balls, or the ultimate DJ BBQ Mixed Grill or Surf and Turf spread to feed a hungry crew – or special party pieces like a Whole Spit-Roasted Cow Leg or Hung Guard Pork of Honor – every occasion can center around the barbecue! There are even sides, live-fire cocktails, and "So Sweet My Teeth Hurt" desserts, all made over the fire. Christian provides a detailed introduction explaining the basics of setting up your grill, what fuel to use, and how to get the best from your cooking with hacks and tips for making the best fires, including “crazy mega-awesome fires.” ORDER HERE.
is unique take on Greek gyros uses pork and is cooked using a Kamado grill. (Photo by Ryan Cooper)—
Greek Pork Gyros
By Fogo Charcoal
If you have never made gyros at home, you must watch this video recipe from Fogo Charcoal. Ron Dimpflmaier (Captain Ron) uses the Trompo King, an accessory that allows you to stack your meat and roast it on your Big Green Egg, Kamado or any other type of grill. For this video, Ron was joined by Noam Weiss, the inventor of the Trompo King who helps demonstrate how to get the best results. This recipe uses pork instead of traditional lamb or beef.
Learn more about Southside Market Barbeque.
—A lot of big barbecue events are planned for 2022. Let's go!—
June 10-11, 2022: Made for KC BBQ Championship — Kansas City, Missouri
Pitmasters in the Kansas City area are invited to compete in the first annual “Made for KC BBQ Championship,” with a chance to win a combined prize purse totaling $46,000. The Grand Champion will be showcased in a competition BBQ-themed restaurant in the new terminal at the Kansas City International Airport. The Outstanding Hospitality Management Group is partnering with the Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) and Old World Spices & Seasonings to hold the event on June 10-11, 2022 at Worth Harley-Davidson. MORE INFO HERE.
June 17-19, 2022: Denver BBQ Festival — Denver, Colorado
The 4th annual Denver BBQ Festival will return this June at Empower Field at Mile High. Don’t miss this chance to grab an ice-cold brew and sample pure smoked bliss from award-winning pitmasters from across the country. The final day of the event coincides with Father’s Day, which makes a ticket a potentially amazing gift for BBQ-loving Dads. MORE INFO HERE.
August 4-7, 2022: Windy City Smokeout — Chicago, Illinois
Get ready for beer, BBQ, and country, because the Windy City Smokeout BBQ & Country Music Festival is returning to Chicago soon. The Windy City Smokeout is one of the largest barbecue festivals in the U.S., with this year’s edition bringing a stunningly good lineup together of veterans and newcomers. Read our 2019 Windy City Smokeout recap to learn about the experience. MORE INFO HERE.
September 2-4, 2022: Pinehurst Barbecue Festival — Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina
The Pinehurst Barbecue Festival, presented by Pinehurst Resort, US Foods and The Pilot, is a “Celebration of Taste and Tradition” featuring award-winning pitmasters from across North Carolina in one of the most picturesque settings in the entire state. The three-day event, staged in and around the historic Village of Pinehurst, offers a unique culinary sampling experience of various barbecue meats and traditional sides. MORE INFO HERE.
September 10, 2022: Pig Island NYC — Staten Island, New York
Pig Island NYC will celebrate its 13th year on September 10, 2022, at Snug Harbor on Staten Island. Join in for all-inclusive food and drink, from all-star pitmasters and chefs who will be serving up delicious porky goodness, as well as local breweries, distilleries, and cideries. Top chefs will compete for the best dishes and event-goers reap the benefits. Expect a ton of amazing eats and a great place to picnic with friends and family for the day. BUY TICKETS HERE.
Sept 28 - Oct 2, 2022: American Royal World Series of Barbecue — Kansas City, Kansas
The American Royal World Series of barbecue is the largest BBQ competition in the country. On top of a massive KCBS competition with roughly 500 teams from around the country, this signature Kansas City event includes public-facing activities, including live music, delicious BBQ and local food, a full lineup of kids activities, and a vendor fair authentic to Kansas City and BBQ enthusiasts. Read our 2021 recap of the event to learn more about the experience. MORE INFO HERE.
Sept 30 - Oct 2, 2022: Q in the Lou — St. Louis, Missouri
The annual Q in the Lou is happening again this fall! Don’t miss this chance to grab an ice-cold brew and sample pure smoked bliss from award-winning pitmasters from across the country. The event is held nearby the St. Louis Arch and held the final weekend of regular season play for the St. Louis Cardinals. MORE INFO HERE.
November 11-13, 2022: KCBS World Invitational — Gadsden, Alabama
The Kansas City Barbeque Society’s biggest event for the rest of the year is the fourth annual KCBS World Invitational Barbeque Competition. The event will bring together top champion pitmasters to compete for the title of “KCBS World Champion.” This event will feature three full days of contests and events. There will be both an open contest and a Master Series contest. Plus, backyard teams will be eligible to compete in the open against Master Series teams without impacting their Backyard status. MORE INFO HERE.
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