Well here it is! So excited about this cook. I scooped up this whole gator from Chris Specialty Foods. it’s gator week over there so swing by and grab some. The have alligator sausage, alligator meat and all kinds of other game day goodies! Tell them I sent you.
.
Once I had the gator prepped, I mixed up the brine. It was pretty basic. I used 4 cups of salt and a 1/2 cup of @tonychacheres along with 5 gallons of water.
.
After a nice long brine bath, I patted homeboy dry with several paper towels. Then hit it with the @frenchs yellow mustard and a nice sprinkle of my bbq rub.
.
Fired up the @campchef woodwind and set the temp for 250 degrees. I put the alligator on the top rack and placed a water pan underneath on the bottom rack. I sprayed it every 30 minutes until the internal temp hit 165 degrees.
.
Once it came up to temp, I gave it a light coat of @sbrbbq no sugar added hickory bbq sauce. And let it sit in the pellet grill for a bit to tack up.
.
We shredded the meat and made sliders for the kiddos. I basically ate most of my dinner standing at the tray. We ate the meat near the cheek first which was amazing.
.
If you’ve never tried alligator before it is quite an experience. Some pieces taste like chicken, others like dark meat turkey. A few bite had a hint of fish taste, but not fishy in a bad way. It reminded me of bass. A couple pieces even reminded me of ham.
.
I really appreciate everyone following along with this cook. Reaching out to me in stories. I feel so thankful that I am able to share my cooking adventures with you.