Well here it is! So excited about this cook. I scooped up this whole gator from @chrisspecialtyfoods  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.