Of all the critters in the South, the American alligator might be the most intimidating to clean and cook. Most wild game cooks living in bayou country know their way around squirrels, frogs, deer, snakes, hogs, turtles, and even giant swamp rats<\/a>. But give them a 12-foot bull gator, and some might hesitate before taking a knife to it.<\/p>\n Others, like Chef Rick Mace, go out of their way to procure alligators. They know from experience that gator meat is delicious when properly prepared, and they\u2019ve developed their own alligator recipes over the years. Mace also knows procuring gator meat is most of the adventure.<\/p>\n Last week, the South Florida chef joined forces with the Python Cowboy<\/a> and two other friends to track down a massive, 12-plus-foot alligator<\/a> that was deemed a threat to local livestock in Martin County. A lifelong hunter, Mace also wanted to show the entire process of hunting, processing, and serving an alligator. The group filmed each of these steps, and he plans to publish the whole field-to-fork episode on his restaurant\u2019s<\/a> social media channels<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a chef, it\u2019s very rare that you get a chance to connect the dots and show people the progression from the field to the finished product,\u201d Mace tells Outdoor Life<\/em>. \u201cFor us to be able to go out and source the alligator and show that hunt, and then follow that up with a video on how we make our sausage \u2026 it was definitely something that we wanted to bring full circle.\u201d<\/p>\n Mace, who co-owns Tropical Smokehouse<\/a> in West Palm Beach, says he should be able to get around a thousand of his signature hot links out of the gator. But since regulations don\u2019t allow restaurants to serve hunter-harvested meat, he\u2019ll have to share all that alligator sausage with friends instead of his customers.<\/p>\n \u201cI still wanted to tell that story, though, and it was more about the whole utility of it,\u201d Mace says. \u201cWe\u2019ll be able to get a mount done for the restaurant, and we\u2019re getting the leather tanned and everything.\u201d<\/p>\n As for the meat itself, Mace was willing to share a few of his favorite alligator recipes, along with some tips for cleaning and cooking gators.<\/p>\n Most people compare alligator meat to chicken, but Mace doesn\u2019t think that\u2019s entirely accurate. Their tail meat does look similar to a chicken breast, bust most swamp-food aficionados will tell you it has a more distinct, almost fishy flavor to it. <\/p>\n Mace says the chicken comparison likely stems from the fact both animals have white and dark meat. But if he had to choose one animal for comparison\u2019s sake, it would be snapping turtle.<\/p>\n \u201cAlligator has more in common with snapping turtle than anything else I\u2019ve ever worked with,\u201d Mace explains. \u201cA turtle has the same kind of white meat in its neck that a gator has in its tail. But the legs have darker, tougher meat that has to be cooked through pretty thoroughly.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever tried alligator, chances are you\u2019ve eaten gator tail that\u2019s been cubed, seasoned, and deep fried. Fried gator tail is far and away the most popular alligator recipe, and it\u2019s served in restaurants and bars throughout the South.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone is most familiar with the tail meat because it\u2019s the most plentiful,\u201d Mace says. \u201cThat tail meat is kind of tough though because it has all that connective tissue. It\u2019s basically the gator\u2019s propeller, so it does a lot of work and has a lot of silver skin.\u201d<\/p>\n Read Next:<\/strong> The Best Tasting Fish Species You\u2019ve Probably Never Eaten<\/a><\/p>\n Fried gator tail done right is tender and juicy. The key with this<\/a> alligator recipe, according to Mace, is to trim as much silver skin and fat as possible. As with other wild game, it\u2019s also important not to overcook it.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople tend to fry the hell out of the stuff. If you fry gator tail, it should get very lightly fried to the point where it\u2019s just cooked through like fish.\u201d<\/p>\n The alligator recipe book doesn\u2019t end with the tail, however. The way Mace processes the critters, he says there are three other primary cuts or meat types on a gator: the legs, the \u201cjelly rolls,\u201d and the jowls.<\/p>\n The legs provide a darker, reddish meat. They\u2019re a little fattier than the tail with shorter muscle grains. Because gator legs can toughen when cooked, Mace typically prepares these low and slow. He\u2019ll often use them as a replacement for chicken thighs in a gumbo.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother cut is the two tenderloins on the underside of the tail,\u201d Mace says. \u201cThey call these the \u2018jelly rolls.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n These cuts start at the base of the gator\u2019s tail (near the animal\u2019s cloaca) and go a short distance toward the tip of the tail. The jelly rolls are succulent but not particularly big cuts of meat, and Mace says those from a good-sized gator might only be about 18 inches long.<\/p>\n The most prized pieces of alligator meat, according to Mace, are the jowls. He compares these to grouper cheeks, which are sweet, tender, and packed with flavor.<\/p>\n \u201cLocal guys who grow up harvesting gators, they look for these [two cuts] first,\u201d Mace says. \u201cThey\u2019ll marinate the jowls and jelly rolls and grill them for themselves. Then they\u2019ll share the tail and leg meat with others.\u201d<\/p>\n As with most game animals, bigger isn\u2019t always better when it comes to edibility. Bigger alligators\u2014and especially the big males\u2014are often tougher, and they take a little more effort to prepare.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the same thing if you shoot a big, old rutty buck. It\u2019s not always the best eating<\/a>,\u201d Mace says. \u201cWhat looks good on the wall doesn\u2019t necessarily taste the best on the plate.\u201d<\/p>\n There are some steps cooks can take to make a massive bull gator more palatable, however. And Mace says it all starts with the processing.<\/p>\n Read Next:<\/strong> The 10 Best Tasting Wild Game Animals<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cTaking your time when cleaning them, that\u2019s so critical. If you take something and debone it, and then clean every scrap of connective tissue and fat so you can get to the actual lean meat, that\u2019s always a better product.\u201d<\/p>\n Mace\u2019s other go-to trick for turning tough and stringy gators into tasty table fare is making sausage. He says that seasoning the alligator meat, grinding it, and mixing it with fatty pork is \u201cthe perfect foil\u201d for bigger gators. This is how Mace makes his signature BBQ hot links, which are now a staple at Tropical Smokehouse.<\/p>\n![\"alligator](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2023\/04\/12\/alligator_recipes_4.jpeg\")
What Does Alligator Meat Taste Like? \u00a0<\/h2>\n
What Is the Most Popular Alligator Recipe?<\/h2>\n
What Are the Other Cuts on an Alligator?<\/h2>\n
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Tips for Cooking Alligator<\/h2>\n
Chef Mace\u2019s Signature Alligator Recipes<\/h2>\n
Tropical Smokehouse Alligator Hot Links<\/h3>\n
![\"alligator](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2023\/04\/12\/tropical_smokehouse_alligator_hot_links-scaled.jpg\")
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