I just defrosted some to cook up...



Alligator meat, much like venison or ostrich meat, is considered to be an exotic meat, which means it may not appear next to the hamburgers and hot dogs at your local grocery store. Frozen alligator meat is usually sold to butcher shops and groceries in large freezer bags, which guarantees freshness for the consumer. Almost all alligator meat sold today is produced in commercial alligator farms along the southern coast of the United States or in other countries with large alligator populations, such as Australia.

Alligator meat is considered to be healthier than domestic chicken, especially when it comes to cholesterol and fat content. The most common alligator meat product sold in stores is the tail section. Alligator tail meat is very similar to veal in texture, but is said to taste like chicken, rabbit, fish or frog's legs. Some also compare the tail meat to the white portions of pork. There is also a tenderloin portion of alligator meat, located in a tubular section of the tail.

While the tail portion may be considered the best section of alligator meat, there is also some consumer demand for the darker, slightly tougher midsection meat. The taste of the midsection alligator meat is said to be closer to a pork shoulder, with sinewy grains and a stronger natural flavor than the tail section. Some alligator meat enthusiasts also enjoy the meat found in an alligator's feet, often called the alligator's wings. The flavor and texture reportedly resembles frog's legs.

From a health standpoint, alligator meat may be considered a better alternative to marbled steaks or fatty pork products. According to one alligator meat producer in Florida, the nutritional value of alligator breaks down like this:

Nutritional values for approximately 4 ounces (114 grams) of raw, edible portions:
Calories 110
Calories From Fat 20
Total Fat 2 g
Saturated Fat .5 g
Cholesterol 55 mg
Sodium 55 mg
Total Carbohydrates 0 g
Protein 24 g

The number of calories from fat and the low amount of saturated fat, along with the high protein and low carbohydrate ratio, suggests that alligator meat is a healthy meat product. The alligators used for commercial meat products are raised on farms, which means their diets are strictly controlled and their habitats are properly maintained. Even wild alligators, whose meat is occasionally sold, maintain a varied diet of shellfish and other seafood. Some experienced cooks suggest marinating alligator meat for better results, but it can be served as steaks, stewing cubes, hamburger patties and even sausages.
Written by Michael Pollick

Bon Appetite

I can't speak for alligator. However ostrich (sp) meat is quite healthy.

No need me to introduce any "bush" meats into my diet. I will stick to my fish, seafood and veggies.

On another note...

I find it interesting that some consumers will lament the prices of organic or free range meats, yet they will spend a small fortune on the likes of alligator, bison, kangaroo, ostrich, and other specialty meats.

Tech, this comment was not aimed at you. I am speaking of friends and associates. I will admit, you are on the next level with your food consumption.

quote:

Originally posted by NSU Alum:

Tech, this comment was not aimed at you. I am speaking of friends and associates. I will admit, you are on the next level with your food consumption.

NSUAlum: No offense taken. If you've paid attention to some of my posts in the past about my childhood growing up here in Florida, you'd have read that I grew up in the country. Growing up in the country "back in the day", these foods were not "the next level" kinds of food, but a way of life for a lot of folks. As well traveled as you are, you'd know that this is indeed a staple food for folks of the bayous in the southeastern U.S. There are a host of other so-called exotic dishes that we indulged in, too.

In addition, us rural folks who ate "natural foods" tended to live a better quality of life on average (health wise), than our counterparts in dwelled in urban settings.

quote:

Originally posted by TechRattler:

quote:

Originally posted by NSU Alum:

Tech, this comment was not aimed at you. I am speaking of friends and associates. I will admit, you are on the next level with your food consumption.

NSUAlum: No offense taken. If you've paid attention to some of my posts in the past about my childhood growing up here in Florida, you'd have read that I grew up in the country. Growing up in the country "back in the day", these foods were not "the next level" kinds of food, but a way of life for a lot of folks. As well traveled as you are, you'd know that this is indeed a staple food for folks of the bayous in the southeastern U.S. There are a host of other so-called exotic dishes that we indulged in, too.

In addition, us rural folks who ate "natural foods" tended to live a better quality of life on average (health wise), than our counterparts in dwelled in urban settings.

Yeah us bayou folks ate a lot of this stuff growing up. And my grandmother had "free range" chicken in her backyard too. lol

quote:

Originally posted by jag4life:

quote:

Originally posted by TechRattler:

quote:

Originally posted by NSU Alum:

Tech, this comment was not aimed at you. I am speaking of friends and associates. I will admit, you are on the next level with your food consumption.

NSUAlum: No offense taken. If you've paid attention to some of my posts in the past about my childhood growing up here in Florida, you'd have read that I grew up in the country. Growing up in the country "back in the day", these foods were not "the next level" kinds of food, but a way of life for a lot of folks. As well traveled as you are, you'd know that this is indeed a staple food for folks of the bayous in the southeastern U.S. There are a host of other so-called exotic dishes that we indulged in, too.

In addition, us rural folks who ate "natural foods" tended to live a better quality of life on average (health wise), than our counterparts in dwelled in urban settings.

Yeah us bayou folks ate a lot of this stuff growing up. And my grandmother had "free range" chicken in her backyard too. lol

Plucking chickens has GOT to be the stankest job I ever had to do.

Living in rural areas definitely has its health benefits. The quality of food is better, as is the water and air. I am sure those folks are less stressed than us that are cramped in urban areas. If there was "somethng" to do, I'd be living there.

In the meantime, I will stick to mass transit, bohemian coffees shop and chic sushi bars.

quote:

Originally posted by TechRattler:

Plucking chickens has GOT to be the stankest job I ever had to do.

To this day, my mother doesn't like to eat chicken for that very reason. LOL

quote:

Living in rural areas definitely has its health benefits. The quality of food is better, as is the water and air. I am sure those folks are less stressed than us that are cramped in urban areas. If there was "somethng" to do, I'd be living there.

Not meaning to stray from the topic, but I LOVE sitting out on my granddaddy's porch out in the country, listening to the birds and the silence. We can just go to sleep out there and not have to worry about someone jacking you for your wallet. LOL

Maaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnn I love some gator tail
I have none in about a year but cook it up right it good

Excuse my ignorance. What's so nasty about plucking a chicken?

quote:

Excuse my ignorance. What's so nasty about plucking a chicken?

Nothing,

I guess some will say "gutting" the chicken is nasty. It may be, but there is nothing better than home grown chicken.

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Originally posted by NSU Alum:
Excuse my ignorance. What's so nasty about plucking a chicken?

For me, it's he smell of them after you scald them.

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Originally posted by TechRattler:

For me, it's he smell of them after you scald them.

What about watching them running around in the yard all day and the folks twisted those necks and you had to eat em for dinner?

Tastes like chicken.....

quote:

Originally posted by THE DREAMER:

quote:

Originally posted by TechRattler:

For me, it's he smell of them after you scald them.

What about watching them running around in the yard all day and the folks twisted those necks and you had to eat em for dinner?

We used to do that, too... Hey... it was part of growing up in the country. You eat what you grew- meat, fruit, and vegetables.

quote:

Originally posted by TechRattler:

quote:

Originally posted by THE DREAMER:

quote:

Originally posted by TechRattler:

For me, it's he smell of them after you scald them.

What about watching them running around in the yard all day and the folks twisted those necks and you had to eat em for dinner?

We used to do that, too... Hey... it was part of growing up in the country. You eat what you grew- meat, fruit, and vegetables.

Nobody could ring a chickens neck like my grandma....Ahhhhh...the memories...

I don't know about the nutritional value, but when I was living on the Gulf Coast I used to LOVE to eat alligator whenever I was in New Orleans at this spot right off Bourbon St. Tastes like a tougher textured chicken, to me.