This is a simple recipe for Bacon-Wrapped Alligator Bites.
1) Cut the alligator meat to the size desired for rolling up.
2) Marinate in favorite marinate for 4 hours (I use Gallic-Basile Vinaigrette Dressing) after the marination wash the marinade off the alligator meat.
3) Roll up in Bacon and pin with a toothpick to put on the bob.
4) Cook for about 5-10 minutes until the bacon is ready, be sure not to overcook, and keep turning on the grill.
5) You can add another item or two on the bob, like Shrimp to cook at the same time.
6) If you are going to cook vegetables, put them on the bob first and cook to almost done, then place the bacon and shrimp on.
7) The veg's takes longer to cook.
8) Amount to be determined by the guest you are having. If just for you take a serrated knife to cut the frozen package in Half (1/2), that way you still have a frozen half. Remember you (CAN NOT REFREEZE ALLIGATOR MEAT UNLESS IT IS COOKED)
We are going to use these items in our recipe you can always add more if you wish.
A. Celery (1) cup
B. Bell Peppers (3 different colors) each have their own unique taste. We are going to use just the tops off the 3. We will be using the bottom half on the other dish.
C. Onions (as many as you want)
D. Mushrooms (as many as you want)
E. These are just Country Boy recipes (SIMPLE) you can just use your eye for measuring.
1) We will start off by Making our Gravy the Country way, or you can use the Brown Gravy Mix.
2) You want to start off by putting your Celery and Bell Pepper in the gravy first (they take longer to get translucent) during sautéing.
3) About halfway through we add the mushrooms
4) And then the Onions
5) When everything is Tender, we add the marinated Alligator Bite (it only takes 5 minutes for them to cook). Make sure you Wash the Marinate off your Bites, we want the favor in our meat, not in our dish.
6) Finally put over Rice and Enjoy.
7) A side note, I cut my veg's a little bigger as you can see in the photos, I like to see what I am eating so it may take a little longer to sauté
Now we are on to our 2nd recipe.
1) The bottom of the Bell Pepper we are going to stuff with the Alligator Gravy and put them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until the bell pepper is cooked.
2) See Simple Recipes.
This is a straightforward country boy recipe for making a delicious dish.
Ingredients:
1) One pound of Big Pop's Alligator Meat cut into small pieces.
2) Marinate in your favorite Dressing for 24 to 48 hours. Do not use a cream dressing.
The following, we will cut into small pieces for steaming; I steam them for about 10 minutes. I like them a little crispy, not too soft. You can steam longer. There is no measurement to use when you are making this dish. Cut what you think you will need; your eyes are as good as any measuring cup. Make sure you cut everything in small pieces so it does not take too long to steam.
1) Asparagus just the tips
2) Celery
3) Onions
4) Multicolored bell pepper, each color has its own taste. Just use about one-third of each at first, you can add more if it is not enough.
5) Cabbage
5) Carrots
7) Mushrooms
8) Broccoli
9) Cauliflower
10) Salt and Pepper to taste.
When l start to sauté the Alligator Meat, l will use medium heat and use the same dressing that I marinated it in.
1) It takes about 10 minutes before the meat turns white; that is a telling sign it is done.
2) Then I will add the vegetables and sauté for another 10 minutes together.
3) Add to a bowl of rice and enjoy.
On a side note: if you are not allergic to garlic or sunflower seeds (without the shells), you can roast them in the pan before putting in your alligator meat to sauté.
We always Marinate First.
Ingredients for Marinating:
2 tbsp Red Curry Paste
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Garam Masala
4 cloves of Garlic, Minced.
Juice of 2 limes
½ to ¾ Cup of Olive Oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to Taste
Add your Alligator.
Combine the red curry paste, soy sauce, garam masala, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper into a gallon bag then toss the meat in it. Then we shake up the ingredients to make sure the meat is covered. I like to leave the gator in the refrigerator overnight, but you can get away with 3 to 4 hours.
Ingredients to Sauté:
The following ingredients are cut into 1 to 2-inch strips. We like to see what we are eating.
Mushrooms (do not cut)
Celery (½ inch)
1 to 2 Onions
Bell Peppers all different colors, each one tastes different, and they add their unique flavors. If we are preparing more than 4 Po'boys use the whole bell pepper if not use ½ of each.
Always Use Farmed Raised Alligator Meat.
This is just a suggestion for Kale Lovers you can add with the others during sautéing.
Instructions for Sautéing:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, diced.
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 1/2-pound alligator our product is already cut into ½ to 2-ounce pieces.
3/4 cup dry white wine
Salt to taste
Melt butter and add the wine to a heavy-bottomed skillet or on the griddle over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until it begins to turn golden. Add pepper flakes and alligator meat, increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring frequently, until meat turns opaque and is cooked through 12 to 15 minutes.
You need to add your cut to your Holy Trilogy and put them on a Griddle or in a Saucepan. When they start to soften add the gator meat and let it cook along with the Trilogy. Without saying you will have to adjust the ingredients depending on the number of Po'boys you are preparing. This should take about 15 minutes to complete, cut or taste a piece of alligator meat to see if it is cooked all the way.
Now if you want to base the Po'boy with something different make the Remoulade and put it on both sides of the bread.
Ingredients for Remoulade:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp brining juice from canned jalapenos
3/4 tsp prepared horseradish
5-10 drops Chipotle tabasco sauce
1 or more cloves of garlic minced finely I love Garlic.
1/4 tsp paprika
Now Put It All Together AND ENJOY THIS LOUISANA UNIQUE DELICACY
Make Your Favorite Brine; if you have never used a brine, you can Google some good ones. If you are in Missouri you will be able to find my favorite bacon or you can order some from http://www.circlebranchpork.com
Leave the alligator to soak in the brine solution overnight. Because alligator meat is very lean, it isn't easy to keep the moisture in it, and it will quickly dry out while grilling or smoking it. Brining the meat will help it to stay moist while in your smoker.
Since we are using Farm-Raised Alligator Bits, make sure you fill the skewers TIGHTLY packed with the bits. When you have done this will all of the meat, you can go ahead and liberally put your choice of spice over the meat (both sides).
Time to wrap the bacon around it. Apart from tasting great, the bacon will also help with keeping the moisture of the brine inside the alligator meat throughout the cooking process. The easiest way to wrap the bacon strips around the skewered meat is to stab it onto the skewer at the bottom, wrap it, and then stab it at the top. This way, it will stay on there.
WHEN YOU ARE DONE WRAPPING ALL OF YOUR SKEWERS, IT IS TIME TO PUT THEM IN THE SMOKER! USING A BRADLEY RACK WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE A LOT EASIER WHEN TRANSPORTING THEM TO THE SMOKER AND WHEN YOU WILL REMOVE THEM WHEN THEY ARE DONE COOKING.
To add extra flavor to the meat, you can use mesquite and/or pecan wood in the smoker. The skewers need to cook for about two hours in total, at a temperature of 250F. Be sure to use a high-quality smoking thermometer to accurately measure your meat temperatures and the inside of your smoker. https://www.thermoworks.com/Smoke?tw=GRILLINGMEAT
You will need to check on it every 25-30 minutes to check that the bacon is crisping the way it is supposed to and that everything is going well. This alligator meat recipe is the perfect appetizer and can even be the main course, depending on how many you make. Enjoy!
Now before we start this, it is not a Red Beans Recipe:
We are going to use a lot of the same items, but we will change a few. I am making a large pot with (2) pounds of Red Bean so please cut in half if you use a 1-pound package of Red Beans.
Ingredients:
Start off with 4 to 6 cups of shrimp stock if you do not have it chicken stock will work. We want to soak the beans overnight in the refrigerator. Make sure that they are completely covered with stock. We will be cooking on low heat on the stove or in a crock pot until our beans are fully cooked (this could take between 6 to 8 hours). Once we have the beans in the pot, we will add water. Make sure they are covered by at least 2 inches.
Once we start adding the below items, we will have to add more water.
About 1/2 to 1 hour later we will then start adding the following.
1) one orange bell pepper
2) one red bell pepper
3) one whole onion
4) 1 cup of celery
Do Not Cut them into small pieces we like to see what we are eating.
5) 2 tablespoons minced garlic
6) one can of Rotel Tomatoes with Chilies
7) 1/4 to 1/2 cup of late reason White Wine (Sweet)
8) 2 to 3 bay leaves
9) 1 tablespoon dried thyme
10) 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
11) 1 tablespoon dried parsley
12) 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning depending on your taste
13) 2 tablespoons of Lea & Perrins better known as Worcestershire Sauce
14) 1 pound of Alligator Sausage cut into 1/4-inch pieces
15) 1 to 2 pound of Farm Raised Alligator meat cut into ¼-inch pieces
16) cook rice in a rice cooker and serve what you have cooked over the rice
As a side note you can add Mushrooms and Okra to your
desired amount.
Make sure you cook low and slow and keep stirring and adding water as needed.
1/2 onion
1 bell pepper (red and yellow)
1/2 to 3/4 can of chicken broth
Start cooking the Alligator, then add onions and bell pepper. Cook until bell peppers are soft.
Add chicken broth and bring it to a boil.
Add asparagus.
Reduce the chicken broth to a simmer.
Peal and cube the mango.
Add mango after the asparagus gets tender.
Cook on low heat for about 10 min. As always, you can add your special spices as you feel needed.
Went to the Farmers Market again for the major part of my Labor Day meal. It was very simple to cook, all-natural flavor, just added salt and pepper on both side and add some rub. Now, the way I did the rub was to put it in a salt shaker and just sprinkled it on both sides. You can use any vegetables but you need to make sure it will cook in about 10 minutes. The grill was set on 250 degrees and I cooked them 10 minutes on each side. Now, the Alligator will be done and moist if you need to leave them on the grill for a couple of minute's more for the veggies to finish that is okay. JUST WATCH CLOSLY.
Ingredients
Cooking Burritos
Soft Tacos
Ingredients
Now we are Ready to Enjoy Either
Now we cut up:
1)1/2 to 3/4 cups of onions
2) 2-3 tablespoons of minced garlic
3)I/2 cup of Orange and Red Bell Peppers
4)1/2 to 3/4 cup of Celery
5)1/2 to 3/4 cup of Mushrooms.
6)salt and pepper to taste
7)add some Tony's seasoning but not too much if you have Kids eating. You can always add more on your bowl or plate.
8)add your alligator meat that is already cut up between 1/2 to 2 ounce pieces and tenderized. If you have a 2-ounce piece then you can cut it in half.
Grab another bowl and throw all of the chopped ingredients in a Black Iron Skillet and sauté until everything is translucent and soft. You want to empty take a can of Mushroom Soup empty out in a bowl, then fill the same can up with Milk and whisk well.
9)add one can of Rotel Tomato to the mixture.
10)When everything is translucent, add the Mushroom Soup to the pot. Let simmer for about 15 minutes, then you are ready to plate the dish in a bowl or plate over the rice. Now always remember these are my family's recipes, and they did not have a lot of seasoning going on 55 years ago. So this is a base add to it your favorite spices.
Total Time: 1 h 30 m
8 servings 316 cals / serving
Ingredients:
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
2 pounds alligator, cut into bite-size pieces
4 cups chopped yellow onion (3 or 4 small onions)
1 (Red or Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 fresh jalapeno, seeds removed, minced
2 bay leaves
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes and their juice
1 (10-ounce) can Original Ro-Tel tomatoes
Juice of 1 lemon
4 cups shrimp or chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cayenne or more to taste
¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
1 bunch green onions, tops only
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
First, make a roux of the oil and flour cook until dark brown. If you do not wish to make your own roux you can buy a good one a Walmart, add onions and stir well. Add bell pepper, celery, garlic and jalapeno. Cook, stirring often, another 15 minutes.
When softened, add diced tomatoes. Simmer 15 minutes. Add bay leaves, Ro-Tel, lemon juice, broth, salt, cayenne, thyme and Worcestershire. Cook for 1-1/2 hours over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Add cut-up alligator and simmer another hour, stirring occasionally. Add green onions, and parsley. Let sit for at least an hour before serving over hot cooked rice.
The Roux
Your roux is a 2 to 1 mix; 2 cups of a good olive oil like Carapelli, do not use Light or Virgin, and then 4 cups of all-purpose flour. Heat the oil on medium temp, when hot add the flour, you want a dark brown but not burned mixture, this takes constant stirring. It might take as long as 45 min; good tasting food takes a lot of preparation. In Cajun kitchens there are so many ways to make a roux; this is just one of many.
Now if you do not have the time to make the roux, you can go to Wal-Mart a buy a large jar.
While we are making the roux, we are also making the stock:
-3 to 6 quarts of water, depending on how much you are making, this is what we are going to make our stock with. Place one or two chickens in for about 45 minutes, take out and cool, then de bone
-3 to 5 pounds of heads on shrimp, 9/12 count cook in the Chicken Broth for 2 minutes then take out and cool off with ice or cold water to stop from cooking
Then take off the heads and shells and place them in the chicken stock to cook for another 30 minutes.
You are cooking both broths; we are looking to get the entire flavor. Then strain the broth, (here is one more secret) take the heads and with a knife scrap all the meat and fat out of head and put back into the broth. This gives the broth a fatter, richer flavor. When the stock ready to add to the roux be very careful the roux is hot, I will usually add a couple of cups at a time until it cools down then pour the rest in.
We must use the holy trilogy, onions, bell peppers and celery. On the bell peppers I use green, orange, and yellow and purple, each has its own different taste. Now, as far as the sausage goes I like to add two to three different types, Andouille and Gator and Shrimp each has a distinctive taste.
(1) pound of each Andouille, Gator and Shrimp Sausage sliced use at least 2 pounds, any of your choosing
(2) 1 pound of Tsao
(3) 2 bags of okra unless you have put some up from the summer which would be the way to go (again I like a lot of okra, so play it by ear you might want to add another bag)
(4) 6 cups chopped onions or more
(5) 3 cups of chopped bell peppers, different colors
(6) 2 cups of chopped green onions
(7) 4 cups of finely chopped celery (this is something you can add more of if you wish) even the leaves
(8) Garlic I like garlic from Gilroy California, any would be fine, we need 1/2 to 1 cup, I like garlic so the more the merrier for me
(9) 2 cups for finely chopped parsley
(10) 1/2 cup of cilantro AND 6 bay leaves.
(11) 2 to 4 cups of a late season white wine
I did find a St. James (Velvet White) in Missouri that seems to work okay, you might get with your winery and see what late in the season sweet grape wine that they may have for cooking with. Sauterne was the choose of Chef Justin Wilson
(12) At this time, you can de vein your shrimp, I personal do not, I will cut the shrimp in half, because we are using 9/12 shrimp and they are large, I will always drop some of the shrimp in the gumbo whole pull of the whiskers, adds more flavor.
(13) 4 to 5 tbsp. of Lea & Perrins
(14) Cayenne pepper to taste, add some taste you do not want it to hot for children
-Salt, this is the old grandmother measuring method, again add to taste
(15) 1 large can of tomato sauce
Now we let simmer on the stove on low heat for 4 to 6 hours, and then place in refrigerator overnight. Sever the next day over a bed of rice. If you can find file powder ( Mamma Jean's on Sunshine if you live in Missouri) File add to the rice before you serve the gumbo over it. Be sure to keep stirring we do not want it to stick to bottom and burn.
KEY: after you have completed your gumbo let it set over night in the refrigerator before you serve it, that way it lets all the flavors marry
Need a good breakfast? We make my granddaughter's favorite omelet Dinosaur Chicken as she calls it (ALLIGATOR MEAT) and she loves it.
The ingredients are the Holy Trinity--Onions, Celery, Bell Pepper, then add Mushrooms and Dinosaur Chicken--aka Alligator meat.
1) Crack 2 eggs and place over the vegetables until the eggs are over easy. (Option: over grits)
2) If you are making this dish over grits, make them thick and be careful not to break the egg yolks
3) Once cooked, place the Omelet over the grits and enjoy.
This has a Grand Ma Twist. And tell him Happy Birthday from Cajun Country.
Ingredients:
FARMERS MARKET DAY, when to the farmers market today and got the following.