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Had a buddy drop off a nice store-bought package of gator meat....looks to be leg meat, so how is the best way to cook it????.....is it tough, and need tenderizing???....thanks.

Awww, come on, now....surely some of you cajuns can help me out.

I fried some up the other night that was pretty good. I just dipped it in buttermilk and then rolled it through some seasoned flour and let it fry.

Midget + Clown = a scared gator

Aint that right Gator?

Soak it overnight in some diluted Moore's marinade.Drop it in straight lemon juice for 15 to 20 minutes right before frying it. I use meal on mine....

if truely leg meat (darker), it is probably best used in stew (sauce piquant or gumbo). I personally grind all the leg meat I get each year and make sausage. May also be good ground and used in chilli, however I prefer to grind lighter cuts for chilli. might get away with frying, but I would beat it well with meat mallet or tenderizer first.

Didn't see ya'lls post until too late....I found a Paula Deen recipe for fried gator nuggets, using ranch dressing for a side dip, and they turned out pretty darned good.

I fry mine in pancake batter.

Alligator Kabobs

Spicy Honey-Orange Marinade

* 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
* 1/2 cup orange juice (Pulp Free)
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1 teaspoon orange zest, grated
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/4 teaspoons crushed Red Pepper

- Mix the Marinade all together (a blender worked well).

- Cut about 1 lb. of gator meat into 1" cubes, and marinate for at least 24 hrs in the fridge (I used a foodsaver to put it under pressure, and marinated it for around 36 hrs).

- Make up Kabobs with any arrangement of veggies you would like, I used Cherry Tomatoes, Orange Bell Peppers, and Sweet Onions.

- Baste kabobs well with extra marinade, then sprinkle with Original Tony Chachere's Seasoning.

- Cook on medium heat grill, until bell peppers are not crunchy, but not cooked to death.

- Finally, pull the skewers off the grill, and have at it!! Yum Yum!

These were done a little different, with pineapple.