Barbecued Alligator Tail

If you’ve never cooked alligator, this is where to start. Tail steaks soaked in a milk and rosemary marinade for a few hours, seasoned with black and cayenne pepper, then grilled over hot coals. The result is tender, mild meat with a light char and a pepper kick that’ll make you forget you’re eating reptile.

The milk marinade isn’t random Louisiana folklore. Milk’s calcium and lactic acid work on the proteins to tenderize the meat while pulling out any gamey or swampy notes. Three to four hours is the sweet spot. Less than that and the marinade doesn’t penetrate. Much longer and the texture can turn mushy.

Alligator tail is lean, real lean. That’s why you brush with olive oil before and during grilling. Without it, the meat dries out and sticks to the grate. The ¾-inch thickness means about 10 minutes per side over medium heat. Overcooking is the number one mistake with gator. It goes from tender to tough and chewy fast, like overcooking squid.

Pat the steaks bone-dry after pulling them from the marinade. Wet meat steams instead of searing, and you want that grill char.

Pro Tips

• Alligator tail meat tastes somewhere between chicken and fish with a slightly firmer texture. If someone asks, tell them after they’ve tried it.
• The red pepper flakes in the marinade infuse a slow, building heat that’s different from the sharp cayenne dusted on the surface. Both matter.
• Don’t press down on the steaks with a spatula while grilling. You’ll squeeze out the juices you just spent hours locking in with the marinade.
• Serve with a squeeze of lemon and a remoulade sauce on the side.

Variations

• Blackened gator: Skip the grill. Coat in Cajun blackening spice and sear in a screaming hot cast iron skillet with butter.
• Asian-style: Replace the milk marinade with coconut milk, swap rosemary for lemongrass and ginger, and serve with a sweet chili dipping sauce.
• Fried gator bites: Cut into nuggets, bread with seasoned flour, and deep fry for a classic Louisiana appetizer.