So I live in the NYC area, and a couple of times when down south I have had alligator bites (fried pieces of alligator), which I have liked.
I would like to buy some alligator meat, and do a stir-fry or grill it or something like that (don’t want to bread/fry). Any suggestions on where to buy, what part(s) of the meats to buy, and how to prepare? Thanks all.
Here in DFW, our local Korean and Vietnamese supermarkets have frozen chunks of tail meat for around $20 a pound.
You have to be careful with gator - reptiles dry our easily. I have only used tenderloins for alligator gumbo. I used to be able to buy it at a local grocery, but I haven’t looked at it for over a decade. I’m pretty sure they got it though here:
The ones i’ve had don’t taste dramatically different than chicken… close enough such that i wonder why even bother eating gator… other than the novelty of serving it?
then again, maybe i haven’t had high quality gator… should definitely seek out better restaurants serving it.
It’s pretty easy to find here in Louisiana, too 
The key is to NOT overcook it!
My friends got together a few years ago for a birthday party. I brought the wine (Gamba '04 and '05, Historic Madeira Co New Orleans Terrantez, Adelaida HMR Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir). One buddy grilled veggies and meat.
The meat (elk, beef, pork loin) all were done perfectly. The alligator was left on the grill for waaay too long: “Five more minutes… Five more minutes.”
Apparently the grillmaster thought that the alligator didn’t “look cooked enough”, and it was finally set on the kitchen counter to “rest”. No need to let it rest, as thirty or forty minutes on the gas grill had dried it up. I tasted a slice from the middle of the cut (tail meat). It definitely had a mild pork-like flavor with a very overdone fishy aftertaste.
Perhaps you should flash stir fry it like chicken or pork, or grill it with a meat thermometer on-hand. Asian sweet-tangy sauces could work, but I would suggest that you try salt-and-pepper style, or a brown garlic sauce. It is easy to overpower the mild flavors of alligator.
What do I know?
What I really liked about the alligator is the fact that it tasted like fish but had a firmer texture like chicken-but unlike any fish or chicken I have ever had-or other meat for that matter.
Tasted unique to me-not a novelty-IMO.
Get chunks online and then cook it “butter poached,” using the Thomas Keller recipe.
Today’s annual “Wine & Swine” event at Shreveport’s Wine Country Bistro & Bottle Shop has this approach to cooking reptile:
I have used these guides for hunting. Rather than waiting for them to process the meat of the gators we caught, they exchanged it for stuff they had in stock. We either cook it lightly fried or grilled and it comes out pretty good. We usually season it with Everglades seasoning, although this can be too salty for some.
Over the years we have also tried other parts of the gator including the ribs. Stick with the tail. The rest was not good at all. Grilling the whole alligator is more of a novelty, in my opinion, as I’ve never had any parts other than the tail that were good. You do see it around the South, though especially when UF is in town for a game.
I get the same “swampy” flavor that I get from turtle, certain catfish, and diving waterfowl. It was fun to try once, but I’m good.
And then they killed it.
Was buying some frozen shrimp today from a regular local supermarket and saw that they also sell frozen alligator. Will give it a whirl one of these days.