1. Place the cleaned and dressed 30lb whole gator in an empty cooler.  Pour the brine solution (recipe below) over the gator.  4 gallons total should cover the gator depending on the size of cooler you are using. Place a 20lb bag of ice over the gator to weight it down and keep it cold during the brine process.  Soak the gator for 24 hours in the brine.
2. Remove the gator from the brine and allow it to drain well.  Pat the outside down with paper towel to remove excess moisture.
3. Place the gator backside up on cutting board, split the tail muscles around the bone and trim away all the fat under and around the muscles.
4. Season the gator with King Craw cajun seasoning and Killer Hogs Hot BBQ Rub on all sides.  Stuff the tail cavity with the boudin cream cheese mixture (recipe below) and season the top of the stuffing with the same cajun and hot rub.  Prop the gator’s jaws open with a block of wood (careful the teeth are sharp!)
5. Place the gator on a 275 degree bbq pit using pecan wood for smoke flavor.
6. Cook until internal temperature in the tail reaches 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer about 4 1/2 hours total.
7. Remove the gator from the pit and glaze the outside with 50/50 Killer Hogs BBQ sauce and Killer Hogs Vinegar sauce.

**Optional

1. For garnish I smoked a whole chicken for 2 hours at 325 degrees on a pellet grill.  Remove the block of wood and place the chicken in the gator’s mouth.
2. Use a propane torch to caramelize the outside of the gator (Don’t try this at home unless you have experience with a torch!!)
3. Garnish the gator with steamed shrimp, corn on the cob, potatoes, and smoked sausage (this was my touch for the people that might not like gator)

To serve: 

1. Remove the stuffing, tail muscles, tenderloin, leg meat, and jowls
2. Chop the meat into bite size pieces
3. Place a little of the stuffing into a hot god bun topped with chunks of the gator meat
4. Drizzle the top with bbq sauce and enjoy!

Gator Brine Recipe

• 4 gallons water
• 4 cups sugar
• 4 cups salt
• 6oz Malcom’s King Craw cajun seasoning
• 2oz cup dry Louisiana crawfish/crab boil seasoning
• 2oz Louisiana liquid crab boil
• Juice from 2 lemons

Place one gallon of water in a large boiler pot.  Add the sugar, salt, King Craw, dry crab boil, liquid crab boil and lemon juice.  Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer stirring often to dissolve dry ingredients.  Remove from heat and allow cool to room temperature. You can stir in a little ice to speed the process. Add the remaining water and pour over the gator in a large cooler.  The gator should be completely covered with the brine. Soak for 24 hours. Also helps to weight the gator down with a 20lb bag of ice.

Gator Stuffing Recipe

• 2 blocks cream cheese softened at room temperature
• 1 lb jalapeño pork boudin sausage casing removed
• 1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
• 8 strips crispy bacon crumbled
• 1 Tablespoon King Craw cajun seasoning

Place the cream cheese, boudin, ranch mix, bacon, and King Craw in a large mixing bowl.  Stir well to combine and store in the refrigerator until ready to stuff in the gator.