# How do you cook crocodile? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 1, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541 "2008-08-01T21:18:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/1 "2008-08-01T21:18:05Z")
My local supermarket has started carrying some slightly exotic items in the meats department. Including, yeah, crocodile. I’ve never tried it before, and at these prices ($19 for 200g) I don’t expect I’ll be in a hurry to try it again … but still, _crocodile_. Whoo. I figured I can afford that much once. So – what’s the best way to do justice to it? Anyone got any tips? ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/2 "2008-08-02T00:42:00Z")
**PDF warning** Quick google for “Cooking crocodile” comes up with [this](http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.australiancrocodile.com.au%2Fimages%2FRecipesandtipsforcookingcrocodilemeat_.pdf&ei=36yTSIj8MZm0sAOF9Zy5Cg&usg=AFQjCNFi-fHiokFaAuRYVT7gX8vt7uWiRw&sig2=-yO_bruADGgwzUfy-BljwA) From when I cooked it back in high school: You want to sear it quickly - don’t overcook it, it goes tough as old boots. ---
**Author:** ![MissMossie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/3 "2008-08-02T01:17:55Z")
My dad occasionally gets alligator. If it’s steaks, he’ll grill them. If it’s smaller chunks, he’ll bread them and fry them to make gator nuggets. They taste a bit like chicken nuggets, but more fun because you get to say you’re eating gator nuggets. Both of them taste good. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/4 "2008-08-02T01:23:58Z")
Put it on a stick. Everything tastes better on a stick! 🙂 The first time I had alligator it was on a stick. But the better way is how **MissMossie** ’s dad does it: bread the chunks and fry them. I liked to get them at Café Tu Tu Tango in Orange, CA. They served it with a sweet sauce and pick-a-pepa sauce. ---
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/5 "2008-08-02T02:42:42Z")
[QUOTE=Sierra Indigo] **PDF warning** Quick google for “Cooking crocodile” comes up with [this](http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&ct=res&cd=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.australiancrocodile.com.au%2Fimages%2FRecipesandtipsforcookingcrocodilemeat_.pdf&ei=36yTSIj8MZm0sAOF9Zy5Cg&usg=AFQjCNFi-fHiokFaAuRYVT7gX8vt7uWiRw&sig2=-yO_bruADGgwzUfy-BljwA) From when I cooked it back in high school: You want to sear it quickly - don’t overcook it, it goes tough as old boots. [/QUOTE] Aha. I particularly liked the comment: _The slaughtering and processing of crocodile meat is done humanely and hygienically with little to no waist_. Who’s have guessed that how fat you are could be so important when killing crocs? ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/6 "2008-08-02T04:28:10Z")
Maybe some [Croc Gumbo](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gumbo). ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/7 "2008-08-02T04:31:33Z")
Every time someone uses a title like, “How do I cook X?”, the smart ass in me always wants to reply: Apply heat ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/8 "2008-08-02T04:49:20Z")
It takes a while. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/9 "2008-08-02T07:07:34Z")
If croc is like alligator then treating it like chicken is a good idea. Alligator has a very poultry texture to it but the meat tastes distinctive enough that I wouldn’t want to overwhelm it with other flavors. Very low fat content so you’ll want to take that into account when you cook. Which may not really help with crocodile since for all I know it may be like the difference between steak and bison. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/10 "2008-08-02T07:13:17Z")
I’ve had crocodile pizza in New Zealand, about ten years ago. Anyway, the best way to cook crocodile is to put it into a huge pot of boiling water while it’s still alive, the chemicals released by its body as it dies tenderises the meat. You can then slice it up and BBQ it lightly to give it colour. At least that’s the theory, no one has yet survived past the alive-into-the-pot stage. ---
**Author:** ![Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@Petrobey\_Mavromihalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petrobey_Mavromihalis)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/11 "2008-08-02T07:49:57Z")
I wouldn’t bother, especially if it’s expensive. It tastes a bit like fish-flavoured chicken, which is not a good thing, and tends to be tough. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/12 "2008-08-02T11:35:51Z")
In Soviet Union, crocodile cooks _you!_ Come to think of it, same in most other places, too! ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/13 "2008-08-02T15:00:50Z")
> [@](#): > > In Soviet Union, crocodile cooks you! > [@](#): > > Every time someone uses a title like, “How do I cook X?” In America, X cooks YOU! (at a rave) ---
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/14 "2008-08-03T00:25:37Z")
Well, I’ll be trying it out on the family in half an hour or so … we’ll see how it goes. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/15 "2008-08-03T00:43:50Z")
“Cut my own throat Dibbler” recommends NOt cooking with crocodile, as it tates too much like pork, and will cause your clients to expect sausages that actually contain pork in the future… regards FML ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/16 "2008-08-03T01:06:12Z")
First, you must catch the crocodile. This is generally the most difficult step. ---
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cook-crocodile/458541/17 "2008-08-03T04:36:52Z")
[QUOTE=MacSpon] Well, I’ll be trying it out on the family in half an hour or so … we’ll see how it goes. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Came out rather nice, actually. I crumbed it, and fried it lightly in butter and a little crushed garlic. Yummy. The family were startled, but did not seem to object.