I remember an Anthony Bourdain segment somewhere in Central America where he had a local make him iguana tacos.

He he said they tasted like the bottom of his aquarium. And that there wasn't enough booze to take the taste out of his mouth. Bourdain would eat darn near anything. Said those tacos had to be the worst thing he'd ever eaten.

Guess if you're hungry enough...

That being said, if the meat is cleaned with attention to avoiding contamination, it shouldn't be much different from alligator, snake, or turtle. But Ive never tasted iguana.

 

Thanks, but I'll pass!

 

:dito: me too uke:

 

I have eaten a lot of things in my life but never a lizard. I am interested in trying raccoon but not lizard. although they might make fun targets with a pellet rifle!

 

back when I was young I have ate ***** many times. they are a little greasy. my grand mama used to cook them in bbq sauce. I have had them baked. but nothing on the planet beats pork, beef and chicken!

 

I tried it years ago when i lived in Florida (born and raised actually, Key West) had a few Jamaican friends that ate em all the time.
I broke down and tried it. wasn't a fan, but I wouldn't pass it up if i was starving. I will say it does NOT taste like chicken. it is a very light flaky meat, not oily or heavy. but a distinct taste.

It was really a unique, texture. hard to compare it to anything.. but the way it was prepared for me was in an almost gumbo type broth with lots of veggies.. I will probably pass next time i'm offered.

They would cook em' whole over a fire and just pick the meat off the bone. Tried that once, that didn't work for me either..

 

Hmmmm... When did he taste the bottom of an aquarium?

 

At Captain D's

 

I shot a raccoon when I was young. After cleaning it (disgusting) there was no possible way I could eat it. If I didn't see what it was, I'm sure it could be cooked to be good..............

 

I'd like to try one! Never seen one out this way though.

 

I won't even try squirrel, yet lots of folks rave about it.

 

I'd have to pass!!

 

Only and only if SHTF diet afraid to say

 

Read a reprint of a "capture journal" several years ago. (Don't recall the author - his recollections of being captured by Shawnee in the 1780's in what is now eastern Ohio and living with them for about 18 months until he was traded or ransomed.) I remember that the author stated that over the winter he and his Shawnee "friends" ate a lot of raccoon slathered in maple syrup. Hmmm . . .

 

My oldest daughter lived in a rural area not too far from Orlando. Iguanas are not just 'chicken of the trees',they're chicken of the living room walls,chicken of the bathroom,chicken of the deck,and everywhere else around her house. Those little critters were everywhere. Her cat got plenty of exercise chasing and occasionally eating one. I haven't eaten one yet,maybe if I was desperate and starving. For now,no thanks.

 

You might be thinking about the cute little Gecko's if you were in central FL. The Iguanas are further south. And the cat wouldn't be chasing an Iguana, more the other way around.

The first time I saw a South FL Iguana was doing tree work after Hurricane Wilma. I was on a crew working through a HOA. I asked one of the guys I was working with if he got the tree around the corner, He said No cause there was and Iguana sitting in the tree. I was like what? Tuff tree guys afraid of some lizard? He said you go prune the tree Yankee. I walked around the corner to see, yeah...I didn't prune the tree either, It was about 3 foot tip of the tail to the nose.

 

Nope not eating lizard. If they start multiplying this far North in Florida the hawks and Eagles along with the snakes should give them hell. I will pop them in the eyeball with my rifle and let the buzzards have at them.

 

Mom tried to make BBQ out of a beaver I trapped in my youth. Cooked it until the meat fell off from the bones, mixed in BBQ sauce and served it on a bun like a "sloppy joe" I remember it was like chewing juicy little lengths of fishing line. The tooth pick holder was almost empty after that meal!!! Oh, tasted like gamy BBQ sauce:biggrin:

 

When I saw the comment: "tasted like the bottom of the fish tank" (I can't spell aquarium), I thought of my good friend's saying. He said he ate something that was so bad that "he had to lick the bottom of his shoe to get the taste out of his mouth." Now, that's bad.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

I've had gator and frog legs but never iguana..... lol

 

If you look at "Traditional poor people meat cooking strategies" - you will see that dealing with weird/strong flavored "Found meat" is already baked in.....

All of those cultures do the same thing - including our own Poor people southern cooking...

Chop up the animal and remove the fat
Boil it or bake it for a while in a pan full of water - jettison the broth... Don't brown anything.
Then chop it up fine and braise/stew it in some sort of nuclear flavored sauce... Then eat a little of that stuff on top of a big pile of rice/starch of your choice.....

Creole, Jerk, Curry, hungarian paprika flavors, Southwestern "Chili", and even the traditional south-eastern "Vinegar barbeque". Italian bologinase sort of fits in here too.. It's basically all the same strategy..

And when it's done right - it's very difficult to tell what sort of meat it started out as unless you already knew.. Because everything is chopped up pretty good and tastes like the sauce....

For example - my Wife's family has a traditional recipe for "Vinegar" meat...
You bake it in a pan of water till the meat falls off the bone.
Chop up the meat. Toss the broth.
Boil up a mixture of: White or Apple Cider Vinegar, red pepper, white pepper, black pepper, and a little salt. (This will clear your sinuses).
Pour it over the meat to cover it. Put it back in the oven and cook it for another hour or two.

Eat on top of rice.... It sort of all tastes the same after this method of cooking... Pork, beef, chicken, turtle, raccoon, possum... You really can't tell because all the flavors are blown out by the intense vinegar, heat, and pepper... Literally - the recipe uses like 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup of powdered red pepper in a half gallon of vinegar....

Apparently this cooking technique goes way back before the beginning of Rome....

 

you sure are right, when I worked on the rigs in South La. those cooks could make gumbo out of anything they found on the floor and make it taste awesome! so southerners can do it right, since I am from Home of Mr. Peanut, never have figgered why folks would boil a peanut...must be a damnyankeee thang........

 

Why do SO MANY critters taste like chicken?

AC

 

I don't know but some do. I am betting a lizard doesn't though.

 

You have never tasted iguana till you deep fry it in a beer batter! Hmm hmm good!

 

Ain't eating no lizard

 

After living in Louisiana for a few years if cooked right i bet it could be good.

 

mmmmm iquana

 

I bet some cheese grits and Tabasco would take the game taste out.
Grits go good with a everything.

 

Seems Florida has a problem with all these exotic pets from South America getting released. Maybe an import ban is needed...………….


CD