Cleaning a Gar
 

Here's how I clean gar...

First.... start with a good attitude. :)


You need to get a hole started in that armor-like hide. Use a machete. (or use the arrow hole as your starting point). Then, tin-snips make short, crunchy work of the skin and scales. BTW.... It's actually easier to snip from the tail forward.


Cut and peel the hard shell-like skin back to expose the meat.


Once exposed, it's a simple matter to remove the two 'loins' or filets. The strips of meat are boneless.



How does it taste? Well, it tastes a lot like gar. :)

To me the taste and texture is like the tail meat of a crayfish (somewhat like lobster).

Gar balls are a great way to get around the texture.. (grind the meat up) Boiling it in crab boil and dipping it in butter is a great way to take advantage of the texture.

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

thanks....... Now all I got to do is hit one of them. ;) Shouldn't be a problem, been practicing on some real small "pan fish". lol ......... shhhhhhhhhhhh

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

Just be sure not to borrow someone's knife they inherited to try to cut through the scales. ;)

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

I caught one of those nasty-azz things on a hook-and-line last week...

talk about "...ok, Beavis... now what?.."

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

Fish... this is waay true. (but it wasn't me....) [:o]

I still think I should buy you a new knife or some other doohickey to pay you back.

So Razor.. what did you do?

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

Ill stick to Walleye

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

Hey don't worry. There was no real emotional attachment. :( Besides, it now works better than ever - I reshaped it and sharpened it. I use it to 'unzip' the carp so I don't dull my good knife cutting through the scales. You know I love you and just giving you a hard time.

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

I know what you mean Razorhead.
I got my first gar this Spring, with a bow.
When you get a look at the teeth up close, there is a strong desire to throw it back, quickly.
I was ina canoe at the time, so onceI got it off the arrow, I jammed it nose-first into the bow of the canoe, and kept my foot on it for the next 40 minutes until we got back to the launch.

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

Not sure we even have Gar out here...

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

Cooking and cleaning a gar: 1st, run over 4 or 5 times with a crawler tractor, 2nd, take axe (not a good one) and chop head off, 3rd, start a big fire, throw gar in fire, 4th, when completely burned up, throw gar ashes away and eat left over coals.:D
dog1

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

I don't see the pics anymore.

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

im goig to cry if i cant get one nabs :D

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

The website that hosted the pictures is offline. The pictures are probably gone..... :(

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

Whew! I was having flash-backs of vanishing pictures!!

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

Nice signature Bowman.. very un-sissy like..;)

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

I had another one picked out, but you administrators don't have the best sense of humor all the time.

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

it says server to buissy when i try to go there

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

Don't know what your missing dog1! Have you ever tried it? AV is right, it has a texture a lot like crawfish and is very mild in taste. I've served it to people who didn't know who it was with other fish, and it was gone before the other stuff. However, I still like crappie and walleye better.

If you have tried it and didn't like it, chances are good the preparer made the same mistake that I made my first time- soaking it in water after you clean it. If you soak gar meat in water/salt water like other fish you take, it'll ruin the meat. Just clean it and cool it down asap. Then when you get it home, clean it under a cold tap to get all the nasties off of it and freeze it or cook right away. Goooood stuff! My wife and kids beg me for the stuff.

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

I've heard from several people that have tried it that it was good to really great. I'd try it once, but if it's that much like crawfish, I'm sure I'd like it.

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

Hey Steve i see Christine is still all over you like a cheap suit....lol Oh well you wouldnt knkow what to do if she werent....lol

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

Hey Bill, if she wasn't, I wouldn't know who she was!! I've only known her as mean and scary....







Just kidding Christine; I know you're not that tough. And that you're mean to me cause you like me.:D

Can'tblame you really.

RE: Cleaning a Gar
 

Sweet and innocent... perfectly harmless...



(and I don't push people from the boat either)
:D