Cleaning a Gar
08-04-2005, 06:14 PM
#1
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Central Utah
Posts: 4,815
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.
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.
Shouldn't be a problem, been practicing on some real small "pan fish". lol ......... shhhhhhhhhhhh
08-06-2005, 06:55 AM
#5
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Central Utah
Posts: 4,815
RE: Cleaning a Gar
Fish... this is waay true. (but it wasn't me....) [
]
I still think I should buy you a new knife or some other doohickey to pay you back.
So Razor.. what did you do?
]I still think I should buy you a new knife or some other doohickey to pay you back.
So Razor.. what did you do?
08-06-2005, 08:08 PM
#7
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Jefferson City
Posts: 395
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. 
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.
08-08-2005, 02:39 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Too close to Chicago
Posts: 3,337
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.
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.
08-09-2005, 02:41 AM
#10
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Georgia
Posts: 882
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.
dog1
dog1