I was going to Sam's to buy meat snacks, then we started buying these three months ago. Gatorland, an Orlando tourist attraction, is another customer. Statewide, trappers and farmers sell about 750,000 pounds of alligator meat a year, according to the Florida Alligator Marketing and Educational Committee, an industry and conservation group. Most is sold to restaurants or individuals through fish houses or meat markets. Chewy, cheaper cuts from the legs are used to make stews and gumbos, among other things.
Most tender cuts come from the tails and cheeks.
Young uses nonprime cuts including leg meat. His original alligator sticks remain the headliner, but his line has expanded. He also sells hot and spicy sticks, two flavors of alligator jerky and alligator bites, and seven kinds of beer sticks - a new arrival that features a variety of meats including bison, venison, ostrich and pork. Most of his products are sold by 20 or so wholesale distributors. Young buys 50,000 to 60,000 pounds of meat annually from some of the 200 licensed alligator farms in the Southeast.