THE HUSBAND:
. I will be real honest with y’all, The Wife is wholly responsible for keeping this blog afloat. That is the second truest thing I will say in this post. Having said that, when she informed me we were getting the chance to spotlight Alligator Sausage Co. I cheerfully (as cheerfully as a salty bearded curmudgeon can manage) volunteered myself as tribute to write this post. So please, bear with me.
. I came across Alligator Sausage Co. back in June and we first featured them in our July installation of InstaFoods. Not to toot my own horn, but I am totally the one who found them….you’re welcome, honey! If you have never heard them, I feel bad for you. Here is a little background from their website:
“Our founder Eric , a foodie by nature, grew up in Cajun kitchens watching his grandma and father cook. He soon realized that most often meals did not come from text written in a recipe book, but instead from the creation of mixing and matching ingredients that came to form a perfect blend of bold flavors. Now married to an alligator ranchers daughter, Eric soon wondered how he could mix and match this new exotic meat into something unique. From there came The Alligator Sausage Co., LLC. Fast forward twenty years from his childhood to present day in his own kitchen and you will find Eric putting together creations for family & friends. We hope you will enjoy one of his best!”
. Naturally, I asked the wife to place an order. I mean c’mon. It’s meat. Sausage, to be precise. We are a family of happy carnivores. How could we not want to try it? So we decided to test both the original and the jalapeno cheddar. We were cautiously optimistic. We got the order almost immediately, they ship SUPER quick. Much to my dismay, The Wife decided we needed to be good people and share. So….reluctantly….we took it to the ranch that weekend to have our friends [read: favorite assholes] taste test with us.
. We went super easy, just threw it on the grill for an appetizer while we waited for the steaks to be done. HOLY FUCK BALLS. You would have thought we were a bunch of inmates awaiting the chair and this was our last meal. We DEMOLISHED that shit real quick. In fact, I had grilled up one package of each and they didn’t even leave me any. Like I said….assholes. So I grabbed the other packages and grilled them up. Again, DEVOURED. It was so fucking good. Even our niece and nephew were chowing down knowing what it was. They even asked us to “bring more gator meats” next time we see them.
. It was unanimous. This isn’t just the best alligator sausage we’ve ever had (The Wife’s extended family IS from Louisiana) but it was hands down THE best sausage we’ve ever had. The spices are on point, it has the perfect snap, doesn’t dry out, and the grind is ideal. Honestly, we have tried a lot of sausage in our day (yes, you fucking pervs – insert dirty jokes here) and in complete honesty, we have never had better. THAT is the truest statement in this post. We have ordered it again since then and will continue to do so. In fact, it is so fan-fucking-tastic and we are such enthusiastic converts that when preparing for a giant cater this weekend we just ordered FIFTY pounds of this delicious meat. (Keep a look out on Instagram this weekend….I am sure The Wife will keep you all posted.)
. Not only is this sausage delicious and addictive but owners, founders, hustlers, and all around bad asses Eric & Caroline were so damn nice they even drove it up to us all the way from Winnie, Texas. In The Wife’s words: “OHEMGEEEEEE! THEY ARE SO NICE! HOW CUTE ARE THEY?! OH BAAAAABE, THEY ARE SO DANG ADORABLE! HOW SWEET ARE THEY?” I completely agree, except in a way more low-key, less-squeal-y kind of way.
. Very rarely have we actually encountered people that we blog about, and it was a really nice treat. They were super cool, down to earth, and humble. Definitely our favorite kind of people. Even if The Wife tried to scare them off by running her mouth the whole time. (She means well. But damn! When she gets excited, it’s like someone put mixed espresso and speed and injected it directly into her veins.)
. Long story short: Their product is seriously good….better than it should be….they are really good people and their story is super cool. So keep on reading, get to know them a little better, follow them on social media, and then do yourself a favor and IMMEDIATELY go buy their sausage (or filets)! You can thank me later.
SIDE NOTE: We are hoping to recreate their favorite recipe next week, we will keep you posted.
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F A V O R I T E :
- Local restaurant: Lercy’s cafe for lunch, Al-t’s Cajun Steakhouse for dinner.
- Local business: Birdstrap Leather, a true mentor & friend.
- Pandora/Spotify station: USA Top 50 for morning wake up. Freakonomics during the day. George Strait for an evening with the wife.
- Meal to cook: Courtbouillon, it is my go to for new guests, but returning often request it.
- Beer/Cocktail: Beer – Lonestar Red. Cocktail – Woodford neat.
- Place to vacation: Fredricksburg, TX.
- Color or medium to work with: Black. Everything pops on black.
- Instagram account(s) you follow: Abstractconformity. He will have you in deep thought, looking at amazing photography.
- TV show: The Office.
- Thing about Texas: Southern hospitality.
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T H I S o r T H A T :
- Brunch or Dinner? Dinner, no doubt.
- Night in or night out? Can you ask again 5 minutes before, that’s a game time call.
- Beard or clean shaven? Beard. Shaved it once and thought a cold front blew in on my face.
- Dogs or cats? Dogs. They say the only reason your house cat does not kill you is it is to small.
- Summer or Winter? Winter.
- Call or text? Text.
- Vacation or staycation? Vacation.
- Coffee or tea? Nespresso in the morning, after that sweet tea all day.
- Center of attention or people watcher? Would have to say both.
- Herbivore or Carnivore? Carnivore. I have however bought Salata one time.. wasn’t for me, but the rabbit in the back yard enjoyed it.
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A B O U T Y O U :
Are you a native Texan? If not, how did you end up in Texas?
Texan 100%.
What city do you live in? (or area!) Married? Kids? Pets?
Winnie, America with my wife and black lab. Best town in Texas, living with the best gal.
What artist/band would you love to see in concert?
Postmalone. Really interesting when he sings every genre.
What is your ideal weekend like?
Giving out samples to new customers!
How did you get started making sausage?
In the beginning it was a deer processing operation for family and friends.
Did you set out specifically with the idea to use alligator meat?
Not exactly, like I mentioned it was a deer processing operation. Once I started dating an alligator farmers daughter I got intrigued.
When did you start your shop and how have you evolved since?
2016 is when The Alligator Sausage Co. was established, but was just me making sausage for friends by word of mouth. Now we have USDA approved sausages, in meat markets, grocery stores, and restaurants as far out as New Braunfels.
What is your favorite recipe thus far using your sausage?
Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage Jalapeno Poppers. It’s a mouth full.
Do you have a favorite flavor?
Jalapeno Cheddar.
Where do you do your creating? What is your workspace like?
In our home kitchen, I experiment with different things for the family to try out with a rating system.
Where do you look for inspiration?
In one word, uniqueness. Things that are over looked.
Are you a “follow the recipe” type, or more of a “wing-it” type in the kitchen?
A majority of my dishes do not have a name. A cookbook is too scheduled for a good time cooking.
Are you currently working on any new products?
Always. We really trying to push our new line of Alligator Tail meat.
What is your favorite part of running your own business?
The flexibility. Somedays when you are in the zone you might work 20 hours, but if you can’t get going take a day. Its essential for your mental health.
Any weird talents, fun facts, or helpful tips you want readers to know about you?
Find your people. Even if you go at it alone… have DIFFERENT people to talk to. The same mindset will never create anything new.
Come & Texas 