Snake Meat Recipes

SOUTHERN FRIED RATTLESNAKE

Steps:

• Cut the rattlesnake into 4-inch pieces. Combine the salt, peppers, garlic powder, onion powder, flour, and cornstarch in a medium bowl and set aside. Soak the rattlesnake in the buttermilk for 30 minutes to an hour.
• Heat 2 inches of oil in a medium pan until it reaches 375 degrees F. Then dredge the rattlesnake pieces in the flour. Cook the rattlesnake in the oil in batches to not overcrowd the pan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pieces are golden brown. Serve.

HOW TO COOK A SNAKE

Steps:

• Refrigerate the meat as soon as possible. It can also be frozen. The meat's integrity remains intact, and the coloration of the skin is unaffected.
• Skin the snake. Cut off the head, strip off the skin, and remove the guts of the dead snake.
• Rinse the meat, and cut it into pieces with a sharp knife or poultry shears. Make the cuts between and at the same angle as the ribs to avoid cutting the ribs. If the ribs are severed, they may be difficult to remove from the meat after it is cooked. Some people prefer to soak the ready-to-cook snake pieces in saltwater for a day or two to remove any remaining blood or "gaminess" from the meat.
• Dip the segments in a bit of egg white (milk would also do) before dredging them in a pepper and sweet cornmeal mix (or cornbread mix with some extra black pepper). Shake off the excess.
• Heat about 3/4" (2cm) of canola, vegetable, or peanut oil in a heavy frying pan until quite hot. Add the snake pieces one at a time to avoid from dropping the temperature in the pan too quickly. Use tongs to keep your fingers away from the sizzling hot oil, watch for dangerous splatters, and use a screen if necessary to prevent a mess. Turn the snake pieces just as the batter begins to turn golden - by the time it starts to brown the snake will be overcooked. There's not much meat on the bones, and the muscles are thin and lean.
• Drain and cool. Remove the snake pieces before they're quite done - they'll continue to cook after removal from the pan - and set them on paper towels to drain and cool.
• Serve your fried snake bits warm, and provide napkins - this is finger food. Accompany with most anything you'd serve with fried fish.
• Eat the snake meat. There should be a line of muscle along either side of the spine; this is the thickest piece of meat on the snake's body. The ribs are quite firmly attached to the spine, so scrape your teeth over them firmly to remove the rest of the meat from the ribs.

SNAKE MEAT

Steps:

• Dice all vegetables small.
• Toss all diced vegetables together in a medium bowl.
• Blend dressing ingredients together with a wire whisk in a small bowl.
• Pour dressing over vegetables and chill to marinate at least 4 hours.
• Serve with tortilla chips or buttered toast points.