# How to clean gar



## Alex3 (Mar 29, 2006)

I was offered some gar this week but since neither my friend or I no how to clean them I declined. Can anyone give me a break down of how to clean and prepare these critters?


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## twwp (Jul 12, 2007)

Gut it and nail it to a cedar plank. Smoke for a few hours. Then remove the nails and fish from the cedar plank. Now the good part, throw the fish away and eat the cedar plank. LOL


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## NitroNX898 (Apr 7, 2009)

Gar is hinda hard to clean. Gar has a backstrap like a deer, you will need to take a utility knife and cut it down the back and peel the hide towards the belly. you will see what I an talking about when you get to that point. cut out the backstrap and cut into steaks and fry. Gar is some good eating. It is easier on bigger gar.


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## shepard24 (Jul 16, 2006)

pretty sweet how-to vid


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## BingoHump (May 15, 2008)

A gar can be intimidating when it comes to cleaning if you have never done it before but is really quite simple with the right tools. What i do is first remove the head with a hand saw or hatchet which ever you prefer. Do the same with the tail. Now you have what looks like a log. I personally use a jig saw and cut right down the center of the back. You can also use tin snips. Now take a sharp knife and start cut the skin away from the flesh from the inside. Skin will fall very easily away from carcass. Do this on both sides then cut the fillets off as normal. Soak in ice water for several hous and meat will be very clean and blood free. Dispite what anyone says,the meat is very good and can be used in variuos ways. Fried gar balls or grilled steaks are hard to beat. The meat is very firm.


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## Alex3 (Mar 29, 2006)

Thanks everyone the video was really helpful


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## gigem87 (May 19, 2006)

How about the buddy in the video, holding that gar's head while the honcho is swinging the axe? Almost gets his hand at the end of that first part!


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## Whistling Dixie (May 24, 2009)

Thanks for the video, I think I'm going to try that out, minus the chopping toward my friends and family.


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## stonedawg (Feb 4, 2007)

is a gar worth the time of cleaning? how do they taste? it couldnt be very good I think but I could be wrong.


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## Tom (Jul 14, 2005)

I was a teenager, which was a couple of years ago, when I cleaned one. The way I was told to clean it was to nail the lower jaw down to something heavy and split it down the back with a boy scout hatchet. Then the skin was pealed off. It was work but not as much as in the video as I remember. After splitting it the skin was pealed off each side. Next it was filleted from the back. I didn’t try to save every bit of flesh off the ribs and belly but it was slower than other fish. As I remember the meat was good and it’s all gone now but I still have the boy scout hatchet head with a new handle in it.


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## Fishin' Soldier (Dec 25, 2007)

It is excellant. I have found friy in flour instead of meal and eat it hot. if it cools too much it gets rubbery. Gar balls are excellant also. (not testicles)


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## poppadawg (Aug 10, 2007)

tried eating it once. I was told it was good eatin-Ha. It was disgusting. Do yourself a favor-catch and release. Remember some people think hardheads are good table fare.


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## RiverRat1962 (Mar 23, 2009)

Fishin' Soldier said:


> It is excellant. I have found friy in flour instead of meal and eat it hot. if it cools too much it gets rubbery. Gar balls are excellant also. (not testicles)


(testicles) LOL. Garfish roe is poisonous.

Garfish is similar to gator meat, Turtle or frog legs. It's not flaky like fish. I wouldn't waste my time with anything but the back straps. Slice them across the grain into little silver dollar size steaks 1/2" thick and soak them in a solution of juice of 1 lemon and a table spoon of apple cider vinegar per 1/2 gal water overnight in the fridge, this will tenderize the meat and tame the wild fishy taste.

Rinse and season with Tony's all purpose Cajun and lemon pepper and cover with buttermilk and marinade for few hrs in the fridge before frying like any other fish. (buttermilk works like egg wash but tastes better)

Like FS said, The gar balls are good eatin' but you have to know how to prepare them. Cajun style is similar to boudain (grind the meat and mix in green onion, garlic and Cajun spices and mix with your hush puppy mix and fry like hush puppies. Not too bad with cold beer!


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