Content creator shocks social media by turning invasive iguana and its eggs into tacos
A Florida content creator has gone viral for making iguana tacos out of a cold-stunned reptile.
Gray Davis, 23, of Fort Lauderdale, recently posted a video of himself capturing and cooking an iguana that was immobilized during Florida's recent frigid temperatures.
"Whenever we have these cold fronts, and [the iguanas] start falling down, a lot of people will go out and collect them to help control the number in the population," Davis said.
"But they do have the nickname 'chicken of the trees' because they're absolutely delicious. So rather than let this one go to waste — we're going to make tacos," he says on camera.
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In the video, which has racked up more than 20 million page views and gotten over 8,000 comments, Davis takes viewers through the process of cooking the iguana meat.
Davis prepared the iguana meat in a cast-iron pot on the stove with onions, garlic, salt and bay leaves — and lets it all simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.
"It's a good thing I managed to remove this one when I did because inside, I found over 20 eggs," Davis revealed.
"So, by removing this one iguana [from the outdoors], we've actually saved the environment from over 20 iguanas come spring. And you guys know that I like to waste as little as possible," he added. "So, in addition to making the tacos, I'm also going to try to preserve the skin."
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Davis used the eggs to create a dipping sauce for the tacos. He added the eggs to the water to soft-boil them, and then mixed them in a blender with avocado, garlic cloves, olive oil, salt and lime juice.
The result? A green dipping sauce topped with black pepper and lime.
Next, he removed the meat from the bone, added some seasonings and crisped it on a frying pan.
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Finally, he added the meat to some crispy tortillas, topped it with pickled red onions, jalapeño and cilantro, "and then drizzled on our sauce."
Reaction was mixed on social media, with some praising the cooking technique, and others seemingly turned off by making the eggs part of the meal.
"So kind of you to unite the mom and kids in one plate," one person wrote.
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"Why am I OK with the meat but not the eggs," another individual wrote.
"About to go outside and collect some protein," one inspired commenter said.
"Not the iguana eggs!" another person remarked.
Florida law allows residents to humanely kill the invasive iguanas, which harm the state's native ecosystem.
Davis told Fox News Digital he's "made many recipes over the years" using iguana meat.
"My whole account is focused on local eating and sustainability as well as getting outdoors," he said.
"I have many recipes with invasive species, including iguana, python, lionfish and more."
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The video concludes as he's shown taking a first bite of the tacos.
"Now that right there is a Florida man taco," he said. "If you can't beat them, eat them."