Passport to Texas

Alligator Ancho Relleno, image from El Chile Café y Cantina

Hunt/Cook: Alligator Pablano Rellenos Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Hunting alligator in Texas is an adrenaline pumping experience, but cooking it shouldn’t be. Chef Jeff Martinez, chef at El Chile Café y Cantina in Austin, whips up a Mexican inspired treat with alligator meat.

57—So, what I’ve done is I’ve taken the meat and I’ve ground it up in my food processor. And so what we’re going to do with this today is we’re going to make an alligator ancho chile relleno. I’ve got a hot pan here; we’re going to start by adding extra virgin olive oil in the bottom. We’re going to add our white onion which has been diced up. We’re going to add our garlic. Oh, I can smell it already; it’s already starting to smell good. Okay, so after that, we’re going to add our tomato. Now, we’re going to go ahead and add our alligator meat. It’s pretty much going to look the same as cooked chicken. And it doesn’t take very long. And that’s just about it. So, we’re going to add a little bit more flavor to this dish by throwing in some sliced green olives; and then we’re going to add some of these raisins, and we’re going to finish it off with slivered almonds that have been toasted. You see everything in there and it looks great. There’s a lot of color in there – a lot of color also means a lot of flavor. And then we’re going to finish it off with some fresh chopped parsley that’s going to add some freshness to the dish. And then to finish it off, we’re going to salt – just to taste. And we are ready to stuff some chiles.

See Chef Martinez in action, and find the complete recipe on the TPW YouTube Channel.

That’s our show for today. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

American Alligator, photo TPWD

TPW TV/Hunting: Alligators Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

It’s a hot muggy afternoon in an east Texas marsh, and it’s time to hunt for alligators. We tag along with some lucky hunters that get a chance of a lifetime to hunt alligators at J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area.

54—The area that we’re hunting in, it’s a vast bayou of swamps and marshes, with canals running through. The adrenaline rush is way more than deer hunting or anything else because you’re after something that can actually get you.

Alligator hunting – it’s just not like anything else I’ve ever done. You know, there’s one on the line and you start pulling me in. I don’t know. You get anxious, you get excited. You get nervous.

But did they get their gator? Find out on the Texas Parks and Wildlife TV series the week of February 23. Check local listings.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration program supports our series… For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Battleship Texas in need of repairs

History: Battleship Texas Needs a Makeover Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

At 100 years old, Battleship TEXAS, moored in a slip at San Jacinto SP & HS in LaPorte, has seen better days.

06— TEXAS, being permanently moored at San Jacinto, we don’t have the capability of taking it to a dry dock.

The ship—now a museum—experienced one dry dock cycle since its 1948 arrival at San Jacinto. Andy Smith, who oversees the care of the ship, says years spent submerged in brackish water, resting atop mud, damaged the craft.

22— They weren’t able to patch all the leaks, and she slowly filled with water. Some of the internal structures are severely deteriorated, and that’s some of the work we’re doing right now: trying to repair those internal structures – but also her exterior. The shell plating – the hull – has so many leaks. And that keeps water coming in; water coming in creates more problems with deterioration on the inside. And it goes on and on.

Despite challenges involved in keeping this antique dreadnought repaired, the benefits of doing so are many.

14—It’s a nice bookend between the monument that commemorates the battle of San Jacinto and the battleship that commemorates both WWI and WWII. You have a broad scope of both world history, US history, and Texas history.

Next month we celebrate the centennial of this venerated vessel with a Texas Uprising.

09—The public family festival that we’re going to have on March 15 is going to be a party the likes of which we probably haven’t seen before.

Proceeds from the event will fund repair work on the Battleship… festival details tomorrow.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Historic image of Battleship Texas

History: Battleship Texas Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Moored in a slip at San Jacinto Battleground and State Historic site, Battleship TEXAS is impressive. Yet, looks alone don’t tell the whole story of this 100 year old military dreadnought.

05— When it was commissioned in 1914, it was the most powerful weapon on the face of the planet.

Andy Smith oversees the care of the ship, which boasts many firsts.

26—It was the first US Battleship to launch an airplane; the first US Battleship to get RADAR; the first to get anti-aircraft guns. It’s just amazing the amount of technological advances that occurred. When this ship first launched, they used kite balloons; so, basically [it was] a big old blimp that they strung from the end of the ship – and they used that to observe. By the time she was ready for decommissioning they were starting to use remote control
airplanes.

The ship saw action in both world wars, and earned the nickname “Lucky T”. During its more than 30 years of service, it was struck only twice by enemy fire; Helmsman, Chris Christiansen, was the sole casualty.

03—So it’s a pretty lucky ship when you think about it.

It was lucky in more ways than one. After WWII the US Military had a surplus of “machines of war.” The Navy offered namesake ships to their respective states and they scraped the rest.

18— Texans –being Texans – were the only ones that wanted their namesake ship; so, Texans raised the money to bring the Texas to San Jacinto Battleground. And it was decommissioned as a US Navy ship, and re-commissioned as the flagship of the Texas Navy at San Jacinto Battleground on April 21, 1948.

Where, today, it is a museum open to visitors.

That’s our show for today .. Funding provided in part by Ram Trucks. Guts. Glory. Ram for Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.

How to filet a fish.

Fishing: Freshwater Feast Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Some anglers like to reel in largemouth bass for the photo-op—or to donate them to the sharelunker program—and release them back into the lake. Then there are anglers who prefer to eat what they catch.

06— There are a couple that really fit into that category, and that would be catfish and hybrid striped bass.

Larry Hodge, with the TFFC in Athens, compiled a 2014 freshwater fishing forecast for the digital fishing issue of TPW magazine.

38— Cat fishing is available almost everywhere in Texas, because these fish are very adaptable, and can live in almost any water body large or small. Lake Wright Patman over in far NE Texas is good for cat fishing, so is Lake Fork, so is Lake Tawakoni. And Tawakoni is really a great lake to fish if you like to eat fish, because it has not only catfish, but also hybrid stripers. And those are a mix between stripe bass and white bass; and they’re really good fighters and really good on the plate as well.

Find Larry Hodge’s complete freshwater fishing forecast for 2014 in the digital fishing issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.

Also in that issue find tips on freezing and cooking your catch.

The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program supports our series…For Texas Parks and Wildlife I’m Cecilia Nasti.