In this video, Sonny and Oro Padron embark on a unique culinary adventure in the countryside of Guayama, Puerto Rico. They meet with local farmer Hector and dive into the world of exotic cuisine as they hunt and cook giant lizards, also known as iguanas. The menu includes Pigeon Poppers, Fried Iguana with Tostones, Grilled Iguana Tail, and Iguanitas. Throughout their journey, they also learn about the serious problem that iguanas pose to the ecosystem in Puerto Rico and the efforts being made to control their population. From the exhilarating hunt to the sizzling grill, this video offers a one-of-a-kind culinary experience that is both thrilling and informative. So, join Sonny and Oro as they venture deep into the heart of Puerto Rico to discover the bizarre and fascinating world of exotic food.
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In this video I got it right here if Oro and I want dinner we’ll have to hunt it down for ourselves okay that’s not tiny right in the head no scope I did use a scope but first let’s back up so far on our incredible Island food
Tour we’ve taken on Puerto Rican street food bro and Countryside cooking it looks crispy it looks juicy let’s try some skin please m oh my God it’s like meat candy this time we’re getting a taste of the Exotic as we head even deeper into Puerto Rico’s Countryside this is a place where
Iguanas run wild tormenting Farmers they eat the Le plant and digging up the land when the car passing the the ground on you walking you can broken your leg they destroy everything luckily our friend Raphael has the tools needed to take them down I got it them up this is something I’m dying
To try out we have some big iguana Tails I’m just going to take a bite but before that breakfast Rafael how are you doing today sir nice where are we right now Guama gu Guama with its population of 50,000 is a city known for its expansive Landscapes and sprawling Farms much like
The one we’re exploring today I want to ask about the type of bird that we are eating this is Dove Morning do morning dove this appetizing creation involes balls a jalapeno stuffed with cream cheese snugly wrapped around a whole Dove’s breast all encased with a swirling strip of bacon where did you
Get these morning doves shooting in the air with the chunk gun but what is the difference between a morning dove and a pigeon the pigeons is more like a rat they carry a lot of disease so well yeah they’re eating McDonald’s and wait I eat McDonald’s these Dove poppers hit the
Grill ensuring they’re cooked to Perfection and ready to enjoy smells amazing could you try with us I just want to make sure they’re not poisoned you first M that’s really good so Smoky this is one of the best jalapeno pows I’ve ever had just a hint of cream cheese just
Enough to bind it all together and then that little breast it’s just a nice little lean morsel of meat to make it more hearty unlike the chicken with the dove the chest is like a dark meat oh my God I’m in love that’s so good it’s really interesting because I
Would never think about making this as a breakfast but is a really good breakfast you will never look at pigeons the same way no every time you look at a pigeon your mouth is is going to start watering let’s talk about the bigger picture and why we are here Today for you rapael what is your job for now helping the farmers with the problem of the of theana Raphael was a police officer for 18 years then he made a significant career shift becoming a full-time Hunter of iguanas or as they’re known here iguan how many are
You hunting in a week about 500 iguana a little more 500 that’s a lot of the Green Iguana originally from Central and South America was introduced to Puerto Rico in the 1970s by way of the pet trade what started as a few iguanas innocently released into the wild has
Escalated into a full-blown pest control issue destroying infrastructure by collapsing roads and even air strips and seriously affecting the ecosystem on the island there is so much Iana that even the governments are paying for terminating them because it’s destroying all the plantations but also they’re eating smaller animals there are
Believed to be over 10 million iguanas on this island and the population is expected to double every year since they can lay up to 70 eggs twice annually the worst part they have no Predator here I just want people to understand that this isn’t just a hobby this is a serious
Problem and it’s a problem that must be taken care of and that’s why you Oro are going to help shoot an iguana today but we know why we have to hunt the iguanas but I just realized I don’t know how to hunt the iguanas okay you got B air rifle in 25 caliber
Ah so we’re shooting air no gunpowder it’s all powered by air and then so the projectile is what pet pet made out of Le oh okay you don’t want one of those in your eyes that’s for sure that’s enough to take down an iguana you only need one in the eye you
Have to shoot it in the eye or only head shot head shot he speak my language once we’ve shot it we don’t know if it’s dead how do we hand it shut again in the in the center of the head oh jeez that’s vicious you got to make sure it’s out or
Else it’ll bite you what do you mean bite me they have teeth and they can’t hit you with the tail that seems a little bit less bad actually than the Biting iguanas have a lifespan of up to 20 years and they can grow up to 6 ft in length weighing as much as 20 lb they have excellent vision and they’re excellent climbing and swimming abilities so one make this island their playground to conquer yeah yeah oh yeah I hit it the Iguana
Presence here has led to millions of dollars in Damages annually terminating them is one approach yet others continue to look for more effective Solutions so Raphael he got one it looked big it fell from the tree and then he couldn’t find it so at this point we’re going to call
Off the search we’re going to shoot some more we’re going to find some more let’s keep trucking with our hunting training complete it’s time for Oro and me to go off on our own soon we’ll see who who can bag the biggest one you got it right here here we [Applause] go I
Missed one more you want to going down I see it he tiny Damn oh you missed Totally I got him where are you friend oh there you are now the classic test to tell out whether it’s alive or not give it a little nudge with your foot nudge proof okay that’s not tiny I think that’s pretty impressive right in the
Head no scope I did use a scope now that I’ve got my iguana let’s check in on oro’s progress I see my eyes I got it really yeah but it’s still there Oro thinks he shot it maybe he wounded it okay sorry try aiming first Miss again no I hate it according
To Oro he’s shot it twice and it’s just sitting there maybe he didn’t shoot it at all what the okay let me try yours let me try yours okay fine Oro at this point he blaming on the gun I’ve given him my rifle let’s see what he’s got do
You see it’s not that last last one last one okay wow no still I mean like if Oro had a machine gun he still been get it maybe a different angle oh Focus Okay oh yeah oh my God you finally got it man it only took 20 sh it’s anything left I feel like we’re going to get lead poisoning now for I don’t think you can eat you know what let’s see it after we pick it up and you will see how many
Dots oh maybe I didn’t actually shoot it now that I see it only have two holes it has to be bigger than Sonny because it was really hard to knock it down all right let me go show this to son gentlemen mhm you ready to whip them
Out yeah don’t look I’ll be right back I’m coming keep your eyes closed all right guys ready open your eyes whoosh take a look at this nice nice color man thank you you bought that in the store man I shot it from a tree I see beautiful shot through the
Eye yeah oh go get yours actually it may be pretty close look oh oh it’s cute may not but like it’s well actually when you put it side yeah right I can use it for my my keychain it’s good man you fill this thing with lead they want to fall
Down by the weight of the plet at the end I got the job down so yeah it’s good let’s see yours you got one too yeah okay holy moly damn okay you win we were talking about Iana he got a dinosaur what part are we eating off of here the
Tail and the leg because in the r don’t have me no rib meat but plenty in the tail plenty in the leg okay just put it down okay so listen this is just the beginning I say we keep going and then after that we’re going to cook these up let’s keep
Moving we got it yeah baby yep and only a couple of hours we have amassed a Fortune of nine iguanas some of them are huge yeah these get really big I’m curious how many years does it take to get this size about 5 years that’s wild how you didn’t find it in 5
Years yeah they move around the Farms well guess what guys we found something to eat well I hope it tastes good you go to cleaning now what do you mean cleaning actually I don’t know what’s about to happen I need to help this guy like that oh take this and cook here oh
Man and I haven’t done it even with a chicken you go to practice okay uh yeah like that damn you have your souven for key change okay so we’re done right no three more the tail and the head all right two more one more all right the tail here is not have much
Meat you throw away all that thing yes and cut the head it won’t Splash uh sometime what you mean sometime I need some insurance like yeah you cut it cut it Splash yeah like there oh okay iguanas have a very thick skin that’s not edible according to Raphael the guts
Are also not so prized right now he’s after the meat found on the thighs body and best of all the tail we’ll be trying that soon Che oh is that what we’re doing all right Salud but before that an iguana appetizer first he Seasons it with adobo crola kazon a classic
Caribbean seasoning blend of herbs and spices add black pepper another spice blend known as saon Goya then mix it about before sending it to a pan of hot oil cook until it turns golden brown or and Chow Down Feast your eyes on this amazing have you ever tried iguana I
Have never ever been interested into trying it that’s why I haven’t tried how about now well I have no choice no really so I’ve eaten monitor lizard in Vietnam I’ve had iguana in Australia there they called Guana this might be my first time having a green iguana yeah
Greenish my chis chicken chicken chicken it’s not 100% chicken there’s like a fishy taste to it aen aen if you didn’t know that easy one you can eat it like a chicken I completely disagree really if I didn’t know this was iguana I would say why does my chicken taste a little
Bit like fish I think this is something that you will eat drunk yeah but that’s a big list that you’re talking about I’m curious are there restaurants around Puerto Rico where you can get this no nobody do Nobody Does It meanwhile you have this huge population of iguanas and
No one’s taking advantage of it excellent who’s buying it we on us really they sell about3 $32 the pound that’s pretty good right more than chicken Oro this is a little bit more of a bare bones preparation but our man here is about to Shep it up even more
Cuz we have two more dishes coming our way I thought we were done we’re not done listen we’re never done happen would you imagin the finally it’s time for Raphael to elevate the Iguana meat to its culinary Peak focusing on the prized tail meat he begins by generously seasoning with oregano saone seasoning
Garlic powder powder and a pinch of salt after thoroughly mixing these flavors he precisely places each tail on the Grill as they cook he diligently flips the Tails basting them in barbecue sauce to infuse some Smoky sweet flavor gentlemen this looks like something that’s for sure joining us for this meal Raphael’s hunting partner Gio when I look at this first I see the tail and I’m like that
Makes sense Grill the whole tail everything’s there it looks juicy barbecued fantastic then there’s pancakes we’re calling uos means like little uana first take some boiled and shredded iguana meat and season it well with pepper garlic powder and a dash of saone for that extra cake in a separate
Bowl combine allpurpose flour more saone a Sprinkle of pepper a hint of oregano and a bit of water stir this mixture until it’s just right then gently fold in the seasoned meat now it’s time for a little island magic fry those pieces until they’re crispy and Gold mhm mhm it’s a good pancake it’s well seasoned it’s a very Savory pancake I don’t want people to get confused cuz they might see this and think oh I should put strawberries and whipped cream on there m but it still feels like it’s a pancake of chicken with fish roughly speaking
Yes actually I like it more than the Bare Bones version of it this seems like it’ be an excellent street food this is not bad at all this is something that I would get back to rapael I’m deadly curious about how you got into this line
Of work in the beginning how did you make money from it taking the people for shooting Iana like tourists the tourist what kind of weird oh wait that’s both of us don’t include me that you brought me here okay fair this is something I’m dying to try
Out big iguana tals please or pick your choice I’m fool already make some space buddy very barbecue take a bite cheers oh is that what we’re doing all right salute M that’s good that’s legit it’s better than even the other version sorry man has to go this is probably the best
One so far it’s actually Smoky from being on that charcoal the sweet barbecue pairs excellently with it and mine’s pretty moist I mean it’s not juicy like pork but it’s certainly more moist than a chicken breast and this one not so fishy more chickeny way more
Chickeny why is this not more popular in Puerto Rico I could totally see a vendor with a bunch of iguana tails on a table it’s very unique and here’s the thing something like 90% of the food eaten here is imported anyways meanwhile you guys have loads of iguanas too many why
Is this not a mainstream product yet they see like a Iana like roaches but they eat fruit and stuff I just feel like this is a marketing and branding issue and maybe there’s some small way I can help maybe I can make a promotional video telling people here in Puerto Rico
To eat iguana let’s run it now craving something wildly different how about iguana meat packed with protein and low in fat it’s perfect for spicing up your tacos tossing into burritos or simmering in curries remember to wash your hands and the Iguana thoroughly to dodge that pesky
Salmon Nilla iguana it’s the other other white Meat I think that could work so right now is it illegal for people to sell it at their food shop it’s illegal oh see that flame so that’s one of the big issues that’s a big obstacle when I was in Australia on the island of Tasmania
There was a man who went around hunting shooting WABE deer possums and all that meat got sold the fur was used to make boots the meat was sold and processed and made into different ingredients and there was high demand for everything and I think that could happen Here if you love Indian food then you’re going to love our new channel best ever food India subscribe now for weekly videos showcasing the most unique street food from around the country I’ve had monitor lizard in Vietnam I’ve had monitor yeah like do you have to monitor before you you have
To keep an eye on it so when you were a young man I mean you’re pretty young now but when you were really young thank you thank you you’re welcome you got it a lot I thought you were missing the whole time maybe it was just strong or maybe
It was just stuck man I think it was like a energy connection because I was like hitting and he still standing and so what is the connection again like emotional oh I think you need to connect your finger to the trigger more effectively all right I’m coming keep your eyes
Closed your eyes are not closed at all ah okay sorry how do you even get a driver’s license so our PE talks good pets yes yes sorry why why morning no afternoon yeah why is it not a late afternoon Dove or an evening Dove because they they make um the sound in the
Morning don’t do the sound too much they might come here really good Oro have you ever eaten iguana I don’t see any uana and be like hey dinner no dinner no lunch no breakfast no it tastes like it has tomato did you put tomato on it no
Of course not but it smells like tomato it does not oh it does it does a little bit sweet wait hold on no okay boom guys I want to say a huge thank you to Raphael for having us out here today you can actually book with him his Facebook
Is in the link in the description down below go hunt iguanas with Raphael next time you come to Puerto Rico after you’re done getting wasted and eating food this is our third video here in Puerto Rico we’re having a great time and I want to say a huge thank you to my
Man oo thank you what you think of the fried one okay what pretty good you can find Oro right here on his Instagram follow his fun adventures in life and in technology otherwise guys that is it for this one thank you so much for watching I will see you next time
Peace I want to start a street food cart that has those iguana pancakes but I only tell you afterwards that it was iguana and before I pretend it was like chicken or dolphin or something oh yeah that’s too far I’m noing to all right
Video “Bizarre Food in Puerto Rico!! Giant Lizard Hunt and Cook!” was uploaded on 01/21/2024. Watch all the latest Videos by Best Ever Food Review Show on Gretopia