Meet the BBQ superfan who says his new favourite dish is....an entire alligator.

Erik Svendsen, 42, has started showcasing his cooking skills on his TikTok, where he ordinarily cooks beef, pork and fish.

But he recently turned his hand to cooking alligator - which he calls "the turkey of the swamp" - which costs up to $300 a piece."

The automotive supplies shop owner from Provo, Utah, US, leaves the head and feet on "for presentation", propping open the jaws with a wood block while it's on the grill."

His most recent barbequed alligator cost $200.

It takes about three and a half hours in total. Erik cooks the alligator at 225° for two hours, and then Erik turns it up to 350° for an hour and a half.

Erik said: "I did a lot of turkey and ham content, so I wanted to test myself and make it for Thanksgiving. "

"When I cooked an alligator for the first time, I did it so well, and it tasted so good."

"The brine is the most crucial part. The flavour makes it better for people to eat it. I highly recommend getting your alligator from either Louisiana or Florida. "

"All the times I have done it, I have kept it with Cajun spices, and then I put salt in for the brine and lemon. I love Swamp Boys BBQ sauce, which is apple-flavoured; I think it was made for alligators."

"Everybody that eats it loves it if it's adequately prepared. Some people say it can taste fishy, but mine is a BBQ chicken that tastes like a pork tenderloin."

"I had a bowl of alligator meat, shredded chicken, and chopped chicken, and I didn't tell anyone what bowl was each. I had 20 neighbours, and they all loved the alligator."

Erik did some research on how to cook alligators and watched plenty of tutorials.

The only parts of the alligator you can eat are the tail tenderloins and the meat alongside the back and neck, he says.

And a medium-sized alligator weighs between 10 and 14lbs.

Erik said: "It's fun to create new flavors for different dishes. "

"Social media, for me, is that I'm not trying to be famous; I want to look back on my journey on all of my BBQs."

"I see people try new things, which makes me Google the dish and ingredients before I go and make it."

"The best part of this is that people comment and engage in my work, which makes it fun when you are learning so much."