2.jpg){kind=small}
Phil, Jase, Si and Willie Robertson
Armadillo Cuisine
Armadillos are an overlooked food animal, not protected by law, available throughout the year, and good tasting. And they have been expanding their range, with some found as far north as northern Missouri and Oregon. There’s an armadillo near you.
The nine-banded armadillo mates as early as July and as late as December and gives birth during the months of March and April, when not stressed or when climate conditions are at there best. They give birth to four identical young, quadruplets of the same sex. Full size they weight 8 to 17 pounds. Armadillos are prolific and there is an estimated 50 million of them in the United States. Fire up the barbie! The Nine-banded Armadillo is also the most numerous armadillo. They’re known by a variety of local names. Armado in Guatemala and Panama. Cachicamo in Venezuela, Carachupa in Peru, Cusuco in Costa Rica, Kapasi in Suriname, in Argentina, and Tatu Galinha in Brazil.
What their scientific name, Dasypus novemcinctus ( DAS-ih-puhs noh-VEM-sink-tuhs) means is a bit of a nonsensical dispute. Dasypus novemcinctus literally means “hairy foot nine girdle.” That’s the interpretation if one thinks “Dasypus” is two Greek words put together meaning hairy foot. Dasis does mean hairy or bushy. Pous is a common term for foot. The other view is that it came from an Ancient Greek word for rabbit “dasypodis.” I suspect both are right, that dasypodis meant rabbit and also hairy foot. More to the point, the Aztecs called the the armadillo Azotochtli, or “turtle rabbit.” so when it was being named by Carl Linnaeus there was an effort to keep “rabbit” in the reference. More so, without their shell the armadillo resembles a rabbit but tastes more like fine-grained, high-quality pork.
The US population of armadillos had its start in two places. First it moved into Texas from Mexico and about a century later crossed the Mississippi. At the same time, armadillos became roadside attractions in Florida. Their unintentional liberation started a Florida group. Around the 1970s the separate populations met and merged in the Florida panhandle. Generally said armadillos are most abundant within 100 miles of the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico but are found throughout the South north to Nebraska and Missouri.
Willie's Famous Armadillo Eggs
Makes 6 to 16 servings Outdoor grill (optional)
Willie's Armadillo Eggs - Ready To Serve - Original recipe
Willie's Armadillo Eggs Without Jalapenos
Willie's And His Family Are All Smiles
After Feasting On His Armadillo Eggs
Makes 6 to 16 servings Outdoor grill (optional)
INGREDIENTS
- 6 to 8 large jalapeno peppers, cut in half lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
- 2 pounds of breakfast sausage, formed into 12 to 16 patties
- 1 pound bacon, sliced thin
- 1 stick (1/4 pound) butter, melted
DIRECTIONS
If you're using a grill, heat it to medium. If not, heat the oven to 400°F. Fill each jalapeno half with cream cheese. Mold sausage around each jalapeno half, making sure to cover the entire jalapeno. Wrap each "armadillo egg" with a slice of bacon. Cook the eggs on an open grill until the sausage is cooked through and the bacon is crispy. If you don't have an outdoor grill, bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, then broil until the bacon is crispy. Remove the eggs from the grill or oven and cover with melted butter.Enjoy