We never intended to eat this rattlesnake.  In fact, we never intended to kill it.  We were all afraid of the Western Diamondback who had made himself at home on a rock just outside our summer cabin in Idaho.  

Not only did this deadly rattler block safe access to our fishing hole year after year, he terrorized me with the thought of a child getting bit on our remote piece of land hours from the nearest hospital.

Inevitably, that old snake ventured too close to the trail one August day.  He met his match with my husband (the Mountain Man) and our friend Bill, a snake-savvy Southerner who knows what to do when a rattler crosses his path.

Once the 4-foot long snake was dead, we felt twinges of guilt.  We don't kill animals just for fun.  And though we could make a case for self-defense, this rattler was more of a psychological threat than a physical one.  So I decided to honor this old snake by turning him into a tasty appetizer. 

The snake wriggled for hours after its venomous head had been discarded, providing snake handling opportunities for the herpetophobic amongst us.    Bill, our snake specialist, is also an infectious disease specialist.  He reminded us that snakes are coated with Salmonella slime, so we first gave it a nice, long soak in a salt water brine.  We skinned it (just like a fish), and inspected the meat. A four foot snake has a lot of meat clinging to his bony skeleton.  

How to cook a rattlesnake?  I searched the web...sites that focus on the hunting and cooking of varmint are numerous but not at all appetizing.  I learned that rattlesnake meat sells for $32.99 per pound.  I sent a query to Food52.com's Hotline.  One of my favorite frequent hotliners advised cooking it up like a gater.  Huh?

I went with my instinct.  Game meat needs a good soak to tenderize the meat.  This old man of a snake--at least 11 years old by the rings in his rattle--would need to be plied with buttermilk for a few days to bring out its flavors, whatever those were.  In honor of our snake, we were game to find out.  

I simmered up a batch of  Homemade Teriyaki Sauce, which would make you devour just about any grilled meat or fish.  Fresh ginger gives this teriyaki a nice bite, and a good, drinkable sake gives it depth.  

Once glazed and grilled, the rattlesnake meat was shredded and tucked into crisp lettuce cups, and dipped in a simple Vietnamese sauce--chilies and fish sauce being the perfect complement to the gamey meat.

How does rattlesnake taste?  Not like chicken.  More like squid.  The meat is chewy and flavorful, just what you would expect from an animal who has toughed it out for 11 years on a rocky ledge in a remote canyon.  It tastes like survival.

Which didn't prevent us from eating every last bit.  Personally, I think that anything glazed in Homemade Teriyaki Sauce, wrapped in lettuce, and dunked in a spicy Vietnamese Dipping Sauce will be readily devoured by hungry guests.

A jar of homemade teriyaki sauce keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 year.  Sake gives the sauce its punch; use a brand good enough for sipping.  This recipe is based on a dish served at Forage and Lounge in Driggs, Idaho.  They toss their teriyaki sauce with noodles, coconut oil, ginger, garlic and scallions. Yum.

This simple dipping sauce, from Nancie McDermott's Quick and Easy Vietnamese, is great for dumplings and spring rolls, or anything you want to tuck into a lettuce cup and eat with your hands.