As mentioned on the Zoom call I'm busy with a bathroom reno and need to get stuff done before company. Weather was too good to pass up, so I headed out early Sunday for a couple hours before coming home and getting back at it. A little slow to start with lots of shakers, but then I got a decent spring and, made a stop on my way home, for my one "wild" coho that we are currently allowed and picked up this beauty coho 5 mins after putting the gear down (love it when a plan works !!) ...................... boat back in drive way by 9:30 ! Guess whats for dinner tonight ??
Cheers:
Todd
Nice little bit of mornings work! - john
GREAT looking Salmon Todd!!!
One big question...
Why do you "Steak cut" the salmon vs. "Filet -cut"???
Inquiring minds want to know,
TANKS,
Wayne
I'd like to read your thought to, as I scale and gut my salmon.
The Man
Well .............. my wife likes steaks .......... I like both ....................... so usually what I do is cut the fish in "half" around the dorsal fin, fillet the front "half", then I cut steaks from the middle, where they are nice and meaty (small belly flaps) and then I fillet the tail tips for later use in smoking (candy). I do not scale my salmon unless its for canning as we don't eat the skin. The steaks cook up great on a cedar plank and the bones and skin are easy to remove once cooked. My biggest tip for good salmon is not to rinse the meat with fresh water. I gut my fish, rinse the cavity and the blood and slime from the exterior and pat dry, the fish is processed on news paper to keep dry (skin on the paper, the fillets and steaks are never rinsed again, only patted clean with paper towel if need be. Hammering them with fresh water takes away from the flavour. No doubt this is more work but I have a sink and great working area in the garage (by the beer fridge). If you properly bleed the fish and keep cool , blood and slime should not be a big issue, I also make sure the fish is chilled and has a chance to firm up before processing. ............................. my thoughts. I never liked salmon that much but now I love it.
Cheers:
Todd
Quote from: Hardy Boy on July 27, 2020, 04:19:35 PM
Well .............. my wife likes steaks ..........
Cheers:
Todd
Enough said!!!
Wayne
I've always thought rinsing fish with fresh water was bad idea until right before it's prepared. Pat dry and store. If the fish is all bloody and messy you're doing something wrong to begin with
Quote from: Swami805 on July 27, 2020, 04:55:11 PM
I've always thought rinsing fish with fresh water was bad idea until right before it's prepared. Pat dry and store. If the fish is all bloody and messy you're doing something wrong to begin with
So true ! My thoughts exactly !! I found that letting the fish firm up on ice or in the fridge before cutting also make s a huge difference. No soft bloody wiggly meat to mess with while filleting or cutting. Salmon I gut and clean cavity and put in fridge over night; Ground fish I put in a cooler with shaved "salt" ice over night and then I process. I worked with commercial fishermen that would leave their "dinner" fish for hours on the deck (not sunny and hot her in BC) before cutting it up.
Cheers:
Todd
Thanks for sharing your picture and information. Filet has eye appeal butt steaks have more flavor for my 2 cents worth. Every one should try salmon both ways. If the fish is fresh and scaled and bbq,d the skin when kinda burnt is tasty and maybe better for you than a pork rind.
I've got a friend who only cuts salmon steaks. And another who cooks halibut with the skin on.🤦♀️
Todd, good work. I like planked salmon also. I also put a drizzle of Canadian maple syrup on the top. Dominick
Cooking fish with some of the bone and connective tissue has always in my opinion tasted better than straight fillets, it absolutely adds a ton of flavor. Less convenient than boneless but no big deal at all to pull off the bones.
I always find you get more meat this way too- less of it let behind on the spine and fin sections that would normally go to waste.
Agreed, more meat by not filleting(or boning). Could be my imagination, but fish seem to taste better cooked with the skin on.
Todd, do you go after that cheek meat?
I cut out Ling and Butt cheeks (used to cut YE cheeks when they were open). If I cook a whole salmon I eat the cheeks ........................ I leave the eyeballs for others though ! ;D
Cheers:
Todd
I never thought about not scaling the fish. We don't eat the skin either but I guess I figured the scales would fall off in the cooking process and make a mess. NOT scaling will make my life much easier.
The Man
De-scaling my salmon is a must. The snotty slime under the scales can then be rinsed away. Freezing salmon with scales and slime can contribute to it tasting very fishy. Also any scales that come loose when brining for smoker, will stick to the meat like super glue and give it a fishy taste. Leaving skin on can prevent freezer burn, but then what about the side that has no skin ?? If freezer burn is an issue, then use better and thicker vacuum seal bags. My fish doesn't stay frozen long enough to get freezer burnt, but I am using 5mil vacuum bags. I do freeze my salmon with skin on, but halibut is de-skinned prior to freezing.
Btw Todd, I would've had to release both those salmon here in Washington, because they are wild fish. You are on easy Street !!
I would never argue with Ted as a guy has to do what works for him. I usually make smoked candy so its been skinned and scales/ slime are not an issue but as far as freezing I've never had a complaint about my salmon being fishy. ...................... but as stated I'm super anal about keeping the fish dry and clean so no slime or scales gets on the flesh................... I've seen lots of horror shows at the cleaning table with everything and everybody covered in slime and guts ! ::) Do what works for you and enjoy.
Ted: yes we can keep non-marked chinook and coho. Regs change for coho in early August. I won't complain about our opportunities as it could be worse .................... but its a far cry from the good old days.
Ahhh yes, I recall the "good old days" when I could go to Ucuelet and hop on a barf boat to go grab 4 big kings, then pay $65 to go out for afternoon trip to get my 2 halibut, all in the same day !!
I do cut the skin off my salmon for smoking, the same as you do, and water never touches my salmon exactly as you described
How do he sushi places make salmon skin taste so good? Like seafood bacon.
-steve
I'm with Steve on that one! - john
Quote from: oc1 on July 28, 2020, 10:57:28 PM
How do....sushi places make salmon skin taste so good? Like seafood bacon...
Scaled and a certain amount of fat
(the grey stuff) left attached to the skin then 'toasted' on the grill.
Being asian by birth, I can tell most of Asia steak cuts most fish and descales them.
I just peel the skin off and then steak cut them.
Nice fish Todd, & thanks for all the info, one small tip for you though, you are aloud to smile when you catch good fish, keep well, stay safe, cheers Don.
Ha! Yeah Todd. You aren't really frowning in that picture, but I like your avatar better.
I used to bleed and gut mine on the water if possible, then fillet 'em at home. Then I married an Asian woman: "Oh-oh!, you are gonna to wasting too much fish, let me having them!" She scaled 'em, then cooked 'em whole, spiced with stuff I never tried before. Marriage is great sometimes.