Reno Salmon

[Hardy Boy]

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

[Brewcrafter]

Nice little bit of mornings work! - john

[El Pescador]

GREAT looking Salmon Todd!!!

One big question...

Why do you "Steak cut" the salmon vs. "Filet -cut"

Inquiring minds want to know,

TANKS,

Wayne

[Ron Jones]

I'd like to read your thought to, as I scale and gut my salmon.
The Man

[Hardy Boy]

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

[El Pescador]

Well .............. my wife likes steaks ..........
Cheers:
Todd

Enough said!!!

Wayne

[Swami805]

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

[Hardy Boy]

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

[gstours]

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.🤦‍♀️

[Dominick]

Todd, good work.  I like planked salmon also.  I also put a drizzle of Canadian maple syrup on the top.  Dominick

[Lingwendil]

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.

[Gfish]

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?

[Hardy Boy]

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 ! 


Cheers:

Todd

[Ron Jones]

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

[Maxed Out]

 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 !!