salty-dog
Member
I know many people do not eat them, but they are quite good. You have to know how to cook shark, however.
Unlike most other fish, sharks have only a spine and no other bone. This means that the meat is slightly tougher. Because they lack scales and have what can best be described as sandpaper skin, preparing the outside is matter a choice- either peel the skin before cooking and work your butt off doing so, or simply cook it with skin and it peels off easily afterward. The last option offers a lot of waste unless you are a skilled knifesman.
Shark is always best cooked right after the catch, without freezing if possible.
I will assume for the purpose of this that your shark is fresh unfrozen.
Head and gut it as with any other fish. Trim fins if you prefer { I do }.
Now, if you decide you want to peel it first, go ahead. Otherwise.....
Decide how you want the meat laid out- either filleted from stem to stern or in cubes or as steaks. This is mainly dependent upon size. Larger ones should be cubed or steaked.
Once this cut is done, place the meat is appropriate sized covered container with a slight coating of a citric fruit juice such as orange, lemon or lime, your preference. I usually use lemon juice. Cover and let sit in the fridge for a few hours. The citric acid breaks down the meat a little bit.
Optional: Most folks down south use a milk bath for 24 hours before cooking. The meat becomes tender and has a less fishy taste- it a bit more creamy.
Once ready to cook, apply a spice rub. I use real Cajun spice because, well...I'm from Cajun country. And for us, more spicy is more better. Y'all need to adjust to taste and tolerance if this is the way you choose.
I only cook it in a cast iron pan and never use any cooking oil. Again, it's cultural- I use real butter. Heat the butter until it just starts to brown, remove from heat, add spice directly to pan in an even layer. Place meat in pan and cook over medium heat , turning or flipping until the meat starts to break up. It should be nice and flaky.
Cooking time depends on heat range, pan type, and size/cut of meat. You'll find it is slightly longer than any other fish.
If cubed, turn often { every couple minutes on each of the six sides }. If steaked, each side should spend about three minutes on the hot side and it will take about three to four flips to get it cooked well. If slabbed {filleted}, the meat cut is fairly thin so cooking time will be close to that of other fish.
Remember you put your spice in the pan? When serving, the added spice side should be on the plate. It is the first part to touch the tongue and that flavor will last the duration of the meal. Just don't overdo it on any spice. There's no point in covering the meat's natural flavor.
If you prefer to bake it. Slabbing is usually the better way to go. Place meat in foil- enough foil to wrap around the meat twice and completely seal it.
After placing on foil, use a dash of citric juice {again, your choice}. But, be mindful you are sealing the flavors in, so use very little. Lightly coat with melted butter { real butter is better} and shake on a dash of paprika. Wrap it up and place on baking sheet. Bake or broil at 425F for about 30 minutes with a 15 and 25 minute flip.
If you opted not to fight peeling a fresh shark, the skin is cooked, too. Now, there is no fight. Slide one tine of a fork between the skin and meat and gently lift the skin off. You could, I guess, eat it with the skin, but you'll quickly decide against it when you discover it is like chewing soggy sandpaper.
If you are like me and love to heat things up, go online and find yourself a bottle of Dave's Ultimate Insanity. Their website is www.davesgourmet.com This is NOT for anyone with heart or respiratory problems. For most folks, one drop is enough for a 8 pound roast. But, damn, is it every great !!
If Dave's is a bit too much, but you still want to warm it a bit, simply place a pepper of choice in the foil wrap before cooking. You'll be glad you did.
Unlike most other fish, sharks have only a spine and no other bone. This means that the meat is slightly tougher. Because they lack scales and have what can best be described as sandpaper skin, preparing the outside is matter a choice- either peel the skin before cooking and work your butt off doing so, or simply cook it with skin and it peels off easily afterward. The last option offers a lot of waste unless you are a skilled knifesman.
Shark is always best cooked right after the catch, without freezing if possible.
I will assume for the purpose of this that your shark is fresh unfrozen.
Head and gut it as with any other fish. Trim fins if you prefer { I do }.
Now, if you decide you want to peel it first, go ahead. Otherwise.....
Decide how you want the meat laid out- either filleted from stem to stern or in cubes or as steaks. This is mainly dependent upon size. Larger ones should be cubed or steaked.
Once this cut is done, place the meat is appropriate sized covered container with a slight coating of a citric fruit juice such as orange, lemon or lime, your preference. I usually use lemon juice. Cover and let sit in the fridge for a few hours. The citric acid breaks down the meat a little bit.
Optional: Most folks down south use a milk bath for 24 hours before cooking. The meat becomes tender and has a less fishy taste- it a bit more creamy.
Once ready to cook, apply a spice rub. I use real Cajun spice because, well...I'm from Cajun country. And for us, more spicy is more better. Y'all need to adjust to taste and tolerance if this is the way you choose.
I only cook it in a cast iron pan and never use any cooking oil. Again, it's cultural- I use real butter. Heat the butter until it just starts to brown, remove from heat, add spice directly to pan in an even layer. Place meat in pan and cook over medium heat , turning or flipping until the meat starts to break up. It should be nice and flaky.
Cooking time depends on heat range, pan type, and size/cut of meat. You'll find it is slightly longer than any other fish.
If cubed, turn often { every couple minutes on each of the six sides }. If steaked, each side should spend about three minutes on the hot side and it will take about three to four flips to get it cooked well. If slabbed {filleted}, the meat cut is fairly thin so cooking time will be close to that of other fish.
Remember you put your spice in the pan? When serving, the added spice side should be on the plate. It is the first part to touch the tongue and that flavor will last the duration of the meal. Just don't overdo it on any spice. There's no point in covering the meat's natural flavor.
If you prefer to bake it. Slabbing is usually the better way to go. Place meat in foil- enough foil to wrap around the meat twice and completely seal it.
After placing on foil, use a dash of citric juice {again, your choice}. But, be mindful you are sealing the flavors in, so use very little. Lightly coat with melted butter { real butter is better} and shake on a dash of paprika. Wrap it up and place on baking sheet. Bake or broil at 425F for about 30 minutes with a 15 and 25 minute flip.
If you opted not to fight peeling a fresh shark, the skin is cooked, too. Now, there is no fight. Slide one tine of a fork between the skin and meat and gently lift the skin off. You could, I guess, eat it with the skin, but you'll quickly decide against it when you discover it is like chewing soggy sandpaper.
If you are like me and love to heat things up, go online and find yourself a bottle of Dave's Ultimate Insanity. Their website is www.davesgourmet.com This is NOT for anyone with heart or respiratory problems. For most folks, one drop is enough for a 8 pound roast. But, damn, is it every great !!
If Dave's is a bit too much, but you still want to warm it a bit, simply place a pepper of choice in the foil wrap before cooking. You'll be glad you did.
