After a successful guided float on the Humptulips on Halloween, the guide filleted my Chinook. The final product was a single chunk separated at the top of the back and still connected through the belly -- he didn't gut the fish -- he cut all the way around the outside.

When I prepped the fish for freezing, I cut the belly meat off as one big chunk -- with the pelvic fins still intact.

I'm looking for suggestions on how to cook this piece -- or smoke it. Leave it intact. Take off the fins. Use it for crab bait. BBQ.

Any ideas?

fool

Get grill hot, oil up the meat side of the belly with whatever flavor oil you like, and place on grill meat side down. When it looks done eat it.

it is fatty so the flavor is there already, no real effort required.

Good Lord, don't use it for crab bait!!!

Smoked or grilled it is possibly the best part of the fish.

One of our favorite posters once had the guide at a lodge who was
discarding the belly strips save them for him to take home, as I recall
is was a full fish box full , bound for the smoker.

The fish bellies, not the box.

cook it or smoke it like any other piece you have. It is possibly the best cut of meat on a salmon.

....just curious as to why you have the same avatar as Phoenix77...

It's a stock avatar that you can choose from a list here on PP...

Fish on...

Todd

Bellies and collars are where it's at for me.

The rest of the fish is for giving away.

Smoke it or add garlic and soy and bbq or broil it.

Fixed that.

Spring, summer and ocean fish are for eating fresh!

Nothing says "yum" like a nice thin no-fat fall king hen belly!

Just smoked some belly fat pieces from Silvers caught in Alaska in September. Delicious and doesn't take long to smoke or grill. Add a little olive oil if grilling. Of course brine if smoking. Delicious either way and are only better if they are Kings!

Give it a try. My fishin partners in AK thought I was nuts, but I shipped home 3 big baggies (along with a box of fish)and couldn't have been happier.

King

OK. Thanks for the info. Might have to look for something for me.

Headed home now.... exhausted.

Succulent teriyaki king collar and rice steamed in chicken broth and matsutake mushrooms waiting for me there.

<---member of people against people who waste salmon bellies club