Posted by: eyeFISH
Best BITE…. - 04/15/14 01:49 AM
Not all fish are created equal. From a culinary standpoint, there is arguably no finer locally-caught salmon than an upriver CR chinook. When it comes to rich flavor and oil content, other fish just CAN'T compare on a consistent basis.
But to take it even a step further, there are clearly variations in the meat quality within a singular fish. The tail, belly, back, collar, cheeks all have a unique texture and flavor. Even on a whole collar, there are 4 distinct types of meat present…. that prime melt-in-your-mouth back medallion, the less oily para-vertebral midline meat, the ultra-greasy butterball belly meat, and the pectoral muscles stuffed in the bony nooks/crannies of the collar.
If you could only have ONE bite of the ENTIRE salmon, from what part of the fish would that most savory morsel originate?
Posted by: larryb
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/15/14 01:58 AM
I like the meat just in front of tail
Posted by: FishNg1
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/15/14 02:07 AM
Mine would originate in your kitchen, your salmon is always superb.......although it is mostly the collar or the belly sections.
Posted by: cncfish
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/15/14 08:08 AM
Tail wrist, or belly. but maybe that's because as the cook I can remove these parts first so they never make to the table. every buddy else gets the thick parts.
Posted by: cohoangler
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/15/14 11:06 AM
I almost never agree with anything that 2Many says. But not this time. He has it exactly right.
Belly > pec fin (salmon wings!) > collar
Posted by: gregsalmon
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/15/14 11:48 AM
Belly for me. Tailpiece for ease of eating or cooking, no bones
I do not agree concerning the URB thing. To me any salmon must be caught in saltwater to be edible.
Posted by: Salmo g.
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/15/14 11:53 AM
Back medallion or piece of belly fillet.
I'll throw an x-factor into the mix and say it depends on the cut of the fish. If cut into steaks, I find the back sections to be really good. The backbone provides more of that goodness that only comes from cooking stuff bone-in. If filleted, I like a bite more or less from the middle of the fillet, just north of the belly, especially if pan seared. If I've got a big enough fish, I'll remove the membrane that covers the inside of the belly sections so the delicious, fatty flesh beneath can take on some of that delicate crunch from the sear. In that scenario, the belly is "king."
Posted by: RognSue
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/15/14 01:59 PM
Smoked with rattlesnake dust added...makes it ALL good.
I'm a complete glutten, any part will do, prefer spring kings from anywhere.......
Posted by: Dub
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/15/14 02:22 PM
I am not much of a fish eater and prefer the tail for no bones and uniform thickness when cooking.
Posted by: OceanSun
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/15/14 03:15 PM
Belly but only from a big fish with thick, fat belly walls. Get a little crispy going on a HOT grill but still doesn't dry it out - delish!
Posted by: JTD
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/15/14 03:53 PM
It seems as if I am obviously in a minority since I always choose a tail section- firm, uniform and no bones.
You guys can fight over the bellies and collars all you want.
Posted by: Eric
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/15/14 07:07 PM
Belly….for the reasons 2few just described.
Posted by: Sleddddder
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/15/14 11:54 PM
Too tough to decide, can you bring me one Doc for another taste test?
Posted by: JesseM
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/16/14 12:19 AM
Collar smoked by f4b along with a cold alaskan amber
The roe reigns supreme but unfortunately I rarely want to keep fish ripe enough for that to be ideal. Beyond that, I don't know how you discuss anything beyond the collar for most fish I catch, however I understand including the belly on thicker fish.
-S
Posted by: Jaydee
Re: Best BITE…. - 04/17/14 12:08 AM
The bled-quickly gutted and iced forward section of belly with attached lower collar/peck-fin joint of a june ocean adult chinook, which happens to be months away from its estuary destination that's also day-caught and grilled with nothing but sea water to cleanse the piece. "The separation is in the preparation." No shame is sucking the goo out of the peck-joint of said fish too, fyi.
The goo might be the best "bite".