# Is this Meat Good?



## patindaytona

Sort of new to real fishing. Ok, the meat on is thin right at the ribcage, then gets a little fatter just before the belly...is that "fatter" part just before the belly good meat? I'm not sure about it..it appears to be different than the rest of the fish meat.


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## johnnyleo11

patindaytona said:


> Sort of new to real fishing. Ok, the meat on is thin right at the ribcage, then gets a little fatter just before the belly...is that "fatter" part just before the belly good meat? I'm not sure about it..it appears to be different than the rest of the fish meat.


I don't eat that stuff. Cut it in to strips, salt it down (different than the recipe) and use it like squid strips.

I don't eat that area because I grew up eating freshwater fish and I was told by some game warden/ DNR worker that the belly is where the contaminents that get in to the fish end up there.


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## Fisheadgib

Actually for consumption raw, in numerous asiatic dishes, the fatty belly meat is the most desirable part. The drawback is that in most fish, any heavy metals that they might be contaminated with migrates to the fatty tissue. Right now in Florida, there's a concern about how much king mackerel a person should consume weekly because of high mercury levels found in the fish. The meat is fine, but if it is contaminated with mercury, the belly meat is where it will likely accumulate. (I like king mackerel and continue to eat it, I just trim off the belly meat.)


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## uncdub13

just curious, what are the symptoms of mercury poisoning or whatever happens when you eat too much king?

i ate so much of the dang stuff last summer, waaaay over the recommended amount but i'm still here .


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## johnnyleo11

uncdub13 said:


> just curious, what are the symptoms of mercury poisoning or whatever happens when you eat too much king?
> 
> i ate so much of the dang stuff last summer, waaaay over the recommended amount but i'm still here .


You grow gills.

You know the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland? He had mercury poisoning. Hatmakers used to use mercury to form hats and they would have problems after working with the stuff for years and years. I guess you can look up mercury poisoning.


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## patindaytona

*Belly*

Actually, I don't mean specifically the belly flaps...their is an area just about it, that is thick. It look like muscle rather than flesh. Do you know what I mean? That thick part..is it good?


Fisheadgib said:


> Actually for consumption raw, in numerous asiatic dishes, the fatty belly meat is the most desirable part. The drawback is that in most fish, any heavy metals that they might be contaminated with migrates to the fatty tissue. Right now in Florida, there's a concern about how much king mackerel a person should consume weekly because of high mercury levels found in the fish. The meat is fine, but if it is contaminated with mercury, the belly meat is where it will likely accumulate. (I like king mackerel and continue to eat it, I just trim off the belly meat.)


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## Fisheadgib

patindaytona said:


> Actually, I don't mean specifically the belly flaps...their is an area just about it, that is thick. It look like muscle rather than flesh. Do you know what I mean? That thick part..is it good?


If it ain't gut's, it's meat and it's as good as the rest of the fish.


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## johnnyleo11

Fisheadgib said:


> If it ain't gut's, it's meat and it's as good as the rest of the fish.


Yeah, that area is okay to eat. Just cut out the fatty deposits around the area if you can see it.


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## TreednNC

Idk bout other fish but on any catfish 10+lbs I cut the belly meat (under the guts) out. Its good, also right behind the eyeballs on a catfish. If you're worried about poisoning and what all, look up biomagnification. Biomagnification should tell you all you want to know about what parts to eat and not to eat, and yes, heavy metals collect in the protiens/fats.


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## Talapia

johnnyleo11 said:


> Yeah, that area is okay to eat. Just cut out the fatty deposits around the area if you can see it.


Come on man, you are half Korean like
me...you know that we don't waste anything
on a fish! 

Seriously though, I think that is some of 
the best tasting meat on the fish.


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## johnnyleo11

Talapia said:


> Come on man, you are half Korean like
> me...you know that we don't waste anything
> on a fish!
> 
> Seriously though, I think that is some of
> the best tasting meat on the fish.


Man, I only keep fish for my mom, and she eats everything! I'll only eat something worth cleaning, like some good sized trout, drum, and stripers. Mom's all about eating whatever comes out of the ocean, but she did freak out when I brought home a lizardfish in the cooler and thought it was a snake!

I guess that belly area is like the "bacon" of the fish. Yum a dum dum. On that note, I think I'm going to make myself a peanut butter and bacon sandwich.


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## sand flea

I assume everyone is talking about the belly meat, right?

While it's kind of tasty in fish like tuna, it's pretty dark and vile in most of the fish us inshore guys catch. I keep the loins and chuck the rest, which isn't much in the first place.


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## Talapia

sand flea said:


> I assume everyone is talking about the belly meat, right?
> 
> While it's kind of tasty in fish like tuna, it's pretty dark and vile in most of the fish us inshore guys catch. I keep the loins and chuck the rest, which isn't much in the first place.


Flea I think it is more along cultural lines.
I think most asians and other immigrants
will tell you that the belly meat is 
very good.


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## 30ManStan

*Bellies*

When I catch salmon, not the Great lakes mud shark variety, but honest to goodness ocean grazing salmon, I save every bit of belly meat I can get. I cure it with Morton's Tender quick about 5 hours or so. Rinse it off and let it sit until a nice skin develops on it, it's called pellicle. Then I smoke it, about 4-6 hours depending. The fat content in the stuff is what dreams are made of. 

Stan


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## sand flea

Talapia said:


> Flea I think it is more along cultural lines.
> I think most asians and other immigrants
> will tell you that the belly meat is
> very good.


I learned to appreciate the weird cuts from boiling fish heads in soup. But I still think the belly meat is nasty. :--|


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## Anthony

I tried some of the belly meat for sashimi from the yellowtail I caught in CA, absolutely delicious. If I ever catch a tuna, I would do the same thing. Even a good sized tog would produce some nice belly meat for sashimi, I may have to do that next time.


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## SeaSalt

I believe the belly meat of tuna is called Toro... also refer to as 'fatty tuna' for sushi. It is the most expensive cut of tuna... like fillet mignon


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## Fish Bait

I know people are concerned about mercury but don't forget that fish fat is loaded with good heart healthy omega-3-fatyacids.
We should be eating fatty fish twice a week.


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## Magged Out

Belly,@$$ Or Fat ,It's all Good! All Good eat's! Why Waste Anything? Give Away The Part's U Don't like!


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## barty b

A Filipino buddy of mine turned me on to roasted grouper/snapper heads and breasts....after filleting a big Gag or Genuine Red,you have the head and breast,cut the breast off and set it aside,cut the gills and throat out of the head. Place all the parts on a baking sheet and season with salt,fresh lemon and old bay. Bake it at 400 for about 15-20 min. remove from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle. You kinda "pick" the meat out like blue crab,it kinda taste like crab to...anyway it's really quite good. Grouper cheek medallions are like little peces of heaven...MMMMM-mmmmm. And if you feel adventurous and wanna gross out your friends,yes they eyeballs are edible,and really not bad,just spit out the "marble"


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## sprtsracer

Well...the further up the food chain you go, the more "pollutants" you get in the meat! I think from now on, I'm going to use a Sabiki rod and just fish for small bait fish and put 'em on pizza!!! Maybe I'll just become a vegetarian!!!..........NOT!!!!!!!!!!


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## saltandsand

Check this out...http://curezone.com/dental/mercury_symptoms.asp

All the symptoms are listed. Don't sweat it until you start acting like a fully crazed werewolf and the neighbors complain about you chasing the cats away from their trash cans.


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## basstardo

saltandsand said:


> Don't sweat it until you start acting like a fully crazed werewolf and the neighbors complain about you chasing the cats away from their trash cans.


You mean I shouldn't do that? Maybe that's why my neighbor won't talk to me anymore.


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## saltandsand

basstardo said:


> You mean I shouldn't do that? Maybe that's why my neighbor won't talk to me anymore.


Next time you catch a cat be sure to offer them a slice then they'll talk.


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## Hudak

johnnyleo11 said:


> ....but she did freak out when I brought home a lizardfish in the cooler and thought it was a snake!......


I had a buddy actually clean and fry some up one time. I NEVER thought I would try lizardfish. I actually tried it. It didn't have a particular taste. Reminded me of general fish that you would get a resturant actually. It did have the consistancy of chicken though. It was surprisingly not gross. If it were served to me in a resturant, I wouldn't complain. Would I take the time and clean one of the ugly critters?, NO!! LOL


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## The Crew

Pat, I scale 'em, chop the heads off, gut them and eat the WHOLE THING!


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