Last week, Captain Mike Williams was on the show, and we talked about catching shark. Today, I got him on the line, and we started talking cooking shark. One of our favorite sharks to eat is a Black Tip, and the best eating size is the 30-50 pounder.
As is with most things, preparation is key. You need to process the fish as soon as it's caught. Captain Mike cuts the head off, through the back bone straight back to the tail, and then cuts the tail off. He ties a rope on it, bleeding the fish for about 15 minutes. When its brought back into the boat, it looks like a whole rib eye. Icing is next. Once you get back to the dock, most of the blood should be out. At that point, Mike takes it to the cutting block, cutting it into steaks of the fisherman's preferred thickness. Captain Mike feels like the best time to eat fish is when it's fresh. Shark freezes well, but I agree with Mike on this one-the best fish is fresh fish.
I like my steaks cut about 3/4 of an inch thick, and grilled over charcoal. My recipe is simple. I like to get fresh lemons, real unsalted butter, and an all seasoning mix. I like Head Country. I melt the better, add the juice of the lemons, and add the seasoning. I drag the filets in the mix, then place them on the grill where the red hot coals are waiting. I brown the filets on one side for about 3 minutes, flip them over, then baste it with the remaining mixture. Cook for another 3 minutes, and in 6-7 minutes it's done. You want your shark to be well done, cooked thoroughly, but not dry out, basting will help to prevent the dryness. It doesn't get much better than fresh shark on the grill.
Galvestonsharkfishing.com has more information about Captain Mike and shark fishing.
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