The Different Cuts of Fish
Fish comes in various shapes and sizes. Due to this diversity, it can be difficult to understand what part of a fish you should use in recipes or which cut to pick up on shopping trip. A quick explanation of the main cuts of fish are below, and you might want to try each and get a feel for what you are wanting to eat during a particular meal. It also depends on how you are planning to prepare the meat as to which cut is best for you.
All parts of the fish can be usable – you just have to know how to properly treat and cook them. Be sure to diversify your seafood experience by using different types of fish and parts of the fish for your next meal. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice at the seafood counter at your local grocery store.
The Cuts
- Whole Fish: Though the whole fish isn’t exactly a cut, it’s still a common way to cook a fish. Some cooks like everything intact when working with the whole fish, while others gut it. Using the whole fish allows you to uniquely season or stuff your favorite type of fish, depending on how creative you want to get.
- Loin: Above the spine, loins are prime cuts of fish. A thick, flavorful cut that is great grilled, but can also be breaded, baked, or sautéed for a delicious meal. Tilapia loins are a thick part of the fillet and usually come in strips that are rich in flavor if prepared just right. Season loins well and cook them to your desired texture, much like you would a steak. Found in the back meat area of the image above.
- Steak: A fish steak is a cut of fish which is cut perpendicular to the spine and may include the bones. Fish steaks are generally made from fish larger than 10 lbs, such as tuna, swordfish, salmon, cod and mahi-mahi. Fish steaks can be grilled, pan-fried, broiled, or baked. Found in the back meat area of the image above.
- Fillet: The fillet is the meat from the side of the fish. It’s versatile and most commonly used since it’s easy to find at grocery stores. This cut can be seasoned, marinated, baked, fried, sautéed, or whatever else you can possibly imagine. Whether you cook it and put it on top of a bed of brown rice or chop it up and mix it into a spicy gumbo, the fillet will work if you’re ever in doubt about which cut to use. Found in the abdomen meat area of the image above.
- Butterfly Fillets: This cut is achieved by removing the head and inside of the fish, including the rib bones. Essentially all that will be left are the fillets attached to the skin. When opened and placed flat, the two fillets will still be attached in the center and will take the shape of a butterfly with its wings spread. Recipes normally require you to pan-fry or bake this sort of cut whole in order to lock in moisture and flavor. Found in the Abdomen meat area of the image above.
- Tail: The backend of a large fish, closest to the tail, is normally cut and sold separately. This portion is large enough to serve several individuals and is best seasoned and roasted. The cut is bone-in, and while it’s not the most common cut around, it’s still very flavorful.
To learn about the different cuts of Pork or the different cuts of Beef, check out those posts!
