Cooking Blackfin

[Uncle Russ]

I have seen several references on various boards to the fact that yellowfin tuna is good eating (and I have seen it in the grocery for $20.00 a pound.) However, the only references I have seen to Blackfin have to do with cutting them up for chunking.

Is blackfin good to eat? I have several friends who say they eat them.

Russ

[ram]

neither my wife nor I can detect any difference in BFT and YFT when cooked - the main difference is the size of the cuts as far as we can tell. you have to cut out all the dark red meat.

my fishing buddy swears that he smells ammonia on his blackfin so he always gives me his. he is not compulsive about keeping fish on ice when traveling and I always attributed his problem to his nonchalance.

i have eaten vacuum packed BFT over a year old with no problems - even then it's waaaay better than canned.

can't wait to hear from DSG - he is THE tuna gourmet!

[Deep_Sea_Gull]

I do not think that you can tell the difference between black fin and yellow fin tuna in a blind, taste test when it is fresh.
Not everybody cuts a blackfin up to chum/chunk with. I have seen some Florida boys really surprised when it was suggested that the black fin be cut for bait. LOL
Good eats is the result of proper handling and preparation. Take a look at how sashimi grade tuna is handled for the Japanese market.
http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/seafood/yellowfin.html
http://www.spc.org.nc/coastfish/Fish.../Sashimi_E.htm

If you want to take trip pics in warm weather, ensure that there is ice available to maintain cold until time to filet the tuna.
I want my tunas cut into loin sections that are big enough to feed my family. Leave the skin on; just be sure that ALL the bones are cut out. Do not worry about the dark red meat. It is just fine attached. DO NOT RINSE THE TUNA OFF WITH FRESH WATER. I don't want mushy tuna. I put a layer of ice under the bags of fish and then cap the ice chest with ice. I travel with the plug out. I don't want water getting into the bags of fish. At home, I vacuum package the loin sections and then put that into the cleaned out zippered freezer bag that I brought the fish home in. (my freezer items can see some abuse from time to time. I do not want freezer burned fish.) I thaw my tuna in the refrigerator. I trim the dark meat out. Fillet the skin off and remove enough of the outside layers so that I have as fresh as possible tuna. I then cut my steaks out for cooking (or sashimi).
You can test my methods for yourself. Take half a blackfin loin and treat it like I suggest. Take the other half... fillet it out all the way, remove the skin and dark meat and then rinse it off with a fresh water hose. Bag both separately and transport home. Cook half of each sample upon return home. Compare... Label and then freeze the other halves. Cook and eat both remaining samples for the same meal. Use a yellow fin loin as your benchmark. Treat and test it the same way.
Black fin is fine tablefare. Like any meat, it must have proper care. It ain't roadkill and no matter what you do, do not ride it around on the hood of your truck to show it off. LOL

[Snagged]

Add proper bleeding of the fish when caught to what Tony said and BF is as good as YF.

[Uncle Russ]

Thanks, all for the excellent information, especially DSG for taking the time for that level of detail. I am assured by my afore-mentioned worthless buddies that whereas I probably will never catch an actual yellowfin, that even I might catch a few blackfin.

MrBill: All I can say about how good that smoked tuna must taste, is "Whooa." Actually, Central Market is where I saw the YFT for $20.00 a pound. I showed it to my wife and assured her that on a particulary successful trip, I might bring back oh, say a couple of grand worth of tuna.

One thing I will never be able to do (no doubt to my detriment) is eat any fish Japanese style. I'm like my old rancher grandma who wouldn't touch a rare steak. She'd say, "Boy, I don't want that meat mooing at me." So give me my fish well-done, and never appoint me as ambassador to Tokyo. I'd screw it up at the first state dinner!

Thanks again,

Russ

[Deep_Sea_Gull]

Uncle Russ,
The sashimi type fish care will ensure that the tuna is the very best quality one can get. Cook it as you desire. Take care that you do not over cook tuna. It becomes dry and tougher as you overcook it. Check it often... when it flakes apart it is DONE.

[Uncle Russ]

DSG: Understood on the overcooking. Speaking of recipes, just to throw in here, I had never eaten swordfish in my life until a recent trip to upper New York State. Our hostess grilled swordfish over coals. The cuts were very thick (at least an inch and a half,) and were marinated solely in mayonnaise, of all things. It was incredible. I wonder if the same would go for tuna. I've been meaning to try it.

Russ

[Deep_Sea_Gull]

Wabisabi mayo... Mmmmmm good

[canyondiver]

Originally Posted by Deep_Sea_Gull

when it flakes apart it is DONE.

When it flakes, it's overdone
If you want to cook anything completely, you need to remove it before it is finished and allow the thermal load to finish the process.
This is called "carryover cooking", and if used to your advantage, you will have an amazingly juicy product.
By allowing the product to finish cooking off the heat, capillary action will draw the moisture into the product. As the product cools off the inside ends up warmer than the outside. liquids flow towards heat, like sweating a pipe in plumbing.

[papio]

It's easy to tell difference between YFT and BFT. YF flesh is thad lighter ad milder to taste, of course you have to still have to have 100% vision and taste buds working. All that said, both tunas are delicious - not an opinion, but fact. Also, lbs for lbs, blackfins are strongest tuna on the planet. Not an opinion but FACT.