TUNA!

[Stewmuse]

Watched the filleting of a 500 lb. bluefin tuna (379 lb. dressed weight) today at a local Japanese store. Not a giant by tuna standards, but it's plenty big. At $55.99/lb. as sashimi, the store probably cleared $15,000 today. Here is a video of the first large fillet being worked down to consumer size packages, of which I got two of the very first dozen or so.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=W-H2WIPobzs

[Kip]

I've wondered before if there is a grading of the meat within a fish, or amongst fishes. For example, is the fish itself of good enough quality that everything that comes off it is suitable for sashimi, or are there only certain parts of the any given fish appropriate? Would it be typical that all 379 pounds are good, or some smaller portion (and, by extension, only "x" number of pounds go for the sashimi price) .

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[kurtdesign1]

Mike will certainly be able to supplement (and likely correct segments of) this post.

My understanding of "sushi" grade and "Sashimi" is that they are similar to the terms prime, choice, select, etc. A prime steak comes from a side that was graded as such but the steak itself was not actually verified. As such, aspects of the tuna (e.g. the blood line) might qualify as sushi grade but would not be though of as being an adequate cut for a sashimi presentation. Adding to this, Tuna is typically graded after "harvest". A core sample is extracted and the muscle quality is determined to be of a certain quality level. "Sushi" isn't a bearing of meat quality so much as it is quality AND preparation. My understanding is that sushi graded tuna MUST be frozen or prepared within a designated time frame after being caught. There is no actual unpacked or completely fresh commercially available tuna. It must be prepped and frozen (packed in ice) within a designated timeframe to be graded as "sushi" quality. There may be more strenuous regulations that a simple google search could turn up (I had heard previously that there were rumblings of sustainable sourcing guidelines being promoted but I have no idea if that is playing in or just discussed). Basically, if you take living flesh and kill it, clean it, lower its temperature and pack it safely from a bacteria standpoint, your fish is sushi grade, regardless of whether it's seabass or tuna.

I welcome further information on all of this if anyone has it.

[kurtdesign1]

And for what it's worth, I'm RIDICULOUSLY stoked to be enjoying this Tuna on Thursday

[Stewmuse]

Mike will certainly be able to supplement (and likely correct segments of) this post.

My understanding of "sushi" grade and "Sashimi" is that they are similar to the terms prime, choice, select, etc. A prime steak comes from a side that was graded as such but the steak itself was not actually verified. As such, aspects of the tuna (e.g. the blood line) might qualify as sushi grade but would not be though of as being an adequate cut for a sashimi presentation. Adding to this, Tuna is typically graded after "harvest". A core sample is extracted and the muscle quality is determined to be of a certain quality level. "Sushi" isn't a bearing of meat quality so much as it is quality AND preparation. My understanding is that sushi graded tuna MUST be frozen or prepared within a designated time frame after being caught. There is no actual unpacked or completely fresh commercially available tuna. It must be prepped and frozen (packed in ice) within a designated timeframe to be graded as "sushi" quality. There may be more strenuous regulations that a simple google search could turn up (I had heard previously that there were rumblings of sustainable sourcing guidelines being promoted but I have no idea if that is playing in or just discussed). Basically, if you take living flesh and kill it, clean it, lower its temperature and pack it safely from a bacteria standpoint, your fish is sushi grade, regardless of whether it's seabass or tuna.

I welcome further information on all of this if anyone has it.

My understanding is that ANY fish, technically, CAN used for sushi, although many, especially freshwater fish, you wouldn't want to. The term "sushi" refers to the rice, not fish. Fresh fish used in sushi is actually called sashimi, and can be eaten solely by itself. "Sushi grade" is much like what Craig stated. Fresh/immediately frozen. We're talking ABSOLUTELY ZERO "fishy smell." That smell comes with time being unfrozen or thawed after death. This tuna, if anything, just smells "fresh." When there is an almost 400 lb. fish in your room and you can't smell it at all, that's pretty good. I'm not too sure about that coring thing, though. The tuna I bought Saturday at the filleting which from (they claim) a fish never frozen, but kept on ice during the trip from Boston. I think they said the tuna had been in the store two days before the demo, on ice.
Different portions of the tuna do produce different "grades" of meat. The pieces I got we're from the "top front shoulder," richly red, and we're devoid of any noticeable fat. The meat from the belly region is more pinkish and decidedly fattier, and is sold as such. I know that when I buy salmon, it's very easy to tell the relative fat content, as there are clear striations of fat vs. flesh. The only other fish (sushi grade) that I readily have access to is sea bass and mackerel, altho they usually will pickle that, plus squid and octopus. My sushi books list and show numerous kinds that are often used in Japan.

[Stewmuse]

I've wondered before if there is a grading of the meat within a fish, or amongst fishes. For example, is the fish itself of good enough quality that everything that comes off it is suitable for sashimi, or are there only certain parts of the any given fish appropriate? Would it be typical that all 379 pounds are good, or some smaller portion (and, by extension, only "x" number of pounds go for the sashimi price) .

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My only slightly informed guess would be that only about 300 lbs. might have made it to the sashimi packaging. Bones and skin, of course, aren't used, but some areas aren't used because of taste and texture, and some are just too small or thin. I would be shocked, though, if they don't have SOME use for just about the whole darn thing. They even sold the head for $50.00 and the tail went for $25.00. Fish head/fish tail soup, anyone? I was really hoping they would sell a few large pieces (3-5 lbs.) that you could cut to your own specs at a lower rate, but everything was going onto their standard 3" x 9" styrofoam trays.

[Kip]

Well, you can buy pig's anus here. So we got that going for us.....

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[Stewmuse]

And for what it's worth, I'm RIDICULOUSLY stoked to be enjoying this Tuna on Thursday

Olga, while in Japan a couple of years ago had the opportunity, in her words, "to gorge" herself from a whole, fresh tuna that was part of a buffet. She said that the tuna we ate Saturday from that fish was as fine as any she'd ever had. Of course, that which I saved for Thursday is now frozen, but that was the only option. I'm sure it will be dandy, still.

[Stewmuse]

Well, you can buy pig's anus here. So we got that going for us.....

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I think I might have to pass on that one... Same with the ears, feet, and snout.

[Kip]

Well, you can buy pig's anus here. So we got that going for us.....

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I think I might have to pass on that one... Same with the ears, feet, and snout.

You can get all those, too. The anus was new to me, though.

And, no, I don't mean "tail". I mean anus.

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