Shark, shark, shark

[jsolomon]

I just got some shark from a dude pushing a wheelbarrow up the road (I'm in the Caribbean). I don't know shark from catfish.

So, who has ideas for how to cook shark, keeping in mind I basically have kitchen capabilities worthy of tent camping. Pretty please?

[MattJohnson]

grill with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Hard to screw up fresh fish. Could even do kabobs.

[Katie Meadow]

A Nebraska ex-pat with limited equipment cooks shark just like everyone else: in a pan or on the grill--and with the latest health info in mind.

Shark is very high up on the list of fish to avoid for two reasons. One, it's the third highest in mercury levels, coming in just below Tilefish and Swordfish. Is there a lot of shark eaten where you are? As a med student it's worth knowing that current recommendation is that children and pregnant women avoid eating shark entirely. Two, it's severely overfished and often caught as a biproduct of fishing methods that are not environmentally sound.

That said, I'm sure it looked nice and fresh in that wheelbarrow.

A great source of info about fish that are safe and fish to avoid is the Monterey Bay Aquarium site.

[jsolomon]

Mercury makes fish delicious.

So, cooking in a pan or on a grill. Do you salt it as much as beef? As much as tuna? How long does a 2-inch thick steak take to cook, and to what degree should it be cooked?

If I'm marinating it, how long?

[dockhl]

A WEALTH OF INFO right here.

What apart of the Caribbean are you in? I spent time in Haiti in the late 70's. Fabulous experience !

[pounce]

I used to cook steaks on the grill after soaking in a little milk, rinsing then a quick teriyaki marinade to coat. It soaks up marinade quick.

I can make my own thermometers now.

Edited January 28, 2008 by pounce (log)

[Malkavian]

It's been a while since I cooked any shark (for the above cited reasons) but I seem to remember the fishermen I was getting recipes from saying it was essential to do as the site linked above says, and cut out the dark meat (tastes positively foul)

[Adam Balic]

A Nebraska ex-pat with limited equipment cooks shark just like everyone else: in a pan or on the grill--and with the latest health info in mind.

Shark is very high up on the list of fish to avoid for two reasons. One, it's the third highest in mercury levels, coming in just below Tilefish and Swordfish. Is there a lot of shark eaten where you are? As a med student it's worth knowing that current recommendation is that children and pregnant women avoid eating shark entirely. Two, it's severely overfished and often caught as a biproduct of fishing methods that are not environmentally sound.

That said, I'm sure it looked nice and fresh in that wheelbarrow.

A great source of info about fish that are safe and fish to avoid is the Monterey Bay Aquarium site.

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Mercury levels most likely depend on the species of shark, age, location etc, but the EPA suggests not eating shark greater than 43 inches and not at all for pregnant women or small children.

Much smaller shark species are a popular fish in Australia and they are also very popular in Spain and Portugal. Will have to look into their mercury levels.

Edited January 29, 2008 by Adam Balic (log)