Whether you're a recreational angler or a culinary enthusiast, you might be wondering about shark meat and whether it's safe to eat, how to prepare it, and even if its consumption is legal. Though it is far from the most popular seafood, there is a growing market for shark meat in the United States. This meat is prepared and served in many ways and under various names. Species such as mako, thresher, and blacktip are among those that are fished for their meat.
What is Shark Meat Called?
Alternate names for shark meat include flake, dogfish, grayfish, and whitefish. Imitation crab (surimi) and fish and chips are sometimes made from shark meat as well.
Is Shark Meat Legal in the US?
One misconception about shark meat is that it is illegal. Shark meat is, in fact, quite legal in the United States. What is illegal, however, is the practice of finning—or cutting the fins off the animals and throwing it back in the water to die. The fins are the most valuable part of the shark, and unlike the sharks themselves, the fins don't occupy much freezer space, so the usual practice is to catch a shark, cut the fins off its body while it's still alive, and then dump the finless animal back into the water. This cruel and inhumane practice has led to as many as 100 million shark deaths per year, threatening a number of shark species with endangerment.
What Does Shark Meat Taste Like?
Shark meat, such as mako shark, has a slightly sweet and meaty taste. It is often compared to swordfish in both taste and texture. The meat is typically sold as boneless steaks resembling swordfish.
Mercury in Shark Meat
Probably the main concern when it comes to consuming shark meat is the fact that shark has one of the highest concentrations of mercury of any seafood. Mercury is a metal that is extremely toxic to humans. The effects of mercury poisoning can include blindness, loss of hair, teeth, and nails, skin peeling, and kidney failure. Unfortunately, one of the most common ways that people ingest mercury is by eating fish and seafood, especially large fish such as swordfish, tuna, and shark.
The cycle for mercury to get into these fish starts in power plants. When these burn coal, the resulting smoke, which contains mercury, enters the atmosphere and is carried into the oceans by rain. Fish then absorb this mercury through their gills. Unlike other toxins, mercury isn't excreted as quickly as it is consumed, which causes it to build up in the animals' bodies. As the food chain progresses, bigger fish like swordfish, tuna, and sharks absorb the mercury from the water but also the mercury present in the smaller animals they eat. The bigger the fish, the larger the amount of mercury in its meat.
This means that when humans eat sharks, they effectively become the top of the mercury food chain. This is why the FDA recommends avoiding the consumption of shark meat.
Smoked Shark: Preparation and Taste
In many ways, shark meat is similar to other large ocean fish like swordfish or marlin. It's a firm, white fish with meaty flesh. But it differs from other large seafood in one key respect, and that is the presence of a chemical called urea. Sharks' bodies produce urea to regulate the difference between their body fluids and the seawater they live in, through a process called osmosis. For the culinary-minded, if you've ever seen the way salt pulls water out of a steak or a vegetable like sliced eggplant, this is an example of osmosis.
In sharks, urea helps ensure that their cells don't absorb or excrete too much water but instead maintain the proper balance. In fact, most animals, including humans, produce and excrete urea as part of their normal metabolisms. But when a shark dies, the urea in its blood breaks down and is converted into ammonia, which has a strong, unpleasant odor. There's no truly effective way to remove this odor from the fish, so chefs who prepare shark meat have learned how to mask it, either by brining it or marinating it. A typical marinade might include milk, lemon juice, or vinegar. The milk used in this process should be full-fat, since ammonia is fat-soluble, and then discarded after the meat is taken out of it.
Like other firm-fleshed white fish, shark meat can be grilled, pan-seared, baked, or even made into ceviche. It's sold both in fillets, which are boneless cuts taken parallel to the spine, and steaks, which are bone-in cuts made by slicing directly across the fish. When cooking shark, the standard fish guideline of 10 minutes per inch of thickness is useful to bear in mind.
Shark is a low-fat fish, so it can dry out quickly when cooked over a very hot grill. This can be prevented by poaching the shark briefly in milk, wine, or stock and then finishing the cooking very quickly over a hot grill. A 100-gram serving of mako shark has 134 calories, a whopping 21 grams of protein, and only 4 grams of fat.
Pan-frying is also a good way to cook shark steaks. Heat some oil to shimmering in a cast-iron skillet, then add the steaks. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, turning just once, depending on thickness. The steaks or fillets can also be cut into cubes and skewered for cooking either over a grill or in the oven.
Is shark meat illegal in the US?
No, shark meat is not illegal in the US. It is legal to consume shark meat. However, the practice of finning, which involves cutting off the fins of sharks and discarding the rest of the body, is illegal.
What does mako shark taste like?
Mako shark has a slightly sweet and meaty taste. It is often compared to swordfish in both taste and texture.
What are some alternate names for shark meat?
Shark meat is also known as flake, dogfish, grayfish, and whitefish. It is sometimes used to make imitation crab and fish and chips.
Is it safe to eat shark meat?
While shark meat is safe to eat, it is important to be aware of the high levels of mercury found in shark. The FDA recommends limiting consumption of shark meat due to its high mercury content.
In Conclusion
Smoked shark meat offers a unique culinary experience, with its slightly sweet and meaty taste. It is important to be aware of the legalities surrounding shark meat, as well as the potential health risks associated with consuming it. If you choose to try smoked shark, be sure to follow proper cooking techniques to ensure a delicious and safe meal.
If you want to know other articles similar to Smoked shark: a guide to taste, preparation, and legality you can visit the Seafood category.
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