How To Butcher A Whole Salmon

[@digitalgods5568]

I like someone who respects the fish. I have a couple of friends who are Sushi chefs, and one of them I go out with, Tuna fishing each year. The chef brings his knives with him and some condiments and butchers a Tuna on the boat and we have Sashimi from a fresh fish. The guy is a third generation Sushi chef, and the first thing I notice is the look of concentration on his face. No wasted movements. Its a dance of economy. The Chef has been doing it for 30 years and each slice comes off like his life depended on it. Then his big smile as the fish goes into his mouth (as we insist he gets choice pick of the otoro if there is any.) He'll scrape the belly fat off of the skin and put it in a dish with scallions and a little soy and serve that right up! We drink some sake... we thank the fish gods and the fish for a great time. Always great respect for these fine animals of the sea. Nicely done video. Thanks.

[@BipolarPics]

G Osmond That is awesome. Wish I could be on the boat with you guys.

[@robertkat]

What about the mercury in the tuna?

[@deannastevens1217]

That is MORE information and USEABLE Information than I recceived this evening from about 8 different videos and different sites. I was gifted Salmon today. 5 of various sizes and I think the larges twas 7-10#s.... I finally got the heads off and had to gut one completely but they are iced/salted waiting for tomorrow to finish.. I am going to Can them so I don't want to skin them. This is a fabulously informational video. Thank You. I Love the Voice Over too>> It works better for the this educational film and not a DIY film. Thank You..

[@JacobBurton]

Very cool. Thanks for the update. Glad to hear that you're moving up in the world.

[@JacobBurton]

The scimitar is some off brand knife that I had laying around in my kitchen. The boning knife is a Shun.

[@JacobBurton]

The shorter knife used for most of the work is a boning knife. A utility or fillet knife will also work. The longer knife, used to remove the skin, is called a scimitar, but a 10-12" chef's knife will also work.

[@surprisevisitor2000]

Very glad I found your great video - thank you! Living not far from the coast of Nor Cal, I can buy these fish fresh at a great price at the local harbor or at a wholesaler nearby. I made a bit of a mess of the first one. After buying a good fillet knife, the 2nd one came out ok. The next one will be perfect though. Thanks again!

[@HeatherSpoonheim]

Thanks. I've already been 'to the top' so to speak, but two years ago I moved to the French part of Canada and had to start over as I learned a new language. It's gone pretty fast, though, and I'm glad to be close to getting back to where I was working in English. :D

[@jeansimard6944]

Now THAT I like!!! No waste...none!!! Great chef

[@cpynch]

Interesting technique, slightly different than the one I use, but equally as effective. Great video, keep em' comin!

[@HeatherSpoonheim]

Thanks a lot for this - it's very clear and well ordered. I'm only doing one fish about every 3 weeks right now and I'm rather rusty so I think I'll be watching a few more times. I really need better knives at work but I refuse to take my own anymore. Anyway, cutting around the pinbones would destroy any grillable portions which are where the money is made. No idea why anyone would consider doing that - I've always just plucked them.

[@JacobBurton]

It's not a huge deal, but there will always be some quality loss in texture and juiciness when a protein is frozen. This is because as ice crystals form, their jagged edges will cut the meat, causing it to "weep" moisture and giving it a slightly softer texture. For best results, always store the meat in the fridge 24 hours prior to freezing. The faster a piece of meat reaches freezer temperature, the smaller the ice crystals will be, which equals less damage.

[@HeatherSpoonheim]

Just an update. I've upgraded jobs to a professional kitchen and no longer work with punks. The place pays well, wants top yield and gives me a knife allowance. I just dropped some good money into a few Global knives and look forward to slicing through my next salmon like butter. I'm watching your video again just to help me envision what it's like to work with knives rather than rusty tin can lids, LOL.

[@RWT2777]

Bought a salmon at Costco and followed an America's Test Kitchen recipe for cooking it. However when I got it home I had suddenly realized I needed to cut the spine out. Ugh! Found your video, but man you make that look pretty easy. It was heck trying to cut down the spine. I think I cut straight through some bones and as a result it was a pain in the butt getting all of them out. I'm certain I still cut it wrong, as many bones were missed. I do NOT like this part (cutting it down). Perhaps I can take a class somewhere in person on just how to go down the spine properly with the knife. Can't really see it too well in the video - couldn't tell if you had the knife angled toward the spine or what. Also can't see exactly if you're cutting directly against the spine. It's so tight in there I couldn't tell where the heck the spine was to begin with! Pushing hard I was afraid I'd cut a finger.

[@Foodiefoto]

Thanks for the videos...I broke down a 6lb beef tenderloin and the yield was amazing..saved so much money! thanks again!!

[@danielleh8537]

@JacobBurton - I just came across this video. I have a question. I was trying to look up your show notes for the notes on the brine solution and recipe. I’ve run into this problem every time: when I click on the show notes it’s just a blank page and there’s nothing there. Could you please tell me if you have gotten this complaint before?

[@TheCoolpat3]

Thanks for the video! Just bought a salmon with skin at Costco and have no idea on how to skin it, but not anymore! :-)

[@keitha.9788]

Very nice technique!!! Most of the videos that I've seen are guys that are real butchers (not a compliment) who really hack.....

[@xChildGlazex]

Thanks! I love how informative you are :)

[@HeatherSpoonheim]

Just a suggestion, but as I watch this again I realize you don't poke a 'hold hole' in the skin near the tail. Cutting a hole in the skin by the tail helps me get a better grip.

[@HeatherSpoonheim]

I used to take my own set to work. The paring knives were the first to disappear. At one point I caught the head server using my main chef's blade to carve the Christmas tree. I just gave up. I don't pay for the salmon so I see no reason to invest in my own knives to get a better yield. I've gotten used to crappy knives and no longer have to dry them off and wrap them up at the end of my shift.

[@elijahblackwell8547]

that lookes like its going to be good

[@xChildGlazex]

What knives did you use here?

[@jwilliamson1177]

Jacob, as for freezing meat, how should it be stored and wrapped?

[@JacobBurton]

To freeze the salmon, I would individually wrap each portion in plastic wrap and then place in a ziploc bag. Store in your fridge overnight to ensure the salmon is completely chilled, and then place in freezer.

[@robertkat]

Is it farmed?

[@bigboredthing]

Unconventional technique, but a fair job. When removing the head an easier way is to slip a large knife in behind the pec fin, turn the knife and go through the neck, flip the fish and you should be able to flick the head off easily, leaving almost no meat behind. Also it is more efficient to fillet from the tail to the neck.

[@xChildGlazex]

What brands are they?

[@johnechterhoff4791]

Can I send all my knives for you to sharpen?

[@astroboomboy]

I really like the part where you take the flesh from the bones with the spoon! Never seen that, but why throw that away!

[@smokum0]

Fillet knife?

[@STILLPHENOM]

do we have to take the skin off?

[@JacobBurton]

STILLPHENOM Nope, in fact, I'm a huge fan of crispy skin salmon (or pretty much anything else). Just make sure to remove the scales first, and then cook you salmon skin side down in the pan with a good coating of oil so it becomes crispy.

[@mostangwinston6790]

sorry Jacob Burton and with all my respict you waist some meet fish

[@truffled_dust6987]

Can we eat the scales

[@JacobBurton]

WackyVids Technically yes. Do I recommend it? No. But that's just me ...

[@truffled_dust6987]

Thank u

[@swordsallday]

Those "pinbones" are a part of the fillet of the bloodline, a very foul tasting part and sometimes will ruin it i would recommend you cut all of that out.

[@allenman97]

the guy sounds like jeff goldbloom

[@juanscott959]

This guy is a hack. You shouldn’t detach the head before the filets, don’t cut through the belly because you’ll get a lower yield, the tail is thinner so doesn’t need sawing in any way shape or form. Always long smooth strokes. Good he’s not showing his face

[@JacobBurton]

Thanks for watching Juan.

[@SuperKnowledgeSponge]

@juan scott - make your own video then - let everyone say that you are doing it wrong. xD people like you always judge but cannot put out content lol

[@mrseaballs1]

Ok , time to go attack that salmon.

[@GuardianKukai]

I am a offensive, I find this salmon.

[@andreyronik]

Очень плохо. Пока объяснил, уснул

[@jimosullivan4866]

fake salmon, farm raised, waste of buying or eating,should be banned.

[@JacobBurton]

James O'Sullivan Not all farm raised salmon is evil. I'm sure I probably can't convince you of this since it seems your mind is already made up, but if you do some research, you'll find that there are some good salmon farms out there. Loc Duart and Skuna Bay Salmon are the ones I use.

[@harleygreen1365]

Negative all salmon farming should be stopped

[@panathasg13]

Made it accessible to millions of people. if Salmon is fed properly, no worries.

[@captaincrunchie8814]

Excuse please, but there is no such word as - as you pronounce it - fill-aa. The word is 'fillet' pronounced 'fill-it'. Like millions of others, you have been McDonald-ized. Back in the 1960's, McDonalds came out with the Fillet of Fish, a marketing gimmick to relate fish to 'fillet (fill-aa) mignon'. But that is the French name a cut of beef. In English, we use a fill-it-ing knife to 'fill-it a fish', and what you get is a fish 'fill-it'.