# Albacore tuna



## moikel (Sep 23, 2011)

Just got it at $6kg had to buy the whole fish $65 but the Chinese guy did a good job of cutting it how I want it. Brine is going to be salt,brown sugar,ginger,lemongrass, soy sauce,dried citrus peel,coriander seed,gbp,szchuan pepper. If I get on it now it can go in MES saturday while I  do yardwork,(Oh joy) I miss the farm, give me a John Deere with a slasher over a lawnmower anyday. Pictures will have to come later.


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## africanmeat (Sep 23, 2011)

Ahh fresh tuna yummy .


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## SmokinAl (Sep 23, 2011)

MMMMMMM!


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## moikel (Sep 23, 2011)

Went all Asian with the brine,we will see. It doesnt cut as well as Spanish  Mack or Yellowfin,its a little soft. Kept skin on so it has a bit of structure to counteract tendency to break up. Yellowfin is treated with kid gloves on the boats,Albacore ? Ive soaked it for 3 1/2 hours.Had to take it out now so I  can go to bed. I can see why its not sashimi grade,fried a piece of belly,garlic,ginger ,soy pretty good. Mainly sold as cutlets here,popular grilled.


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## oldschoolbbq (Sep 23, 2011)

Dang,Moikel. Seems every Bloke on today is doing fish,I love fish like Yellow fin and Jack,just not any here in oihO.Dadgum Lake Perch is all we get and it's usually got worms in it
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






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Used to live in Texas and 2 hrs. from Corpus Cristy,go down, hit-up my friends and come home with most anything I wanted
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  , then go to Louisianna to see the Uncle and P/U some Crawfish.Then go home and party,10 hr. trip, but worth it,free
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





You have fun and enjoy that Yeller fin. I'll sit here and think about you and the party,since you aren't gonna invite me,and it would take too long for me to get there-Ha!

Have fun and...


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## moikel (Sep 23, 2011)

I go back & forth a bit between meat & fish. Lucky to live 10min from Australias largest fishmarket. I grew up 400 miles from the sea so it was frozen seafood or freshwater fish,including yabbies(crawfish) & lobsters(strictly regulated). So coming to Sydney(1978) from a little town of 5000 was an eye opener on all fronts.

The retail smoked fish here is overpriced not much of a selection either.Trout & salmon(farmed) ,mackeral & eels . I distribute a lot of product to an increasing circle of people about to run up to the butchers to swap some spanish mack for something now. Ill give some to the maori girl that works there & talk rugby & have a laugh.Ive only been smoking for a couple of months,MES only became available here in the last year. Im having a lot of fun. Post photos soon.


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## oldschoolbbq (Sep 23, 2011)

Cool Moikel, don't get too involved with the Jill.Take your meat,grab a pint and smoke .
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Sorry, I like to pick fun at people,and you seemed like you needed it
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





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G'day and.....


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## moikel (Sep 23, 2011)

Turns out the real party is a maori 21st birthday today. They will be doing a hangi ,drinking beer,playing guitars, & watching the All blacks play France at 630 our time.  Running back up there to use butchers cryvac machine at 2.


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## moikel (Sep 23, 2011)

Mission  aborted. Too salty,should have backed off salt if adding soy etc. Also turned out dry. Will try again . Not going to post photos.


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## daveomak (Sep 27, 2011)

Moikel, morning.. I have caught and processed albacore for personal use... Personally speaking, I peel the skin using my fingers and discard the dark layer of fat under it..scrape it off with a spoon... There are 4 meat sections "loins" that surround the spine that can be separated with the fingers... all dark layers of meat are very fatty and have a "funky" flavor and I discarded those layers... I suppose one could render those dark layers  to remove the oil and find a use for it.. should be very healthy..  The belly section is very delicious... I have BBQ'd it using butter and garlic, onion and a little salt, skin on.. the meat is delicate and can be over seasoned and overcooked easily.. use seasonings sparingly.. The only way I have prepared the 4 "loins" from the carcass is to pressure can in pint jars.. I added a little peanut oil to each jar... That is the finest canned tuna I have ever ate..

If I was to try it in the smoker.. I would slice the loins about 1/2" thick.. Place on foil.. A light covering of a very light flavord oil (GHEE would be OK)  and lightly season with salt, garlic and onion.. Have the smoker at maybe 225 and smoke going.. cook for 10  minutes and taste it.. It does not do well overcooked.. keep testing the doneness until satisfied... I don't believe you will be able to flip the slices as they will fall apart... Once you get it right, you will be very pleased with the flavor...


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## moikel (Sep 27, 2011)

Thanks for advice I overcooked it & over salted it. Its much more delicate than I  thought . Its sold as cheap fish here chopped into cutlets . I trimmed it fairly strictly after  getting the  2 loins 2 bellies home but it was also a bit soft .I figured leaving the skin on would  help it hold together. I will revisit it but pay a bit more attention to time in the smoker . Spanish mack much more forgiving.


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## venture (Sep 27, 2011)

I am with Dave.  I like all that dark stuff off.  Strong and funky flavors.  Other than that, it is a great fish!

Good luck and good smoking.


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## moikel (Sep 27, 2011)

Dark stuff very popular with my 2 mastiff x garbage disposal units. Next time skin off & way more attention to time,heat & salt. But I dont think its being landed in that great a shape either. Longliners are concentrating on yellowfin, foam rubber mats,instant kill,ice Albacore just pushed into a heap while they get back to yellowfin fishing. The meat seemed not to set,had a much softer texture  than other tuba I have bought. I also didnt buy it off my regular guy. Live & learn.


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## moikel (Sep 27, 2011)

Tuna not tuba.


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## daveomak (Sep 28, 2011)

Moikel said:


> Dark stuff very popular with my 2 mastiff x garbage disposal units. Next time skin off & way more attention to time,heat & salt. But I dont think its being landed in that great a shape either. Longliners are concentrating on yellowfin, foam rubber mats,instant kill,ice Albacore just pushed into a heap while they get back to yellowfin fishing. The meat seemed not to set,had a much softer texture  than other tuba I have bought. I also didnt buy it off my regular guy. Live & learn.


That is unfortunate for the buyer... We bled albacore immediatly after bringing aboard... I do that with all fish.. albacore is a warm blooded fish "I think".. and must be bled to avoid the blood from spoiling as you would with a beef etc.. sure improves the flavor and color of the pure white meat..
 

This is interesting reading... Dave
 

http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/pubs/albacore.htm


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## moikel (Sep 28, 2011)

Thanks for the article Dave. I had reasonable look at the whole fish before the broke it up for me. It hadnt been spiked ,didnt see any other evidence that it had been bled. When the were cleaning it   I could see that it hadnt been bled on capture there was way to much blood . But Id already been through the arguement & paid my $$. I had to go to a market where I  dont normally buy fish,I dont buy there for a reason but I  just couldnt get it at the regular place.

Its all about yellowfin here,great shame to waste fish but the price differential is so great that lesser fish dont get the time expended on them.

I will keep trying.


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## billyj571 (Oct 1, 2011)

Sounds real good can't wait for Q-view


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