Is Shark meat safe to eat????

[JJPrinsloo]

In September 2009 we were fishing 8 miles off shore out of St. Louis Pass Galveston.
We hooked hundreds of shark, from blacktip to hammer heads. Also plenty of mackrel and reds.
So a friend of mine said that they eat shark meat.
I tried it grilled and it was good.
But after it was frozen and then defrosted it had an amonia smell that is verry strong and gives the meat a strange after taste.
Does any body know if the meat is good, and is there a better way to handle and prepare the meat?
JJprinsloo.

[The Fixer]

Shark meat, especially from small sharks like blacktips, sharpnose and bonnetheads is safe to eat in small amounts. It sounds like your shark meat was not properly cleaned. Sharks urinate through their skin so the ammonia smell you encountered was a high amount of ureaic acid that built up in the meat. Next time you harvest a shark, immediately remove all internal organs and let it bleed out, then place on ice.

[SaltShaker01]

It is safe to eat. We eat blacktips a few times a year, but always fresh. We gut and bleed the shark boatside right after the catch then pack it in ice. We ************************de it in rum, lime, seasonings for an hour and then grill over open flame basting with teriyaki sauce. Mmmmm now I am hungry.

Do not freeze to eat later as it ruins the taste and texture of the meat.

[JJPrinsloo]

Thanks for the information. Sounds like u know your stuff!
Should i discard the rest of the meat or is it ok to eat?

[SaltShaker01]

I personally would not eat it if it had not been gutted immediately after the catch. Like the abover poster said that smell is due to the shark urinating into its own flesh upon death. That would mean it was gutted after death. I doubt the meat would kill you but I don't like to roll the dice.

I know it sounds cruel to some but you really need to gut the shark while still alive to prevent this from happening again. I keep a sharp SS serrated 12" knife just for that. One cut at the "neck" under the gills and slit fron A hole to appetite reach in and pull EVERYTHING out. then pack in ice.

[WB Drifter]

Maintaining the Internal Sea

Yet sharks routinely retain bodily concentrations of urea that would kill most other vertebrates. This is largely due to the presence of even higher bodily concentrations of TMAO, which counters the protein-de-stabilizing effects of urea. Together, urea and TMAO add substantially to a shark's osmotic pressure, effectively rendering the internal fluids slightly (about 5%) 'saltier' than the external environment. As a result, sharks do not need to invest any metabolic effort toward obtaining the water their bodies need. A constant supply of fresh water osmoses passively into a shark's body through the gills and other exposed membranes.

Eating Sharks and Sailcats ==>



Mounting Shark Jaws ==>

[JJPrinsloo]

Thamks for everyones input, it has been most valuable.
I enjoy saltwater fishing and the people alike.
I will defnately try those resipies next time, and i will save some "JAWS".

[mona23]

I would like point out that it is safe to eat shark meat. I am from Japan and I have been eating shark meat over the last 15 years. I have never had any problems because of that. The most important thing is that the meat should be cleaned properly. If not it will cause skin problems.

[Sam Salmon]

Before dumping the meat try soaking some in low fat milk for 24 hrs-changing the milk after 12 hrs.

That should leech out most of the uric acid and you can then use a quick marinade for the grill.

[Vidal]

Yes, I have been eating shark for 30 years now and I like the firm texture of the meat and it does not smell like fish at all. I prepare it very simply, sautee in in a bit of grape seed oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and squeeze a lemon and add some capers. It takes about 5 minutes to have it ready to eat and enjoy.
I don't fish so I have to depend on the fishermen that deliver it to the store here in Kona, it has always been perfect and I never had a problem with uric acid etc. However it is good to know if you are a fisherman and do the cleaning and preparing of the meat.