Who's up for some good old Shark?

All around the world, there are a bunch of unique and tasteful dishes. I believe I’ve tried a variety of cuisines. Whether they are poultry, game birds, beef, pork, different fruits and vegetables, grains, etc. This dish that I prepared for my family is SHARK!

I have never tried shark nor cooked it, but there is a first time for everything. I found that the shark has a very umami taste. It’s a lot thicker and more tender than other fishes; such as Salmon, Bass, Cod, Trout, etc. The shark has a horrendous smell to it, but of course it is fish.

Shark steaks are fairly big; however, they have a fair portion size. The texture is very soft uncooked, and tough cooked. As a result, shark is very moist when you cut into it. The flavour is very tender and juicy and it also tastes similar to chicken. Just by the look, it looks a lot like a pork chop, or a piece of marinated steak. This type of food is very unique because you would never think that shark is edible. Usually sharks eat humans, not the other way around. I’ve never imagined anyone eating shark because I thought it would be too tough for human consumption.

Our palates are so use to the basic foods. Such as; fruits and vegetables, meat, grains and dairy products. Once you’ve tried a completely different product, your palate doesn’t detect the flavour nor taste. I thought that my palate was fully absorbed with all kinds of flavours, but once I’ve tried something different, my palate was very confused.

I really enjoyed this dish, it's definitely a dish I would make and taste again. This dish is the type of dish that leaves a lingering taste in your mouth, in a good way. I found the marinate I used for the shark just over powered the shark. However, I can use another dish with less herbs, and the ingredients I like. I believe that this dish would taste a lot better, if made properly.

This experience changed the way I analyze food, taste, and texture because the shark has such an acquired taste that I have never experienced before. About 45% of my palate has changed because of this experience, this was just a great change for me as a young chef.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

6 shark steaks

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup ketchup

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro (chopped)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, ketchup, orange juice, chopped parsley or cilantro, lemon juice, minced garlic, black pepper, salt, and red pepper flakes.

2. Place fish in a shallow baking dish and pour marinade over the top. Using tongs, turn shark steaks to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

3. Heat grill to medium-high heat. Right before placing fish on the grill, oil the grill grates using a pair of outdoor cooking tongs, folded paper towels, and a high smoke-point oil (like peanut oil). Make about 3 to 4 passes across the grates to ensure a nonstick cooking surface. This is important when grilling fish since it tends to fall apart if conditions are not quite right.

4. Remove fish from marinade, reserving marinade. Place marinade in a saucepan and bring to a high simmer for 2 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep the sauce warm.

Place fish on the grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side or until fish reaches an internal temperature of 145 F and flakes easily when tested with a fork.

5. Once cooked, remove shark steaks from grill and serve with sauce.

“Figure 2f from: Irimia R, Gottschling M (2016) Taxonomic Revision of Rochefortia Sw. (Ehretiaceae, Boraginales). Biodiversity Data Journal 4: e7720. Https://Doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.4.e7720.” doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.