Shark meat: composition, benefits and harm, methods of preparation

Sharks are the oldest representatives of marine fauna. They live in oceans and seas, both at great depths and in coastal waters. Today, more than four hundred and fifty different species of this dangerous predatory fish are known. True, for people it does not represent a clear threat. A person is more interested in shark meat, which is considered a very useful food. In addition, it also has uncommon taste qualities.

Valuable inhabitant of the sea depths

For a long time sharks were an object of fishing. And hunting for them was usually conducted in two directions:

1. A full catch, when after the carcass is cut into processing, almost all parts of this animal are processed.
2. Fishing for the purpose of extracting valuable fins. This method is extremely unreasonable, since with it the rest of the carcass is simply thrown into the water or remains rot on land.

When catching on an industrial scale, the main object is, of course, shark meat. The other parts also find their application. For example, cartilage and liver serve as an excellent raw material for the production of valuable medicines. Doctors say that one can make a drug that can fight cancer. The skin of this animal is widely used in haberdashery. In addition, it is an excellent abrasive material. Fins have long been a valuable object of Oriental medicine, as well as a delicacy soup ingredient. The meat of a shark was salted and dried thousands of years ago. Today, many interesting and tasty dishes are prepared from it: fragrant fritters, fried steaks, juicy ragout, salads and even pies.

Shark Pancakes

Like other marine life, the shark is primarily a source of valuable meat. It contains a huge amount:

• squirrel;
• Mineral substances (calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium);
• Vitamins (A, PP, B1, B2).

The energy value of 100 grams of fresh product is only 130 kilocalories. After culinary processing, as a rule, it becomes much higher. The simplest dish that you can cook with fresh shark meat available is muffins. For this you need 2 eggs, half a cup of flour, 1 carrot, salt, 2 glasses of shark mince, half a bulb, a little glutamate, pepper and 3 teaspoons of chopped green onions.

Preparing this dish is very simple:

1. First, carrots and both types of onions should be finely chopped.
2. Eggs thoroughly beat until a stable foam.
3. All ingredients mix well. The composition should be quite viscous.
4. Mass the spread on a frying pan with a tablespoon and fry in a large amount of boiling fat until the surface of the fritters is evenly blanched.

To make the items look more attractive, a couple of drops of food coloring, for example, yellow, can be added to the dough.

Grilled meat

The most, perhaps, popular dish is a shark steak. How to cook it yourself to maximize the uniqueness and special taste of the main product? First you need to pick up the necessary ingredients: 4 pieces of fillet sirloin, a teaspoon of zest and 7 tablespoons of lemon juice, 3 cloves of garlic, 50 grams of butter, salt, a pod of chili, 70 grams of olive oil, ground pepper, Leeks, dill) and vegetable oil for frying.

The preparation process consists of several stages:

1. 6 tablespoons of juice and other ingredients (except for fillets, butter and greens) to mix in a deep container, previously finely chopped vegetables.
2. Cut the fillet across the fibers into pieces 3-4 cm thick.
3. Stuff the billets in a bowl with marinade and leave them there for 2 hours.
4. Grate the grill with oil and then cook the prepared steaks for 5 minutes on each side. Turning the pieces, they must be greased again with marinade and sprinkled with pepper.
5. Prepare the sauce from melted butter and chopped greens. If necessary, it can be slightly podsolit.
6. Ready to put the steaks on a plate and pour fresh sauce.

As a side dish for this dish is suitable for baked potatoes. And it can be washed down with beer or any white wine.

Dish from the oven

In the oven you can also very tasty bake a shark steak. How to cook such a dish using the minimum of the simplest products? Based on 6 medium servings, you will need:

Shark stack weighing 900 grams, raw egg, 5 grams of salt, a tablespoon of mayonnaise, a few spices for fish, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and breadcrumbs.

Method of cooking:

1. First, using a sharp knife, you need to cut off the skin from the steak. Cut the remaining pulp in small pieces.
2. Put the products in a bowl, add salt, sprinkle with seasoning, and then add soy sauce and mayonnaise.
3. All this must be well mixed and leave the meat marinated in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
4. Beat the egg in the bowl separately.
5. After the time has elapsed, each piece of steak should be dipped into an egg first, then paned in breadcrumbs.
6. Billets put on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes in the oven at a temperature of 180 degrees.

If a blue shark steak is used for work, then it must be taken into account that this meat is very nutritious. Therefore, the side dish for such a dish should be light enough.

Valuable seafood

Many do not even suspect what the shark's meat is useful for. At first sight it is an ordinary fish. In the ocean of such inhabitants hundreds of thousands are found.

Having carefully studied the internal structure of the animal, the scientists came to the conclusion that the shark meat is an especially valuable food product:

1. It contains a huge amount of minerals, which are simply necessary for normal operation and vital activity of the human body.
2. In shark meat a lot of protein, which in its amino acid composition is very similar to beef.
3. All fat, as a rule, is contained in the liver of a shark. There is practically no meat in it. Therefore, fillet shark can be considered an ideal dietary product. True, in its structure it retains moisture very poorly. After cooking, such meat becomes dry and tasteless. In addition, it contains substances that give the product a slightly bitter aftertaste. These properties must be taken into account during cooking.

It is believed that such meat is very useful for men, but for children and pregnant women, its use should be limited because of mercury and other toxic substances that accumulate in the tissues.

Product Taste

Experienced culinary experts know that shark's meat tastes - not quite pleasant. First, it contains substances that give the product a little bitterness. It can be removed by prolonged washing for several hours under running water and soaking in saline. Unpleasant aftertaste after such procedures disappears. If you do not do this, the dish will not be suitable for eating. Secondly, fresh meat sometimes has an aftertaste of ammonia. This is mainly due to improper handling of the carcass. Immediately after catching it, you must first gut it, and then release all the blood from the body. Otherwise, urea will immediately turn into ammonia, and the meat will acquire an extremely unpleasant "aroma", which will negatively affect the taste of the product. You can get rid of it if you soak meat in milk, vinegar or citric acid.

Therefore, the cutting and pretreatment of such fish is always given special attention. Properly prepared meat should be dense, light with a slightly subtle pinkish hue.

Possible danger

Many people like shark's meat. The benefits and harms of this product have long been the subject of research by many scientists. Now it is not a secret for everyone that fresh fillets are not just a delicacy, but rather a dangerous product, from a chemical point of view.

First, it contains a small amount of mercury. The bulk of this element is derived from the animal's body through the liver. But a small amount still remains in the muscle tissues. Secondly, in the process of long-term storage, toxic substances accumulate in the meat, which can cause irreparable harm to the human body. That is why shark carcasses, as a rule, do not freeze, but immediately subjected to pre-treatment and then used for their intended purpose. If fresh meat stays in the fridge for a while, then no procedures will help to remove toxins that are life-threatening. This feature of the product is the reason that its use should be limited to small children or pregnant women.

Strange food

The use of sharks in food has long been a common thing for people in Africa, Asia, South America and even Europe. Meat and other parts of this animal are used to make a variety of dishes. But, perhaps, the most strange of them is the "haukarl". In fact, it's the fillet of the Greenland shark, true, not fresh, but rotten. For residents of Iceland, this dish is part of the ancient national tradition. For its preparation, the meat must first be separated from the bone, and then folded into wooden boxes and buried in the ground. There the fillet must lie at least 3 months. After that, it can be eaten. Usually such a delicacy is slightly wilted, hanging it on hooks under the ceiling. If necessary, a piece of the right size is cut off from the solid plate. The technology of cooking this dish was invented by the ancient Vikings. The fact is that the meat of the Greenland shark smells strongly of ammonia. The reason for this "flavor" is that this fish has absolutely no kidneys and other ways to urinate. The accumulated liquid impregnates the meat, and is removed by prolonged storage in the ground. But this does not solve the problem completely. Even in a dried state, the meat retains an unpleasant odor. Therefore, as a rule, it is eaten seldom and little by little.

Tourists on tastings "haukarl" served, cut into small pieces and advised to swallow immediately. If they are chewed, then immediately the taste of ammonia is sharply manifested. To not feel it, you need something strong, for example, a glass of good vodka.

Secrets of baking

There are different ways of preparing shark meat. The most important condition is the freshness of the main product. It must be remembered that as a result of long-term storage, the meat becomes tougher every day. If, for example, there are a couple of fresh steaks available, then it is very tasty to bake them with vegetables. To do this, you will additionally need a bulb, half a lemon, salt, a pod of sweet pepper, 50 grams of vegetable oil, 1 tomato, 10 peas of black pepper and a bit of cardamom.

Preparing the dish is very simple:

1. First of the steaks you need to remove the ridge, and then gently cut off the skin from them.
2. Put the food on a plate, salt, sprinkle with lemon juice, and then sprinkle with spices.
3. Cut onions into half rings, tomatoes - circles, and pepper - straws.
4. Heat oil in a frying pan. After that fry in it for 3 minutes onion.
5. Add the pepper and continue heating for 2 more minutes.
6. Put hot vegetables in a bag for baking.
7. Top the fish and cover it with fresh tomatoes.
8. Pack the bag and send it to the oven for 20 minutes. The temperature inside must be at least 200 degrees. After 10 minutes, the package can be opened so that the products can take a little bake.

Such an unusual dish can be prepared for a holiday and put it as an ornament in the center of the table.