How To...?

[sal]

Is there a post or link anyone knows of with instructions for the preferred method of preparing/cleaning a sturgeon?

Thanks in advance.

SAL

[tearin' lips]

Not that I know of, but here is the steps. Remember to make sure the sturgeon is legal(45-50").

1. Gut it exactly like you would a trout. From the anus slice up the belly to the neck and then take your knife and cut the head off.

2. Remove the guts to prepare for the third part.

3. Carefully slice around the tail and be careful not to slice the "vertebrate" It isn't so much of a vertebrate as it is a mud vein.

4. When it is carefully cut around, take the tail and pull the "spine' out of the back with the tail.

With the spine out the sturgeon will essentially be ready for preparation now all you need to do is cut the sturgeon into steaks. Take the sturgeon and make a cut between the "bumps" on the sturgeons back. This will effectively cut the fish into steaks. From here the steaks can be cleaned and cooked.

Since sturgeon is an oily fish I prefer letting the steaks sit in a brine for about 24-48 hours(any one basically will work, just find one that you will like). Then place the steaks in a smoker at 180-200 degrees until the meat loses the fatty/greasy appearance. There will still be some grease on it, but it will be minimal. this should take 4-6 hours depending on the depth of the steaks.

Or if you prefer you can season the steaks and place them on the grill as well. I haven't done this in a year or two so I can't remember exactly how long it took, but the end product is really good.

Take Care and Best of Luck in the Preparation.

[Tim_Anderson]

I have never kept one, nor have I ever prepared it....BUT, a buddy kept one once, and gave me some that he smoked. I can tell you that it was the best smoked fish I've ever had.

My uncle kept one once and had it smoked, and it was awful

(undercooked), so that tells me you really have to know what you're doing.

[sal]

thanks!!

[icefishingdude]

I've cleaned many and my preferred way is to:

1. slice the belly of the fish open. circle around the anus and slice forward to the gills.

2. from the sides of the fish cut around the head, nearly through, leaving only a small portion of the top of the head still attached to the body.

3. slice the tail off at a point just above the smallest portion of the tail fin, should be a few inches above the tail fin...don't worry about the mudvane or guts at this point, that comes next

4. with one hand hold the back of the fish and with the other apply upward pressure at the head of the fish. essentially you are snapping the head off, if done correctly the mudvane will come off with this piece, if not pull the mudvane out once the head is off

5. finally remove the guts of the fish and clean well, after this slice the body of the fish left into "steaks" roughly 2-4 inches thick. as soon as this is done i soak the steaks in a salty solution to remove blood, usually for 1-2 days in the fridge....after this is done prepare the fish for smoking...either placing it in a brine for another day or whatever solution you want the fish to take on as a flavor(i like brown sugar, salt, and liquid smoke)

the brines and flavorings can be different for every person, key is to find something you like and give it time to soak...if done correctly a sturgeon is easy to clean, prepare, and tastes great!