# A How to for Cleaning Redfish \ Throats



## Captain Dave (Jul 19, 2006)

There does not seem to be enough info on 2cool or the information highway regarding Redfish throats. Some of us have seen allot of wasted meat at the tables. If you have not tried em, I know what your missing.. Snapper Tuna and other exceptionally fine fish work as well.

Here is a pic from TSFMAG May 2008 that demonstrates. If you don't subscribe to this mag, it is recommended . If $ is a issue, you can view the archives on line clear as day . Real nice layout.

http://texassaltwaterfishingmagazine.com/


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## Shallow Sport68 (Oct 14, 2008)

Salt water Quail?


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

I don't like to waste meat, either, but the throat section isn't as good tasting, IMO. 

Plus, if you don't remove the thin, connective tissue that separates the throat meat from the esophagus, it'll have a funny texture. You need to "peel" it off, if you're gonna eat it.


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## Texxan1 (Dec 31, 2004)

If you ask Cricket, Juniper, Changa and the boy you will hear that the throats of the redfish are the BEST part period....

Now, I tend to agree with the kids.. The throats are great, they just usually get them first.


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## Salty Dog (Jan 29, 2005)

I prefer the throats too. The way I clean 'em is super quick and easy. Cut the throat out and lay it skin side down. With your electric knife cut staight down between the fins to the skin. When you cut thru the throat and get to the skin roll your knife to one side or the other and the skin will peel right off. Flip it around and skin the other side with your knife. You end up with two pieces per throat. To me they are easier to eat when split in half too.


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2008)

i never heard of this,but i will try it next time i go catching( i go fishing allthe time).i don't waste much of any fish,my wife and mom prefer the backbone over the fillet.


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## FountainJunky (Aug 14, 2007)

I was cleaning a nice redfish at Crowley's in Baytown about 8-10 years ago and a man taught me how to cut out the throat. I now do this on snapper too. I always wish I could thank this man for teaching me this...so, if someone remembers teaching a kid a new trick, thanks!


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

Yuck, you guys probably like "catfish nuggets", as well !  :biggrin: I'll stick to the fillets.


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## yellowmouth2 (Aug 16, 2005)

Believe me, there's nothing wrong with redfish throat. It's a big chunk of meat and is as good as the rest of the redfish. I never ate them either until 2 or 3 years ago, but you'd be suprised at how well it tastes and how much meat there is.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

There's a reason why "catfish nuggets" (throat section) sell cheaper than catfish fillets.


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## Captain Dave (Jul 19, 2006)

How can you compare Redfish against Catfish ??? Remember the other fish mentioned in the post for throats .. Snapper Tuna and other exceptionally fine fish work as well.

..


SpeckledTrout said:


> There's a reason why "catfish nuggets" (throat section) sell cheaper than catfish fillets.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

They don't taste as good as the fillets, *to me*. It's only *my opinion*. I don't like okra, squash, gizzards, liver, spinach, or raw onions, either.

My mother always said the above foods were good, too. Yuck!

Heck, I've even heard that some people eat :spam: . Talk about a low quality piece of meat. Yuck.


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## Roper57 (Jan 1, 2008)

*Just Dip in Cajun Ketchup*

Mix up some Ketchup,Garlic,Tony's,Cilantro,and Cayenne Pepper.This will make gulp taste good.


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## Fish Guts (Feb 17, 2008)

I am glad you posted this Capt Dave. We will try it out. Seems like everyone likes them except a over opinionated folk. Give it another try....


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

Good grief.:spineyes:

I will eat the crude outta of throat the section of a red or trout. They don't taste bad. *I just don't like it as much as the fillet*, was all I was trying to imply. Heck, I've eaten the ribcages and backbone meat. It's all good when you're low on fillets. Fortunately this isn't normally the case except maybe during duck/goose season.

Some people were saying that they taste as good or exactly like the fillets, which IMO isn't exactly accurate. I was just trying to be silly while pointing out my opinion. Did you not notice the sarcasm and the smilie with the tongue sticky out? I was just poking fun.


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Great post and good info.

Only had the throats cooked one time and they were great. Capt Trisha did a great job on them.


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## Salt Water Texan (Oct 1, 2009)

When I fry redfish I not only cook the throats but also the rib cages ( a.k.a. the belly flap ). Great taste and with the large bones of a redfish, an adult doesn't have to worry about swallowing a bone.I cook the rib pieces first so I can eat them as an appetizer while frying the fillets. When they are done and out of the oil , sprinkle them with red pepper , open a cold adult beverage, and enjoy.


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## [email protected] (May 24, 2004)

*Hey - I wrote that!*

And those are my hands in the photos and my fillet knife - LOL!

I guess everybody has their own tastes. To me, redfish throats taste like...uh...redfish! Isn't that amazing?

The reason we published the article, in addition to teaching new salts how to clean their catch, was to encourage using all the edible flesh. I can assure you there is a lot of good eating thrown away every day at every cleaning table and fried backbones and ribs are just as tasty as clean fillet, you just have to be careful not to eat the bones.

Pam boils the skeletons and rib pieces to make seafood stock that she adds to soups, stews, gumbo and court bouillion. The meat seperates from the bone very easily after boiling and she adds this to her gumbo and court bouillion as well.

Capt. Dave - Thanks for retrieveing from the website archives and posting here.

EJ


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## 4 Ever-Fish N (Jun 10, 2006)

Good information. Thanks.


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## flatsfats (May 21, 2004)

Great post! 

It urks me to watch people try and clean a redfish like a crappie. By that I mean they are in such a hurry that they take their electric knife and just cut down to the spine and try and fillet the whole thing at once. The backbone in a red is so big around that it holds the knife up in the fillet and meat is missed. 

I refuse to use an electric knife for cleaning fish. Its too easy to get complacent (lazy) and waste part of what is given to me. 

Throats and ribs are just as good or better than fillet IMO. If nothing else freeze em and make some fish stock for soup later on.


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## johnmyjohn (Aug 6, 2006)

For those who haven't eaten the part that's left on a trout after removing the fillets and head is in for a good surprize. You can eat the tail fin, it's like a fish flavored chip. Come on Dave, I know you have some example pics.


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## Terry G. (Jul 17, 2006)

thats funny , i registered but to view an article i must buy a subscription, ah , no thanks


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## Captain Dave (Jul 19, 2006)

Terry G. said:


> thats funny , i registered but to view an article i must buy a subscription, ah , no thanks


Thats probably for the current issue. You can view archives in pdf format starting a month back > November 2010 - ? at no charge. Alott of the info in the mags will never go out of date. Thats a sweet offering.

Johnny, I will see if I can dig up a pic later

http://texassaltwaterfishingmagazin...option=com_content&view=article&id=7&Itemid=5


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## JimD (May 25, 2004)

Terry- I think it is a whole 12 dollars for the on line. Archives go back 3 or 4 years for the most part.


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## WVNative (Sep 16, 2010)

Great post, had no idea I was wasting meat. Will definately save the throat meat and even try boiling the backbone for some soup stock. It's winter and some fish soup sounds good with maybe some andouie sausage. Or Feesh soup for you capt Dave. Thanks


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## Captain Dave (Jul 19, 2006)

johnmyjohn said:


> For those who haven't eaten the part that's left on a trout after removing the fillets and head is in for a good surprize. You can eat the tail fin, it's like a fish flavored chip. Come on Dave, I know you have some example pics.


Here you go Johnny, ..

Soups are good and easy to make as well , A real hit with the ladies.. :cheers:


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## Charlie2 (Aug 21, 2004)

*Eating Fish Parts*

Many moons ago, there was the huge World Famous Red Snapper Fleet at Pensacola Florida.

You could go down to the cleaning docks and buy a complete snapper head for a dime(yes; 10 cents).

The whole thing, after washing cleaning out the gills and eyeballs, would go into a big stock pot on the back of the stove and boiled, along with different mixtures of spices, releasing all of the edible parts from the skull..

Thia would make into some of the best tasting chowder, gumbo and other concoctions that would feed a whole household pretty well.

I fillet a whole Redfish from stem to stern, remove the gills, eyeballs and guts then bake it. There's a lot of meat there; some of which is 'normally' wasted.

Try it; you might like it. JMHO C2


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