Tuna Handling

[kapnd]

In the commercial market, we are required to remove gills and guts, which requires cutting the latch and around the anus, and brine to bring temp down fast, however, not too long or they will waterlog. The law says not more than 5 hours, then pack in ice, but they will get down to the 30s in about two hours if they arent real big
The real test is in the sashimi! Day one is still kind of slimy and not firm enough to cut thin slices cleanly. 24 hours after kill is optimum, slices crisply and doesnt feel slimy in your mouth, if properly kept.
At the auction, the buyers sample the meat from a notch cut near the tail. They can tell immediately if it was properly bled, then they take pinches of meat and rub it between two fingers to determine texture and oil content. Oh yeah, they always pop some into their mouth for the ultimate test, and dont spit it out like the wine tasters!
We never remove the heads before brining, the meat cannot be exposed to water. It is only done when the fish are really big and storage space becomes an issue. The head protects the meat, and gives the handlers a spot to gaff without sticking the sashimi.