Salmon Pi n Bones

[snagman]

I am hoping that one of our salmon specialists may be able to suggest how to correct my screw up. Just prior to dry rubbing a nice salmon fillet in what was a particularly warm day, having felt the pin bones, I decided to get on with it without pulling them out. I usually do this, but thinking that I can pull them out after the cure. Well, weight on top, 24hrs later, the bones are nowhere to be felt, and I cannot get a feel of them. The fish is nicely stiff, smells lovely, but the bones are in there, waiting to upset (rightly so) someone. Any ideas on how to address this muck up folks please ? I want to finely slice the filllet.
Thanks very much !

[Quarlow]

Yup, just be careful when eating it.  :o

[Habanero Smoker]

Hi Snagman;

Welcome to the forum.

You can attempt a wet brine, the way it is used in the below recipe. That may change the texture of the fish just enough so you can better locate the pin bones.

Best Smoked Lox

[Smokeville]

snagman, are you planning to smoke the fillet or are you slicing it after the cure?

When you slice it you will feel the bones giving resistance against the knife. After a cut, you should be able to locate them and pull them out.

Rich

[pmmpete]

Pulling pin bones one by one seems like it would be time consuming and finicky, so I've been cutting out the pin bones.  The slice of meat removed in this process is narrower than it appears in this photo of a fillet from a 29 inch lake trout, because the gap widens when you lay the fillet flat.



However, I'd like to try pulling the pin bones.  What tool(s) do you recommend?  And at what stage of preparing smoked fish is it easiest to pull the pin bones?

[Smokeville]

Pmmpete, all the fish I buy is commercial so *most* of the pin bones have been removed just like you have been doing by cutting. Depending on the skill of the butcher, there are often pin bones left over so I just run my finger against the grain and when I find one I use needle nose pliars to yank it out.

And I usually do this just as I put the fish on the table to air dry and form the pellicle.

Rich

[devo]

[Salmonsmoker]

Snagman,
Obviously, the easiest is before processing, too late I know. A tip for you...Lay the fillet over a large round bowl like a stainless steel mixing bowl, flesh side up. it will push the pin bones up so the can be easily grasped. You might try that to see if will expose them in your cured fillet, but after weighting it, not sure if that will work. The only other thing I can think of is to look closely at the line where the pin bones are and look for this.>>> The pin bones do not have a rigid connection with skeleton of the fish and are connected with a short length of soft cartilage. If the fish was filleted closely to the backbone, you might still be able to see them-they're white. There will be a pin bone under each one of those and you might be able to slip a fine needle nose plier in and pull them out without much damage. If you're doing lox presentation is important and it's better to remove then cut them out. Cutting them out leaves a smaller strip of flesh that will absorb salt faster that the large portion.
The tool I use is called a fish bone tweezer. I bought mine online from Korin out of NY. They make very expensive chef knives etc. (Japan)
They make  angle end and square end tweezers. I got one of each for around $10 total. The angle end one wasn't machined quite right and the jaw tips didn't meet quite right, but a little filing with a small file lined them up properly. I don't use them much though as I do more salmon than any other fish and they're not as strong as the square nosed ones for pulling salmon bones. I can bone a fillet in about 30 sec., so it doesn't take long.   

[snagman]

Thank you very much for the suggestions guys, I will try the soak, given the firm flesh after the cure and smoke, that might just work, and if it doesn't, I will attempt to cut them out. Lesson learnt ! Here, we pay $24/kg for salmon, more attention to detail next time, note to self.

[Quarlow]

I just use needlenose pliers after you filet them. Run your fingers along the center of the filet from head end to tail, you will feel them.  When you feel one under your finger tip just slide the pliers under your finger tip and then grab the pinbone and give it a pull.

[snagman]

Well, it appears that my initial negligence was not as serious as I thought. After two days in the fridge, resting after the smoking, covered with plastic  wrap, the pin bones reappeared, dry ends, protruding just enough to pull them out. Phew ! Saved !   :)
Again, thanks guys for the interest and suggestions !

[Habanero Smoker]

Well, it appears that my initial negligence was not as serious as I thought. After two days in the fridge, resting after the smoking, covered with plastic  wrap, the pin bones reappeared, dry ends, protruding just enough to pull them out. Phew ! Saved !   :)
Again, thanks guys for the interest and suggestions !

Great to hear you were able to get them out. Good information to know for future use, it case I may need this information.