Photos and Description by a Lifetime Fisherman
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Part Four:
Rib Bones
Rib Bones
Removing Rib Bones,
Yentna River, Alaska 2006
Remember that handy little knife you bought from CUTCO? Well, this is where it gets really useful. Using your gloved hand to hold the fillet in place, find the line of rib bones just under the white line of the backbone. Slip your deboning knife under the ribs and make a small incision from one end of the line of bones to the other. Go back and make another incision, though this time angle your blade upwards, toward the ribs (and your gloved hand.) Make another slice.
Peeling Back the Rib Bones,
Yentna River, Alaska 2006
This is where it can get really ugly. If you aren't careful, every pass with the knife will show up on the finished product. Try to stay as close to the bones as possible without cutting through them. If you've done it right, after eight or ten strokes, you'll be able to peel the rib bones back like in the photo above.
Finishing Touches, Yentna River, Alaska
Now it's time to put the finishing touches on your fillet. Cut off the rib bones, as shown above. Once they've been removed, do any little touch-ups that need to be done, such as removing missed bones or bruises. Keep in mind that there's a line of bones along the backbone called pinbones. They cannot be taken out with a fillet, but they're big enough to be able to eat around them once the fillet has been cooked.
Finished Product, Yentna River, Alaska
And Voila! You're finished!
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Fillet Knives and Salmon Roe,
Yentna River, Alaska 2006
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All Content Copyright
2006 Sara King
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