To Eat Or Not To Eat -- And A Ribald Tale (Tail)
Once there was a long and extended discussion on the Message Board on the merits of eating stingrays. Eventually the discussion included everything from the taste of rays to toxins in locally caught fish, and opinions ranged from a solid yes to a pretty solid no (one person suggested cooking the ray on a hickory plank and then eating the plank instead of the stingray -- an old joke). The highlight of the discussion was, at least in my opinion, the somewhat risqué story by Tall Tale Squidley Diddley. Cooking tips and entertainment: all at the same time!
Date: March 27, 2000
To: Pier Fishing in California Message Board
From: Joe Pinedo
Subject: Can You Eat Stingrays?
Does anyone know if you can eat stingrays?
Posted by JB in NV
My Brother and I used to catch a lot of large stingrays/bat rays in Newport Harbor years ago. This is how we cooked and cleaned em:
First just cut off the wings lengthwise along the body so you have two large triangular pieces of meat. Next, get an industrial strength cookie cutter in about a 2-3 inch size circle and a hammer. Place the cookie cutter on the flap of meat and strike firmly with the hammer. Lightly pound the medallions to tenderize them (they should flatten out just a bit) Soak the "medallions" in milk and a little salt for about an hour or two.
I like them best sautéed in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with wild rice and garlic bread and a fresh salad.
Posted by Bare Hook
Here's another way
Marinate the meat in your favorite sauce for 2-4 hours. Get a plank on hickory wood and place the meat on the plank. Place the plank on BBQ coals or over a fire and roast till meat is cooked. Throw away the meat and eat the plank!
just kidding
Posted by Biff
Do you skin 'em before soaking or cooking? I actually tried a little bit of the stingray in question, without any soaking or treatment, and it was just short of vile. I skinned it before cooking, and baked it until it was tender. One bite was more than adequate to convince me that it was inedible or I had done something wrong.
Posted by JB in Nv
Yes, you need to skin it, I left that part out (apologies). Soaking in milk and a little salt will draw out that nasty taste you speak of, and if you add enough seasonings, you will "cover up" what little nastiness is left over. If it turns out you don't like it at all, you can always enjoy the sides dishes I mentioned.
Posted by Tall Tale Squidley Diddley
It is kind of a crapshoot. You never know what kind of appendage you'll grow or how long it'll last. For example...caught a bat ray off of Manhattan Pier...I ate it.....next day....start to grow a little third arm out of my right elbow joint...it got bigger and bigger until I had about two equal size forearms complete with a five-fingered hand. This was really cool and I was pleasantly surprised because now I had an extra rod holder and I could drive my car (a stickshift) without putting my coffee down. Unfortunately...it only lasted for about a month before it started to shrink and dry out. It eventually looked like a piece of beef jerky...before it fell off while playing a game of racquetball...oh well. Anyway...I went back to that pier and tried again for another bat ray...but they just weren't biting...so I drove over to Santa Monica Pier. Hooked up immediately into a nice one but it turned out to be a stingray...but I said what the heck...why not? I ate it and waited around for a few days...nothing. Went to Venice pier and caught a rather large angel shark...I ate it. This time I only grew an extra toe...which did last for some four months...but it was actually a real headache because my shoes no longer fit. I had to cut a hole in a pair of sneakers...plus all the stares at work...I decided I'd best not eat any more rays, skates, sharks, or anything and I'd only fish for sport and pleasure. However, one evening I was fishing and I did bring in a mighty fine shovelnose guitarfish...I had never caught one before...so curiosity got the best of me...and I decided...what the heck. I took it home and had a fine supper. Well...to make a long story short...I won't go into where I grew another appendage...or what it was even...but let me just say that the Mrs. was quite a happy camper for the next six weeks. So, as you can see by my experience...eating rays and such is really a crapshoot, especially when it comes to growing appendages
Posted by Hank Panky
Squiddley,
So what you're saying is that the Mrs. "WAS" a happy camper for six weeks, key word being was, as in past tense. Sounds like you better catch and eat more of them skates, bats, rays, and bottom dwelling, mercury infested, rodents of the sea, and get that smile back on her face.
Hank Panky
By the way........FUNNY STORY !!!!!
Posted by RJ
You guys are too much! Anyhow...
Stingrays are quite good... (but) I prefer thornbacks and bat rays. String rays tend to be on the thin side. These critters eat clams and mollusks and the meat takes on that taste. This is what I do...
I immediately kill the sucker by driving the point of my knife through its head. I think that this may help with the taste. I cut off the wings -- not an easy feat because the skins are so tough. I discovered that using a pair of garden pruning shears comes in handy for trimming off the edges of the wings. (Shears are great for cutting off rockfish spines too so you don't get skewered when cleaning them). Soak the wings in salted water and later scrub with salt to remove that "slime." Pat dry and fry in hot oil until skin is crisp -- they will curl a little. Then I use a spoon or whatever to scrape the meat off the cartilage (it is up to you if you want the skin) -- shred this up and make fish tacos with lime juice and salsa and the fixings -- excellent with a nice cold one!
Once there was a long and extended discussion on the Message Board on the merits of eating stingrays. Eventually the discussion included everything from the taste of rays to toxins in locally caught fish, and opinions ranged from a solid yes to a pretty solid no (one person suggested cooking the ray on a hickory plank and then eating the plank instead of the stingray -- an old joke). The highlight of the discussion was, at least in my opinion, the somewhat risqué story by Tall Tale Squidley Diddley. Cooking tips and entertainment: all at the same time!
Date: March 27, 2000
To: Pier Fishing in California Message Board
From: Joe Pinedo
Subject: Can You Eat Stingrays?
Does anyone know if you can eat stingrays?
Posted by JB in NV
My Brother and I used to catch a lot of large stingrays/bat rays in Newport Harbor years ago. This is how we cooked and cleaned em:
First just cut off the wings lengthwise along the body so you have two large triangular pieces of meat. Next, get an industrial strength cookie cutter in about a 2-3 inch size circle and a hammer. Place the cookie cutter on the flap of meat and strike firmly with the hammer. Lightly pound the medallions to tenderize them (they should flatten out just a bit) Soak the "medallions" in milk and a little salt for about an hour or two.
I like them best sautéed in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with wild rice and garlic bread and a fresh salad.
Posted by Bare Hook
Here's another way
Marinate the meat in your favorite sauce for 2-4 hours. Get a plank on hickory wood and place the meat on the plank. Place the plank on BBQ coals or over a fire and roast till meat is cooked. Throw away the meat and eat the plank!
just kidding
Posted by Biff
Do you skin 'em before soaking or cooking? I actually tried a little bit of the stingray in question, without any soaking or treatment, and it was just short of vile. I skinned it before cooking, and baked it until it was tender. One bite was more than adequate to convince me that it was inedible or I had done something wrong.
Posted by JB in Nv
Yes, you need to skin it, I left that part out (apologies). Soaking in milk and a little salt will draw out that nasty taste you speak of, and if you add enough seasonings, you will "cover up" what little nastiness is left over. If it turns out you don't like it at all, you can always enjoy the sides dishes I mentioned.
Posted by Tall Tale Squidley Diddley
It is kind of a crapshoot. You never know what kind of appendage you'll grow or how long it'll last. For example...caught a bat ray off of Manhattan Pier...I ate it.....next day....start to grow a little third arm out of my right elbow joint...it got bigger and bigger until I had about two equal size forearms complete with a five-fingered hand. This was really cool and I was pleasantly surprised because now I had an extra rod holder and I could drive my car (a stickshift) without putting my coffee down. Unfortunately...it only lasted for about a month before it started to shrink and dry out. It eventually looked like a piece of beef jerky...before it fell off while playing a game of racquetball...oh well. Anyway...I went back to that pier and tried again for another bat ray...but they just weren't biting...so I drove over to Santa Monica Pier. Hooked up immediately into a nice one but it turned out to be a stingray...but I said what the heck...why not? I ate it and waited around for a few days...nothing. Went to Venice pier and caught a rather large angel shark...I ate it. This time I only grew an extra toe...which did last for some four months...but it was actually a real headache because my shoes no longer fit. I had to cut a hole in a pair of sneakers...plus all the stares at work...I decided I'd best not eat any more rays, skates, sharks, or anything and I'd only fish for sport and pleasure. However, one evening I was fishing and I did bring in a mighty fine shovelnose guitarfish...I had never caught one before...so curiosity got the best of me...and I decided...what the heck. I took it home and had a fine supper. Well...to make a long story short...I won't go into where I grew another appendage...or what it was even...but let me just say that the Mrs. was quite a happy camper for the next six weeks. So, as you can see by my experience...eating rays and such is really a crapshoot, especially when it comes to growing appendages
Posted by Hank Panky
Squiddley,
So what you're saying is that the Mrs. "WAS" a happy camper for six weeks, key word being was, as in past tense. Sounds like you better catch and eat more of them skates, bats, rays, and bottom dwelling, mercury infested, rodents of the sea, and get that smile back on her face.
Hank Panky
By the way........FUNNY STORY !!!!!
Posted by RJ
You guys are too much! Anyhow...
Stingrays are quite good... (but) I prefer thornbacks and bat rays. String rays tend to be on the thin side. These critters eat clams and mollusks and the meat takes on that taste. This is what I do...
I immediately kill the sucker by driving the point of my knife through its head. I think that this may help with the taste. I cut off the wings -- not an easy feat because the skins are so tough. I discovered that using a pair of garden pruning shears comes in handy for trimming off the edges of the wings. (Shears are great for cutting off rockfish spines too so you don't get skewered when cleaning them). Soak the wings in salted water and later scrub with salt to remove that "slime." Pat dry and fry in hot oil until skin is crisp -- they will curl a little. Then I use a spoon or whatever to scrape the meat off the cartilage (it is up to you if you want the skin) -- shred this up and make fish tacos with lime juice and salsa and the fixings -- excellent with a nice cold one!
The Gospel according to the Pier Rats!
