Thresher Shark

I must say, one of my favorite times of the year is when my TV is flooded with "Shark Week" shows!! I'm fascinated by sharks and their behaviors!  So, today I'm posting one of my favorite things to eat and NO...it's not cake!! LOL!!  It's Thresher Shark! 

Not many people know...
Once upon a time, I had a Hawaiian themed restaurant called "Menehune's."  That was where my childhood friend Joshua helped me create and serve a pub hub menu with a lil Hawaiian inspired twist!  At that time, he had just gotten back from traveling the U.S. as a chef on one of the world's most well known cruise lines.  Trying to stay close to a Hawaiian theme, we served up BBQ roasted pork, sticky rice bowls, shrimp ceviche, some traditional bar food, and I had to have "fish tacos."  Now, I thought fish tacos had to be a greasy piece of cheap fried fish.  But, my chef buddy Josh suggested we use thresher shark instead!!  I thought, "Jaws?!"  You want me to serve "Jaws?!"  He insisted I trust him...and I did!!

To this day...
I will not make fish tacos any other way!  Forgive me if I have you wanting tacos...cause I'm not showing you tacos here today! LOL!  However, you could easily cook it how I'm showing you and put it in a tortilla with some pico de gallo salsa, some cabbage, and you'd have just as yummy of a meal!!  Today, I'm cooking BBQ grilled thresher shark(marinated in a tequila lime and pineapple juice marinade) topped with a mango salsa!!  Also, I'm hooking it up with some grilled pesto artichokes, a lemon spinach rice, and grilled pineapples!  Still want Tacos??

LETS GET STARTED!!

INGREDIENTS:

Mango Salsa
Tomatoes, onions, mangoes, cilantro, avocado, lime juice, a pinch of salt, and garlic(powder or fresh)

Lemon Spinach Rice
Rice, spinach, lemon juice, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, and salt

Grilled Pesto Artichokes
Artichokes and pesto sauce

Marinade for Shark
A can of pineapple juice and I have found a tequila lime 30 min marinade that I love(there's many different brands you can choose from and/or you could absolutely do it from scratch).  However, for the money...it's just as good and easy on the wallet to just buy one

*With most things, the longer you marinade...the more flavor your protein will have.  However, I usually only marinade my fish up to 4 hours. 

Step 1
Chop all your ingredients for your mango salsa.  If you like pineapple...add that too!  I chose to grill pineapple this time instead of putting it in the salsa.

Step 2
Put your whole artichokes in a pot and bring them to a boil, cover, turn the heat to a med/low, and cook for another 45 min to an hour(depending on how large).  Check them 20 minutes in, to make sure they are still submerged in water, and you may have to flip them to make sure they cook through.  If you are nervous after 45 minutes, use a knife and stick it through the bottom of the stem...if it goes all the way through...you are pretty safe!!  *Make sure you cut the stem to the bottom of the artichoke and leave no "tail."

Step 3
Like traditional white rice, double the water to the amount of rice.  If you do 2 cups of rice...pour 4 cups of water, etc.  While that's boiling, add 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, a pinch of salt, and *optional* the juice from 2 lemons.  When the rice is just about done, add a heaping handful of spinach, cover, and let it sit until you're ready to serve.

Step 4
Lets take it to the GRILL!!
Make sure you heat up the grill for at least 10 minutes and clean it with a wire brush.  If you don't do this, your food will taste like the last thing you BBQ'd! 

Add pineapple, cook one side down for 5 minutes.  Then, rotate 180 degrees and cook an additional 5 minutes to get the beautiful char marks.  Then, flip and repeat.

Cut the artichokes in half, remove the furry part, place them on the grill and brush with your favorite pesto sauce before placing face down.  While face down, brush the back side of the leaves.  As it cooks, the pesto melts into all the leaves and adds a delicious smoked pesto taste.  Grill face down for approximately 5-8 minutes(depending on the desired char you prefer).  Flip and repeat for the back side of the artichoke.

Now, place the marinated shark on the grill and cook approximately 8 minutes on each side. Use the same technique as the pineapple to get the beautiful grill marks.  Try not to move the shark too often.  What makes the shark so yummy is it's buttery flaky texture, if turned too often it could fall apart on the grill.  If the shark is 3-4 inches thick, you may have to lay it on it's side as well to make sure it gets cooked through.  Like a good rib-eye, it's hard to mess up because it's so buttery and flaky.  Although...I've been to many "steakhouse's" that have managed to ruin my steak...

AND, BON APPETIT!!!

*If you have ANY questions...please feel free to write a comment, FB me, and/or contact me on Instagram.  I will gladly do my best to get an answer for you.