One of the two "butcher's cuts" from our salmon.

Both the bellies and the collars have always been brought home as a special treat by our cutters. We all know it's the most flavorful and fattiest part of the fish. These cuts hold up great to broiling in a hot oven, or on a nice hot cast-iron pan. Just roast with salt and pepper then finish with lemon or lime. Simple and tasty. Also works well with soy and lime. Bellies can be marinated and cooked the same way any cut of salmon can be cooked, just be careful to not dry them out. They also make fantastic poke, which really highlight the texture and fatty flavor.

These long strips of thin meat are cut from the fillet because they would tend to overcook if cooked along with the thicker fillet portion. They really highlight the intramuscular fatty layers which is why this cut is prized for smoking or lox.

Because of the higher fat content, there tends to be more flavor in the bellies.  They also can be beautifully moist but can easily overcook because of their thinness.

Check out our Salmon Belly Bowl Recipe here!