How to Cure Shark Meat

Though not a delicacy in the United States, some countries cure shark meat and make tasty dishes from it. While unprocessed shark meat may be poisonous due to high uric acid content, you can eat cured shark meat when prepared correctly. While the dispute rages about health benefits of digesting shark cartilage, some countries do serve shark on the menu.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Gut and discard the shark innards, fins, tail, head and cartilage. Wash off all grime and blood. Cut into large pieces.
2. Dig a hole in coarse gravel. Do this as close to the sea as possible... and away from any houses where the smell from the curing shark meat can bother the inhabitants.
3. Place the cut up shark pieces into the hole, and press together. Warm weather is best to hasten the curing process. Cover with gravel, and press down on the meat with the gravel on top of it.
4. Leave the shark meat buried for 6 to 7 weeks in the summer or 2 to 3 months in the winter. As fluids drain from the shark meat and putrefication sets in, the meat eventually smells like ammonia.
5. Remove from gravel pit, and place shark meat in a drying shack after washing it off. Hang for 2 to 3 months or until fairly dry and firm. Then cut off the brown crust, and cut the white pieces of meat into small pieces and serve.

Tips & Warnings

• You can place the shark meat into a large container with a drainage hole prior to placing it in the gravel pit.
• Do not try this without knowing what the shark meat is supposed to taste like. Though putrefied and thus spoiled already, this cured meat can go bad and be poisonous.
• Cured shark meat smells worse than it tastes.