How to Cook Bonnet Headshark Steaks

The bonnethead shark is most commonly found in the warm waters off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. These are small sharks, ranging between three and five feet long. This variety of shark does not often appear in markets. It is more commonly seen as crab bait, but sports fishermen who catch these sharks and process them into steaks enjoy the richness of the shark meat. Cooking bonnethead shark steaks is similar to preparing steaks from other shark breeds. Only use shark which has been gutted and soaked aboard the boat as this dissolves the urea in the meat and evaporates the ammonia smell of poorly processed shark meat.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup salt
• 1 qt. water
• 1/3 cup honey mustard
• Pastry brush
• Cooking spray or vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine the salt and water and submerge the bonnethead shark steaks in this mixture for two hours.

2. Drain and rinse the shark steaks.

3. Apply the honey mustard to both sides of four 1-inch thick shark steaks.

4. Coat a skillet with cooking spray or a light coating of vegetable oil.

5. Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add the bonnethead shark steaks.

6. Cook the steaks for 10 minutes, turning every five minutes or until opaque. Serve immediately. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper to taste.

References

• University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences: Florida Sharks
• Florida Sportsman: Shallow Water Shark Fishing
• Chow: Shark