# Color of Steelhead fillet?



## rpalusak15

I have wondered about this a long time but finally am asking: Why are most fillets a beautiful pink or red, but a few are white in color? Also, is there a difference in taste?


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## 1MoreKast

rpalusak15 said:


> I have wondered about this a long time but finally am asking: Why are most fillets a beautiful pink or red, but a few are white in color? Also, is there a difference in taste?


I think the color of their flesh or fillets comes a lot from their diet. As far as taste, I think most will tell you the fresher they are from the lake, meaning they are mostly bright, shiny chrome the better. The dark colored up fish have hunkered down in the river a little longer than most. In my experiences the fresher, bright fish taste better. But I haven't kept one in a long time.


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## 9Left

I don't think the difference in color matters , as far as the taste... they all taste like crap.


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## Willyboy

9Left said:


> I don't think the difference in color matters , as far as the taste... they all taste like crap.


thats true


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## SelfTaught

I honestly think they don’t taste that much different than salmon? Actually, even a bit milder than salmon. 

That being said, I bleed my fish out right after I catch it, clean as soon I’m home, vacuum sealed for the freezer. 

Bake the Filets just the same as an salmon recipe you can find. Remove meat from skin and dark meat off the bottom and it’s basically salmon.

I agree with poster above, I only keep/eat fresh silver fish. Nothing colored up.... I also mainly see steelhead having a orange color filet vs a salmon pink or bright red. 




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## steelhead sniper 860

We Smoke them into jerky.


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## 9Left

I will agree that smoking them does make a decent meal ....But I would be pretty hard-pressed to compare a steelhead fillet to sockeye salmon.


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## slipsinker

we lived in the soutwest for a number of years,my sis and bil had a cabin in utah around 8500 ft.elev. and we made it up there several times every year. when we did we fished streams and lakes with rainbows,browns,brooks and cutthroat. came to find that ones we kept sometimes had white flesh and others with pink or orange.ones with white flesh were supposedly hatchery raised.do not know how that correlates here.


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## drsteelhead

I've caught the 5 species of pacific salmon and they all have different colored meat and different flavor profile. Their meat color is mainly a result of their diet. Example, sockeye eat the most krill out of all species and they have the reddest coloration to their meat. However, in british Columbia, their chinook salmon (aka king or silver salmon) have 2 strains. Theres a white fleshed and an orange fleshed. Both eat the same types of forage yet their meat color is drastically different. I've eaten both and couldnt tell any difference. The worst tasting salmon out there is the chum salmon but even then it's still edible in my opinion.


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## Specwar

First time I ever fished for Steelies was back in the early 70’s on the Sandy River in Oregon. The old timer that took me cleaned the first one we caught and put tomatoe paste and onions in the cavity, wrapped it in tin foil and put it in our fire coals. When he pulled it out and we started eating it and washed it down with a few Blitz Weinhard beers, I was hooked.


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## HappySnag

all depend on, how you clean fish,how you cook fish and how hungry you are.
one time i filet 13# steelie and my friend cook that, i did not feel like to eat that but i put small portion fish and potatos.
gess what i went to ad some more steelie when i finish the small portion fish.

you can buy the moust expensive meat in the world,if you boil that in water 3 hours with out salt and spice ,you can trow that to dog and even he will not eat that.


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## 9Left

HappySnag said:


> all depend on, how you clean fish,how you cook fish and how hungry you are.
> one time i filet 13# steelie and my friend cook that, i did not feel like to eat that but i put small portion fish and potatos.
> gess what i went to ad some more steelie when i finish the small portion fish.
> 
> you can buy the moust expensive meat in the world,if you boil that in water 3 hours with out salt and spice ,you can trow that to dog and even he will not eat that.


Happy, i'm absolutely speechless when I read your posts ....


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## buckeyebowman

9Left said:


> Happy, i'm absolutely speechless when I read your posts ....


HAW! I don't think he got too many A's in English Composition! 

Every steelhead that I have ever cleaned was pink fleshed. They are an overgrown rainbow trout! Every rainbow trout that I have filleted was colored the same. Some folks expect the flesh to be orange like a salmon. I think that's because of the size some steelhead can attain, and the fact that they run up rivers like salmon do. 

Heck, if you want to catch white fleshed fish, fish for crappie and walleye! Heck, even channel cats, the whitest flesh fish I've ever cleaned!


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## steelhead sniper 860

The ones I fillet are Orange usually


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## bwarrenuk

Color of the fillets all depend on how close your fishing to the power plants.lol


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## allwayzfishin

Fillet your fresh steelhead like a store bought salmon fillet. Cut it into sections removing dark meat. Season with cracked peppercorn and sea salt. Place it into a hot cast iron skillet with butter and brown both sides till crispy. That’s my favorite way to cook it. Whether on the river bank or in the kitchen. Simple yet very tasty. No fishy taste at all.


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## 9Left

OR...Place the steelhead fillet alongside a ribeye steak on the grill… Finish them both to perfection… Remove them both and let rest for 10 minutes each....throw out the steelhead fillet and enjoy your dinner.


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## steelhead1

allwayzfishin said:


> Fillet your fresh steelhead like a store bought salmon fillet. Cut it into sections removing dark meat. Season with cracked peppercorn and sea salt. Place it into a hot cast iron skillet with butter and brown both sides till crispy. That’s my favorite way to cook it. Whether on the river bank or in the kitchen. Simple yet very tasty. No fishy taste at all.


This is how I do it. Plus a little old bay. Only keep a couple a year, but I do enjoy them fresh.


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## c. j. stone

Two words, Smoked! Smoked!(whatever color it is)
Brined in a sweet n sour liquid overnight, dry and smoke 4-8 hours in low heat smoker. Viola-Smoked "salmon"!!


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