Salmon cheek
Salmo salar · Fish
Top 10 pairings
The cheek is the small, round muscle set into each side of a salmon's head — the laksekinn of the Norwegian fish counter, the hoho-niku ("cheek meat") of Japanese butchery — that works the jaw. Two come from each fish, each barely a mouthful, tender yet firm with a springy, scallop-like bite: mild, clean and faintly sweet, a scarce morsel quickly pan-seared in butter or gently poached.
Picking a good onedrag
Just in: glossy, springy, clean and mildOff: dull, mushy, sour or ammonia smell
Counter freshEveryday bestCook to 63 C/145 F. Pregnant, older, kids or low immunity? Cook even smoked (Listeria).
The cut fleshMoist, less glossy, edges clean
The pressSprings back, just a beat slower
Eyes and gills, whole fishEyes clear, flattening; gills red
Smell at the fleshMild, neutral, fresh note fading
These cues are Salmon's, and hold across its cuts; where this one differs, its own page says so.