Never had this fish before. Got some for cheap at the Aldi German discount grocery here. This is a big fish. It lives 50 years and grows to 45 inches. It looks like salmon and is pink in color. This is a Pacific Ocean fish that spawns in fresh water. I followed a recipe that called for a little oil on it, salt and pepper, powdered onion and garlic. This is a delicate fish. Next time I will try a recipe with more ingredients. It is very tasty. pl
Steelhead is somewhere between salmon and rainbow trout. Next time you might try replacing the oil with a thin coating of garlic mayonnaise mixed with a couple drops of fish sauce. Works fine out here on the left coast; in fact it will probably be on the table tonight.
Posted by: Dabbler | 03 November 2019 at 05:57 PM
It's an ocean-going rainbow.
Posted by: Vegetius | 03 November 2019 at 07:07 PM
Protecting steel-head trout in unnatural breeding areas in California is behind much of its self-imposed drought parts of this state faces.
Requires releasing huge amounts of reservoir water just to keep some steel-head trout using waterways well outside their natural breeding grounds. Water that does not end up in the public water supply - so our toilets do not get flushed and our plants die.
We hate steel-head trout in these parts of Southern California, which remain quite abundant in plenty of other areas for their natural breeding cycle. Please enjoy every single bite of this non-endangered fish. We would like to bite its head off too.
Posted by: Factotum | 03 November 2019 at 07:09 PM
What were your side dishes perchance? I enjoyed fishing for steel heads many moons ago.
I love smoked salmon, I can eat it all day long.
Posted by: J | 03 November 2019 at 07:14 PM
My dad was a Master at catching Steelhead in Washington Rivers out around Forks...He could walk to a river full of fishermen and Catch one right away..His Smoked Salmon and Steelhead was fantastic..We frequently have White Rice and Steamed Broccoli as Side Dishes..Squeezes of Fresh lemon Wedges,,,..
Posted by: Jim Ticehurst | 03 November 2019 at 08:46 PM
That is how SWMBO likes to serve it..lol
Posted by: Jose Lopez | 03 November 2019 at 09:25 PM
Don’t even know where to begin but why can’t you just let this man eat his dinner ?
No one hates Steelhead. They are a majestic, delicious fucking trout-salmon whatever.
No one hates the Steelhead. What are you, a cattle rancher?
Posted by: Watson | 03 November 2019 at 09:32 PM
Watson,
"fucking trout-salmon whatever", why don't you find out what they are before you start castigating others opposed to trying to introduce them into areas where they were never native.
What do you have against cattle ranchers?, or are you just against eating red meat?
Posted by: John Minnerath | 04 November 2019 at 07:15 AM
We have them in the great lakes also.
Wonderful fish!
Quite delicious smoked also.
Posted by: Sbin | 04 November 2019 at 08:40 AM
Yup - the greasier the better for smoking. Lake trout are too greasy for regular eating but man do they smoke well. Same for humpies (pinks).
Posted by: divadab | 04 November 2019 at 10:01 AM
Well, if they were indeed artifically introduced, their introducers or their introduction into "not natural" (organic) living or breeding grounds may have indeed triggered some type of chain-reaction as Factotum may suggest.
Lot of news about California Fire but concerning water matters are much more difficult to grasp. Other than the impression it has been going on for more then one century? Guessing on the part of this outsider?
Thus what are facts and what is fiction. Biologically, historically conceerning the Rainbow Trout vs the Steelhead.
Posted by: Vig | 04 November 2019 at 10:40 AM
Rainbow trout, or at least the coastal version of Rainbows, are landlocked Steelhead. But the Steelhead taste better when they first enter the rivers from the ocean and are steel gray in color. Once they have been in fresh water for awhile their color turns and they get that red banding.
There used to be Steelhead runs many years ago in the rivers of Southern California. I caught them as a boy 60 years ago in the Santa Margarita river of San Diego County. Nowadays you probably won't find them south of Frisco Bay and they are endangered there.
Posted by: Leith | 04 November 2019 at 11:16 AM
Your ignorance is astounding, only outdone by your arrogance. 90% of the water problems in California come from your excessive agricultural industry, pulling vast amounts of water that is simply not sustainable. Stop with the Allman farms, stop with the alfalfa farms, stop draining the Colorado river and start controlling your population. You're dooming all of us
Posted by: Dugan | 04 November 2019 at 01:49 PM
Very true!
Usually get a few coming from lake Erie during season and smoke with cherry wood.
Hard to make them last long.
Posted by: Sbin | 04 November 2019 at 01:56 PM
You are very misinformed, steelhead were on e abundant in California but their range and numbers as well as salmon have been reduced drastically.
Posted by: Gotdon Reed | 04 November 2019 at 06:20 PM
Colonel, you've not had trout until you've had it poached in half an inch of white wine and dill/shallots.
Posted by: Unhinged Citizen | 04 November 2019 at 07:41 PM
Dear Colonel, sounds like it might do well with a miso marinade, which works really well on black cod - a delicate taste and high fat content are key.
You make the marinade of a cup of sake, a few tbsp of mirin, some sugar, a bit of soy sauce, and a touch of sesame oil. Heat, stirring constantly until its a third the volume, add a few tbsp of miso, and stir until a thick paste. wash and dry the fish, smear the miso over the (washed, dried) fish and leave in the fridge 1-4 days. Scrape the miso off and bake or grill. The sugar caramelizes, and its not salty, but very delicate.
Here is the original recipe:
https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-nobu-miso-marinated-black-cod-117238
Posted by: ISL | 04 November 2019 at 08:52 PM
“For many of us, peace and serenity is watching the sun set with a glass of ice cold beverage and the company of sweet vocals of birds and streaming river. Adding the extreme pleasure is having the crappie, perch and the blue gill as your dinner. Just the thing for a productive day of fishing.
Now among the variety of options that you have, trout is something that you really need to try. This is a freshwater fish and one of the best delicacies similar to the salmon...”
Working on it boss:
https://cooknovel.com/what-does-trout-taste-like/
Posted by: Watson | 05 November 2019 at 12:32 AM
Arguiñano, he is the best of the best.
Dried tomato paste, hmmmm sounds great, plus pasta sheets filled with serrano ham..... trouts fried covered wich chick pea flour, I tell you, when it comes to cooking Spain kicks, same with wines, we have not been as smart sss as the french when it comes to marketing.
I remember in British Columbia, going fishing with friends, I would take the frying pan, the guys did the fishing, the cooking was for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugRSQKp_-44
Posted by: Paco | 05 November 2019 at 05:47 AM
50 years? Lol, you're sadly mistaken. Steelhead are quick growing and only live 4-6 years on average.
Posted by: Chris Cook | 05 November 2019 at 09:58 AM
Chris Cook
"Steelhead are also larger and less colorful than rainbow trout. Steelhead can weigh up to 55 pounds (26 kg) and reach 45 inches (114 cm) in length. They can live up to 11 years and spawn multiple times." wiki You are sort of right.
Posted by: turcopolier | 05 November 2019 at 11:14 AM
Misunderstandings about just what a "Steelhead" is have been running pretty wild here.
A steelhead is an anadromous trout, on the west coast it's usually meant to be one of the rainbow species, but there are also cutthroat steelhead, plus sea run browns. On the east coast there have been a lot of anadromous brookies.
All the many different varieties of trout and salmon are related. World wide there are hundreds of species. Get some fisheries biologists thrown in and things can get out of hand.
I believe all trout can be anadromous, depending on the populations access to seawater. And of course all salmon are.
A big difference between sea run trout and salmon is that the trout (steelheads or whatever other name) return to the sea after spawning and continue to live; the true salmons spawn and die in the creeks of their birth.
World wide, wild sea run trout are in decline and have been for decades. Largely due to dams and other poor water management programs that have cut off spawning routes.
Posted by: John Minnerath | 05 November 2019 at 12:16 PM
I beg to differ with the Wikipedia comment about Steelhead being less colorful than Rainbows. I once caught a 18-pound wild Steelhead in the Umpqua River whose color band was a brighter and more vivid red than any Rainbow I had ever seen. Had to catch and release as she was wild (no clipped fin like the hatchery fish). Glad to see her go though, she was much too beautiful to gut, filet, and eat. Perhaps Wike got their info about coloration from hatchery bred Steelhead?
Love those cutthroats, small but tasty. My uncle and his generation used to call them 'Harvest Trout', because they brought them in by the hundreds during their August/September run from the sea. A shame because they are hard to find now and most are hatchery fish.
In Florida we used to catch what was called Weakfish or Speckled Sea Trout. But looking them up now I find they were not trout at all, just a look-alike from the Drum family. They were great eating though.
Posted by: Leith | 05 November 2019 at 01:32 PM
The one you caught in the Umpqua must have already been changing to its fresh water male spawning colors, I've heard the color change is pretty fast.
We fished for those speckled sea trout down in Louisiana, whole different critter than the salmonide family.
Posted by: John Minnerath | 05 November 2019 at 06:17 PM
Years ago I planted some parsley plants and let them re-grow the second year. The soft immature unopened flower-buds gave a nice sweeter-version of parsley taste to boiled cut-up potatoes and onions. With a little butter melted into it, I think that could go very well with various salmon-family fish. Has anyone else tried something like this?
Posted by: different clue | 07 November 2019 at 01:34 AM