Cheek meat!

[Chas0218]

Does anyone keep the "cheek" meat out of the walleye?  I saw a post earlier about filleting with an electric knife and started watching some of the walleye filleting videos and not a single one kept the cheek meat. On an average sized walleye (7lbs.) they are about the size of a half dollar.

 

So how many of you knew about or keep the cheek meat?  Those are the best tasting part of the walleye.  Every time we fry some up it is customary for the chef to take the cheek meat.  Well that is what I tell my wife followed by her walking over and scooping one off the plate. 

Edited April 9, 2014 by Chas0218

[bettieanne]

yes sir! when we fillet our eyes i tell the crew the captain gets the cheek meat! yea wont be long now, were coming down the home strech to the opener. I will be back up in and around chamount. I will give u a call soon and we will have to talk some strategy. I am thinkin the fishin will be a little differnt than last year. Hopefully a few more eyes than last year, but wen were fishin up there the fish are just and added bonus.

[ontherise]

Best part, big perch cheeks too!

#yum

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[ERABBIT]

....and laketrout !!!!!!

[Xxx]

The first time I saw this was about 35 years ago, we were up in Canada and a older "Indian" (Canadian) showed this to us and he taught me, I was always the fillet guy and my dad was the cook on our trips and we called them Poor mans scallop, to me there better than a scallop!! since then there hasn't been 1 walleye skeleton that had the cheek meat on it. 

[justtracytrolling]

Bacon wrapped bbqd scallops!! Im gonna save 60 or so to make for the lou walleye event. Normally i share em with my dogs fresh after they help me filet! They prefer cutting venison, but my beggars arent choosey.

Ed,

Does kinger like scallops? Lol

Justin

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[orangediablo]

yup.  cheeks are toooooo good to waste.  Pretty quick and easy to get em too

[ERABBIT]

Ed,

Does kinger like scallops? Lol

 

Yep...............BUT I Don't share with him..............

[Sluggo / NY]

Does anyone keep the "cheek" meat out of the walleye?

You betcha! My favorite part.. not that the rest isn't excellent!

[Dominic100#]

Best thing going

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[Kevin J Legg]

I put them in a bag in the freezer till I get a bunch and use them like scallops. A waste not to keep them. 

[ERABBIT]

 

 

 

 

[windburn]

Always use the cheeks on 'eyes. Now I wonder if king cheeks are worth a try? Gonna give it a shot this season.

[ERABBIT]

 

Now I wonder if king cheeks are worth a try? Gonna give it a shot this season.

 

We did the cheeks and tongues one year.....never again not much there , like the lakers have a nice size 

[panfisher]

Right on with this one! 'Eye cheeks........Exellent!!   Nice pics, Ed...

[johnnywalleye]

HELL YES.ITS THE APPETIZER BEFORE THE MAIN MENU.and so long 4 now

[DJ 17]

I save a bunch of them and sometimes make Cheek Scampi!  Make it just like you would shrimp scampi.

[ERABBIT]

I usta try and save them didn't have good luck in the freezer. What did you do?

I just take the ones I have throw them in a clean coffee cup put a bit of real butter in and nuke them...... then enjoy ,enjoy !!!!!........ steam cool , make up some horse-radish sauce......

[Sk8man]

I've always had pretty good luck freezing the cheeks in water in zip locks (squeeze out any air so totally immersed to avoid surface freezer burn). I've had them three years afterward and they were delicious.

[ERABBIT]

Thanks Les I was trying to keep adding to bag guess just use small bags.....

[justtracytrolling]

I was thinkin a bunch of small bags in 1 big one so i could keep em together and save up a bunch!

Justin

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[walleyemagic]

Just eat em faster, lol

[walleyemagic]

Those are the captains tip, enough for a meal on each trip. mmmmm  

[justtracytrolling]

Yeah ive never froze them before...i want 60 scallops at least...no way to do that without freezing....cant catch that many in a day on otisco!

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[panfisher]

Sk8man...Absolutely so with surrounding ANY food completely with water, if you are going to freeze something for an indeterminate amount of time. And that can sometimes be way more than a couple of months. It's because of frost free (dry) refrigeration. The old timey freezers that had to be cleared of ice buildup (and the surrounding refrigerator itself) kept frozen stuff moist. Do not rely on just freezer wrap or plastic layers, even if done vacuum style....the ice is practically fool proof for insulating from dryness......And remember the smaller the items, the easier to freezer burn.