About Spearos Kitchen
Spearos Kitchen is an ocean to table education platform focused on helping the recreational spearfishing and fishing communities responsibly utilize their catch through recipes, species guides, fillet tutorials, and educational content.
What Are Tuna Collars?
Tuna collars are the triangular sections of meat located just behind the gills and below the head, connecting the head to the body of the fish. While often overlooked by those focused on harvesting loins, the collar contains some of the richest and most flavorful meat on the entire tuna. Because this area supports constant movement, the meat develops a firm texture, abundant natural oils, and a deep, savory flavor that many spearos consider better than the fillets.
Highly prized in Japanese cuisine, tuna collars are commonly grilled, broiled, smoked, or roasted until the exterior becomes lightly charred and the meat flakes easily from the bone. The high fat content helps keep the meat moist during cooking, making collars particularly forgiving and flavorful. Whether harvested from a blackfin, yellowfin, or bluefin tuna, collars are an excellent way to get more value from every fish while enjoying one of its most underrated cuts.
Korean Blackfin Tuna Collars
This has honestly been one of my favorite things to do with blackfin tuna collars since I started catching these fish several years ago. The exact marinade has changed over time, as I have experimented with different ingredient ratios, but it always turns out great! I actually used the tuna belly in this meal, as well, but I wanted to keep the recipe as just using the collars so it would be less complex.
The two key ingredients in this recipe, and what really gives the tuna collars some flavor and spice are, Gochujang paste and Korean chili flakes! These might not be the most common ingredients that you would have in your pantry, but you should be able to find them at most big box grocery stores. I’ve included Amazon links to both of them, they might seem expensive, but a little goes a long way.
How I Got This Blackfin Tuna
I got the fish for this tuna collars recipe a few weeks ago when I was out on my kayak off of Dania Beach. I had originally gone out to go spearfishing and after shooting one fish, my buddy came and met up with me on his Jet Ski. He wanted to go out a little deeper and do some jigging for blackfin tuna.
We paddled out to about 400 feet and since I didn’t have any fishing stuff on my kayak, he let me borrow one of his rods. After about 45 minutes of jigging, I finally hooked up on the target species. We had started to drift north a good ways so once I landed the fish I gave my buddy his rod back and started paddling back in. It took over an hour to get back to where I launched, but it was well worth it!
Why You Should Use Your Tuna Collars
Tuna collars are one of the most flavorful and underrated cuts on the entire fish, yet they are often discarded when fisherman and spearos focus only on the loins. Located just behind the gills, the collar contains rich, well-marbled meat that becomes incredibly tender when grilled, smoked, or roasted. Because the muscles in this area work harder than the loins, the meat develops a deeper flavor and higher fat content, making it one of the most sought-after cuts among chefs and experienced fishermen.
Throwing away blackfin tuna collars means missing out on a delicious meal that requires very little preparation to shine. If your goal is to get the most value and enjoyment from every fish you harvest, the collar is a cut that deserves a place on the plate rather than in the trash. If your not sure sure how to remove the collars from your fish we have a full break down tutorial guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Other Blackfin Tuna Recipes You Might Like
We have a full database of recipes that would be suitable for preparing Blackfin Tuna, we also have a few species specific recipes on the recipes tab of this page. Every part of the fish is delicious, make sure to check out our recipes for all the different parts!
Korean Blackfin Tuna Collars
