Sesame Mack Attack
A while ago during the winter-ish season, I came up with a good luck slogan. While Dave and I were ‘kinging,’ I said, “We need a Mack Attack right now.” Three seconds later we had three fish on and we found the school.
Whether coincidence, or the right thing to say at the right time, it worked. Like all fishing luck, anything might happen, and we did pretty good that day.
Kings are a staple off the NC coast, and I always try to have different ways to cook king mackerel. Some people disagree about the flavor, but I know the explanation is that they must not be cookin’ it right.
So here is another killer recipe for you after you have had your own Mack Attack. To begin you will need however many king steaks you want to cook. The recipe below is for approximately 4 steaks, cut 2” thick.
Begin by grabbing a large glass pan to marinate the fish in. Place the fish in the pan and then add:
1/3 cup teriyaki
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
For later (when the fish is almost finished cooking) you will need 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds.
Mix all of your ingredients together and then add this marinade mixture to the fish. Marinate for as long as you can, and turn as much as possible.
Next heat your grill to high. Once the grill is clean and oiled, add your king mackerel steaks.
Grill for 8-10 minutes on each side. Make sure they don’t burn. You may need to move to cooler spots on your grill. The 2” steaks will need at least 20 minutes to cook.
During the last 4 minutes, add sesame seeds to each side by sprinkling them on, but make sure they don’t burn.
I usually eat this dish with white rice, tomatoes, and steamed cabbage.
Remember to eat American seafood,
Chef Danny H.
Danny Hieronymus was born and raised in Wrightsville Beach into a commercial fishing family and has been catching fish throughout NC all his life. He has also been cooking with his mother since he was 8 years old in the family restaurant. He can be reached at capefearcookin@yahoo.com.
