Breaking Down and Processing a Big Bluefin Tuna

Bluefin Tuna has become a favorite menu item for many people across the globe, and for good reason. This rich and flavorful fish can be prepared in a multitude of ways, all of which are absolutely delicious. Here in Southern California we’ve been lucky enough to harvest these fish for ourselves from our local offshore waters, and our friends, neighbors, and family couldn’t be happier. Bringing home a big Bluefin provides you with enough meat to feed the whole neighborhood, but processing these fish is no small task. Breaking down and processing a big bluefin tuna can be time consuming but the end result is well worth the labor.

In this video, BD Outdoors Pro Contributor Nate Lindsay shows us how he likes to break down a big bluefin. This fish was bleed, gilled and gutted, and iced down for 36 hours prior to cutting. To process this large bluefin, Nate uses two different knives from Dexter Outdoors. To make cuts through the tough skin and collar portions of the fish, he utilizes the new DX10TE, a 10″ Tiger Edge knife that makes slicing through these tough portions of the fish quick and easy. For his precision cuts, Nate switches over to the all new DX8MF, an 8″ Max Flex filet knife similar to Dexter’s 8″ narrow flexible filet knife but with a wider blade profile. The flex on this knife is ideal for yielding the maximum amount of meat from the filet as possible. Take your time breaking down and processing a big bluefin tuna, because the meat from that fish will likely be enjoyed by friends and family for months to come.