Catch-N-Cook: Smoked Sheepshead Tacos & Elote Street Corn Recipe

There are numerous strange-looking critters out there that should be pursued. Sheepsheads have earned their place on this list due to their distinctive pigmentation and a full set of human-like teeth. Fishing for sheepshead is popular for a variety of reasons. For starters, they're delicious. They're also simple to locate without needing to travel far from shore. Finally, you can catch them at any time of year. They simply check every box.

You're in for a challenge when it comes to catching these fish. Sheepsheads are notoriously wary. They'll go over your setup carefully, and if they see anything out of the ordinary, you're out of luck. This requires the use of disguise, as well as some patience. It's like catching a convict!

Toadfish Ambassador, Christian Conley, of Make Time For Fishing is an expert when it comes to catching these sneaky fish. Check out his latest Youtube tutorial as he provides tips and tricks for catching them. 

Smoked Sheepshead Tacos & Elote Street Corn Recipe

Smoked Sheepshead

Wash the fish and remove the scales. Clean and gut the fish, remove the gills.

Brine for 15 minutes in 80º brine. (Add 2.2 lbs of salt to 1 gallon of water. This makes 80 degrees brine). Wash and drain.

Dry the fish for 60 minutes at 100° F (38° C). A light smoke allowed.

Increase the temperature to 212° F (100° C) and smoke with medium dense smoke for 1 hour.

Smoke for additional hour gradually dropping the temperature to 176° F (80° C).

Smoked Sheepshead Fillet

Fillet the fish.

Brine the 1/2”fillets for 5 minutes in 80º brine. Wash and drain.

Dry fillets for 60 minutes in a smokehouse preheated to 100° F (38° C). A light smoke allowed.

Smoke for 60 minutes at 185° F (85 C).

Elote Street Corn

6 to 8 medium ears sweet corn, husks removed
1/2 cup Mexican crema, or sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest, from 1 lime
2 tablespoons lime juice, from 1 lime
1/2 cup cotija cheese, crumbled
Lime wedges, to serve

Directions

1. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to 400F:

   Clean the grates once it has heated.

2. Whisk together the sauce: In a bowl, whisk together the crema, mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, chipotle pepper, lime zest and lime juice. Taste and season the mixture with salt if needed. (Crema has a little salt already, so add extra judiciously.) Set aside.

3. Grill the corn: Place the husked corn directly onto grill grates. Grill the corn for about 3 minutes, undisturbed, or until kernels begin to turn golden brown and look charred. Turn over and repeat. When all sides are browned, remove from the grill onto a plate.
4. Top the corn with sauce and cheese: Using a brush or a spoon, coat each ear of corn with the crema mixture. Sprinkle with crumbled cojita cheese. Sprinkle with additional chipotle pepper, if desired. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges.