RONQUEO, THE ART OF CUTTING A BLUEFIN TUNA

"Ronqueo" is the process by which a bluefin tuna is cut by hand. It takes time to learn how to do it properly due to the fact that you have to be very methodical and skilfull with the knife. Clean and straight cuts are sought to make the most of the meat that can be removed from the tuna.

As soon as you see a bluefin tuna you realize that it is a special fish. Its size is impressive, the color of its meat is deep red (more similar to the color of beef than fish). Seeing how it breaks apart is quite an experience and an art. This spectacle is called snoring. The name comes from the curious sound that the knife makes when rubbing the spine of the fish, a sound very similar to a snore.

Bluefin tuna is one of the jewels of gastronomy and as in everything that is appreciated, appearances and details are important. Doing it wrong means that the rounded pieces are not as appetizing and could be rejected by the customer.

At JC Mackintosh we let the tuna rest in pools of slush for between 24 and 36 hours, depending on the size of the tuna, before searing it so that it cools down between 2ºC and 5ºC on the backbone to avoid stiffness of the meat.

Then we proceed to cut off the tail, fins and head. Once the preliminaries are done, we move on to snoring. The variety of cuts is very wide, through this process the noble parts and the internal parts of the bluefin tuna are separated.


NOBLE PARTS OF THE RED TUNA ARE COMPOSED OF:

Sirloin: Upper part of the loin and with lower fat content.

Loin: Wide and clean piece of fat.

Black tail: High rear part of the tuna.

White tail: Lower back.

Tarantelo: Triangular piece attached to the lower stomach towards the tail of the tuna. It's one of the best parts. It is used both for stews and for sashimi or tataki. It is halfway between lean and fat.

Ventresca: It is the part with the most fat of the tuna.


THE INTERNAL PARTS OF THE RED TUNA ARE:

Facera: It is the cheek of the tuna.

Mormo: It is the final point of the back that is inserted into the head. One of the most appreciated parts of the bluefin tuna.

Morrillo: On the mormos and it is very fatty and appreciated, also known as cogote.

Parpatana: Bone that joins the head with the rest of the body. The meat that remains between the bones is highly prized for its high fat content.

Roe: Tuna eggs (each female has two roe sacs).

Liver: It is usually eaten grilled.

The remains of meat that remain attached to the backbone are removed with a spoon and give rise to what is perhaps the most succulent morsel of the animal: the crumbs.