Rich, juicy yellowtail collars grilled until crisp and charred, then lacquered with a glossy teriyaki glaze.

Hamachi is a type of jack fish commonly sold as yellowtail (not to be confused with yellowfin, a type of tuna). The collar is the meat surrounding the neck and jowl of the fish—basically its fatty cheeks. I think of it as the guanciale of the fish: exceptionally rich, juicy, a little gelatinous, and very difficult to overcook.

That last quality makes hamachi collar particularly well-suited to the grill. As it cooks, its abundant fat and connective tissue soften while the skin and exposed surfaces crisp and char. Unless things go catastrophically wrong, you only need to worry about properly charring the outside and the inside will take care of itself. 

The only real trick is dealing with its shape. A fish collar is curved and irregular, so it won't sit politely flat against the grill grate. You have to actively manipulate it as it cooks, pressing down raised sections or propping the collar against the edge of the grill—or against another collar—so that every surface gets its turn against the heat.

That does mean that collars are a little more hands-on than typical grilled fish filets or steaks, but the results are worth it.

Hamachi collars are great simply grilled with salt and served with lemon or ponzu (a Japanese citrus- and soy-based sauce), but I particularly like them marinated and glazed teriyaki-style (I used some leftover Seattle-style teriyaki sauce for this one).

I start by marinating the collars in soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, ginger, garlic, and scallion before grilling. Once they’re nearly finished cooking, I glaze them with several brushed-on coats of teriyaki sauce until they're dark, sticky, and lacquered.

There’s no polite way to eat these. You can pick out meat and edible bits with your chopsticks, but it’s easiest to just get straight in there caveman-style and get your fingers sticky.

Hamachi are not the only fish with delicious collars, by the way. Salmon collars are equally juicy and delicious, as are the collars of many fattier fish.

Recipe: Teriyaki-Grilled Hamachi Collars

Every recipe I publish here is personally tested, tasted, and approved.

What I love about this recipe:

Hamachi collar is one of the richest, juiciest parts of the fish and is remarkably forgiving on the grill.

Its high fat and connective-tissue content actually benefits from being cooked thoroughly.

Working the curved surfaces against the grill gives you lots of crisp, charred edges.

The soy, sake, mirin, and sugar marinade complements the richness without overwhelming the fish.

You can strip the recipe down to nothing more than salt, grilled fish, and lemon or ponzu.

Yield: 2 large or 4 small servingsActive Time: About 20 minutesTotal Time: About 4 ½ hours to overnight, including marinatingSpecial Equipment: Charcoal or gas grillNote: You can often find frozen cryovaced hamachi collars at a well-stocked fish market or a Japanese fish counter. You can use salmon collars in its place.

Ingredients

For the hamachi:

2 large or 4 small hamachi collars, about 2 pounds (680g) total, thawed if frozen

¼ cup (60ml) Japanese soy sauce

¼ cup (60ml) sake

¼ cup (60ml) mirin

2 tablespoons (25g) sugar

One 2-inch piece ginger, thinly sliced

2 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 scallions, roughly chopped

For serving:

About ⅓ cup teriyaki sauce or glaze

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Steamed rice, for serving (optional)

Lemon wedges or ponzu, for serving (optional)

Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice blend)

Method

Pat the hamachi collars dry. Combine the soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar, ginger, garlic, and chopped scallions in a container or resealable bag and stir until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Add the collars and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight, turning once or twice if you think of it.

If using a charcoal grill: Light ½ chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.

If using a gas grill: Set half the burners to medium, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.

Remove the collars from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Discard the marinade. Place the collars on the grill skin-side down. Cook until the skin and exposed surfaces are well browned and beginning to char.

As the collars cook, you'll notice that large portions of them don't naturally make contact with the grill. Use a sturdy spatula or tongs to gently press those raised areas against the grate until they brown. You will likely have to work in sections. You can also lean the collars against the edge of the grill or prop one collar against another to bring curved sections directly into contact with the heat. Keep repositioning them as necessary so that every part gets a chance to char.

Flip the collars and give them a brush of sauce. Continue grilling, again repositioning and pressing them as necessary, until the meat is cooked through and the fat and connective tissue have softened. Unlike a lean fish fillet, hamachi collar is better when cooked pretty thoroughly—the fatty, gelatinous meat gets juicier and more tender as it cooks.

During the last few minutes of cooking, begin flipping the collars frequently and brushing them lightly with teriyaki sauce after each turn. Continue until the glaze builds up into a dark, glossy, lightly charred lacquer. Watch carefully at this stage; the sugar in the glaze can burn quickly.

Transfer the collars to a platter and drizzle with a little more teriyaki sauce. Sprinkle with the sliced scallions and a little togarashi (if using) and serve immediately, either on their own or over steamed rice.

Variations: Salt-Grilled Hamachi Collar

For the simplest version, skip the marinade entirely. Rub the thawed, dried collars with a little neutral oil, season generously with salt, and grill them exactly as directed above, omitting the teriyaki glaze.

Cook until deeply browned and crisp on the exterior and completely tender within. Serve with lemon wedges or a small dish of ponzu.