Most fish of 2 lb/1 kg or more are cut into ¾-1 in/2-2.5 cm thick slices for pan-frying, broiling, poaching and baking. The best come from the upper tail. Here, salmon is shown.
Cut the fish behind the head. Cut thick, even slices to within 6 in/15 cm of the tail. For large fish, a cleaver may be needed to sever the backbone and free the slices.
The tail section is usually cut horizontally in half to make two fillets rather than several small steaks.