Smoked Salmon for Dummies

[h20hunter]

We talk often about what's best. Well, this is really good and beyond easy.

Start off with Chris Hanson Fish Company salmon. @Skillet

1 part kosher salt
3 parts brown sugar.
Mix, set aside.

Cut salmon into strips, chunks, or leave whole.  Cover on all sides with dry ingredients,  be generous.

Let sit for 3 hours to 24 hours. Longer you go, drier the fish, duh.

Once brined to desired level rinse in cold water, rinse again. Set aside one hour open air.

Smoke it. Use alder, cherry, apple, pecan. Don't imo use hickory and I'll smack you if you use mesquite.  Smoke low....say 250 ish for a few hours. When you can pull a pin bone clean its done and from there on its just drying out. If you see fat coming out its to hot dummy.

When done and I swear by this take it out but don't eat it. Ok, eat a piece.  Vac pack and store in the fridge 24 hours. Then eat it or freeze it. The vac process allows the oils to finish it off in a way that just makes it happen.

Easy. If you want to get fancy, i know you do, swipe it with a little pure maple syrup then vac pack. Salmon candy!

[Blacklab]

That looks great.

[bigdub257]

I use the same recipe.  Turns out awesome!

[Skillet]

 

[Ridgeratt]

I have heard a simple coating of Spiced Rum isn't too awfully bad also.

[h20hunter]

Sounds worth a try.

I'll post a few pics of it served and unpacked.  The fresh out of the smoker really doesn't do the quality of the fish and final product justice.

[7mmfan]

I just ate my last piece of smoked Diamond Lil' coho, that was smoked using this recipe.     Anxiously waiting for August. Never has my freezer been so void of seafood.

[7mmfan]

Side note. I gave away a fair amount as Christmas presents and brought to family functions (along with bear sausage), and most people told me it was the best smoked fish they'd ever had. So there's that.

[Stein]

That's pretty close to what I do and it gets eaten for sure.  Once I figured out how to not over cook it, everyone seems to like it.  I just found a pile of smoked humpies in the freezer I need to start working on.

[kellama2001]

Well that sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing...

[trophyhunt]

That is exactly the recipe I use, the only different thing I do, before putting in the smoker you could add garlic powder, pepper, or other spice to give a certain flavor to each piece.

[Sutherland]

That looks delicious! 

[vandeman17]

I just smoked some filets up yesterday. I mix liquid aminos (replacement for soy sauce) and honey then paint that on the filet. Let that marinade overnight then take out and sprinkle brown sugar on while it comes to room temp. Smoked at 225 degrees for 2.5 hours. Tasty

[Taco280AI]

I'll need to sample some of that as a QC check 

[cavemann]

I kept a bunch of pinks this year with a plan to smoke them up on New Years eve....

A couple questions here..  I did this method years ago with fish brining on cookie sheets and as expected brine created a mess in the pan.  Is that best way to do it?  Does that sugar/salt gue brine it better?  Or do you guys brine on a rack?

Also, looked like you have grill indentions that appear you smoked it skin side up?

For frozen fish, how long do you thaw out before adding dry brine?

[h20hunter]

I brine mine is big ziplocks or a tub. Brine fully covers the meat. The goo is just fine to continue brineing the next batch imo if short in time, like a 5 hour brine, and it's done immediately after first batch comes out.

I thaw 100%

I may have flipped it, i don't remember.

[cavemann]

ok, that makes it much easier!! 

Another question..  You vac pack right away?  Or let cool a little first?

[carlyoungs]

I follow the recipe pretty much the same. Only thing different is I put a fan directly on them after I rinse the brine off and dry off the meat. Usually run the fan a couple hours to get a nice pellicle before throwing on the smoker.

[h20hunter]

Fan or air dry, crucial imo prior to smoke.

I'm kinda lazy...out of smoker, let it sit, pull oin bones,  then vac pack.  I prefer to vac pack at a cooler temp.

[cavemann]

right on, thanks guys.....

[baldopepper]

For a little different twist, trying soaking for a short while in a bit of sweet, white wine. Dry and then brine.  Won't take a full bottle and what you do with the rest is up to you.

[cem3434]

Pretty simple, but good recipe.

[7mmfan]

I just did a batch. I modified it a little. I like my smoked fish sweeter so last time I did it I did 4:1 Brown sugar:salt. It was great, but I was striving for a little more sweetness. This time I added 1 cup white sugar to it. Definitely sweetened it up. I also did about 1/2 of it with jalapenos sliced on it while smoking. Man it adds just the right amount of zing.

[HikerHunter]

I like to keep it simple and have settled on pretty much the same recipe. I like the jalapeno idea 

[OutHouse]

My recipe is basically the same and I may have got it from a flyer that came with my Big Chief smoker. It's excellent and they look just like yours. I want to try a soy sauce version subbed in for the salt. A guy I fish with in Canada does that and sometimes sliced so thin it ends up being salmon jerky.

[h20hunter]

Nice. Great thing about my basic recipe is just that. Super basic.  Start there and keep changing things up.

[steeleywhopper]

My recipe is basically the same and I may have got it from a flyer that came with my Big Chief smoker. It's excellent and they look just like yours. I want to try a soy sauce version subbed in for the salt. A guy I fish with in Canada does that and sometimes sliced so thin it ends up being salmon jerky.

Not sure if it's me or if it's an actual thing, but I can't stand the taste of things that get brined with Soy Sauce then put in the smoker. I swear the smoke process makes the Soy Sauce taste off and ruin the product.

[cavemann]

ok, so I just went and bought a new propane smoker.  Loving the jalapeno idea and will also be trying the white wine.  Might as well do a few different twist.

[7mmfan]

My recipe is basically the same and I may have got it from a flyer that came with my Big Chief smoker. It's excellent and they look just like yours. I want to try a soy sauce version subbed in for the salt. A guy I fish with in Canada does that and sometimes sliced so thin it ends up being salmon jerky.

Not sure if it's me or if it's an actual thing, but I can't stand the taste of things that get brined with Soy Sauce then put in the smoker. I swear the smoke process makes the Soy Sauce taste off and ruin the product.

Same. I grew up thinking that's just how you did smoked fish and jerky. Once I learned otherwise and started using salt and sugar, life got a lot better.

[cavemann]

Well, thanks for the tips..  did about 15lbs and it turned out decent for a first round.

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[Stein]

Any of you guys do cold smoke/cured salmon?  It took me a few batches to get it the way I like it, but I'm kicking myself for not trying it 20 years ago.  Maybe I should start a new thread instead of my usual hijacking.

[gaddy]

 Lox? Plan in trying that next season. Just watched a couple of vids not long ago.

[Angry Perch]

Did this with a piece of a King I got from Skillet last winter. Added some spruce tips to the smoke tray for "Sitka Lox."

[3boys]

Did this with a piece of a King I got from Skillet last winter. Added some spruce tips to the smoke tray for "Sitka Lox."

That looks amazing. Going to need all the details.

[cavemann]

Man, I'm all for a Lox thread as well..  post it up!

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[CastleRocker]

I haven't had Lox in a long time.  We did make some Gravlox a couple years ago, and I've always liked it better. 

My Grandmother used to make a dish she called called "Lox-Loada".  (Not sure of the spelling).   It wasn't made with Lox, as that is salt (only) cured, but with her Grav-Lox, (salt/sugar cured).  The best way to describe it would be; Scalloped Potatoes with salmon.   
A guy that was the cook on a seiner I fished on made it as well.  He'd make his Gravlox, and if we didn't eat it all in a few days, he'd make LoxLoada with the rest.  He made his with brown sugar and salt, and it was awesome.  Lox is never smoked, only cured...that's why it can be made on a boat.  If I remember right, Grandma called the cold smoked salmon "Wesnova" or something like that.  I should figure out what the actual name is, as it's my favorite way to do collars, and bellys.