Pinks it's whats for dinner or smoker?????

[PA BEN]

A lot of people told me when I moved over here Pinks are not good to eat. Well there pretty good on the BBQ. And very good smoked. Unless you tried them don't talk.
BBQ'ed pink

Cured eggs


ready to go in the smoker


Ready in the smoker

[upwind]

Taste good to me.

[3dsheetmetal]

 

[lokidog]

Nothing wrong with fresh pinks from the salt on the BBQ and especially in the smoker... shhh, don't tell anyone!   

[Ripper]

I'm with ya on this one Ben. Properly cared for and fresh out of the salt they are great eating. Just looking at your pics makes me hungry.

[trippledigitss]

I dont like salmon/steelhead at all, none of it, except for smoked. But everyone I have either given pinks to or known that cooks them fresh or even from a frozen vac pack says they are just as good as anything. I gave a fresh one to this gal at work last week and the next day she was raving up & down about how goooood it was! One year my wife made coho, chinook, steelhead, and pinks all in the exact same recipe and did a 'blind' taste test with my family and every single person except my 8yr old son like the pinks best. My boy liked the chinook. So if you ask me pinks are just as good as the rest of them!

[sisu]

If they have sea lice, have no color to them & female maybe. Other that that sorry, no. 

[bigtex]

From the salt= BBQ or Bake
"Fresh" in the river (still very shiny/silver)= BBQ/Bake or smoke
Been in the river and losing their "shinyness"= smoker it is!

[Buckslaya]

I'm with you Ben, they are some good eating. After reading about them on this site I would have thought they were worse than shoe leather, but now that I've caught and cooked a couple of them, they are great on the bbq! Actually after giving some to friends of mine that have not heard of the pink stigma, they couldnt have liked them more...

[seansfire]

you guys got a smoking or brine recipe for pinks you would be willing to share?

i tried smoking one a few years ago that i got up at Hoodsport but i had a helluva time keeping it lit. 

[singleshot12]

Yeah never could figure out why humpys got such a bad rap. A fresh well taken care of brite humpy is a fine eating fish.

Simple recipe is to sprinkle kosher salt on filets then rub in brown sugar, let it create own brine for a day or two. Then smoke with 2 pans of apple and then finish off in oven at 170

[WSU]

They are edible, not not near as good as other salmon.  Why eat pink when the freezer is full of better fish?  That said, bright ones aren't bad smoked.

[seansfire]

the one humpy i did smoke came out really greasy. maybe it was the brine i used. it was a mixture of apple juice and some other stuff. can't recall honestly. thanks for the tip.

[DOUBLELUNG]

Pinks evolved to begin to rot as soon as they die, and to die right after spawning.  Keeps the nutrients in the estuary where their fry develop. 
 
Need to catch them pre-spawn, shiny bright as has been said.  Bleed them, gut them, bury them in ice, eat ASAP or smoke fresh.  I really like them smoked, very fine texture.
 
However, I would never consider one from the grocery store 

[PA BEN]

Bleed them, gut them, bury them in ice, eat ASAP or smoke fresh.  I really like them smoked, very fine texture.
This is what I do.
As far as smoking I use soy sauce and honey. Enough honey to sweeten the soy. Soak for 4 to 6 days. Wash and pat dry, pepper them and I let them dry on the racks for an hr or two, heat up the smoker and smoke until dry, 8 to 10 hrs. I don't like the salt so soy is what I use. Pull the skin off when you take them out of the smoker, the skin keeps the moisture in.