Hunting Washington Forum

Community => Butchering, Cooking, Recipes => Topic started by: jnevs23 on November 27, 2012, 05:00:31 PM

Title: smoked salmon
Post by: jnevs23 on November 27, 2012, 05:00:31 PM: how do you smoke salmon and get the nice mahogany color without the ugly yellow fat deposits on top of fillets
Title: Re: smoked salmon
Post by: Huntbear on November 27, 2012, 05:04:28 PM: not sure what you are doing, but I have never had the "ugly yellow fat deposits" I always get nice clean pieces of smoked salmon.
Title: Re: smoked salmon
Post by: lucky33 on November 27, 2012, 05:25:37 PM: Try tilting the slabs at an angle so the fat runs off during smoking, and run a bit higher temperature. Ive done some larger trout that were the same way, but i found that the fat helps to get the perfect moisture and firmness of the finished product. :tung: Just keep experimenting with it :tup:
Title: Re: smoked salmon
Post by: 206 on November 27, 2012, 05:26:57 PM: The color comes from the brown sugar in the cure, the smoke, and pulled when "perfect". I like darker/crispier which comes from leaving it in the smoker longer.

They say the yellow stuff comes from not letting it sit out at room temp for a period of time before loading in the smoker, but in my experience I found it happens when the smoker is too hot at the beginning.

Here's what I have used the past few years and will continue.
http://www.theoutdoorline.com/blog/2009/06/22/Smoking-Salmon-Simplified (http://www.theoutdoorline.com/blog/2009/06/22/Smoking-Salmon-Simplified)!!!

I only use the salt, sugar and water from that recipe and cut it down by 3/4 for my batches.

He changed the resting time, last winter or so, and now amped up the hours to 18 to 24. I did this once and it turned out about the same as resting it 4 hours.
Title: Re: smoked salmon
Post by: 206 on November 27, 2012, 05:31:34 PM: cutting salmon like in the link is also important for the home smoker. I've done bigger slabs, and that yellow stuff can't evaporate out the side and top so it boils up. That may be your issue.
Title: Re: smoked salmon
Post by: jnevs23 on November 27, 2012, 05:41:38 PM: thanks for the info, ithink my problem might be that i let it air dry in the fridge because i had to do it while i was at work
Title: Re: smoked salmon
Post by: WDFW Hates ME!!! on November 27, 2012, 06:02:48 PM: When you cook your salmon instead of smoke it... That is where the yellow fat comes from, trying to smoke it on to high of a temp.
Title: Re: smoked salmon
Post by: Kc_Kracker on November 27, 2012, 06:22:49 PM: fat deposits, what WDFW said, too high a temp, they happen, and they are tasty dont be shy :tup:
Title: Re: smoked salmon
Post by: Kioti on November 28, 2012, 06:30:14 AM: Good site 206....lots of good stuff there.....
I may have to put a salmon in the smoker soon.
Today its smoked chicken.
Title: Re: smoked salmon
Post by: jnevs23 on November 30, 2012, 08:48:33 PM: Ok this is kind of weird. This post is under my name but I did not post. I've never smoked salmon before ad don't even own a smoker. Unless the date is wrong and I posted this years ago and totally forgot, all previous posts by me on this thread aren't from me.
Title: Re: smoked salmon
Post by: Kc_Kracker on November 30, 2012, 09:18:06 PM: :o :o you have split personalities? :yike: :yike: :yike:
Title: Re: smoked salmon
Post by: jnevs23 on November 30, 2012, 09:23:04 PM: Just figured out my account is logged in on my dads computer. Cracked the case
Title: Re: smoked salmon
Post by: Kc_Kracker on November 30, 2012, 09:24:39 PM: well tell pops to make a account and say hi :tup:
Title: Re: smoked salmon
Post by: jnevs23 on November 30, 2012, 09:26:35 PM: He has one, getting lazy in his old age