Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

First time attempting a cure/cold smoke on salmon.

Steelhead on the left, sockeye on the right.



Equal parts brown cane sugar and kosher salt. Ground up Szechuan peppercorns, black peppercorns, dried dill, and dried bay leaves for the aromatics. Got the bed down, placed the salmon down, and covered the top.



Filled in the gaps with more kosher salt and added a thin layer on top. Into the refrigerator for 20 hours!



Next step will be to remove the salt, rinse, and air dry in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours.

 

I've done similar a couple of times and the results are so delicious and gratifying

 

That’s what I like to here. Ran out of time last cold season, so I’m getting an early start this year.

 

Make sure you report back with some good pictures of the final product! my mouth is watering already... looks great man

 

Not usually a fish guy but let me know how it comes out. That's a metric butt load of salt, I'm curious if it comes out as worth the effort and resources to do it that way.

 

The effort's really minimal, just cover the fish in salt and sugar and maybe some lemon zest/spices and let it sit in the fridge. Totally worthwhile

 

$3.12 of Morton’s kosher salt for two fillets (+ whatever herbs/spices you grind in).

 

Update: salmon was rinsed and has been drying all day. It’ll go on as soon as I pull off the Worcestershire, butter, and salt / cashews.

 

Damn.

 

Same smoke for one as many, might as well fill ‘er up!

 

I’ve not smoked any cheese for a good nearly two years you gave me a hankering

Smoke tube or ?

 

I use the green mountain tube in my traeger

 

See y’all in 20 hours

 

Sorry, missed this. Yeah, I use a $12 - $15 hexagonal tube from Amazon and end up having to replace it each year. I’m also pumping out 9-12 smokes per week in season so I can sell all year.

 

I have the same tube. Works great

 

One more 24 hour stretch

 

Here’s what I’ve learned:

Fatty salmon, per most cases, is the way to go. The salt drew out the moisture of the Steelhead without over salting the meat. The Sockeye is good, but will it likely end up on snacks/bagels with fatty cream cheese or omelettes. It ended up with a slight jerky texture.

This stuff is absolutely dreamy and I’m excited to try different flavors in the brines.

 

Smoked some ribs yesterday. Three ways…spicy pitfaced on one, SPG on the other two, but one of those was finished with some spicy Japanese bbq sauce. Forgot to take a final pic until after finishing half a rack lol

 

Damn.

 

Columbia River spring chinook is hands down the best.