Smoked Salmon for the holidays

Hell Fire Grill · Posted: Dec 27 2009 Post subject: Smoked Salmon for the holidays

Not quite a grate full but enough to share with friends and family for the holidays.

I used my go to dry brine recipe.

4 Cups Brown Sugar
1 Cup Kosher salt
20 Cloves of Garlic (pressed)

I like to cut the fillets into 1 - 1 1/2" wide strips. Because thats about the average thickness of the salmon fillets that I catch in the fall. Leave the skin on never remove the skin. In my opinion the fish can dry out too quickly and then your left chewing on a tough chewy hunk of garbage.

Dredge the fish in brine.(all you need is what will stick to the fish)
Brine for 48-72 hours. Thats how I do it!
Overhual it twice a day, or more if you have time.
I like to use a baster and baste the fish a couple times a day, with the juice in the container, as well as overhauling. I think it makes a more evenly brined end product.

Rinse the salmon GENTLY so you dont rinse all the brine off. I fill my container, like you can see in the first pic, and slosh the water around for about 10 seconds, twice. You want to leave enough drine on the fish to act like a glaze and develope a real nice pelic.

Dry the fish by PATTING with a paper or cotton towel, dont rub it. You can also fold the towel over to cover the fish, top and bottom, and gently press on it to remove most of the moisture on the fish. Then let it sit in the open air and dry untill there is a pelic or tacky layer covering the fish. Sometimes the fish dont want to dry very fast and you can use a fan to help. There is no set time for this to happen, because of temp and humidity, the fish can sit at room temprature for several hours without worrying about it spoiling.

Smoke at 100 - 125* untill the fish gets to the level of dryness that you like. I used apple wood and smoked the fish for about 12 hours on this batch. Theres no set time for this because every fish has a little different fat content and everyone has their own idea what the fish should be like. I always have a sample piece at each end of the smoker and nibble on it a little when I check it. Some folks like to heat the fish to 140* to finish it, I usually only do that when the fish is fresh and has never been frozen.

k.a.m. · Posted: Dec 27 2009 Post subject:

Hell Fire Grill, that Salmon looks mighty delicious. Very Happy

I would have a hard time not licking the grates Very Happy

Nicely done my man. Smile

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Hell Fire Grill · Posted: Dec 27 2009 Post subject:

Thanks KAM. Are you on a diet? I'd give you a piece if you were here to lick the grates............Unless your on a diet.

k.a.m. · Posted: Dec 27 2009 Post subject:

Hell Fire Grill · Posted: Dec 27 2009 Post subject:

Let me know when you and the Mrs. leave the house so I can get more salmon out of the freezer.

Buxndux · Joined: 20 Dec 2009 Posts: 14 Location: Logandale, NV

Hey that looks great...nice smoker by the way!

Mrs. K.A.M. · Posted: Dec 28 2009 Post subject:

WoW

Looks absolutely delicious Very Happy

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My UDS.

idahosmoke · Newbie Joined: 15 Jul 2009 Posts: 25 Location: Idaho

nice job on the salmon hell fire grill. Thats the exact amount of doneness that I like in mine. I couldn't agree with you more about leaving the skin on, that is a must IMHO. Have you ever tried canning it after smoking??

Hell Fire Grill · Posted: Dec 29 2009 Post subject:

I can quite a bit of it but have never canned smoked salmon my self. I have had canned smoked salmon several times and just dont like it as well as when its prepared one way or the other.

miketurner1 · Posted: Jan 26 2011 Post subject: Smoked Steelhead

Right now through spring steelhead litter every stream around me would your method work for those also? I only tried smoking fish once about 6 yrs ago and it was horrible disaster, but I want to try it again.

Hell Fire Grill · Posted: Jan 26 2011 Post subject: Re: Smoked Steelhead

killswitch505 · Posted: Jan 26 2011 Post subject:

$hit hell fire i know you aint eatin all that how about you next day some of that to new mexico Very Happy

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Hell Fire Grill · Posted: Jan 26 2011 Post subject:

That stuff was gone a year ago (old post) Denny sorry. I'll keep you in mind next time I smoke a batch.

"$hit hell fire" Sounds like something that happend to me about a month ago. WWWWHHHHHEEEEEEEWWWWW!!! Glad I got that outa my system.

miketurner1 · Posted: Jan 26 2011 Post subject:

Thanks Hellfire..one question though what did you mean by "overhaul it"?

Hell Fire Grill · Posted: Jan 26 2011 Post subject:

Overhauling is to turn the meat over and/or reposition it in the brine/fluid that comes out of the meat.

Overhauling insures complete coverage on all sides so you dont have dry or blochy areas on your meat and a more thourogh cure.

miketurner1 · Posted: Jan 27 2011 Post subject:

Thanks for the reit Hellfire I should have figured that. I

Hell Fire Grill · Posted: Jan 27 2011 Post subject:

Take a look at this miketurner1.

http://www.salmonuniversity.com/rs_htss01_index.html

miketurner1 · Posted: Jan 27 2011 Post subject:

Great resource! Thanls for the link! I may see if I cant find some unfrozen water and catch some steelies this weekend!