Help with salmon...

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

debbiedlvn

Newbie
Original poster
Nov 18, 2007
1
10
Hi. I'm a newbie smoker, with a new CookShack Smokette. I'd like to hear from anyone here as to their preferred rub for salmon. Dry or wet brine? Suggested recipes? Thanks to any and all for their help. This is a great forum, and am looking forward to getting educated.
 
Welcome to the forum Debbiedlvn!
icon_smile.gif


There are some really good salmon ideas and recipes in this section...
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...splay.php?f=17
 
debbie

lay the salmon fillet in a cooler cover with heavy coat of rocksalt for 11/2 hours rinse place into smoker let rest for 1 hour smoke it is a simple but good recipe
 
Welcome Debbie -

Can't help you much with salmon unless you want to make lox. I don't get much fish up here but will treat the guys at work to a few blocks of lox to go with their morning bagels form time to time. Nice to have you aboard!
 
Here is a very tasty but simple marinade for salmon

3 tablespoons country dijon mustard
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
 
Let me ask, what are you looking to do with the salmon? I understand that you want to smoke it, but what kind of wood do you want to use? And what type of brine are you looking for? Sweet, Salty, what?
 
Welcome to SMF, Debbie! I've only smoked a couple of salmon filets, but my favorite rub (out of those 2) is pretty simple. Mix brown sugar and dill weed in a one-to-one ratio and add a little kosher salt and some ground black pepper. Put it on the salmon thick enough that you can't actually see any of the flesh. That's my 2 cents worth on the salmon.

Make yourself at home here at the forum. We're glad to have you with us.
 
I think I do my salmon a little differently than most in that I use very little salt. I make a brine of about 1/2 gallon water, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2-3 table spoons of Brazilian sea salt and table spoon of minced garlic. I soak it overnight at about 50* F, rinse it off in the morning, and smoke it at 250* F for about 3 to 3-1/2 hours (until it's 'done').

I like to be able taste the salmon, and not the salt so much :)
 
I marinate salmon in teryaki sauce for about an hour then cover it with maple syrup. It goes on the electric ecb for about 45 minutes or until it is opaque all the way through but still very moist and tender.
 
do u get very many salmon in saskabush?..lol (j/k)

i use to wet brine mine but i found that the flavor didnt penetrate the meat as well as a rub...when u rub it, the salt in the mixture draws out some of the moisture in the fish....

my basic rub is... 3 parts brown sugar, 1 part pickling salt...garlic powder,onion powder,lemon pepper,fresh cracked black pepper... u can add your favorite spices..

lay the filets skin side down in a plastic container or similar, cover with rub (i lay the fish in a single layer), wrap or cover the container for a minimum of 18 hours depending on the thickness of the fish....when u are ready to smoke, rinse lightly with water, lay on some kind of rack with a fan gently blowing on them to form the pellicule... i smoke with a combo of apple and maple.

when the salmon is done smoking heres what i do... i peel all the skin off of the meat, and then i remove all of the dark (grey/brown) meat...this is the lateral line, where all the contaminants(sp?) are and what gives fish its most fishy taste...
 
I do ALOT of salmon here on the west coast and I prefer a cure rather than a brine. Here are the basics:
  • 4 cups dark brown sugar
  • 1 cup non-iodized salt (pickling or kosher salt)
  • 10-15 cloves garlic
  1. Cover the fillets liberally with the dry cure mixture and stack them in the bottom of a non-metallic pan.
  2. Once all the fish is coated, cover the container and put it in the fridge for about six hours.
  3. After six hours, take the pieces out and rinse them gently in cold water.
  4. Lay pieces on a rack to dry at room temperature. Use the rack from your smoker because it's convenient. You need to let the fish dry at least a couple of hours. or up to four to six hours, depending upon the thickness of the fillets. What you're trying to do is dry the fish out and form the pellicle on the surface of the flesh.
  5. Preheat your smoker, I like to do mine between 200-225. I used a combination of hickory and cherry wood for this smoke and was very pleased with the result, but your choice.
  6. Arrange racks in smoker with the thicker pieces lower down and the thinner tail pieces on top.
  7. Smoke the salmon until internal temp is between 145-165 depending on taste. Personally I like sushi but my family prefers the fish to be well done, so I smoked mine for about 4 hours.
  8. The best way to preserve this fish is to vacuum pack it and freeze it
 
Soaking overnight at 50 degrees would not be recommended since the fish would be in the danger zone of 40 - 140 degrees for longer then 4 hours> USDA recommends keeping the food below 40 or above 140 to inhibit spoiling due to bacteria growth that occurs in that temperature range.
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky