Salmon Nuggets

[cmayna]

Yes all, I'm running out of my Salmon Nuggets and needed something to snack on tomorrow during Super Bowels :biggrin:

A chunk of King Salmon getting diced up

About 4+ pounds of King becoming nuggetized

Here's the nuggets in their brine with some Alaskan Silver salmon in the small white bowl as a test and king in the tub. Same exact dry brine, but since Silver tastes different to me as compared to King, thought I'd keep the Silver separate during brine, dry and smoke. Brining was for 4.5 hours, using the standard 4/1 ratio of dk brown sugar / non iodized salt with lots of fresh minced garlic.---belch!

Rinsed and now drying on the racks. Bottom rack is Silver chunky monkeys. Room drying for 2 hours

Mr. Big Chief Loaded and fired up. Going to do 1 hour @ 125+, bump to another hour @ 145, final hour at 160 til an IT of 140 is reached. Note I have a 1000 watt adjustable element in the smoker as compared to the stock 450 watt non adjustable. Also I have a AMNTS next to the burner smoking alder and apple pellets. There is no wood in the pan. It's just there as heat distributor.

Here's some smoke.....Note the extra holes I put in along the bottom for the AMNTS

Going out to raise up to 160 for the final hour. Stay tuned for more pics. :439:


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[cmayna]

Pulling the finished product out of Mr. Chief who doesn't want to let it go...

Closeup of the AMNTS in action. Note the metal heat shield divider.

Belch 1

Belch 2 with the Silver Salmon back in the white bowl

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[rpmrn]

Those look absolutely amazing. I'm going to have to do some this week.

Wonderful shine. Did you use a sauce to finish? Saw a video where a guy just uses honey and black pepper to finish.

 

[so ms smoker]

  Really nice looking salmon chunks! How was the taste test?

   Mike

 

[cmayna]

Yes I typically mop (one side only) the pieces with a diluted honey moments before they head to the smoker, followed with a few chunks of coarse pepper.    Here's a link to a thread I did regarding the taste test.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/177226/difference-between-smoked-silver-and-king-salmon

 

[azbohunter]

cmayna,

You said this is your standard brine.

4/1 ratio of dk brown sugar / non iodized salt with lots of fresh minced garlic (is the belch optional or mandatory)

BUT, I noticed a large Yoshidas in the background? Do you use it in your brine? That is part of my "go to" brine so it caught my eye!

 

[cmayna]

Oops, totally forgot to mention the Yoyo juice.   Yes, I simply pour anywhere from 1/4 cup to 2/3 cup worth onto the fish after I have mixed everything in the dry brine.   Gently stirring the juice around all the pieces.   But will say that I do not use that particular juice all the time.  I'm always trying different marinades or sauces or sometimes I go back to just the sugar, salt & garlic basics.  Need to periodic take breaks from the juice.