Got a rainbow in a stream on the North Shore of Lake Superior this spring. I call them loopers, better known as kamloops, a strain of rainbow trout. It was about 5 pounds. I thawed it out and trimmed it up a bit. Normally I leave the head on, but I kept this one for future fish stock. Here is the brine I used----
1 gallon water
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pickling salt
1/8th cup black pepper
2 T diced garlic [i used the stuff in a jar]
7 bay leaves
2 T onion powder
I set the smoker after a 24 hour brine at 230 and used apple wood chips for smoke. Took about 4 hours, and I took the trout out when the internal was around 155 deg. Here are some pics---
1 gallon water
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup pickling salt
1/8th cup black pepper
2 T diced garlic [i used the stuff in a jar]
7 bay leaves
2 T onion powder
I set the smoker after a 24 hour brine at 230 and used apple wood chips for smoke. Took about 4 hours, and I took the trout out when the internal was around 155 deg. Here are some pics---