# Apple wood cold smoked lox



## Baconyoulikeapig (Oct 25, 2020)

My first attempt at some lox went better then I expected! Normally there's no smoking involved with lox, but I wanted to add just a kiss of smoke. So I tossed it in for a 30 minute cold smoke and it's so good! The cure took 36 hours and it's got the right amount of salt.  I'm very pleased with this!


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## SmokinAl (Oct 26, 2020)

Looks perfect to me!
Do you have a recipe?
Did you use cure#1?
Al


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## HalfSmoked (Oct 26, 2020)

Nice looking first try.

Warren


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## Baconyoulikeapig (Oct 26, 2020)

SmokinAl said:


> Looks perfect to me!
> Do you have a recipe?
> Did you use cure#1?
> Al



I started with quality salmon and used this recipe for the brine.


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## 2Mac (Oct 26, 2020)

Looks and sounds really good. But what is the "important note below the recipe"? LOL


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## Baconyoulikeapig (Oct 26, 2020)

2Mac said:


> Looks and sounds really good. But what is the "important note below the recipe"? LOL



Good catch, the important note says to use sushi grade salmon. The curing process helps fight bacteria but won't kill any worms that may or may not be in the fish.


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## thirdeye (Oct 26, 2020)

Fun fact:  When you smoke lox it's called Nova lox.  And yours looks as good as, or better than any I've seen!    Can you post the full procedure? 

I wrote an article on Nova lox some years back, and it's funny because it took forever to develop my procedure because over the years Nova lox had developed into different things to different people.  Even a friend in Nova Scotia couldn't give me any information.   The one thing in common  i got from cook books, and first hand accounts and recipes was *Nova lox was less salty than traditional lox, especially the lox that was popular before refrigeration.  * Not much to go on, but my procedure is a two-part dry and wet cure, with a cold smoke finish.  It takes about 60 hours from start to finish, and I get almost a 'candied' look.   Here is some Nova next to my standard hot smoked salmon.


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## Baconyoulikeapig (Oct 26, 2020)

thirdeye said:


> Fun fact:  When you smoke lox it's called Nova lox.  And yours looks as good as, or better than any I've seen!    Can you post the full procedure?
> 
> I wrote an article on Nova lox some years back, and it's funny because it took forever to develop my procedure because over the years Nova lox had developed into different things to different people.  Even a friend in Nova Scotia couldn't give me any information.   The one thing in common  i got from cook books, and first hand accounts and recipes was *Nova lox was less salty than traditional lox, especially the lox that was popular before refrigeration.  * Not much to go on, but my procedure is a two-part dry and wet cure, with a cold smoke finish.  It takes about 60 hours from start to finish, and I get almost a 'candied' look.   Here is some Nova next to my standard hot smoked salmon.
> View attachment 468281




Thanks! You also tought me something there about the Nova Lox. 

This was my process:
Mix all dry ingredients and put half down on some plastic wrap. Lay about a pound of quality farm raised salmon skin side down and sprinkle the second half of dry ingredients on top of fish. Wrap the fish leaving sides of plastic wrap open for liquid to escape. Set a dish on the salmon with a few canned good for weight. Put in fridge for 36 hours flipping fish every 12 hours and letting liquid drain. 

Once the 36 hours is up, rinse fish and pay dry. Cold smoke for 30 minutes. Slice thin and serve! 

It didn't give me a heavy salty taste, it was extremely comparable to Costco's Kirkland lox.


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## thirdeye (Oct 26, 2020)

Thanks.  What is the logic for draining off the liquid and turning while curing?
---
For my dry curing I try to only use skin-on fillets with the belly strip removed. On a piece of clear wrap, I lay down a layer of cure, then set the fillet meat side down and seal with the seam on top.  No additional cure on the skin side, I don't turn, and the seal prevents the syrup from leaking. 





Cure dissolved into syrup





My cold smoke times are 3 to 8 hours using a sawdust generator.


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## Baconyoulikeapig (Oct 26, 2020)

thirdeye said:


> Thanks.  What is the logic for draining off the liquid and turning while curing?



That's a good question.. I'm very new to this so I don't have that answer. It was in the directions I was using and I didn't second guess it. Sounds like it's not necessary to drain and turn.


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## thirdeye (Oct 26, 2020)

Baconyoulikeapig said:


> That's a good question.. I'm very new to this so I don't have that answer. It was in the directions I was using and I didn't second guess it. *Sounds like it's not necessary to drain and turn.*



Right, you want to preserve the liquid, it has a purpose. When dry curing any of the red meat products...., the salt in the dry curing mixture, which could also include curing salts too (Cure #1 or Tender Quick) draws liquid out of the meat into the bag or wrap, or dish etc.  The liquid dissolves the sugar and any aromatics.  And then the meat re-absorbs some of the liquid during the curing time.  When dry curing fish you get a syrup which is like a thick brine.  The liquid from bacon or ham is a thinner and more watery brine.

I bet not much leaked out, plus you had cure on the skin side too, which is in your favor.  As is the 36 hour cure time.   And the fact that when curing bacon for example the amounts used are precise.  When dry curing fish WITHOUT curing salt added to your mixture, you sort of eyeball the amount of curing mixture.


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## Baconyoulikeapig (Oct 26, 2020)

thirdeye said:


> Right, you want to preserve the liquid, it has a purpose. When dry curing any of the red meat products...., the salt in the dry curing mixture, which could also include curing salts too (Cure #1 or Tender Quick) draws liquid out of the meat into the bag or wrap, or dish etc.  The liquid dissolves the sugar and any aromatics.  And then the meat re-absorbs some of the liquid during the curing time.  When dry curing fish you get a syrup which is like a thick brine.  The liquid from bacon or ham is a thinner and more watery brine.
> 
> I bet not much leaked out, plus you had cure on the skin side too, which is in your favor.  As is the 36 hour cure time.   And the fact that when curing bacon for example the amounts used are precise.  When dry curing fish WITHOUT curing salt added to your mixture, you sort of eyeball the amount of curing mixture.



Thank you for the explanation, I'll make the changes to my process and keep the liquid.


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