# Swordfish



## normanaj (Jan 20, 2018)

Being in RI smoked bluefish is a staple and I've done it many times but sword is a whole different thing...thickness,texture etc.

Has anyone here smoked sword?The one thing I do not want to do is possibly wreck it($$$!) so anything y'all can share would be much appreciated.

Norm


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## SonnyE (Jan 20, 2018)

Never smoked it myself, Norm. But have had it and it was delicious.
I found this though: Smoked Swordfish
Hope that can help.
And here is a Bobby Flay video from Food Network.


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## dls1 (Jan 20, 2018)

I've cooked a fair amount of swordfish, both in the oven, stove top, and smoker. The most important thing I've learned is that you need to treat it like a real sensitive steak. I cook it to an IT of 115F-120F, then foil it for a few minutes while the carry over takes it to around 120F-125F for a nice rare, to medium rare, piece of fish. Anything beyond that, it moves quickly into dry and super well done territory very quick and, to my way of thinking, is essentially ruined. I keep the seasoning and sauces pretty simple as I don't want to overwhelm and mask the taste of the fish.

When smoking, I do so at 200F and use a mild wood such as oak or apple.

Hope that helps, and good luck.


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## cmayna (Jan 20, 2018)

Though I have never smoked swordfish, I can only imagine it being a pretty dry meat, possibly needing a wet brine like halibut, rock fish, etc.  I would smoke it low and slow.


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## normanaj (Jan 21, 2018)

Thanks guys.Going to give it a shot today.I'll let you know how it came out.


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## normanaj (Jan 22, 2018)

Lemon,salt,pepper,garlic.Smoked at 220 with applewood until 130IT.It was OK,the best way to describe it was bland smokiness.

Never smoked fish of any kind on a MES electric.I guess I'll stick with bluefish and tautog on the WSM!


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## SonnyE (Jan 22, 2018)

normanaj said:


> Lemon,salt,pepper,garlic.Smoked at 220 with applewood until 130IT.It was OK,the best way to describe it was bland smokiness.
> 
> Never smoked fish of any kind on a MES electric.I guess I'll stick with bluefish and tautog on the WSM!



Sorry to hear that.
Don't give up though. Practice with some sort of lesser fish.
You didn't say how long you smoked it for, only the IT.
I smoke a lot of Salmon I catch from the shores of Costco's freezers. Long, cold, slow. 
I think around 6 hours. And lately with Alder. (Pucks in a Bradley Smoke Generator)

Not every recipe comes out grand. But every one is a learning experience.


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## cmayna (Jan 22, 2018)

normanaj said:


> Lemon,salt,pepper,garlic.Smoked at 220 with applewood until 130IT.It was OK,the best way to describe it was bland smokiness.
> 
> Never smoked fish of any kind on a MES electric.I guess I'll stick with bluefish and tautog on the WSM!



For smoked fish, I would have done as I suggested earlier.....low and slow.  Start out at 130* then 140* then 150*.  I smoke tons of fish in my MES40. Can't think of a better smoker to use.


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## red sled (Feb 14, 2018)

cmayna said:


> For smoked fish, I would have done as I suggested earlier.....low and slow.  Start out at 130* then 140* then 150*.  I smoke tons of fish in my MES40. Can't think of a better smoker to use.



I don't mean to hijack this thread, and I don't know if the MES40 is the same design, but my MES30 won't smoke when it's set to those low temps.  Is there something I can do to my smoker without having to spend more money for an AMZN pellet smoker attachment ?


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## cmayna (Feb 14, 2018)

I have always used the mailbox mod with a AMNS, AMNPS and AMNTS, with my MES40.  Once you've taken this step, you'll never to back to stock.  Being able to control the smoke independently from the smoker's controller is a cat's meow.  Think about being able to smoke cheese in your MES30 :)


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## SonnyE (Feb 14, 2018)

red sled said:


> I don't mean to hijack this thread, and I don't know if the MES40 is the same design, but my MES30 won't smoke when it's set to those low temps.  Is there something I can do to my smoker without having to spend more money for an AMZN pellet smoker attachment ?



I suppose that depends on how 'handy' you are. I did this.
But so far, it's cost more than an AMNPS, and I'm still going to get one for the l-o-n-g burn at a s-l-o-w smoke.
My idea is to be able to independently control smoker box temperature with the smoker control, and the smoke with the Mod.
From my experience with smoking, trying to use the heating element (that has to cycle to maintain oven temperature), to attempt to heat the fuel to a smoldering state, does *not* work well.
So the answer, as many of these guys with more experience with these MES's can attest, is to make the fuel work independently of the temperature controlled element.
And the *Best and Quickest fix* is the AMNPS, or other AMN type smoke generators. You full it, set it low in your MES30, and walk away.
My 1st choice is to use pellets. They are very readily available around me. Second is to use fuel I can make in my shop from pallet oak. Last fuel option for me is the Gar~bage bags of wood sold around me as smoking fuel, it's just too inconsistant with too many larger chunks for MES use.
The right choice for me has come down to AMNPS because it can burn both, and appears to be able to do so at a steady TBS rate. And I can mix pellets and chips.

Sorry to be the barer of bad news :(.
My recommendation: Succumb to the need of the AMNPS for proper smoke generation.
Then, if you want to, do a Mod to use it. But it is the answer to our cold smoking needs. ;)


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## Bearcarver (Feb 14, 2018)

I love Swordfish---Smoked or Grilled !!

However the USDA recommends that it be cooked to 145° to eliminate the Parasites.

And there's always the following:
*Mercury poisoning is still a concern when it comes to fish consumption, but there are ways to mitigate this risk.To reduce the risk of mercury contamination, avoid eating swordfish, shark, tilefish and king mackerel altogether. Limit your intake of white tuna (also known as albacore) to less than 6 ounces per week.*


Bear


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## red sled (Feb 15, 2018)

Thank you old goat and SonnyE for your input.  I'm afraid you are correct and something extra is required.


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## SonnyE (Feb 15, 2018)

red sled said:


> Thank you old goat and SonnyE for your input.  I'm afraid you are correct and something extra is required.



I think a smoker is like a Harley Davidson...
It really isn't 'Yours' until you do a bit of customizing.

The easiest place to begin is with an AMNPS. 
Consistent smoke regardless of temperature being used. ;) :(

I'm going about it bass-ackwards. :confused:


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## normanaj (Feb 24, 2018)

Revisiting this tonight in the pouring rain.And as an added bonus there is a piece of thresher shark going on also!Will let y'all know how it came out.


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## normanaj (Feb 25, 2018)

Better,much better.Spicing it and leaving in the fridge overnight did the trick,plus this time around the cut was better.

Thresher...nothing compares to it.I've had it a few times over the years and no other fish comes close.


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## normanaj (Aug 24, 2019)

Have two nice 1lb steaks.One for the smoker and one for the grill.The other half wasn't a huge fan of it smoked and if at this stage in the game if I screw up on the grill I should be fired!

This time around I'm going to use the MES to smoke it.The WSM is buried pretty deep in the shed anyways.

Some one gave me a 2lb bag of cherry pellets.I've never used cherry pellets and maybe twice in the WSM and not for seafood.Anyone used cherry for fish?


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## Bearcarver (Aug 24, 2019)

normanaj said:


> Have two nice 1lb steaks.One for the smoker and one for the grill.The other half wasn't a huge fan of it smoked and if at this stage in the game if I screw up on the grill I should be fired!
> 
> This time around I'm going to use the MES to smoke it.The WSM is buried pretty deep in the shed anyways.
> 
> Some one gave a 2lb bag of cherry pellets.I've never used cherry pellets and maybe twice in the WSM and not for seafood.Anyone used cherry for fish?




I try to stay away from Cherry pellets, because they don't burn good in the AMNPS.
My Son told me Thresher Shark is Awesome too, but so far I haven't had the pleasure!!

Bear


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## normanaj (Aug 24, 2019)

Bearcarver said:


> I try to stay away from Cherry pellets, because they don't burn good in the AMNPS.
> My Son told me Thresher Shark is Awesome too, but so far I haven't had the pleasure!!
> 
> Bear



Went with my go-to of apple/hickory mix.

Thresher is.....thresher.Its that good!


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## normanaj (Aug 25, 2019)

A few pics of yesterday's smoked and grilled sword.The wife made some killer crab cakes too.And you can never go wrong with peas as a veggie.


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