# Its Tuna Season Here!!



## baja traveler (Aug 17, 2013)

Here in San Diego we are entering the best time of the year - fishing is starting to go off, and right now the tuna are starting to show in numbers. Recently a buddy came back from a multi day trip and spread the wealth, so naturally I got the smoker ready. For this smoke I have a new secret ingredient, and I have to say that it will be included in just about everything I smoke from now on that requires a brine step.

Here's the Brine:

2 cups apple cider

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup soy (I used dark soy)

2 Tbs Molasses

1 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder

1 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder

And here is the secret ingredient : 3 cans Vernor's Ginger Ale

Why Vernor's - This Ginger Ale not only gives a nice ginger hint to the meat, but since the syrup is aged in oak barrels for years before canning, it has a beautiful sharp oaky flavor that simply works. Only Vernor's is made this way, so no substitutions will do...

I heated up the brine solution in a sauce pan to dissolve the ingredients, let them cool - then added the 3 pre-chilled cans of Vernor's. The Yellowfin tuna loins were sliced up into 1 1/2" thick pieces and brined for 6 hours. Here they are on their racks forming a pellicle. I used a fan to help speed up the process.













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__ baja traveler
__ Aug 17, 2013






I fired up the smoker to 200* - no water pan, but a large tray of play sand is in place. The AMNPS was stoked up with Maple pellets, and the yellowfin went in for a 4 hour smoke to an internal temp of 140*.

Here was my view on opening the door:













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__ baja traveler
__ Aug 17, 2013






Out on the counter cooling off, but I couldn't wait - just after I took the picture I had to try a piece. Nice and moist with a wonderful flavor. I don't think this will last very long...













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__ baja traveler
__ Aug 17, 2013


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## woodcutter (Aug 18, 2013)

Very nice!


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## mbogo (Aug 18, 2013)

That looks awesome!  I've done quite a bit of Salmon & Trout, never crossed my mind to do some Tuna-  That's now on the short list. I'm sure the ginger ale would complement that big-time. 

Also- nice lookin smoker!  Any details on what you're using??

Mbogo


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## themule69 (Aug 18, 2013)

Looks Great!

Happy smoken.

David


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## baja traveler (Aug 18, 2013)

Mbogo said:


> That looks awesome!  I've done quite a bit of Salmon & Trout, never crossed my mind to do some Tuna-  That's now on the short list. I'm sure the ginger ale would complement that big-time.
> 
> Also- nice lookin smoker!  Any details on what you're using??
> 
> Mbogo


i built my smoker starting with a NEMA 4x electrical enclosure that my work was throwing out.

Here it is after insulating and conversion - I saved the mounting points to bolt it up to a block wall:













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__ baja traveler
__ Aug 18, 2013


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## thoseguys26 (Aug 18, 2013)

I've never had smoked tuna. I bet that is stellar! I'd have a hard time not just eating is sashimi style with soy & wasabi but if you have it at your disposal, like you do, I'd definitely smoke some!


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## mbogo (Aug 19, 2013)

That's brilliant! Looks like one of those stainless Hoffman boxes, they're made right down the road from me. That thing probably cost $4k new, what a score!  Love the exhaust with damper, and it is certainly non-combustible! Great job-

Mbogo


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## humdinger (Aug 19, 2013)

Looking good Baja Traveler. My wife loves sashimi style tuna so maybe she'll like this too. Also glad you know about the secret deliciousness of Vernors Ginger Ale as a brine. It's was a highly regionalized beverage for a long time in the Rust Belt, and is still very popular here in Michigan. (Michigan accounts for 80% of Vernors sales) so it's cool that you can find it out in SoCal.I use it to inject pork butt all the time (mixed with a little Jack daniels of course) and I marinate spare ribs in it too. For dessert, use it as a substitute for Root Beer in an ice cream float. It's known as a Boston Cooler. VERY good.


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## baja traveler (Aug 19, 2013)

Injecting a Butt for my next pulled pork smoke is exactly what I was thinking - adding some Jack Daniels to the mix is a great idea! Sounds like I have a plan for the Labor day weekend...


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## dirtsailor2003 (Aug 21, 2013)

I don't know how I missed this thread! Great job on the tuna!! It is one of my favorites. Last weekend I came home from the coast with several black cod fillets for the smoker. My have to try some of the Vernors Ginger Ale on it to see how it tastes!


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## jjf2x (Aug 23, 2013)

WOW! Looks fantastic. Good job.


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## redneck69 (Aug 23, 2013)

i'm not a tuna fish fan...but i like your brine...gonna screen print that and keep it for some future fish


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## suie (Aug 23, 2013)

Wow, beautiful!! I'm going to have to give that brine a try for sure!


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## baja traveler (Aug 24, 2013)

Product of my Success.... 20 more pounds of Yellowfin Tuna to smoke.

Lets see - smoked yellowfin tuna casserole, smoked yellowfin tuna salad, smoked yellowfin tuna sandwiches, smoked yellowfin tuna spread....













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__ baja traveler
__ Aug 24, 2013


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## dirtsailor2003 (Aug 24, 2013)

We can our smokes tuna so we can use it all year long! Super jealous we didn't get any albacore this year and we're down to our last jars!!


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## blackdam (Aug 24, 2013)

I'm so jealous. 

I want to smoke tuna, like now....


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## baja traveler (Aug 25, 2013)

Batch #2 - I did everything exactly the same, but this batch has a wonderful coating and color. Maybe because I was able to get a better pellicle on it this time...













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__ baja traveler
__ Aug 25, 2013


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## dirtsailor2003 (Aug 25, 2013)

Looks great!


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## jonboat (Aug 26, 2013)

Never been a fan of tuna, but was never a fan of salmon either, so, knowing how smoking makes salmon into a real treat, I can only imagine that smoke performs the same miracle with tuna as it does with salmon. That looks really tasty. Thanks for the q-view!


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## humdinger (Aug 26, 2013)

Nice looking final product there! I like how the edges are blackened!


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## daveomak (Aug 27, 2013)

Baja, morning..... Beautiful fish.....  Yeah, the pellicle formation has a lot to do with the aesthetics and quality of the finished product...   I think you nailed it.....    Dave


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## bob b que (Sep 5, 2013)

Baja, you're driving me insane with your Q-views!

      I'm also in Fun Diego and would love to try the Vernors Ginger Ale brine. I haven't shopped around yet, but is the ale easy to find? What store? etc...

I'm new to the game but I like the look of your smoker


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## baja traveler (Sep 5, 2013)

Bob -

you can get Vernors at Vons in the softdrink isle, or at Albertsons - I found it at Albertsons next to the booze (I guess it is also used as a mixer)...


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## woodcutter (Sep 5, 2013)

I saw this on FB and couldn't resist.


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## dirtsailor2003 (Sep 5, 2013)

Bob B Que said:


> Baja, you're driving me insane with your Q-views!
> 
> I'm also in Fun Diego and would love to try the Vernors Ginger Ale brine. I haven't shopped around yet, but is the ale easy to find? What store? etc...
> 
> I'm new to the game but I like the look of your smoker


I can't get it locally, so I have to order it!  Straight from Vernor's and have it shipped to your door step if you can't find it. Google Vernor's Ginger ale to get the site.


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