Cold smoked Albacore

[cmayna]

Still needing to make more room in our freezers for this upcoming fishing season, I elected some Albacore Tuna loins to spend some time in some brine and then in the smoker. Wish I had done way more for I've already given most of this batch away. More in the freezer waiting their turn.

Found a thread some time ago from a Canadian Sportfishing forum that looked promising. Though there were no details, there was enough to get me in trouble....in a good way. This was the 3rd time, I've tried this recipe recently.

--Brined the loins for 20 hours in a dry mix of brown sugar and rock salt 3/1 ratio which also had some fresh fennel, dill, lemon zest and tarragon.
--Rinsed and fridged for 5 hours
--Room dried for 2 hours
--Cold smoked with apple for 5.5 hours
--Back into the fridge over night.

Being room dried:

My favorite cold smoker (Masterbuilt gasser with no gas) AMNPS on a tray below the burner (will try to find some pics of the AMNPS in position).

Finished product. I really like the addition of fresh fennel, dill & tarragon to the dry brine. Really adds a great flavor. All I need is to get out some crackers and cream cheese.......

 

[thirdeye]

Wow. I'm trying this when I can find some quality tuna... which is hard to find in my neck of the woods, but it shows up from time to time. I'm curious about the 20 hour cure, what was the salt level like?

I have used a very similar dry aromatic cure on Ahi, but my cure times were 5 or 6 hours, then 4 to 6 hours of hot smoke to 140°, and it was as good as my smoked salmon or steelhead.

 

[cmayna]

My salmon recipe uses a 4/1 ratio of brn sugar / salt. But that's a hot smoke using similar brine and smoke times that you noted. My Salmon lox recipe is a little saltier and brine time is much longer. This recipe was yes a little saltier but didn't bother me at all. I did 2 parts of brown sugar with 1 part of white sugar with 1 part rock salt.

Many of our fishing buddies are hard core raw tuna eaters. They have gone crazy over this dish.

Here's last year's catch

 

[daspyknows]

Looks amazing. We get fresh albacore here and I usually marinate in yoshida's gourmet sauce then smoke over apple wood.

 

[jcam222]

Looks amazing as all of your fish posts do!!

 

[cmayna]

Once you get use to eating Ahi, Yellow Fin or Yellow Tail or Albacore as a cold smoke dish, it's hard to digest a hot (140'ish) degree smoked tuna. Just too dry for my taste buddies. Saying that, the only kinda cooked Albacore dish I make is Tuna Tataki which is ever so slightly seared in a pan, like maybe 1/8" cooked max.

God! now I'm hungry

 

[thirdeye]

Once you get use to eating Ahi, Yellow Fin or Yellow Tail or Albacore as a cold smoke dish, it's hard to digest a hot (140'ish) degree smoked tuna. Just too dry for my taste buddies. Saying that, the only kinda cooked Albacore dish I make is Tuna Tataki which is ever so slightly seared in a pan, like maybe 1/8" cooked max.

God! now I'm hungry

... if it's fresh and high quality. I just don't get that level of quality seafood very often. Even when making tuna tacos, I grill it a hair further than most coastal denizens would.

 

[cmayna]

Here's a pic of the AMNPS in place under the burner. Oh and when I use the gas, I use a pellet tube up above the burner level, so the burner's flames don't consume the smoke.

 

[Fueling Around]

I so miss living on the pacific coast especially after seeing another of your posts.

I am not a raw or seared fish fan. I do love ceviche though
I brined, cold smoked, then hot smoked to 140° some yellowfin tuna steaks last year as an experiment in taste.
My buddies (that are hunters / fishers and home process our game) all loved it, but half thought it was pork loin.

Following your inspiration, I will cold smoke only a batch of yellowfin steaks. Yeah, stuck with steaks being inland now. The only albacore I see is in the can.

 

[chopsaw]

Nice work on that . I like the wrap for the smoker too .

 

[cmayna]

Forgot I took this pic of the AMNPS resting afterwards. Definitely earned its keep.

 

[JLeonard]

Tuna looks great! But tell me about the vent stack........I have the single door M B gashouse propane smoker. Does it vent better than the slider door on the back?
Jim

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Looks good! The Albacore never came in close enough last year off Oregon for the sport fishery.

If you get the chance to get more save the bellies and the gill plates. Smoke those up so good!

 

[cmayna]

Tuna looks great! But tell me about the vent stack........I have the single door M B gashouse propane smoker. Does it vent better than the slider door on the back?
Jim

I've always felt the back wall slider vent wasn't enough. Thus why installed the stacker. It has a flapper to decrease air flow, but it is never used. Always open.

 

[cmayna]

Looks good! The Albacore never came in close enough last year off Oregon for the sport fishery.

If you get the chance to get more save the bellies and the gill plates. Smoke those up so good!

I have a bunch of bellys which will be smoked soon. Never thought about the gill plates.
Hmmmmm

 

[hooked on smoke]

My salmon recipe uses a 4/1 ratio of brn sugar / salt. But that's a hot smoke using similar brine and smoke times that you noted. My Salmon lox recipe is a little saltier and brine time is much longer. This recipe was yes a little saltier but didn't bother me at all. I did 2 parts of brown sugar with 1 part of white sugar with 1 part rock salt.

Many of our fishing buddies are hard core raw tuna eaters. They have gone crazy over this dish.

Here's last year's catch
View attachment 481996

Nice catch. I used to go out of San Diego years go with my father and caught a lot of albacore. I haven't heard of any being caught down here in quite a while. Boy do I miss those trips.

 

[cmayna]

Those trips are fun. We drive up to Eureka to go for Albacore. Even then, it's a long boat ride before we can get lucky.

 

[uncle eddie]

Looks pretty tasty to me...Like!

 

[cooker613]

I’v only done ahi

 

[cmayna]

More Albacore in the freezer, waiting their turn.