Cold Smoked Salmon

[SmokeyLee15]

I have been on a big cold smoked salmon kick, the girls at work love it! I start with two who salmon filets, check for bones and trim accordingly. Next I cover about a cup/cup and a half of sugar or brown sugar and salt. Add about a half cup of lemon zest and chopped fresh dill. Distribute evenly to the skin side and top of filet. Vacuum seal for 24 hrs in fridge, rinse and sit in the fridge uncovered for an hour or so to dry out. Then I use my smoke tube to smoke for 24hrs, I use Lumber Jack comp blend. Soooo delicious! It’s not too much work as I have to refill the tube a few times, just tedious. If anyone has any better advice let me know!

 

[bauchjw]

That looks perfect! Beautiful color too. I love smoked salmon!

 

[bigfurmn]

Looks darn good to me.

 

[SmokinAl]

Looks real good!
I just finished a batch myself!
Al

 

[BrianGSDTexoma]

Looks really good.

I just finished a batch myself!
Al

I was thinking you had to cure fish that was going to be cold smoked? Does just the salt work keep the bacteria away?

 

[SmokinAl]

Looks really good.



I was thinking you had to cure fish that was going to be cold smoked? Does just the salt work keep the bacteria away?

Yes the salt alone will work, but just to be extra safe I use cure#1. I also use sushi grade salmon. If I use just regular salmon, I freeze it at 0 degrees for 7 days after it is sliced. That will kill any pathogens or parasites.
Al

 

[mdm6]

Hi. This might be a silly question. Is there a minimum temperature required for cold smoked salmon?

Thanks

 

[diversification]

Yes the salt alone will work, but just to be extra safe I use cure#1. I also use sushi grade salmon. If I use just regular salmon, I freeze it at 0 degrees for 7 days after it is sliced. That will kill any pathogens or parasites.
Al

This may be a bit pedantic, but apparently it's -4 degrees Fahrenheit for 7 days to make sure it's safe. This is my source; it's incredibly in-depth, and though the original question that began the thread is specific to sous vide, the responses that follow are much, much more broad. I personally found it to be extremely helpful, especially given the ridiculous amount of misinformation that I'd encountered in recipe posts, blog posts, etc. If you're at all concerned about food safety of raw fish (which you probably should be,) it is a must-read.

 

[mdm6]

Thank you. I will have a read.