EQ Brine for Salmon??

[CZN]

I use the EQ Method for my dry or wet brined bacon. Im wondering if anyone does this for their salmon? All the salmon brines I see are just ratios of salt to sugar to spices (and liquid if wet curing). However, they're not very scientific or exact, and I can see expensive ingredients being wasted if too much is used (brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, etc)

Does anyone here use the EQ Method when brining their salmon? CAN you use this method? If so, please share your experiences or results!

Thanks!

 

[daveomak]

I don't brine cure salmon... I feel it fills the meat flakes with too much liquid and dilutes the flavor...
I use a dry salt, sugar and cure#1...
I make up a mix for 10#'s of fish and adjust according to the size of the hunks...
10#'s 4540 grams...
the mix...
90 grams kosher salt...
90 grams white sugar...
14 grams cure#1...
total mix 194 grams per 10#'s...
19.4 grams per pound...
Uniformly sprinkle over the fish...
Refrigerate...
Leave from 24-48 hours in the refer....
The salt will be 2% regardless of how long it's left...
Cold water rinse and it's done...
I also add... click on the link below...
McCormick Perfect Pinch Garlic & Herb Salt-Free Seasoning
I've been using this for years on my fish..

..

 

[cmayna]

What is EQ method? I dry brine my Salmon using a ratio of 4/1 (dk brown sugar / Salt) ratio. Some people use 2/1 or 3/1. It's just a matter of preferred flavor.

 

[daveomak]

The equalization method is....
Adding the amount of salt and sugar etc. that gives the fish the final flavor you like regardless of how long it sits in the mix... 2-3 days being the minimum... the salt, sugar etc. penetrate the meat equally all over and through the slabs... Uniform flavor and repeatable results batch after batch... No soaking to remove overly salted fish etc...
If you don't weight the salt, sugar etc. and weigh how much you add to how many pounds of fish you are curing..... Your method is hit and miss....
Speaking of curing... with all the botulism recalls of fish products on the market, you would be wise to add cure#1 to your recipe.. Then you will have to weigh all ingredients to insure the correct amounts are being applied to the fish....

 

[daveomak]

What is EQ method? I dry brine my Salmon using a ratio of 4/1 (dk brown sugar / Salt) ratio. Some people use 2/1 or 3/1. It's just a matter of preferred flavor.

Yep.... everyone experiments until they find what they prefer.. I experimented a lot... years in fact... Then I settled on 50/50 salt and sugar... Then I joined this forum... found out different sugars and salts weighed different... I found out time was a critical factor when curing the fish... Then I found out about equilibrium curing... so, 2% salt and sugar was my go to recipe... Then I found out about botulism and how it can be found in fish... It is "stored" mainly in the gills and guts.. Improper handling of the fish when cleaned or a delay in cleaning can transport the bacteria to the meat... Soooooo.. I started using cure#1 at about 170-180 Ppm nitrite to put an end to the possibility of contracting botulism...
It's all a learning experience.. It's finding what you like and sticking with it and getting a repeatable product...

 

[CZN]

daveomak Thanks your your info above, much appreciated! Im going to try your method of weighing everything out next time. Cheers!

 

[SalmonNolan]

Yep.... everyone experiments until they find what they prefer.. I experimented a lot... years in fact... Then I settled on 50/50 salt and sugar... Then I joined this forum... found out different sugars and salts weighed different... I found out time was a critical factor when curing the fish... Then I found out about equilibrium curing... so, 2% salt and sugar was my go to recipe... Then I found out about botulism and how it can be found in fish... It is "stored" mainly in the gills and guts.. Improper handling of the fish when cleaned or a delay in cleaning can transport the bacteria to the meat... Soooooo.. I started using cure#1 at about 170-180 Ppm nitrite to put an end to the possibility of contracting botulism...
It's all a learning experience.. It's finding what you like and sticking with it and getting a repeatable product...

I love this approach! One of the only ways my son will eat Salmon is candied. I attempted 16 lbs last weekend and still have about 40 lbs more frozen wild salmon to do in 2 batches over the next couple of weeks. The recipe called for 1:7 salt:sugar for the fridge brine and I think the salt was only 1.5%. I used erythritol mixed with molasses to simulate brown sugar. I deboned, then sliced the salmon into fingers and dry-brined it in a large stock pot in the fridge overnight. I strained the liquid and boiled it down, then added vanilla, maple syrup, and honey to create a glaze.
I would like to incorporate cure#1 (which I am not familiar with) for safety and use an EQ method for ingredient efficiency and consistency. How do I do weight calculations for this? Is it possible to use celery salt as part of the salt or does that make it too complicated/variable for calculating prague cure#1?
I also like the idea of smoking at a lower temperature to avoid cooking the salmon above 140F, but my wife found it too smoky after 2 hours of smoke in a Bradley with the vent wide open. I used alder, pecan, and maple. Perhaps I should switch to fruit woods for a lighter smoke flavour.
I am also tempted to leave the salmon as a large fillet, but sliced (just not through the skin) for ease of handling.
Do people cedar plank salmon in smokers?
All tips and recommendations welcome!

 

[cmayna]

SalmonNolan,
Welcome to SMF. Sounds like your bradley might be producing too much smoke for Salmon. My ratio is a simple 4/1 of dark brown sugar over non iodized salt. Since the wife and I do a lot of fishing, we end up with lots of Chinook. Similar to candy Salmon, I do nuggets which I share on the boat with our fellow fishing buddies. I start out at 125f temp and end at 145f.

Regarding slicing a large filet before smoking, to me that would add too much smoke to the meat. I start with Alder and end up with apple.

cheers

 

[SalmonNolan]

SalmonNolan,
Welcome to SMF. Sounds like your bradley might be producing too much smoke for Salmon. My ratio is a simple 4/1 of dark brown sugar over non iodized salt. Since the wife and I do a lot of fishing, we end up with lots of Chinook. Similar to candy Salmon, I do nuggets which I share on the boat with our fellow fishing buddies. I start out at 125f temp and end at 145f.

Regarding slicing a large filet before smoking, to me that would add too much smoke to the meat. I start with Alder and end up with apple.

cheers

Thanks Craig, how do you form them into nuggets?

 

[LoydB]

I just started an EQ cure of a chunk of Chinook. 2.75% salt, 0.25% #1, 4% brown sugar, 1% black pepper. We'll see how it goes!

 

[cmayna]

Thanks Craig, how do you form them into nuggets?

Just slice the filets up into cubes. Skin removed first. Here’s a couple pics of the finish product

 

[LoydB]

I just started an EQ cure of a chunk of Chinook. 2.75% salt, 0.25% #1, 4% brown sugar, 1% black pepper. We'll see how it goes!

I purposefully let this cure for a full week, which would be inedible from salt with my usual saltbox-type cure. The EQ worked out perfectly. I would add a little maple syrup to it next time, but definitely doing EQ from now on for the flexibility.

 

[pellet user]

Just to make sure I am thinking right the EQ method is based upon the weight of the fish? So 5Kg of fish would need 137 grams of salt or 2.75% and so on.

 

[Dave in AZ]

Just to make sure I am thinking right the EQ method is based upon the weight of the fish? So 5Kg of fish would need 137 grams of salt or 2.75% and so on.

Yes.
Here is a good brining calculator for equilibrium curing that will give you the right mindset. This one lets you calc for a dry rub OR if you add some water around it too. Basically (meat + water) * salt%. Same for sugar, same for cure1.

salt brining calculator

 

[daveomak]

S SalmonNolan , morning... An equilibrium cure, you add the weight of any meat, and the water, to calculate the ingredients...

 

[slavikborisov]

I don't brine cure salmon... I feel it fills the meat flakes with too much liquid and dilutes the flavor...
I use a dry salt, sugar and cure#1...
I make up a mix for 10#'s of fish and adjust according to the size of the hunks...
10#'s 4540 grams...
the mix...
90 grams kosher salt...
90 grams white sugar...
14 grams cure#1...
total mix 194 grams per 10#'s...
19.4 grams per pound...
Uniformly sprinkle over the fish...
Refrigerate...
Leave from 24-48 hours in the refer....
The salt will be 2% regardless of how long it's left...
Cold water rinse and it's done...
I also add... click on the link below...
McCormick Perfect Pinch Garlic & Herb Salt-Free Seasoning
I've been using this for years on my fish..

..

is this method safe if you are shooting for cold smoked salmon?

 

[RRR]

Yes.
Here is a good brining calculator for equilibrium curing that will give you the right mindset. This one lets you calc for a dry rub OR if you add some water around it too. Basically (meat + water) * salt%. Same for sugar, same for cure1.

salt brining calculator

I can't understand the calculator