First attempt at smoked salmon

[jd76ers]

Yesterday I tried my hand at smoking salmon, which I love. They came out great, just a little too salty for me. Next time I will cut back on the kosher salt(1/2 cup) amount used with the brown sugar(2 cups) overnight brine. I rinsed them well but...

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[wade]

Hi JD. They look tasty

It is a pity that they were too salty - how did you prepare them?

You may find this helpful as you adjust the cure for next time

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/171886/comparison-of-salmon-curing-methods#post_1260136

 

[bluewhisper]

Good for a first try, you're already in the ballpark with that nice color. Salmon is pretty forgiving and there's a lot of leeway in the end result. And if you're not happy with this result, go check the prices on smoked salmon in the stores!

 

[SmokinAl]

It sure looks delicious from here!

Al

 

[jd76ers]

- Wade, thank you for the informative link. I did a 12 hour dry brine of 2 cups brown sugar, 1/2 cup kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon black pepper. Rinse and patted dry then smoked for 2 hours at 150-160.  Glazed with honey for the final half hour. I used apple wood and alder wood for smoke.  I think next time I will cut back on the salt quite a bit.

- Bluewhisper, I have checked out the prices and they are ridiculous, trust me a will deal with the salt, hahaha.

- Thanks Al

 

[okanagan]

My first four batches of smoked salmon have all come out too salty, even though I have cut back on salt each time.  Have tried dry rub and brine methods and have concluded that for most recipes, the recipe maker likes it saltier than I do.  I have been spoiled by the taste of old time smoked salmon cold smoked slowly with a mild salt taste.  Sadly, the Aunt who made that is now past and I never got her process.  FWIW, most smoked salmon recipes call for WAAAY more sugar than my wife and I prefer.   We have not yet achieved the perfect smokey, lightly salted savory taste.

What to do with smoked salmon that is too salty?  First, if put in the freezer for a week or so, it tastes less salty, so I assume that the salt flavor is continuing to disperse through the whole.

Second:  use over salted smoked salmon in pasta recipes.  FABULOUS!   One we like is pasta spirals or bows, with cheddar grated in along with small salmon chunks while the pasta is hot, with some olive oil, spices.to taste, whatever things you like in pasta.  Then when served on each plate, dash on a bit of Newman's Own Greek salad dressing with feta cheese in it.  If you put the Greek salad dressing on too soon, the pasta absorbs too much of the tang and makes it bland.

 

[cmayna]

JD,

Those pics look fantastic.  I personally find that for a dry brine, brining it over night is too strong in brine flavor.   When I do filets, max brining time is 6-7 hours.

 

[okanagan]

FWIW, I smoked some rainbow trout today that finally turned out just right salty, downright superb in fact. This posted in case someone wants smoked salmon that does not pickle one's tongue.  As I posted earlier, every previous brine method that I've followed turns out WAAAAY too salty, much saltier than old time smoked salmon made by an aunt.

I was trying an experiment to make a wet brine just salty enough to float an egg, and it was getting too salty, so I cut back, diluted it a bit and went with a taste test on the brine, slightly more salty than table ready chicken noodle soup.  I added a  quarter cup of Worcestershire sauce to 1 1/2 quarts of brine, for three good sized trout about 2-2 1/2 lbs. each. Firm fresh orangey red salmon colored meat.  Brined in fridge.  Got interrupted and a change of schedule forced on me so after a little over an hour in the brine I popped them on the smoker immediately with alder wood smoke. Sprinkled lemon pepper all over the fillets which were patted dryish, plus black pepper and a faint smidge of Johnny's salmon rub sprinkled on.   200 degrees for 1 3/4 hour and I had to leave so pulled them out.  Superb!  Light saltiness all through the meat.  No sweetness, which my wife and I both prefer.  if I want candy I prefer chocolate. 

   If I want meat, whether fish or pork, I want a savory MEAT taste, not sweet.  Our mileage varies and that's OK.  

They were not truly smoked but rather cooked/baked in smoke.  Whatever.  Delicious.   I'm going to try a minimal salt brine on salmon.

FWIW, I am experimenting with considerably less salt than any recipe I've seen except one that calls for a mix of soy sauce and water for brine. 

 

[bluewhisper]

When I smoke salmon I usually don't brine, I just sprinkle with salt and pepper, and let that rest. How heavily I salt/smoke it depends on what result I want. If I'm planning for each serving to be a portion about the size of a large hamburger patty I keep everything mild. But if I intend to serve it as flaky meat on snack crackers or in a spread, I make it saltier and smokier, and I cook it longer so it's drier and more flaky.

Edited to add, I never sweeten it.

 

[daveomak]

When I smoke any meat, I weigh the salt....  2% to the weight of the meat...   You can't over salt that way...

 

[wade]

 
When I smoke any meat, I weigh the salt....  2% to the weight of the meat...   You can't over salt that way...

Yes I find that best too Dave. I find up to 2.5% is OK but any higher than that makes the meat distinctly salty.

I learned early on too when I immersion brine to always taste the brine (before adding the meat/fish). If it is too salty to drink, then you will certainly taste the salt in the final product.

 

[jd76ers]

Thanks for the updates and suggestions.  I haven"t tried to smoke any salmon since my initial post but I plan on it next week.  Weighing the salt and for less time is what I plan on trying this time.

 

[okanagan]

 
When I smoke any meat, I weigh the salt....  2% to the weight of the meat...   You can't over salt that way...

Hmmm...  I'm going to have to get a scale.  That sounds like a good way to control the ratio precisely.  Thanks!

 

[daveomak]

 

 
When I smoke any meat, I weigh the salt....  2% to the weight of the meat...   You can't over salt that way...

Hmmm...  I'm going to have to get a scale.  That sounds like a good way to control the ratio precisely.  Thanks!

Look for a 0-100 grams scale...   very accurate...    good for spices and herbs too....  makes your recipes "repeatable"....   Amazon has them for about $10-$15.....

 

[okanagan]

 
Look for a 0-100 grams scale...   very accurate...    good for spices and herbs too....  makes your recipes "repeatable"....   Amazon has them for about $10-$15.....

Thanks.  I use an Ohaus powder scale in an early stage of my meat procuring procedure and it is fitting to add a recipe scale to the meat cooking end of the process.

I used to live north of Omak across the line to the upper end of Okanagan Lake.  Now live near the coast.

 

[daveomak]

Ohaus powder scale is fine...   7000 grains per pound...   438 grains per ounce.... / 28.38 = 15.4 grain per gram....    X 1.1 = 17 grains of cure #1 per pound of meat for a proper cure...  

 

[wade]

Normal digital kitchen scales are usually fine for most cures. If they go down to 0.1 g then that is better for smaller joints but for larger joints (over a Kg) then scales accurate to 1 g are sufficient. 

 

[tallbm]

The salmon looks great, once you get that salt content figured out you are golden!

I think the guys have you on the right track with salt for your brine.

All I can add is that I do brine salmon for 30min to 1hr in a bag with light soy sauce.  Enough to squeeze out air and have the fish well soaked in it all over.  This adds perfect salt for when I grill the salmon.  I've yet to hot smoke slamon, I've only cold smoked about 6-6.5 pounds of salmon for salmon lox.

Just another quick and dirty method if you ever want to try it or you have a bunch of soy sauce packs stored up and  lying around from chinese take out over the year(s) lol  :)

 

[okanagan]

 
Look for a 0-100 grams scale...   very accurate...    good for spices and herbs too....  makes your recipes "repeatable"....   Amazon has them for about $10-$15.....

Oops.  quoted wrong thread.

 

[okanagan]

Quote:

 
Ohaus powder scale is fine...   7000 grains per pound...   438 grains per ounce.... / 28.38 = 15.4 grain per gram....    X 1.1 = 17 grains of cure #1 per pound of meat for a proper cure...  

Wow!  THAT is a helpful post.  I copied it to my reference and recipe stash.

Thank you.