Making Lox a picture guide.

[stubshaft]

Great job!  I got a 5 lb filet curing in the fridge.

 

[sprky]

Totally awesome post. this needs to be a sticky it is so well written. 

 

[moikel]

Totally awesome post. this needs to be a sticky it is so well written. 

Amen to that. We get farmed Atlantic salmon from Tasmania & now what is called King Salmon from New Zealand. Its on the list of things to do around here.
 

 

[elohel]

So, can the cure used in this recipe be replaced with Morton's Quick Tender (or is it Tender Quick? hah)

 

[chef jimmyj]

So, can the cure used in this recipe be replaced with Morton's Quick Tender (or is it Tender Quick? hah)

Those that use Tender Quick say Use 1Tbs per Pound of Meat. So instead of the Cure #1 in this Recipe, use...

5Tbs Tender Quick

3Tbs Kosher Salt

1Tbs White Pepper

1/2Cup White or Brown Sugar

For approx. 5Lbs of Salmon.

Good Luck...JJ

 

 

[peter bernstein]

To anyone who's tried this recipe, I could use some clarification.  he makes a saline solution that is maximum concentration, then cools it down with ice to 32 deg F, but that would change the salt concentration.  But then either way, all he does is "dredge" the salmon in the solution.  I gather that in this case "dredge" means a quick dip?

Some clarification on this step would be useful.

-Thanks!

 

[bbqnuts]

Thanks for that tutorial!  You did a great job.  And now I have another project to add to my list.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Originally Posted by Peter Bernstein
 

"To anyone who's tried this recipe, I could use some clarification. he makes a saline solution that is maximum concentration, then cools it down with ice to 32 deg F, but that would change the salt concentration. But then either way, all he does is "dredge" the salmon in the solution. I gather that in this case "dredge" means a quick dip?

Some clarification on this step would be useful.

-Thanks!"

From the original Recipe...

Pro Tip: Porosity; all meats have porosity, for consistant products we like to know that the porosity is the same everytime. So I always brine my salmon fillets in ice cold salt water for 30 minutes to insure I start with the same porosity every time. Fail to do so at your own peril! (one gallon warm water, stir in all the salt it will take, (til salt lay on the bottom) and then ice it down to 32

In this step the muscle pores are evened out with the Cold Saline solution over a" 30 minute "soak...Icing Down, a Pro Chef term, refers to putting the" Pot "on Ice water to Cool the Solution...You are NOT adding Ice to the Solution!

Zest an orange and a lemon and reserve the zest.
Dredge the salmon through the mixture. Spread half of the remaining cured mixture on the area where the salmon fillets will lay. Then spread half the orange and lemon zest under the area you will place the salmon. Now lay the fillets flat in a plastic box on top of the zested cure area. After fillet placement spread the remaining mixture over the salmon evenly, then use the remaining zest to coat the top of the fillets.
 

In this step the Fillets are " Dredged " through the " Mixture "...This is the Salt, Wht Pepper, Sugar and Cure #1 Mixture...

A bed of half the remaining cure mixture is spread out with some Zest, the fillets placed on top, then the remaining half of the cure mixture and zest goes on top of the Fish...

I hope this helps, Peter...JJ

 

[moikel]

Amen to that. We get farmed Atlantic salmon from Tasmania & now what is called King Salmon from New Zealand. Its on the list of things to do around here.
 

I now have this underway,1x King Salmon from NZ 1x Atlantic from Tasmania.Followed recipe to the letter,getting ready for ice water soak after cure. But now need to know how long will this stuff keep? I assume I can freeze it but fresh its good for what 5 days?

I will leave it in fridge for 24 hours to dry,need to smoke tomorrow night.

 

[moikel]

Follow the recipe,let the experts guide you through it and you get the real deal at the end.Thanks for the great tutorial.

 

[mds51]

This is another great tutorial for making Lox or Smoked Salmon. I now feel confident with this information that I can do this at home. My only question is that you state in the first part of this tutorial that you let the salmon dry in the refridgerator for 36 hours. That seems like a long time compared to other recipes that call for over night or 12 hours.Is this extra time necessary and make a difference in the texture of the end product? Thank You again for this excellent information.

 

[moikel]

I am one from one so no expert but I  went 24 hours for that last stage & got a great result.Got a pretty good reception from my Scottish friends & from some transplanted New Yorkers both people who know smoked salmon. I had to go 24 hours so I  could get to my friends butcher shop to use his vacuum sealer.

It really is a great tutorial.

 

[toby bryant]

What a great thread.  I will definitely put this on the "future projects" list.  Thank you for such a detailed tutorial! 

 

[bbally]

What a great thread.  I will definitely put this on the "future projects" list.  Thank you for such a detailed tutorial! 

Wow how you dig this up?  It is a great product when you do it.  Now I have been using a glaze of 1/2 Cup Honey, 1/4 Cup real maple syrup, and 1/4 of black strap Molassas.  Mix it and warm it a little.  Then paint it on the side as it comes out of the smoker.  Should be a thin layer when it cools.

 

[toby bryant]

Wow how you dig this up?  It is a great product when you do it.  Now I have been using a glaze of 1/2 Cup Honey, 1/4 Cup real maple syrup, and 1/4 of black strap Molassas.  Mix it and warm it a little.  Then paint it on the side as it comes out of the smoker.  Should be a thin layer when it cools.

Dave Omak referenced it in a more recent thread.  I did my first smoked salmon earlier this week using AKhap's recipe and it turned out great.  Have been wanting to try Lox and I really respect Dave's opinion.  So when he referenced your recipe that was good enough for me.  Thanks for responding.

 

[twocubdad]

Just finished packaging six pounds of salmon made with the above process.  EXCELLENT!  Good and salty and the texture is like butter.  Only issue I had (other than my family will devour six pounds of lox in half the time it took to prepare) is that I really couldn't get the smoke on as much as I would have liked.  Couldn't generate the smoke and still keep the fish temperature under 90d.  I've been reading up on AMNPS and will have one before I make another run.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Just finished packaging six pounds of salmon made with the above process.  EXCELLENT!  Good and salty and the texture is like butter.  Only issue I had (other than my family will devour six pounds of lox in half the time it took to prepare) is that I really couldn't get the smoke on as much as I would have liked.  Couldn't generate the smoke and still keep the fish temperature under 90d.  I've been reading up on AMNPS and will have one before I make another run.

What kind of smoker do you have? There are a bunch of mods one can do for cold smoking. The Amaze-N-Smoker products are great!

 

[twocubdad]

A 41" Smoke Hollow two door (actually one door, one drawer).  Overall, I've been very pleased with the smoker.  When I get it up and running, put the burner on low then let everything even out, it will settle in at about 220-225.    Hard to complain about that.  But it just doesn't work for the lox. 

 

[dirtsailor2003]

A 41" Smoke Hollow two door (actually one door, one drawer).  Overall, I've been very pleased with the smoker.  When I get it up and running, put the burner on low then let everything even out, it will settle in at about 220-225.    Hard to complain about that.  But it just doesn't work for the lox. 

Look at getting a AMNTS, either the 18" or 12" (depending on the size of the interior of your smoker). I use mine all the time in my GOSM (Great Outdoor Smokey Mountain) for lox, cheese, butter, bacon, anything that needs cold smoke. During the fall and winter with just the AMNTS running and all vents open I rarely get above 70* in the smoke chamber. During the summer months I put the AMNTS in a mailbox that I have piped into the smoker. The temp of the smoke chamber then is whatever the outdoor temp is. I only cold smoke at night during the summer.

http://www.amazenproducts.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=AMNTS

 

[dwaytkus]

What kind of knife is that?