Smoked Trout

[bregent]

Picked up a pack of farmed whole trout from Costco and was planning on pan frying, but now considering hot smoking some or all of them. Have a few questions.

Is a brine, dry or otherwise, a good idea? Cure?
Any other spices go well?
What's a good temp to smoke at and is there a desired IT, or do you go by look and feel?
Once smoked, can you freeze it whole or would it be better to pull the meat first?
Thanks!

 

[murraysmokin]

This is my go to for brining & smoking.

http://smokingmeatforums.com/index.php?threads/mr-ts-smoked-salmon-from-go-to-show-w-q-view.122931/

 

[kit s]

Picked up a pack of farmed whole trout from Costco and was planning on pan frying, but now considering hot smoking some or all of them. Have a few questions.

Is a brine, dry or otherwise, a good idea? Cure?
Any other spices go well?
What's a good temp to smoke at and is there a desired IT, or do you go by look and feel?
Once smoked, can you freeze it whole or would it be better to pull the meat first?
Thanks!

Bregent
A brine is either wet or dry. Dry is a brine though most refer to it as just a rub or dry rub and most also refer brine as liquid solution. Just read the context of what they are saying or asking to figure out which one they are referring to.
Now either would work, but i my self prefer the liquid brine for fish. I keep it simple. Just kosher salt, brown sugar and thyme...soak for 6 plus hour in refrigerator, rinse under cold water, pat dry and smoke.

 

[gmc2003]

Picked up a pack of farmed whole trout from Costco and was planning on pan frying, but now considering hot smoking some or all of them. Have a few questions.

Is a brine, dry or otherwise, a good idea? Cure? Depends on what your doing with it - appetizers(brine) or meal(no brine).
Any other spices go well? thyme, rosemary, garlic, pepper
What's a good temp to smoke at and is there a desired IT, or do you go by look and feel? I smoke at 250, for appetizer also go by look and feel.
Once smoked, can you freeze it whole or would it be better to pull the meat first? Cut to desired serving size and freeze.
Thanks!

When I wet-brine I use a 60/40 mix of salt and brown sugar. Add other spices and dissolve it in a half-gallon of water. Let it brine for a couple of hours. Rinse it off with cool water Set it on rack to form a pellicle. Sprinkle with more seasoning.

Chris

 

[Bearcarver]

Everybody that tries this one seems to like it:
Smoked Salmon
Smoked Brook Trout & Tilapia

I warm smoke mine, but you can hot smoke it too.

Bear

 

[idahopz]

Being in Idaho, I like to fish the high mountain lakes which contain native brook trout as well as planted rainbows - my favorite way to keep the fish fresh is to kill and gut right after catching and into a plastic bag in the ice chest. Done that way it has absolutely no fish smell as I prepare to cook it. Just so happens that I bought and smoked a batch of trout from Costco a month or two ago, and while not nearly as fresh as just caught, the fish was most excellent, and a good price.

This method might be worth a try if you are confident in the quality of the fish, else I would brine/rub as has been mentioned. I have done smoked fresh caught trout for the past three decades, and keep it very simple - skin and head on, no brine, rubs, or any kind of spice. Into the smoker using alder wood for however long it takes to be able to poke the fish with your finger until it feels right (until just firm), and that depends on the ambient temperature as to how long it takes. The skin comes off easily and the flesh comes off the bone in strips of meat, flakes perfectly, and has an absolutely delicious delicate trout flavor enhanced by the mild alder smoke. It freezes well, and I've kept it in the freezer for months with no degradation in quality (taste or texture).

 

[bregent]

Thanks Bear, those recipes look great.
The fish were packed yesterday when I bought them and are very fresh with no odor. I may try a few brined and some un-brined to compare. I'll probably use my pellet grill which only goes down to 180.
PZ do you get any cutthroats up there? I lived in N. Montana back in the 70's on the Northfork of the Flathead. I fished several times a week and loved the cutthroats and whitefish. They were small, but really tasty.

 

[bregent]

When I wet-brine I use a 60/40 mix of salt and brown sugar. Add other spices and dissolve it in a half-gallon of water. Let it brine for a couple of hours. Rinse it off with cool water Set it on rack to form a pellicle. Sprinkle with more seasoning.

Chris

Thanks Chris

 

[idahopz]

PZ do you get any cutthroats up there? I lived in N. Montana back in the 70's on the Northfork of the Flathead.

Oh man, that's God's country for sure. Starting to get crowded in my area, and Montana is definitely on my short list of places to settle. Yes, we have cutthroat, but the numbers declined so much they are catch and release only.