woohoo! my first "real" smoked salmon! well, steelhead, but it still counts.

[thebarbequeen]

Borrowed from Bear's and Bilder's expertise,  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/fo...ked-salmon-with-recipe-instructions-and-qview

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/103483/time-to-smoke-some-salmon

Costco farm raised Steelhead, 2 fillets skin on, about 2.28 lb total weight.

Brined 4 hours in:

1/2 cup kosher salt

3/4 cup golden brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 t. crushed dried red pepper

1/2 tsp. each onion, garlic powder

1/2 tsp. pickling spice

1/2 tsp. crushed fennel seed

1/4 cup soy sauce

Dissolved above ingredients in 4 cups HOT water, then added 6 cups ice water to bring down to room/cool temp.

After about 4 hours, removed and rinsed, pat w/ paper towel and onto rack into spare fridge overnight.

(yeah, that's a krispy kreme box - we all have our guilty pleasures)

Next day into the CSE with 2.5 oz alder chips. 140 degrees for 2 hours, then bumped up in 10 degree increments each hour.  IT was at 122 after 5 hours, needed to move it faster for a party so I bumped it from 160 to 190 until IT of 140. 

Our friends declared it their new favorite smoked salmon!  and they're serious foodies, so I'm really flattered.

didn't get to bring home any leftovers!    Thanks Bear and Bilder!!! You guys rock!

 

[ak1]

Looks great!!! I'd eat 1 or 2 or 3 pieces of that!

 

[SmokinAl]

Excellent looking! I'm with AK, I'll take a bite too!

 

[rp ribking]

Nice color, looks very tasty!!!

 

[flatboat mark]

Looks great! You're making me want to smoke some more salmon myself:-)

 

[rbranstner]

Send me a fillet as well. Looks wonderful!

 

[chef willie]

Looks good. Saw those at Costco last week or so next to the Atlantics. They looked a very deep red and were from Chili I believe. Decided to go with the skinless from Canada at the time but have been thinking about them ever since. Any feedback about the skin? I'm assuming you left it on...peel off easy after the smoke?...just curious

 

[redneck69]

nice job!! those look awesome!! 

 

[boykjo]

Nice looking salmon you have there

 

[alelover]

You can get Krispy Kremes way out there. There main factory is right down the road from me. Didn't think they were that far west yet.

 

[tyotrain]

Looks real nice.. great job

 

[thebarbequeen]

Looks good. Saw those at Costco last week or so next to the Atlantics. They looked a very deep red and were from Chili I believe. Decided to go with the skinless from Canada at the time but have been thinking about them ever since. Any feedback about the skin? I'm assuming you left it on...peel off easy after the smoke?...just curious

Hi Willie,
I was a little intimidated to smoke salmon up here in the NW, because so many folks do it so well!  I'm doing another batch today, only this time I'm doing 3 fish instead of 2.  I left the skin on, seems like that's just the way you usually see it around here. It flaked away from the skin just fine.  It also means I can stick the fish right on my smoker's racks, which are lightly oiled with canola spray.  The batch today is pretty much the same, except that a nice handful of fresh dill went into the brine as well. 

 

[thebarbequeen]

THANKS so much for all the kind words everybody! 

  I'm doing another batch today to make sure it wasn't just dumb luck the first time around!   

No krispy kremes this time, though, Alelover.  They started opening stores out here a couple of years ago,  I happened to be in the neighborhood. It was the teen-age boy's fault.

 

[Bearcarver]

Oh Great!

I'm about a week late in seeing this thread, and it looks like AK1 & SmokinAl ate it all !!!!

Nice job BarbeQueen!

Bear

PS: Barbe---Did you leave something out, or was the Soy Sauce the only source of salt in your brine?

 

[thebarbequeen]

Oh Great!

I'm about a week late in seeing this thread, and it looks like AK1 & SmokinAl ate it all !!!!

Nice job BarbeQueen!

Bear

PS: Barbe---Did you leave something out, or was the Soy Sauce the only source of salt in your brine?

Oh for goodness sake! I sure did. yes, there's a 1/2 cup of kosher salt. I'll edit that asap!  

 thanks!!

 

 

[lesj]

BarbeQueen, I just moved to Renton and I can't find Kosher Salt here. Where did you get yours? Locally?

 

[thebarbequeen]

BarbeQueen, I just moved to Renton and I can't find Kosher Salt here. Where did you get yours? Locally?

Welcome Les!!   You can find the Morton kosher salt in pretty much all the main grocery stores, QFC, Safeway, Fred Meyer.  the Safeway in Fairwood, and likely the other Safeways, carries the Diamond brand Kosher, as well.  Make sure you check out Shawn & Ted's meats, they're great.  If you haven't yet, get yourself over to roll call and tell us more about yourself. Cheers!