Its been awhile since I smoked fish so here is what I remember, correct me please if I'm wrong.
The fish being used is Northern Pike. The fish has the outside skin on including scale but cut in half.
I will bring the fish in Morton Sugar Cure for about 24 hours. Rinse in cool water, pat dry and let them sit until they get a glazey film on them. The next step to cold smoke them in temps less than 100 degree for about 3 hours with smoke.
This is where I forget the ending. How long do I let them cold smoke in less then 100 degrees temps so they are safe to eat? Should I just bring the temps up to 160 and wait till the fish has a core temp of 140 degrees?
Any help is surely welcome. Thanks in advance. ;Dx
If you are using Morton's Sugar Cure (same as Tender Quick) at the proper amounts then 3 hours of cold smoking is well within the safety range.
How much Sugar Cure and water are you using. Twenty-four hours may be too long for thin cuts like fish fillets, but then I don't cure much fish.
I'am going to use what they recomend. The fish cuts are about 1/2 to 1 inch thick. I wasn't sure if 3 hours of smoke is long enough to make it safe to eat.