Salmon Preparation Question

MWS · April 13, 2005, 02:33:50 AM

I just bought 3 whole pink salmons and plan on making smoked salmon jerky. I am not confident in fileting at this time and thought that I would try slicing down the spine to open the salmon flat. Has anyone tried this method with success? I know bones will be an issue but I'm hoping that I can pull them off after the salmon has cooked. I plan on smoking the salmon for about 6 hours with alder and maple wood, then remove the meat from the skin and bones (in pieces) and brush maple syrup on and transfer to my food dehydrator for another hour or so. I have tried this with store bought skinned filets and it was great. Any help is appreciated.

MWS - Mike

jaeger · April 13, 2005, 04:35:25 AM

Mike,
When I make salmon jerky I use boneless filets. I think if you try to remove bones and skin after it is cooked and cold again, you will wish you would have. I like the idea of adding the glaze before it is done.
IMO skip the dehydrator. I think people are under the false impression that jerky has to have every last bit of moisture cooked out of it. This product, whether you use cure or not, is going to require refrigeration. Keep some moisture in it to give it some flavor. The jerky that you see in the stores outside of refrigeration all say "refrigerate after opening". These products are processed under specific monitored standards that allow less chance of spoilage, but the people that talk about their homemade jerky not needing refrigeration IMO are incorrect.
When I make jerky (any kind), I start out at about 130 degrees while I smoke and then increase the temp until I reach my target internal temp. After this has been reached I use the oven to achieve the color and desired texture that I am after. During this process I usually will have rotated the racks at least two to three times, maybe more depending on the size thickness etc... I sometimes take some of the pieces off some of the racks that look done as I am trying to achieve the desired finished product.
Good luck!
Send us some samples!!! We'll settle for pictures if we have to!!![:D]

Doug

jaeger · April 13, 2005, 04:37:37 AM

Mike,
P.S.
Next time you buy salmon, ask them if they will filet them for you. If they have any standard of customer service, this shouldn't be a problem or charge.

Doug

Chez Bubba · April 13, 2005, 05:23:30 AM

Doug,

That's what I thought when buying lobsters in Maine. Almost made the poor kid pass out! Gave him a pass, but how do the supermarket chains justify hiring people to work departments in which they can't perform basic duties?

Or maybe my definition of "basic" doesn't apply because I'm a Mid-westerner.[;)]

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

tsquared · April 13, 2005, 06:11:16 AM

To clarify--I wouldn't reccomend applying smoke for 6 hours-- in the Bradley you'll find that it will be too much smoke. As for the filleting --go for it! Pinks only cost about 5 or 6 bucks in the store anyway--think of it as cheap education![:D]
Tom

jaeger · April 14, 2005, 03:30:01 AM

Chez,
Yeah, you would think an employee in Maine would know how to clean a Lobster.
That is funny though!!! Maybe he thought they were selling them for pets.

Tom,
I agree with you, I think 6 hours would be to much smoke.

Doug

JJC · April 14, 2005, 04:18:46 AM

Gee Chez, maybe the poor guy thought you wanted him to filet the lobster . . . after all, you are from the Midwest! [;)][;)]

John
Newton MA

MWS · April 14, 2005, 05:45:10 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by tsquared
 To clarify--I wouldn't reccomend applying smoke for 6 hours-- in the Bradley you'll find that it will be too much smoke. As for the filleting --go for it! Pinks only cost about 5 or 6 bucks in the store anyway--think of it as cheap education![:D]
Tom
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I should of said I will have it in the smoker for 6 hours total time, but I will actually smoke it for 2 or 3 hours. I got a great deal on the pinks, $4 each. I think I will take your advice and learn to filet. I found a pretty good web page http://www.salmonuniversity.com/ol_htfs_finished1.html that details the process well I think. Thanks

MWS - Mike

Chez Bubba · April 15, 2005, 02:31:10 AM

All I did was ask him to hack the tails & claws off. He lost it when the torso of the first crawled off the counter as he was getting ready to do the second.[}:)][:D]

Mike, salmon filet just like any other fish...errr, except wallys...errr, and except northerns...errr, well they're basically like smallys...kinda.[;)][:D]

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

tsquared · April 15, 2005, 03:34:11 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">I think I will take your advice and learn to filet.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"> Good for you, Mike. Get a decent filleting knife for pinks, smaller cohos and sockeye. You might want to consider getting a longer, larger bladed filleting knife if you decide to get some springs or larger coho (over 12 or 13 lbs). You will find the average filleting knife is really made for trout sized fish and the blade will not stand up to the thicker pin bones of a large salmon without hacking at them. I found an excellent filleting knife for very cheap at Liquidation World for $15. You want one that is at least 12" long and 1 1/2" wide, that way you won't have to saw at those rib bones and make a mess of your fillet. That site you found is a good one.
Cheers,
Tom
PS It's a pink salmon year this year (odd years) so there will be a gazillion around.(You can't keep the little buggers off your line with a stick) I have a great recipe for pickling them if you're interested.

MWS · April 15, 2005, 03:54:14 AM

Thanks again Tom, I have a 9" long, 1" wide Henckels carving knife thats good and sharp, do you think that will do? I have a liquidation World by my work, so maybe I'll stop by tommorow.

MWS - Mike

oguard · April 15, 2005, 05:07:37 AM

Mike a decent filet knife will go a long ways.Once you understand the basics of how to filet a fish you will wonder why you did fish any other way[;)].The website you mention is great and full of info.

KEEP ON SMOKIN
Mike

Catch it,Kill it,Smoke it

Kummok · April 25, 2005, 09:40:47 PM

Mike:
Sounds like you're getting some great advice from my "southern" brothers in BC [;)] Trust me, you WON'T need a dehydrator for the Humpys....they're about the dryest salmon you could have gotten. Personally, I prefer the oils dripping down to my elbow when I'm eating smoked salmon....King's the only one that will leave such a trail[;)][:p][:D]

For fileting, when the fish is still fresh caught, I start at the gill collar with about a 9" to 11" filet knife and cut down the backbone, coming back out about an inch or so from the tail. This gives me two "slabs" of salmon, bones in. Then I let the fish slabs, separated by paper towels, cool in the reefer for at least 2-3 days, hardening the bones and stiffening the meat. I then fillet out the rib bones, cut out the bottom fins, and pull out the pin bones with curved pliers. This leaves two perfectly boneless salmon filets [:p] Normally at this point, I cut off the front gill collar "triangle" and the back portion, from the anal cut back....these pieces go into the "smoker stock". The rest of the slabs, I cut into 1 1/4" strip steaks, vacuum seal and freeze for later grilling.

Since you're smoking the whole fish, you'll cut it into whatever size pieces you like best. That's just what works for me.....Over the years, I've come to like pieces that are skinless, boneless, and smoked in small bitesize pieces, rather than the larger pieces I used to smoke. Great for serving without salmon crumbs ending up all over the place AND for carrying out on hikes, hunts, and fishing trips! The Bradley allows me do do that quite well by monitoring the time/temp so that I don't end up with small bitesize DRIED out pieces.

Regards to all! Gotta get back to fishing (7 Kings for the 2 pole boat last week...2 of them were 25+lb WHITE[:p]!)...will check in on "Fish" forum in a coupla weeks.....any need for correspondence sooner, contact me directly via forum profile.......I'm gone>>>>>>

35 years of extinguishing smoking stuff and now I'm wondering WHY!
Kummok @ Homer, AK USA

Chez Bubba · April 26, 2005, 03:19:36 AM

Thanks for checking in K-Man![8D] Wet lines![:)]

Kirk

http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?

MWS · April 27, 2005, 05:46:13 AM

Thanks all for the great advice and techniques. I went ahead and tried the butterfly method (sliced down the spine) and brined for 12 hours. I then smoked the salmon for 3 hours using a mix of alder and maple and cooked in the Brad for 9 hours total. At this point I removed the fish from the smoker and separated it from the bones and skin. Remarkably, the salmon came apart from the bones really well. I then brushed pure organic maple syrup on the salmon and placed in my food dehydrator for about 2 hours. I brushed the salmon every 1/2 hour with maple syrup and it absorbed nicely into the fish. I know alot of people prefer a moist smoked salmon, but I am really fond of a dry jerky like product. This was truly a great candied smoked salmon jerky. My colleagues at work were quite impressed and insisted I make more soon. Again, I was offered some great advice on fileting and I will use it next time I get a good deal on salmon. Thanks.

P.S. It also went great in my favorite smoked salmon chowder recipe. Mmmmm[:p]

MWS - Mike