Rckcrwlr's is going Salmon Smoking

[Rckcrwlr]

I'm not a big salmon eater but my wife and kids are.  They picked up a fillet of Salmon and want me to do something with it.

I have some Maple Rub that I thought would go good on it...

Looking at other threads, they recommend brining first.

Would the Maple Rub be a good option for this fish?  It's hard for me to judge being that I really don't eat it.

[pmmpete]

To produce safe smoked fish, you need to do three things: (1) salt the fish by soaking it in a brine, which will produce some preservative effect, (2) heat the fish to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees for half an hour during the smoking process to kill the organisms which can cause food poisoning, and (3) refrigerate and/or freeze the smoked fish until you eat it.  Maple rub might produce very tasty cooked salmon, but because it probably contains little or no salt, it wouldn't provide any preservative effect if the salmon is smoked.  Maple rub also wouldn't produce smoked fish which tastes like people who like smoked fish expect smoked fish to taste.

My suggestion: smoke the salmon, following Kummok's instructions in the first posting in this portion of the forum (Bradley Smoked Wild Alaskan Salmon).  It'll probably turn out great, and turn you into a big fan of smoked salmon.  If you want to try the maple rub, just bake or broil the fillet with the rub.

[Rckcrwlr]

Thanks for the insight...

This is an area that I have not ventured into yet.

[Habanero Smoker]

You can also take your wife's and/or kids favorite salmon recipes and modify them to smoke/cook in the Bradley. Salmon and Red Snapper work particularly well converting to this cooking method. You just have to use a longer cooking time, or finish over a grill or in the oven.

[Rckcrwlr]

...or finish over a grill or in the oven.

I like that idea...

Going to do it this weekend...

[TomW]

I'm not a big salmon eater ....

That's because you've never made salmon with Kummok's recipe, then mixed with Tabasco Mayonnaise and eaten with Ritz crackers... (think Andy Griffith)..........mmmmmmmmmmmm......goooood.....cracker !

Tom

[Rckcrwlr]

That's because you've never made salmon with Kummok's recipe, then mixed with Tabasco Mayonnaise and eaten with Ritz crackers... (think Andy Griffith)..........mmmmmmmmmmmm......goooood.....cracker !

Tom

Now that sounds good...

[TomW]

Now that sounds good...

(think Tony Tiger).......Good????? there GGGGRRRREEEEAAAATTTT!

Let us know how it turns out.

Tom

[OldHoss]

Hope I do not step on toes too hard here......

To produce safe smoked fish, you need to do three things: (2) heat the fish to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees for half an hour during the smoking process to kill the organisms which can cause food poisoning

They say the same thing about red meat but it has been years since I cooked a piece of beef to 160f.......mom used to turn stuff into shoe-leather by doing this.

As per fish???  From aboutseafood.com:

"No matter which way you choose to prepare salmon, you will find that it is best enjoyed when cooked no higher than a safe internal temperature of about 140 degrees. To avoid overcooking, use an instant-read thermometer to take the temperature of thicker fillets or steaks and remove the salmon from the heat source when it is about ten degrees away from being cooked. For thinner pieces, peek gently inside the thickest part of the fish and remove it from the heat when it just begins to flake and the majority of the flesh is no longer translucent."

I personally go to 135f on salmon.  My wife loves the stuff cooked normal and she thinks I cook it perfect.  I and other love the smoked variety and I have folks wanting to order it from me.  If I were to cook it to 160f I do believe it would be far to dry.  As it is my normal and smoked varieties flake apart with ease.  The smoked kind has a wonderful crust and my Indian Candy is bloody amazing - 18 hours wet brine, air curing under high fans in a cool place for 12 to 24 hours, 3 hours or so of cold smoke then hot smoke at about 180f till it hits 135f.  I have had it hit 140f and it is noticably drier.....too dry in fact.

From here:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_proper_internal_temperature_of_cooked_salmon
this:

"125 degrees Fahrenheit is the internal temperature recommended by America's Test Kitchen so that your salmon is not overdone"

but also this???:

"155 degrees Fahrenheit is a good temperature. Which converts to 68 degrees Celsius for the Europeans. "

[Rckcrwlr]

Like I said, I am not a big Salmon eater and all this info is really helping me understand it.  I may error on the side of cautious the first time around and get the IT to 140.

Thanks for all your help.

Now I need to gather up the brine ingredients and get the smoke rolling. 

[Salmonsmoker]

i've gotta go with OldHoss on this. I've been smoking salmon since the 1980's,(250#/yr minimum) and never take the temp. anywhere near 160F. At that temp. I could glue them to my shoe soles and get twice the wear out of them.

[Rckcrwlr]

At that temp. I could glue them to my shoe soles and get twice the wear out of them.

I am guessing that wouldn't be good for someone that doesn't really eat it...it sounds like a turnoff.  LOL

[Rckcrwlr]

Sorry guys...my real work has pulled me away from smoking for several months...too much traveling.s

I have the fish that I want to smoke now.  I found a thread on here titled "Brine" and it sounds good. 

Is there anything different I will need to do with some Sockeye Salmon?  Like I said before, I'm not a salmon eater and noticed that this has a whiter meat than the other...

Thanks for your input.

[Rckcrwlr]

OK...so I went back to the guy that gave me the Sockeye and wanted to confirm...

He corrected himself and said Steelhead...  LOL

So will be doing Salmon and Trout, I guess. 

[Rckcrwlr]

So, not being a fish person, these things are a pain in the arse...

First I did the Salmon...

I used the brine that was listed on here:

3/4 cup non iodized salt.
1cup white sugar.
2cups brown sugar.
2 heaping tsp. Accent.

Mix well into 1qt. warm water then
add 1qt.cold water.

Skinning the salmon was a hack job...Need a fillet board to do it right. I also removed the "brown" meat, only because someone said to (what is that stuff)



Then I cut it into nice size pieces



And put them in the brine for 12 hours...