COLD SMOKED TUNA LOIN

destrouk · December 11, 2012, 10:57:42 AM

Got one wanna cold smoke it hgoing to use alder wood but dont know what brine to use I dont a real flavor packed brine just a standard brine ..anyone ?? Will post pics when done

KyNola · December 11, 2012, 02:26:50 PM

Good to see you back! I wonder if you could do it with a dry cure like you use to make gravlox from salmon?

destrouk · December 11, 2012, 02:28:46 PM

I was thinking the same but I have heard you have to be careful as it will get salty quickly !! and hey thanks for the good to have you back ..ive been a busy boy !!!!!!

destrouk · December 11, 2012, 02:29:52 PM

and boy do I have the bacon thing hot smoked or even cold smoked nailed thanks to my grandad !!!!!!!!

Ka Honu · December 11, 2012, 06:22:25 PM

Interestingly enough (maybe), in Hawaii we eat lots of tuna and lots of smoked fish but you only rarely see smoked tuna (and that's usually the "trim" cuts like belly meat). It's generally considered too good to smoke - better raw, grilled, etc. Jes' sayin'.

JZ · December 11, 2012, 06:51:08 PM

I can't speak about smoked Tuna, but I tried smoking some Halibut once and that did not turn out well and I won't do it again. It was very dry. Wondering if tuna would be the same. ???

Bear1968 · December 11, 2012, 10:13:55 PM

Quote from: Ka Honu on December 11, 2012, 06:22:25 PM
Interestingly enough (maybe), in Hawaii we eat lots of tuna and lots of smoked fish but you only rarely see smoked tuna (and that's usually the "trim" cuts like belly meat). It's generally considered too good to smoke - better raw, grilled, etc. Jes' sayin'.

Kinda like Walleye around her ... you can smoke em and they are GREAT but if the locals find out you will get stoned in the town square. Just perfect w/o the smoke. :o

Habanero Smoker · December 12, 2012, 01:46:39 AM

I'm in agreement with Ka Honu, but a light kiss of smoke may be flavorful prior to grilling, or eating raw. If the tuna has been handled properly prior to placing it in the smoker; you could cold smoke for 1.5 hours. Keeping the cabinet temperature at around 55 - 65°F; and moving the tuna directly from the refrigerator to the smoker. That will keep the fish in the danger zone less then two hours. Also if you are smoking the entire time, the smoke has antimicrobial properties that will retard bacterial growth. After smoking, wrap tightly and return to the refrigerator.

pmmpete · December 12, 2012, 06:11:13 AM

Habanero Smoker, I wasn't aware that smoke had any antimicrobial properties. Can you refer me to any sources of information on that issue?

destrouk · December 12, 2012, 08:58:26 AM

Well the funny thing is my local fish guy sells the smoked Tuna and I love it !!!! so anyways I cam in the other with some bacon I made gave him some ..and then he gave me the massive tuna loin and said you know what smoke that and let me have a bit and the rest is yours ..so all I know is that the guys that do it smoke it with alder for approx 10 hours ..and it never has a salty taste to it which is why im trying to find a brine or info on the cold smoke as I think 10 hours is insane ive done fish b4 for only 3 hours and it was super smoky

destrouk · December 12, 2012, 10:44:11 AM

hmmmmmmmmmmm no matter how much I google I can not get a good answer and the guy who sells it to my fish guy I think is not being LOl to honest about the smoking time lol I have found this ....what do you guys think ?

http://www.foodista.com/blog/2009/01/26/cold-smoked-tuna#s.adn5zoz4abiaa

Ka Honu · December 12, 2012, 11:53:22 AM

If I were to go completely insane and smoke sashimi-grade tuna (which that photo doesn't appear to be), I'd forget about the brine and cold-smoke for about an hour before either slicing for sashimi or searing as a steak. I probably wouldn't freeze/refreeze first but I'd make sure it was as cold as I could get it and the chamber had plenty of ice.

I'm not likely to do that but if I were...

destrouk · December 12, 2012, 12:32:16 PM

Me and you are on the same page I dont think its been in a brine as the flavor is delicate ..but I urge you to try some if you ever see it its fantastic !!!!!!!

Habanero Smoker · December 12, 2012, 01:51:08 PM

Quote from: pmmpete on December 12, 2012, 06:11:13 AM
Habanero Smoker, I wasn't aware that smoke had any antimicrobial properties. Can you refer me to any sources of information on that issue?

This is fairly well know, and common knowledge; just google smoke's antimicrobial properties.

If you have Harold McGee's "On Food and Cooking; The Science and Lore of The Kitchen"; he has a nice write up in his book. Sometimes you may find McGee's book in Google Books.

pmmpete · December 12, 2012, 07:12:50 PM

Habanero Smoker, you beat me to it. After doing some rooting around, I found the following information about the antimicrobial properties of wood smoke on Page 449 of "On Food and Cooking, the Science and Lore of the Kitchen" by Harold McGee, revised edition 2004, a big thick book which is chock full of fascinating stuff about the science behind cooking:

"The Toxins in Wood Smoke: Preservatives and Carcinogens. In the beginning, smoking was not just a way of giving foods an interesting flavor: it was a way of delaying their spoilage. Wood smoke contains many chemicals that slow the growth of microbes. Among them are formaldehyde, and acetic acid (vinegar) and other organic acids, thanks to which the pH of smoke is a very microbe-unfriendly 2.5. Many of the phenolic compounds in wood smoke are also antimocrobials, and phenol itself is a strong disinfectant. The phenolic compounds are also effective antioxidants, and slow the development of rancid flavors in smoked meats and fish."

"In addition to antimicrobial compounds, smoke also contains antihuman compounds, substances that are harmful to our long-term health. Prominent among these are the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which are proven carcinogens and are formed from all of the wood components in increasing amounts as the temperature is raised. Hot-burning mesquite wood generates double the quantity that hickory wood does. The deposition of PAHs on meat can be minimized by limiting the fire temperature, keeping the meat as far as possible from the fire, and allowing free air circulation to carry soot and other PAH-containing particles away. Commercial smokers use air filters and temperature control for these purposes."

So that's the story on the antimicrobial properties of wood smoke. However, nobody claims that wood smoke by itself will produce safe fish. You need to get the fish to a high enough internal temperature to kill the microbes which can cause food poisoning, and then you need to refrigerate the smoked fish for short-term storage or freeze it for long-term storage.