Salmon.... Kummok's Salmon!

[Mr Walleye]

I have never done Kummok's salmon recipe... Not sure why?... my list of things too do is just soooo big!

Because this is the first time doing it I thought I would pretty much follow Kummok's recipe. We always have all the relatives over Christmas Eve so I thought I would do the salmon this weekend and vac pac/freeze it till them. On Christmas Eve day I will also be doing 6 racks of back ribs and 10 lbs of wings. Man I'm droolin' already!  :P

Anyway, I thought I'd post a some pictures of the salmon. I brined the salmon for 12 hours (over night), then allowed it to form a pelicle for 3 hours with a fan, nice and tacky, and fired it into the smoker for the first stage at 110 degrees and alder smoke.

Ohhhh yaaaa baby! It's lookin' good!  ;) (I hope I can keep my grubby mitts off it till Xmas)  :D

Click to enlarge



Mike

[Smoking Duck]

Looks like you got it dialed in Mike!  It ain't walleye, but it sure id dang good!  Now, keep yer grubby mitts off!  It's for family!  ;D

[Kummok]

Great pic Mike!! It got smoke stain on my screen.....opps, not smoke stain....drool marks and nose prints!! GREAT looking product, ya done that salmon a great favor and your family a great flavor!!

[Mr Walleye]

Thanks Kummok!

I just cranked it up to 140... I just had to have peek!  ::)

Man I'm droolin'!  :P

It's goin' to be tough to keep this till Christmas Eve!  :o  ;D

Mike

[Kummok]

Which salmon species is that? Might have some recommended mods to the standard recipe for ya depending upon which salmon "model" yer burning......

[Mr Walleye]

It's supposed to Coho or at least that's what I bought it as.

After brining I had a fan on it for 3 hours and it formed a nice pelicle. Into the smoker at 110 degrees for 2 hours, then turned it up to 140. It's been at 140 for about 45 minutes.

Any comments would be greatly appreciated Kummok.

Mike

[Kummok]

Coho (aka..Silver) tends to be on the dry (not so oily) side. It is the favorite with "newbie" salmon tasters....some stay with dry for life. Kinda like wine in a way....start with "training wines", Boones Farm, Spananda, Mogan David as a teen (WHAT were we thinkin'?!?!?), White Zin as a young adult (Where's the beef??) and dark reds (Bolder the better!) as one's taste matures but some stay at white zin forever....  Personally, I like VERY big FAT feeder king with oil running down my arms as I eat along with a full blooded dark merlot or dark/dark/dark porter or stout. All that being said, if your or your intended eaters prefer drier salmon, go a full 4~4.5 hours. If you like it more moist, I'd pull a sample from the coolest part of your BS at around 3~3.5 hours and check....that will be the most moist with hotter areas producing drier product for the same burn time. I often separate out the Coho product according to color/firmness and then vac seal in separate packaging marked "Dry" "Med" "Moist".

Hope this helps but KNOW that however long you do it, it will be great tasting and rapidly consumed!

[Mr Walleye]

Thanks Kummok! I really appreciate the comments.  ;)

I will follow your suggestions and have a few samples along the way.

Besides, a guy has to make sure it's just right.  ::)  :D

I was thinking at keeping it at 140 for 3 hours, then up to 175 to finish, maybe another hour or this to long. I wondered what your thought is on this.

Thanks again

Mike

[Kummok]

Myself, I wouldn't got over 4 hours with Coho....too dry....but that's just me. If your "sampling" determines to take it long, I'd do it at 140ish or you can end up with crispy critters in your hot spots. IF this happens, just put those pieces in a separate bag, sprinkle in your favorite blackening spice mix, shake 'em up and tell folks that it's your "blackened smoked Wild Alaskan Salmon" ....a big hit up here when I did that... marketing is EVERYTHING! After all, we're the ones that see white Kings become "Ivory King Salmon", Tanner crab become "Alaskan Snow Crab" and Pollock become "Imitation Crab" (among other things it morphs into?!?!?) somewhere between the time it leaves Alaska and arrives in American, et.al!! Must be some seafood morph machine that they pass through on the way down?!?!?   :-\ ;)

[Mr Walleye]

Thanks Kummok.

I'm assuming you mean 4 hours at the 140 mark, in addition to the 2 hours at 110 as opposed to a total time of 4 hours. Then... not going to the 175 mark to finish?

Mike

[Kummok]

I always finish the last hour at 175 but mess w/ moisture times in between, preferring slow n' low smoking the longest....helps prevent boogers and drying......

[Mr Walleye]

Excellent Kummok!

So my modifed times are...
2 hours at 110
4 hours at 140
1 hour at 175

I just went out and took a peek... Oh it looks so good!  :P

And no boogers so far!  :)

Thanks again Kummok

Mike

[Kummok]

That's about three hours (total time) longer than I normally do silvers (3.5 - 4 hours here)   I do:

1.5 hours at 110-120
1.5 hours at 140-150
1/2 - 1  hour at 175
___________________
3.5 - 4 hours Total time BUT modify based upon 1-2 checks during smoke, especially at end of "planned" smoke time........

Looking at your pics, 4 - 4.5 hours seems about right for your sized pieces of meat IF you want a medium moistness...... sampling/tasting at about 4 hours is your best friend here!

[Mr Walleye]

Ohhhh myyyy freeeaaakkin God!  :o

Anything this good has got to be illegal!  ;D

Turned out excellent! Thanks Kummok!  ;)

No boogers either!

Click to enlarge


Now... How the he11 am I supposed to keep this around till Christmas!  ???

Ohhh... Wait a minute... I think I hear a piece calling me... Gotta go!  :D

Mike

[Kummok]

You've reached felony nirvana mi amigo!! Congrats.....GREAT looking batch.....yer gonna be REAL popular around there!