I did it

char buddy · February 2001

Well the results are in from that experiment I tried over the weekend, smoking salmon on an electric green egg. (you know in the 60's there might have been a band called the electric green eggs, I just can't remember). [p]I was hoping for a smoked salmon like you get in bagel shops - not as dry as the smoked whitefish, not as wet as the lox or gravlox. I got something with an incredible crust - I could barely cut it with a sharp knife - and tasty and tender on the inside. The texture is like one of GFW's ribs - tender, but not mushy.[p]First a review of what I did. [p]I brined a two pound salmon fillet for an hour and a half the way RandyQ says to do it. [p]
1/2 Gallon Good Clean Spring Water
3/4 Cup Kosher Salt (or Plain Salt, but not Iodized Salt)
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 ts Granulated Garlic or Garlic Powder
1 ts Tenderquick (curing salt, optional)
3-4 whole black peppercorns, slightly cracked
a few thin slices of lemon or lime
*optional, anything you like...pickling spices, thyme, honey, wine..... [p]Then after rinsing and patting it dry I gave it a light coat of crushed peppercorns. Then I air-dryed it overnight in the fridge uncovered on a raised rack. RandyQ only dries his for an hour or so, but he's in a hurry.[p]Then I emptied my egg of lump charcoal, vacummed it (optional) and set a cheap crock pot warmer on the bottom. I ran the plug out of the bottom vent.[p]I set up for indirect grilling. I put some apple and alder wood chips in a drip pan and put the drip pan on a weber grill. I put a BGE grill on top of the weber grill supported by two vertical firebricks and put the salmon (naked) on the BGE grill. [p]It took two hours or so for the dome thermometer to hit 100* - the target temp (it might have been longer and I did this in a cold garage (40*). But once the egg hit 100* it was rock steady after that even though I opened the dome every hour nervously to check on the salmon. I put the fish on at noon and took it off this morning at 8 (20 hours).[p]I could take the fillet I've got down to the local deli and the folks there would probably kill for it. RandyQ is right about the brining, it clears up the blood and other off tastes, then sharpens the spices you add. The version I did could be called pepper salmon. [p]Anyway, I'll probably have to get the mini egg, so I can do burgers and stuff while the big boy is doing salmon.

Mike Oelrich · February 2001

char buddy,[p] Interesting approach. Sounds like a fun experiment. Having trouble picturing how you got smoke, though. Did you put some of the wood directly on the heat source?[p]MikeO

Mike Oelrich · February 2001

char buddy,[p] BTW, I went out and looked at the mini this weekend after all the hoopla about them discontinuing it. Since I already have a small, I couldn't justfy the mini once I saw how small it really is. What, you say? Unable to spend money on something BGE? I probably just need someone from the "cult" to come out and update my conditioning ;-) . . .[p]MikeO

char buddy · February 2001

MikeO,[p]I put a combination of apple and alder chips in the drip pan. Time time they were dry. Next time I will probably wet them.

char buddy · February 2001

MikeO,[p]That is a good idea. Think I'll try it next time. With AllanE's set up you're not getting much smoke but when I was walking about the BGE I got little whiffs of smoke smell - like driving by lumber yard.[p]

Fireball · February 2001

char buddy,
By "cheap crock pot warmer" do you mean the heating element out of a cheap crock pot? Sometimes some of us need a little help. Thanks
Fireball

char buddy · February 2001

Fireball,[p]I probably should have said stand alone hot plate. Thanks for the heads up.

Zip · February 2001

char buddy,[p]You can leave the hotplate out of the egg by using a tea kettle with wood chips in it. Just put the kettle on hotplate connected to the egg's bottom vent with some aluminum flex pipe from a auto parts store. The longer the connecting pipe to the egg, the lower the heat. This works real well and keeps the heat source out of the egg.[p]Zip

I did it

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