Hot Smoked Salmon

kent8888

Yesterday I made a hot smoked salmon filet for my wife and I. A day earlier, I brined it for 6 hours in a half cup of kosher salt, a half cup of brown sugar with 6 cups of water. After rinsing it 6 times, I put it in the refrigerator overnight, uncovered. The plan was for a grill temperature of about 170 for 6 hours to arrive at an internal temperature of 145.

As usual the cook was a little different than the plan. The grill temp settled in the low 180s after about an hour. I put the salmon in and had the usual temp drop to the 150s. However, the temp did not come back up. It stayed in the 150s for about an hour then slowly dropped into the lower 140s even though I was opening the vents.

At two hours into the cook it was clear that I needed to restart the fire. I had put the salmon on a small rack to make it easier to move if this happened, so it restart was trouble free. I also used this as the time to add butter, brown sugar and a little maple syrup to the top of the salmon. The rest of the cook was in the 170s and low 180s. The salmon hit 144 a little under 7 hours from the start.

We were very pleased with the result and are looking forward to the bit leftover.

Carhoch

I cooked mine one hour at 200° perfect every time 

kent8888

Sounds efficient, how do you prep your salmon?

Carhoch

Bobbie Flay has a fantastic recipe of Hot salmon with salad apple... 

Doc_Eggerton

180 to 200 until the albumen begins to seep, usually about an hour.  Refrigerated uncovered overnight with a thick layer of homemade brown sugar and crystal salt rub, which I wipe off with my fingers before it goes on the grid.