Hard-smoking salmon. Help please!

Unknown

The archives are down (for me at least) and I have lots of salmon thawed and waiting to be HARD smoked.[p]Help me out please. HOW DO IT DO IT?????[p]Any help would sure be appreciated!!

Unknown

Roy Wilson,
You need to brine and cold smoke for best results,
that would be cooking 90 to 120º pit temps.
If you are ready to do that then we can supply you with brines.
Jim

Unknown

Jim Minion,[p]My wife INSISTS on HARD smoking. So no choice here.[p]Help.[p]Thanks!

Jethro

Roy Wilson,[p]I think Jim's point is that it is very difficult to keep an Egg at those low temps he mentioned. Do have a set up for your Egg or another cooking devise that will support those temps?[p]Keep em Smokin,
Jethro

Science Guy

Roy Wilson,
I just recently smoked a 4 lb Sockeye and I was pleased with the result. Filleted the fish so there were 2 nice sized halves. I rubbed the fish with 2 cups of coarse Kosher salt and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Left in the refrigerator overnight. Drain off the liquid but do not rinse the fish. This keeps some of the salt and sugar on the outside. Start fire and add your choice of wood chunks (I only had hickory so I used that but some kind of fruit wood or alder would be better). Put fish on grill flesh side down while there is lots of smoke. Maintain temp between 180-220. The lower the better. Mine was hard smoked and delicious after about 2 hours. What I didn't eat right away I vaccuum bagged and froze. It will keep in the fridge for awhile but probably not good for more than 1 week. I didn't want to chance spoilage.[p]You could add soy or teriyaki sauce for flavor at the same time you brine. I wanted mine unadulterated.[p]Good Luck

Unknown

Jethro,[p]Well...me. I'll just watch the temps. Got nothing better to do (retired).[p]Thanks,[p]Roy

Unknown

Science Guy,[p]Thanks a million. I'll give it a try.[p]Roy

Unknown

Roy Wilson,
What was just discribed is not really hard smoked but if you are looking at this technique I will suggest a couple of changes, smoke skin side down, and I would add other ingredients to the first stage, equal parts of salt and brown sugar, dill, tarragon, savory, possibly onion and garlic. Leave in the firg for a couple of hours. Remove from frig and rinse well. Rerub with a light coat of brown
sugar and dill. cook till the fish is to the dryness you are looking for.
jim

Science Guy

Jim Minion,
You are right, this is not a true hard-smoked technique as that involves cold smoking for a LONG time until most of the moisture is gone and it becomes hard (jerky-like). However, I don't think that this is what Roy was asking for, since he wanted to use the BGE. The result of what I described will be a cooked, smoked, not soft-like-lox, salmon and if you are careful will still be moist inside.

Unknown

Science Guy,
I agree, just wanted to a feel for what he was thinking.
Our techniques are basicaly the same, you cook for a couple of hours or grill at a med high heat finishing in aprox 15 min.
Have a good one
Jim[p]