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Pandemic Smoked Salmon questions

500
500 Posts: 3,184
in EggHead Forum
Dry brine or wet brine?  Cold smoke or hot smoke?  I have a filet of sockeye salmon from Sam’s in the freezer. I grilled one filet, and we didn’t care for it that much. Didn’t have a lot of moisture or flavor, so Mrs. 500 says cold smoke it. Thoughts?  I’ve got some time on my hands since I’ve been teleworking since March 16. 
I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
Member since 2009
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Comments

  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,458
    edited May 2020
    Tell us what you did to prep the first one. How hot did you grill?  What temp did you pull at?  

    I’ve wet brined before salt, sugar & water with various herbs like you would a pork chop or chicken breast.  

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • Wolfpack
    Wolfpack Posts: 3,552
    If you haven’t tried the naked whiz version I recommend giving it a try. It’s a wet brine with a hot smoke- pics of one of the times we have made

    I have also done a cold smoked version of Lox with good results. 

    Greensboro, NC
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  • HendersonTRKing
    HendersonTRKing Posts: 1,803
    I’m a huge fan of making nova lox. Dry brine 36 hrs in mix of kosher salt, brown sugar and spices + Prague powder, rest a day, cold smoke (< 90 degrees). It’s awesome. Great recipe in Michael Ruhlman’s Charcuterie book got me on my way. 
    It's a 302 thing . . .
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  • 500
    500 Posts: 3,184
    Mattman3969 said:
    Tell us what you did to prep the first one. How hot did you grill?  What temp did you pull at?  

    I’ve wet brined before salt, sugar & water with various herbs like you would a pork chop or chicken breast.  
    I definitely overcooked it. Did it raised direct at 400 dome. Flesh side down for 3 or 4 minutes then skin side down. 
    I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
    Member since 2009
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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,137
    500 said:
    Mattman3969 said:
    Tell us what you did to prep the first one. How hot did you grill?  What temp did you pull at?  

    I’ve wet brined before salt, sugar & water with various herbs like you would a pork chop or chicken breast.  
    I definitely overcooked it. Did it raised direct at 400 dome. Flesh side down for 3 or 4 minutes then skin side down. 
    Just like cooking a steak. You need to find the internal temp you like.
    An instant read temp gauge is your best friend.
    Does not matter what method you use if you overcook it.
    If you want to go high and hot like your last cook, try a cooking plank.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • 500
    500 Posts: 3,184
    It was so thin i figured my Thermopen would hardly read the IT correctly. 
    I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
    Member since 2009
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  • Teefus
    Teefus Posts: 1,259
    I dry brine with Kosher Salt and Brown Sugar. I smoke it slow at just under 200* with Applewood in the lump. I sprinkle the top with ground black pepper. After a couple hours I sprinkle a little Brown Sugar or paint it with real Maple Syrup to establish a light glaze. I pull it off at about 160*. Wrap it in Saran Wrap and let it sit in the fridge for a day. Never not yummy.




    Michiana, South of the border.
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  • loco_engr
    loco_engr Posts: 5,818
    looks yummy!
    aka marysvilleksegghead
    Lrg 2008
    mini 2009

    Henny Youngman:
    I said to my wife, 'Where do you want to go for our anniversary?' She said, 'I want to go somewhere I've never been before.' I said, 'Try the kitchen.'
    Bob Hope: When I wake up in the morning, I don’t feel anything until noon, and then it’s time for my nap
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  • bgeBill
    bgeBill Posts: 19
    edited May 2020
    I smoked my first salmon last weekend using about the same process as Teefus. Pulled it off at 140F. It was moist, flaky, with good smoke flavor, but was too salty for our taste. 

    I dry brined with 1/4 cup kosher salt and 1/4 cup brown sugar for 6 hrs, then rinsed and dried. Next batch will be about a 1 part salt to 4 part brown sugar. May pull at 145F. 

    Greenwood, IN. /  XL BGE   /  retired engineer 
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  • Teefus
    Teefus Posts: 1,259
    @bgeBill - The rinse is important. After curing I rinse liberally. Let the filet soak for a while if need be. I use 3 to 1 sugar to salt and this is still the case.
    Michiana, South of the border.
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  • 500
    500 Posts: 3,184
    Is the sugar necessary?  Not that I don't eat it, I just choose to avoid it when possible.  
    I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
    Member since 2009
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  • Teefus
    Teefus Posts: 1,259
    Sugar serves to pull moisture from the meat during the cure. The sprinkles I add later in the process are just for flavor. 
    Michiana, South of the border.
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  • 500
    500 Posts: 3,184
    THREAD REHASH; I finally got around to the Cold Smoked Salmon. I got two more fresh sockeye salmon filets, and started the dry cure yesterday. I followed this recipe for the cure mix. 
    I have an A-Maze-N S shape smoker. I plan on using Alder pellets. I’m going to monitor the firmness of the filets to determine when the brine is ready. These are two lean looking sockeye filets weighing 2.3 pounds total. I’m just going to make a judgement call on how long but two or three days in the brine is my estimate. Then rinse and dry in the fridge open to form the pellicle, then into the empty Egg with the pellet smoker rig. I’m thinking I’ll use the plate setter just to help circulate the smoke; maybe 4 hours. Not sure just gonna keep checking. If you made it this far, you’re a true Egghead. Here is the first pic of the cure. 



    I like my butt rubbed and my pork pulled.
    Member since 2009
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  • RyanStl
    RyanStl Posts: 1,050
    Teefus said:
    I dry brine with Kosher Salt and Brown Sugar. I smoke it slow at just under 200* with Applewood in the lump. I sprinkle the top with ground black pepper. After a couple hours I sprinkle a little Brown Sugar or paint it with real Maple Syrup to establish a light glaze. I pull it off at about 160*. Wrap it in Saran Wrap and let it sit in the fridge for a day. Never not yummy.




    This is pretty much my method as well except I've never tried the syrup. Steve Raichlin has a good recipe in his How To BBQ book.
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