Let's Talk BBQ
Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Grills & Smokers => Pellet Grills and Smokers => Topic started by: Smokerjunky on March 13, 2015, 03:30:08 PM
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My Son called the other night and said that his buddy had caught a steelhead and had a filet in the freezer. He asked John if I could smoke it for him and that I could keep half of the filet for smoking it.
Of course I jumped at the opportunity to smoke the steelhead (not unhappy about getting to keep some - although I only kept a small piece of the filet since I am not the one who caught it).
The only recipe I have for a brine/cure for fish is out of the Little Chief smoker cookbook.
1/2 Cup Non-Iodized Salt
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Quart water
I followed the instructions on curing although I went a couple hourse over the 8 - 12 hour recommendation. I rinsed the pieces with cold water and patted dry with paper towel and let it sit at room temp for about 90 minutes to let the pellicle develop.
I smoked with Pure Cherry pellets in the hopper and in the cold smoker box.
The product had an outstanding texture and flavor but I would have preferred it to be a little less salty. My Wife and Son both said it was great and did not agree with me on the salt issue.
Does anyone have any suggestions on a cure that would not be so salty on fish? THANKS!
(http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/w406/swjones64/IMG_3624_zps2vqxfpso.jpg) (http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/swjones64/media/IMG_3624_zps2vqxfpso.jpg.html)
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This is the recipe I use. The cure time and salmon thickness control the saltiness. Overnight is too long for me regardless of the thickness. I brine 4 hrs. for less than 1/2 inch thick and 6 hrs. for over 1/2". It's a matter of personal taste. You need to experiment.
Put 1/2 quart of apple juice in a pot on the stove, bring to low boil & then down to simmer.
Add to this;
6 ounces of soy or teriyaki sauce (I like teriyaki)
1/2 cup of non-iodized salt
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp of Garlic powder
1 tsp of Onion powder
1/2 tsp of Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp of Dried Bay Leaf Flakes (or 2 or 3 fresh bay leaves)
1/4 cup lemon juice
Stir until salt is dissolved. Then add 1 1/2 quarts of water & ice to cool quickly.
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This is the recipe I use. The cure time and salmon thickness control the saltiness. Overnight is too long for me regardless of the thickness. I brine 4 hrs. for less than 1/2 inch thick and 6 hrs. for over 1/2". It's a matter of personal taste. You need to experiment.
Put 1/2 quart of apple juice in a pot on the stove, bring to low boil & then down to simmer.
Add to this;
6 ounces of soy or teriyaki sauce (I like teriyaki)
1/2 cup of non-iodized salt
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp of Garlic powder
1 tsp of Onion powder
1/2 tsp of Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp of Dried Bay Leaf Flakes (or 2 or 3 fresh bay leaves)
1/4 cup lemon juice
Stir until salt is dissolved. Then add 1 1/2 quarts of water & ice to cool quickly.
Thanks - looks good - do you rinse and pat dry after it comes out of the brine as well?
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Here is my post of my Cider Mill Brined Steelhead Trout
http://www.letstalkbbq.com/index.php?topic=7744.0
I made a half-batch of Cliff's (aka Tenthunter) Cider Mill Brine, cold. It ended up being more than I needed for the fish. If I were doing 2 fillets, I would make the whole recipe. I followed the recipe to the letter. I believe it was at least 6 hours of air drying. Here is Cliff's Cider Mill Bacon Brine Recipe.
"Ingredient Amounts
4 quarts Filtered or Distilled Water
2 quarts Apple Cider
1ΒΌ cups Pickling Salt (250 grams by weight)
1 cups Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Sugar (regular)
6 tsp. Curing Salt #1 (Prague Powder #1, Insta-Cure #1 - contains 6.25% Sodium Nitrite)
Instead of heating my brine I just pour everything into a big stainless steel stock pot where I can stir it vigorously without making a mess. No waiting for the brine to cool means I can use it right away.
Very Important: If you heat your brine to dissolve the salt/sugar, then DO NOT add curing salt until AFTER the brine cools! Heat can deactivate Sodium Nitrite/Nitrate."
Cliff will verify how good this turned out. I gave him a sample to take home for his wife. She loved it.
Art
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I will have to try Wingman's recipe. Good ingredients list!
I can tell you that the Cider Mill recipe is also fantastic for bacon and hams as well!
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Thanks - looks good - do you rinse and pat dry after it comes out of the brine as well?
I do.
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I thought I would add the rest of my smoke procedure in the Bradley. Following are my last salmon process notes -
Smoked with apple for 16 pucks and Amazen tube w/apple pellets
Start at 115 degrees for 1 hour
120 for .5 hr, 130 for.5 hr, 140 for 1 hr, 160 for 1 hr, finish at 175
Removed as IT went over 140
Spun and rotated baskets every 20 min.
Vent set at 75%
I hope this helps.
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Cliff will verify how good this turned out. I gave him a sample to take home for his wife. She loved it.
Art
Oh my gosh YES!!! I would never have thought to use that recipe for steelhead or salmon, but my wife and I both thought it was the best we'd ever had.
The piece Art sent home with me, well my wife very quickly claimed it as hers. I was lucky to get a few small pieces of it, and she did make a schmear out of some of it, that she let me have just a little of.
It was some kind of good!
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Thanks Team, bookmarked ;D
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Thanks everyone for the feedback - I appreciate the tips - definately gives me some options for the next batch.