Dry Cured Salmon

I dry cured some salmon last night and will be smoking it tonight.

So here is what I have done so far.

This is enough for two filets

Dry Brine
1 lb. sea salt
1/2 lb. brown sugar
1 tbs. saltpeter
1 tbs. white pepper
1 tbs. crushed bay leaf
1 tbs. clove

I trimmed the filet to make it look nice and uniform.




Wrapped in food service for 4 hours in the fridge.


Rinse off the brine and back in the fridge for at least 8 hours. It will be dry to the touch. This picture is after 6 hours.



I will be smoking at 190 degrees with some apple to and internal temp of 140. It should take about an hour.

I will get some pictures after the smoke.

Cheers,
Nate

JONESY said:

Looks great, what purpose does the saltpeter have in the dry cure.

Click to expand...

Saltpeter is the curing agent (sodium nitrite). It is optional really. I added it this time because I am making one for a party and one for a coworker. I don't know how long the filets will be sitting out for consumption, so it is a little insurance. During the curing process and cooking process the filets will not be in the danger zone very long so that is why it is optional.

Cheers,
Nate