NEED HELP! Smoked Pollock Fillets?

[Wampus]

I just got home from helping at the parish Lenten Fish Fry and for whatever reason we were really dead this week. So we had a bunch of fish thawed that didn't get cooked. I offered to smoke some and bring it back next week to give to the rest of the workers at the fish fry.

I have about 10-12 lbs of skinless fillets. I've cured and hot smoked salmon many times, but not any mild whitefish like this. Anyone know why I should do anything different? I was thinking of just a brown sugar/kosher salt cure for about 3 hours (the fillets are about 3/4"-1" thick) and then rinse & dry in the fridge on racks for hours, maybe overnight, followed by a slow smoke around 170-200 degrees with apple and cherry until internal temp of about 150. Then I was gonna rest, chill and vacuum seal in portions for the folks at church.

I've got a whole large foil pan full of these fillets (probably about 50 fillets) out in the fridge so I need to cook them this weekend for sure.


Am I on the right track?
Anyone got a better dry cure for this mild fish?



Anyone? Anyone? Beuller?



Thanks in advance y'all.

[beercuer]

Howdy Wampus!

I'm a real Cod/Pollock fan and have done it many times. It is so tasty and user friendly and you can't really go wrong no matter what you do. It's great to just even grill it and spill butter all over it for a kind of mock lobster, if you will. One fo my favorites, however, is to slather it in mayo, roll and coat well in corn meal, get it smokin' at whatever temp you please, and you can even have a delicious fish 'n chips that way. Mmmmmm.... enjoy your cookout, brother!

[colonel00]

Cut them into little chunks, bread and fry them. Then you have fish fish McBites

[CharredApron]

It’s fine to refreeze the fish fillets — as long as you thawed them in the refrigerator and held them there for no more than two days.

If that was the case, you can pop the fillets back into the freezer and they’ll still be safe to eat, says the United States Department of Agriculture.

[Wampus]

Originally Posted by Hometruckin

It’s fine to refreeze the fish fillets — as long as you thawed them in the refrigerator and held them there for no more than two days.

If that was the case, you can pop the fillets back into the freezer and they’ll still be safe to eat, says the United States Department of Agriculture.

I think they thawed them in the fridge over a couple of days.

PLUS.....I've got my mind all set on smoking them YO!

[Wampus]

Originally Posted by beercuer

Howdy Wampus!

I'm a real Cod/Pollock fan and have done it many times. It is so tasty and user friendly and you can't really go wrong no matter what you do. It's great to just even grill it and spill butter all over it for a kind of mock lobster, if you will. One fo my favorites, however, is to slather it in mayo, roll and coat well in corn meal, get it smokin' at whatever temp you please, and you can even have a delicious fish 'n chips that way. Mmmmmm.... enjoy your cookout, brother!

Really don't want to bread them or grill them since I've got to bring them back to church next Friday.


Have you ever cured and smoked cod or pollock?

[Thermal Mass]

Having smoked many a salmon, trout, chub, and white fish, you are on the right track.

Brine should be more about flavor than cure (watch the salt) since you are only really imparting flavor and not really prepping (curing) for long term storage.

Since the fillets have no real skin, rinse (lightly) and "skin" at least overnight if not more .
The more "skin" you develop on the fillets the less moisture you will loose during the smoking process (both from the heat and the brine that already draws moisture out)
Smoke to internal to no more than 150 ("safe" is 160) carry over should take them to "safe".
Watch the temp closely as they will go quickly.

My .02 on packaging:
Smoked fish "sweat" after the curing/smoking process unless frozen (gross!).
We always wrapped loosely in newspaper then in open plastic bags, kept in a cold (36 deg) refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

BTW, as a newbie, ya'all swapping avitars (you know who you are...) is confusing an kind of creepy (Wampus glad to see you are still here!, beware of impostors)!

[beercuer]

Originally Posted by Wampus

Really don't want to bread them or grill them since I've got to bring them back to church next Friday.


Have you ever cured and smoked cod or pollock?

Yes, I have smoked cod/polluck. Flavor brining is a wonderful idea, but I've never dared to cure it. That fish lends itself very readily to absorbing various flavors (i.e. the fish of choice for imitation crab, etc), and I fear curing is risky in too briny a result. I have also never known any benefit to smoking at a low temp over say indirect grilling once you've got your smoke going. Since you can expect a lot of different tastes to satisfy, you are probably best with a mild seasoning as you described. Too bad in a way, cause you can sure add a zing by rubbing with achiote paste thinned out with lime juice. Other than that, I could only reiterate what Thermal Mass recommended. He's right on the mark.

[Thermal Mass]

Originally Posted by beercuer

Yes, I have smoked cod/polluck. Flavor brining is a wonderful idea, but I've never dared to cure it. That fish lends itself very readily to absorbing various flavors (i.e. the fish of choice for imitation crab, etc), and I fear curing is risky in too briny a result. I have also never known any benefit to smoking at a low temp over say indirect grilling once you've got your smoke going. Since you can expect a lot of different tastes to satisfy, you are probably best with a mild seasoning as you described. Too bad in a way, cause you can sure add a zing by rubbing with achiote paste thinned out with lime juice.
Other than that, I could only reiterate what Thermal Mass recommended. He's right on the mark.

Thanks, beercuer.
Wampus, keep in mind however you go, your reputation can be severely tarnished from an attempt at that is out of your comfort zone.
If you are not confident, toss the fish make a $50 donation to the next cook and call it good.
My .02

[Wampus]

Originally Posted by Thermal Mass

Thanks, beercuer.
Wampus, keep in mind however you go, your reputation can be severely tarnished from an attempt at that is out of your comfort zone.
If you are not confident, toss the fish make a $50 donation to the next cook and call it good.
My .02

Thanks. Thing is the fish was going to go to waste anyway, so it's not like I'm trying to save money for them. This fish will just be provided for "kitchen staff treats" next week.

It's not as if I'm uncomfortable cooking the fish in any way, I've just not cooked mild white fish like this in any way but seasoning with citrus and herbs and grilling. I may just do that, or smoke it hot too so I can do a lot at once.

Thirdeye gave me a recipe for "Walleye Cakes" (sort of like crab cakes) that I may just give a go at too with some of it.

[indianagriller]

Fishy Fishy Mcbites...erryday