Smoking Salmon

[thirdeye]

Originally Posted by Huh? What?

Formula is according to weight.

2.5% coarse kosher salt
2% brown sugar
1% coarse black pepper
0.25% cure #1

rub salmon with cure mix and vacuum pack. Tomorrow morning it gets unpacked, rinsed, and dried. After that it gets rubbed with a very light coat of olive oil flavored with fernleaf dill, and rubbed with fresh black black pepper. Then in the smoke box for four hours or so of cold smoke. Repack and rest at least overnight. If not being used soon it goes in the freezer.

Gotcha... you are making a peppered Nova lox of sorts. Thanks for the recipe. And now the long dwell time makes perfect sense.

My dwell time of 6 hours was for hot smoking, but my Nova lox takes a 10 to 12 hour in a salt/sugar dry cure followed by a up to 12 hours in a brine cure, also salt and sugar. I don't season until equalizing overnight, and use black pepper, white pepper and dill. I get sort of a candied texture with the double cure.

[thirdeye]

Originally Posted by Stlsportster

I’m along for the ride here too. I warm smoke a ton of salmon. Mostly wet brine, because my wife prefers it.

I’ve done some dry brine on salmon too and like the results, but haven’t cold smoked for lox yet. It’s been on my list for a long time ....

Any specific recommendations from either of you? Can I use the generic farmed and colored crap from sams or Costco? I’ve always anticipated buying sushi grade, but I’ve heard of lots of folks using the standard store bought.

Freshness is the key when making lox or Nova lox, I've used sushi grade for that reason, and because of my location frozen fillets are an option. Food safety experts will recommend fish which has been commercially frozen when making lox. The quick freezing and well below zero temperatures will kill any baddies associated with uncooked fish you may worry about. I've found that sometimes the texture I want is harder to get from frozen fish, so that decision is up to you.

[Huh? What?]

Originally Posted by Stlsportster

I’m along for the ride here too. I warm smoke a ton of salmon. Mostly wet brine, because my wife prefers it.

I’ve done some dry brine on salmon too and like the results, but haven’t cold smoked for lox yet. It’s been on my list for a long time ....

Any specific recommendations from either of you? Can I use the generic farmed and colored crap from sams or Costco? I’ve always anticipated buying sushi grade, but I’ve heard of lots of folks using the standard store bought.

I never use the farm-raised salmon. Ignoring the quality issues, something in the farm-raised fish sets off my wife's asthma. Having said that, use the best quality salmon you can afford.

I never cold smoke fish - or just about anything - without using cure #1. Cold smoking just violates too many of the safety rules of smoking. Cure #1 makes it safer for the people who are going to be eating your food.

Keep things clean!

[Huh? What?]

Originally Posted by thirdeye

Gotcha... you are making a peppered Nova lox of sorts. Thanks for the recipe. And now the long dwell time makes perfect sense.

My dwell time of 6 hours was for hot smoking, but my Nova lox takes a 10 to 12 hour in a salt/sugar dry cure followed by a up to 12 hours in a brine cure, also salt and sugar. I don't season until equalizing overnight, and use black pepper, white pepper and dill. I get sort of a candied texture with the double cure.

I've never done a double cure. I may have to try it.

[Huh? What?]

Post-four-hours of apple wood smoke, pre-vacuum packing. Most of it is now in the freezer resting. One pack is out for testing later.

[halfcocked]

Live in the deep south so cold smoking is out. What do you all recommend for hot smoke?

[Big George's BBQ]

That looks awesome
I use lump with some apple and pecan woods chunks. I cook it at -50 for a few hrs and then start to increase slowly the temp. Take over 4 hrs. I do it in met Egg using a Guru to control Temps. I use Gore’s recipe. It’s excellent. I buy my Salmon at a Whole Foods. It’s farm raised. Comes out Great

[68pointbuck]

Cold smoked salmon for the first time this weekend!! Turned out pretty good i thought. These were thin fillets, likely from the first few fish I caught this summer, while I was still learning how to fillet! I will certainly be doing this again and playing with my cute mixture to add more flavor.