Hot Smoked Recipe for
Salmon and Steelhead
By
Stanley Stanton
Items needed to prepare your salmon and steelhead for
smoking: rock salt, pepper, white sugar, paper towels, newspaper, non-stick
spray, large plastic tray or plastic bucket, smoker and Alder chips.
1. Filet the salmon or steelhead on both sides of backbone
from the head to the tail, then cut the filet into chunks about 3 to 4 inches
wide.
2. Wash the chunks in cold water and place a layer of the
washed chunks in the bottom of the large plastic tray or plastic bucket. Cover
this layer with rock salt, add another layer of the fish chunks and cover this
layer with rock salt. Continue doing this with the rest of your salmon or
steelhead chunks.
3. Let the chunks remain in the rock salt for about 60 to 90
minutes, the thinner pieces for 60 minutes, and the thicker pieces 90 minutes.
After the salting time is up remove the chunks from tray or bucket and
thoroughly wash off the salt in cold running water.
4. On a table or counter top spread out newspaper 4 or 5
sheets thick and then cover with a layer of white paper towels. Place the washed
fish chunks on the paper towels skin side down. Sprinkle with small amounts of
pepper and sugar. Allow the chunks to sit about 4 hours. Spray the smoker racks
with non-stick to prevent sticking during the smoking process. Place all the
thicker chunks on one or two racks and the thinner chunks on the other racks and
place the racks back on the paper to remain drying over night. This allows a
glaze to form on the fish that is necessary for proper smoking.
5. Place the smoker on a cement pad or patio blocks in an
outside location where it is not affected by cold temperatures, wind or rain. Do
not place smoker on any type of a wooden base. Preheat the smoker with a pan of
Alder chips for about one hour and then load the smoker. Place the racks with
the thicker chunks in the bottom slots of the smoker and the racks with thinner
chunks on the top slots of the smoker. Leave a small space between the fish
chunks to allow the smoke to pass and smoke all sides of the chunks.
6. Add fresh Alder chips. After one hour remove the chip pan
discard ashes and add more chips. This will need to be done every hour, four or
five times during the smoking process.
7. After 4 or 5 hours, check the fish to see how it is doing.
The chunks should be drying out on top and turning a golden dark red color. If
not, add another pan of Alder chips and smoke for another hour. You can check
for complete smoking by using a fork to open up one of the thicker fish chunks,
the meat should be the same lighter color all the way through and the outside
should have a nice golden red color. On warmer days you may only need about 4 to
5 pan of chips to complete the smoking process. During colder weather it may
take up to 7 hours or longer to complete the smoking process but try to only use
6 pans of Alder chips. If you use too many pans of Alder chips the fish tends to
get a very smokey taste
8. Tips and tricks on hot smoking: (1) To get a good hot
smoke cure of the fish, the temperature inside the smoker needs to reach
approximately 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a meat thermometer inside the smoker
to check the temperature. Use gloves or a hot pad to remove the hot top lid of
the smoker. If you find that your smoker is not reaching the proper temperature,
you can easily make a box to enclose the smoker that will hold in the heat and
raise the temperature. Go to a building supply store and purchase a piece of
4x8x1/2 inch thick styrofoam insulation board with aluminum foil on both sides.
The insulation board is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to cut with a sharp
knife. The sides of the box can be held together with duct tape. Allow 2”
spacing between smoker and the sides and the top of the styrofoam box. Cut out
an opening at the bottom of the box for the smoker chip pan. The top piece of
the box can be held in place with a small rock or brick. (2) Always use approved
electrical extension cords when using the smoker. (3) The fish on the bottom
racks will smoke faster than the fish on the top racks, so you may need to
remove the fish on the bottom if they are ready. Continue smoking the fish on
the top racks. (4) When you first take the fish out of the smoker, do a taste
test with some white wine, cheese and crackers; this is when smoked salmon is at
its best. (5) If you want to freeze your smoked fish use a vacuum packer. Place
two or three of the chunks in vacuum packer bags while they are still warm and
vacuum seal. Place in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days, this will help the oils
and moister in the fish to permeate the meat with the smoke flavor. Freeze the
bags and try to consume within 6 months.
Oregon fly fishing Guide and Mckenzie River Guide Stan
Stanton has guiding in Oregon for 20 years. Please review his website at
http://www.oregon-fly-fishing-with-stan.com
or
email at:
stan@oregon-fly-fishing-with-stan.com
The author of this article has authorized its distribution with the requirement
that it be published in its entirety, without changes, including this resource
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