Savory Salmon Brine For Smoking Food

SAVORY SALMON BRINE FOR SMOKING

Steps:

• Prepare fish, tie strips together, etc.
• Combine all ingredients and let stand one hour.
• Marinate fish in brine for 12-24 hours, stirring or agitating every 2 hours or so. Usually go for 24 hours.
• Remove fish from brine and rinse brine off thoroughly in cold, running water.
• Let fish air dry for at least 1 hour, until the flesh gets a "tacky" surface on it.
• Place fish in smoker (do not use a barbecue). Distribute fish over racks evenly to make sure there is plenty of space between pieces.
• Fill chip pan with a 50/50 mix of alder and apple chips. A pan of chips usually takes 1 hour to burn out. Replace chips as they burn out for the first 5 hours, then every 4-6 hours for the rest of the smoking time.
• A salmon fillet will take between 8-24 hours to smoke depending on the size of the fillet and the desired amount of doneness. A 10-lb. salmon will yield 2 3.5-pound fillets that will take at least 12 hours to smoke for a soft texture. We smoke this salmon for a minimum of 24 hours to get a hard, smoked texture. (Depending on the weather, this could take 3-5 days.).

BRINE FOR SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Place sugar in water and stir until incorporated. Add other ingredients and stir until mixed well. Place a 1 lb piece of fresh salmon into a baking dish (that just fits the fish) and pour the brine over top. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Disregard brine and smoke the fish as per the recommendations of your smoker.

BRINE FOR SMOKED SALMON

Steps:

• Pour the water into a large bowl or small bucket. If you must use a pot, use one that does not contain aluminum. Stir in the kosher salt, white sugar, brown sugar, lemon pepper, parsley and seasoning mix. Add the garlic, hot pepper sauce, lemons, oranges, lime and onion.
• Soak your salmon in this brine in the refrigerator for 12 to 36 hours. Smoke using your desired method (see Cook's Note).

SMOKED SALMON BRINE

Steps:

• 1. Mix all ingredients together well. I use a fork to make sure everything is stirred together well.
• 2. Can use it right away or store in an airtight container.
• 3. HOW TO DRY BRINE AND SMOKE YOUR SALMON.
• 4. Cut salmon into fillet-size pieces (about the size of your hand or palm. Leave the skin on and rinse well under cold water.
• 5. Drain and pat as dry as possible with paper towels. Place salmon, skin-side-down in a plastic tray (I use a meat lug). You'll want something with high sides to hold all the moisture that will be drawn out of the fish.
• 6. Completely cover the salmon with the dry brine mixture. Be sure to pat mix around the sides as well. You want to cover up as much of the meat as possible. Cover the tray/fish with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge or a very cold place for 24 hours.
• 7. Remove plastic wrap and thoroughly rinse fish under cold water. Remove as much of the brine as possible from the fish. Dry the fillets with paper towels (you want it as dry as possible). Let sit on a tray for 2-3 hours or until a sticky pellicle can be seen/felt on the skin of the fish.
• 8. Bring the smoker up to 200 degrees. Use ONLY alder wood chips when smoking fish. Get the smoker smoking and, working quickly, put the trays of fish in the smoker. Smoke for 2 hours and allow the temperature to come down to 70 or below.

SMOKED SALMON BRINE (AND THE SMOKING PROCESS)

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together. Pack the dry brine between the slits and cover the meat with the brine. Cover totally with the brine in any non-metal container and refrigerate. After 12 hours stir the mixture. Leave in brine for about 1 day. Remove fish from brine and rinse very well. Slice salmon through the meat but not thuough the skin in 2 inch strips. Dry fish on smoking racks until a pellicle, or glaze forms. This may take 3 to 4 hours to form. Smoke with alder for 6 to eight hours or untill done.