Smoked Salmon Brine And The Smoking Process Food

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).

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.

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.