Fish smoking questions

[h20dog]

I have a loin of tuna that i'm planning to smoke this weekend. How do I cut it :whazzup:
Do I use the same brine as I use for salmon :whazzup: Do I brine it with the salmon or separatly :whazzup: I have only tried smoking fish a half a dozen times, and don't want to mess up.

[greenbuttskunk]

I would not brine them together. You're likely to cross the flavors, may taste funky. I've smoked salmon for years but never tuna, so there's probably someone else who can tell you the best advice for smoking the tuna. If I were you, I'd cut it into 2" cubes, marinate in ginger, soy, garlic,brown sugar, black pepper, a little mustard, and a little worchester. marinate for 4-6 hours, then smoke in alder. Once done and fairly cool, sprinkle with some cajun seasoning and you're good to go. I do a similar thing with sturgeon and it rocks!
Good luck.
GBS

[DT]

I smoked tuna once and it turned out great, but I brined it separate from the salmon. A few tips that have been helpful for me....hopefully they'll be of use to you as well:

--Make sure the chunks of fish are less than about 2 1/2 inches thick, otherwise they'll be in the smoker for days.

--I brine my thicker chunks of fish (chinook) for about 24 hours to assure all of the meat is brined.

-- Spray the racks of the smoker with some Pam or other non-stick cooking spray. Seems to keep the fish from sticking as much (I always remove the skin from the fish I smoke- personal choice).

-- The best smoking advice I ever got was: After removing the fish from the brine and putting it on the racks, put the racks of fish uncovered in the fridge overnight before you smoke them. It seems to seal the fish. Before I learned this, the meat would almost always split open and the oils would leak out as they smoked.

--Also, a little coarse ground pepper does a world of good, especially if you have a sweeter brine.

-- Lastly, invest in a food sealer. Keeps the fish usable for a loooong time. And the smoked fish makes great x-mas gifts that you can send to relatives far and wide.

Hope this was helpful and good luck....

DT

[fishbait]

Drying is important. It forms the pellicle on the outside of the meat. I take my racks and place them in fornt of a fan for 3-5 hours to dry them.

[Killertraylor]

I smoked tuna one time and although it tasted good, it was pretty dry. I prefer it fresh on the grill. Hopefully someone can give you some tips on how to keep it moist. I'd use a wet brine for starters and wouldn't keep it in the smoker too long. You might also try smoking it for an hour and then canning it just like you do your other tuna. I do this with salmon and it stays very moist when smoked and canned and it lasts forever.

[fishbait]

Roger,

Check the salty dogs forum, might be more stuff there

[porter]

I have a couple more questions. I have a gas smoker with water pan and pan for the wood. What length of time should the fish be smoked and at what temp. My smoker seems to run around 200 degrees. Is that about right?

[greenbuttskunk]

all depends on the type of fish, the thickness, how much is in the smoker. Will take some experimenting. Some heat loss will occure this time of year, so if you can insulate the smoker of use is when it's a little warmer, the smoking time will be reduced. Which model is it?