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Salmon Jerky. How do you make it?

11K views 23 replies 16 participants last post by  sherretb 
#1 ·
It seems everytime I get out with Fishbait (Steve) he brings these little vacuum sealed packets of salmon jerky. They're small strips (6" x 2" x 1/2") and have a glazed look to them.. They're really chewy and some of the best stuff I've had. I wanted to try and make some but don't understand how you turn smoked fish into jerky??

Any ideas? :grin:

Keith :grin:
 
#2 ·
cut em into thin strips, brine em as normal....take em out, rinse em off, put them on your racks..... add seasonings to em ie more salt or whatever have you.... let em sit for 1 hour, then stick them into the smoker until they are over done! I do this with kokanee.... mmm mmm mmmm
 
#3 ·
cut em into thin strips, brine em as normal....take em out, rinse em off, put them on your racks..... add seasonings to em ie more salt or whatever have you.... let em sit for 1 hour, then stick them into the smoker until they are over done! I do this with kokanee.... mmm mmm mmmm
Can you share your kokanee brine recipe? The brine I usually use with my salmon is a bit strong for small critters, and I've got a pile of trout that I want to turn into smoked candy...

Thanks,
Brian

PS: I'll trade ya your kokanee brine recipe for my Parmesan Halibut recipe (world famous, like the taffy... :smile:)
 
#4 ·
its the same as I use for everything:

1/2 cup canning salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
8 cups of water
 
#5 ·
its the same as I use for everything:

1/2 cup canning salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
8 cups of water

Here y'go (Note: This is our favorite halibut, and other white fish, recipe):

Halibut Parmesan
---------------------
FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY - You mix two things up and you bake two times, putting the stuff on separately ...I won't tell you why I know it's easy to miss this detail :wink:

2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp minced fresh onion (dried is OK in a pinch)
1 tsp minced chives (dried is OK in a pinch)
1 Tbs mayonaise

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese (dried)

MIX up 1st four ingredients above, then mix in the parmesan and set this mixture aside for now.


2 halibut filets (approx. 6-oz or bigger, 3/4" thick or
slightly thicker)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce (some like the
new 'Worcestershire Sauce for
Chicken', formerly know as
'White Wine Worcestershire
Sauce')
Black pepper to taste

PUT the filets in a shallow baking pan (skin-side down if the skin is still on the fish). Mix the Worcestershire sauce and lemon lightly, then pour over the fish. I prefer the regular Worcestershire sauce, believing that it adds a certain richness that you don't get from the chicken/white wine Worcestershire sauce. Use what you personally prefer. That reminds me ...feel free to enhance the mixture with a bit of wine wine too but don't over do it. Sprinkle with black pepper to taste.

BROIL until barely cooked. Time will vary from around 4 minutes to 9 minutes depending on filet thickness and type of fish (seabass/blackies/chinese rock fish broil faster than halibut, true cod broils faster than black cod, etc). Note that if you pulled the fish when it was ever-so-slightly not-quite cooked yet, that this would be great too and results in a finished product with more moisture in it.

REMOVE the pan from the oven and spread the parmesan mixture over the fish, leaving no exposed flesh (leaving skin exposed is OK). Place the fish back in the oven and broil until the parmesan mixture is lightly toasted, about 2 or 3 minutes in most ovens. :cheers: :wave: :yay:


Enjoy!
Brian D
 
#6 ·
its the same as I use for everything:

1/2 cup canning salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
8 cups of water
PS: How long do you brine the Kokes when using this recipe?

Thx,
Brian
 
#7 ·
:dance: looks as though everybody has their own brine,
but give this a try.

2 cups dark brown sugar
1/4 cup non-iodized salt
2 cups pineapple juice
2 cups yoshidas original marinade
2 Tsp onion powder
1 Tsp ginger
2 Tsp garlic powder
2 Tsp pepper

brine over night,and DO NOT rinse off. just place on
racks and coat both sides with Lawrys seasoned pepper
lightly. the pepper really gives it a kick! :dance: :dance:
 
#9 ·
My wifes grampa does this. He's an old timer and he does this all the time. It is some of the best that I have ever had. Before he hangs it in the bag he puts some type of mixed seasoming on it but for now he doesn't say what it is but he does say intime he will let me know. He will do this with these fish.

Steelhead
salmon
catfish
sturgon
ocean fish

Very good stuff


Owl
 
#10 ·
Yeah, it's not smoked fish that I'm after. It's the dried fish, almost like jerky. When it's done it looks like a glazed over piece of jerky? I wonder if it has to be hung to do it right???

Or is what I'm looking for just overdone smoked fish? I don't get it...

Keith :grin:
 
#12 ·
Yeah, it's not smoked fish that I'm after. It's the dried fish, almost like jerky. When it's done it looks like a glazed over piece of jerky? I wonder if it has to be hung to do it right???

Or is what I'm looking for just overdone smoked fish? I don't get it...

Keith :grin:
Well, if you put it that way then yes, it's just 'overdone' fish. It's important to let the pelical form (dry to touch) before putting it in the smoker. Whether your brine recipe requires rinsing or not, don't be in a hurry after the brining. Let the fish dry before smoking. A Little Chief smoker (protected from the wind and rain) runs at about the right temperature. Just smoke during the first 2 hours and let it run until the fish is as dry as you'd like ...I think we went about 6 hours (?) for trout the last time we did it, and we swap the top and bottom trays halfway through. The brine we use is a 'fast brine' that's OK for salmon, sturgeon and larger fish, but a bit rough on trout and Kokanee (too salty) ...that's why I was asking about the brine. But the smoking/drying part of the equation is easy ...just make sure you let the pelical (skin) form on the fish by letting it dry prior to smoking. It takes longer to dry than you'd guess... plan ahead.

Brian
 
#13 ·
everytime I get out with Fishbait (Steve) he brings these little vacuum sealed packets of salmon jerky
I would guess that you have already asked him? :shrug:

Does he keep the salmon jerky recipe locked in the same safe where he keeps the recipe to his bait cure? :wink: Or is he not telling you cause you make him fish for 'slime rockets'?
 
#14 ·
Make him fish for slimerockets?? :hoboy: He's always begging to get in on the action... :dance: He's like a kid in a candy store in my boat when he's out.

But he actually gets the fish from a guy down around tillamook. I guess this guy has it for sale. But I was just trying to figure out how to do it myself...

Keith :bigshock:
 
#16 ·
Keith try this recipe. I honestly have not tried it on anything but salmon but it's easy and does produce a "sticky' product. Mmmmm
<font color="blue">
combine all these ingredients in a large bowl. Remember this is a dry brine there is no liquid involved here.

2 cups brown sugar
1/3 cup salt
1 tbsp onion salt
1 tbsp garlic salt
1 tbsp celery salt
1 tbsp black pepper (optional for a spicy jerky flavor)
1 tbsp white pepper (optional for a spicy jerky flavor)
1 tbsp dried mustard
1 tbsp dried lemon peel (not very necessary)
1 tbsp dill weed

Combine all the ingredients and mix well. You will need a large container to stack the fish. I use a plastic drawer from an old fridge. First you want to make a layer of brine on the bottom of your container, next place a layer of fish, then a layer of brine... continue stacking. I like to pack the brine as I go. Place in the fridge for at least 24 hours. If you leave the fish in the brine longer they will turn into fish candy! I have left in brine up to 36 hours, it is best to try different lengths of time to see what you like best. In 12 hours or so the brine will turn to a liquid so make sure you baste and/or rotate your pieces of fish so they all get the same soaking time.

When you are done soaking remove the fish from the brine and rinse.... Let stand for an hour or so until the fish becomes tacky. If desired sprinkle brown sugar over salmon then place on your smoking racks…

Smoke for desired doneness. 5-12hrs depending on outside temps.
</font>
 
#17 ·
I am not an expert at this stuff, but I would think the difference is in the smoking/cooking process. Brine as you would for salmon, but smoke it up like you are making jerky rather than smoked fish. I smoke fish at 140 and jerky at 220-230. The hotter temp should get the result you are after on the fish.

I will be able to tell you in a month or so if this works. Been planning on trying this myself.
 
#22 ·
When i make Trout jerky or Salmon jerky I actually use the same recipe as my beef jerky. The only difference is I rinse off the fish after the 24 hour brine of Coopers Famous! ME! Anyway, when I just smoke the fish i just use 1 gallon distilled water, 1 cup non iodized for the brine. And a bag of dark brown sugar to bathe in before the smoke. I am telling you that is all you need!:excited:
 
#24 ·
If salmon jerky or squaw candy is what you are going for then it is my opinion that the prepping/drying method is most important. You can use most any smoked salmon recipe.

I will tell you what I do.

First, take salmon/steelhead fillets and cut lay them skin down. Then cut ~ 3/16" strips from top to bottom. you should end up with about 15-30 approximately fillet length strips when you are done cutting up a fillet.

Second, do whatever you want to for brine (see above).

Third, put your strips on your big chief (or equivalent) smoker rack and allow to dry in the sun for about 1-2 hours or until a nice skin developes.

Fourth, apply cool smoke to your strips for about 3 hrs. -- I did this by building an extension over the top of my big chief. It looks pretty much like two big chiefs staked on top of each other. The rack full of fish sits in the top extension. This provides enough room for the smoke to cool off. When I do salmon jerky, as aposed to kippered smoked salmon, I want to add the smoke flavor without using the smoke to "cook" the fish.

Fifth, let the strips sit on the rack until they dry out completely, turning into jerky (1-3 days). I usually just leave them in the sun with natural for fan generated breaze to accomplish this.

These steps have worked for me. I have taken fish done this way on 5-6 day adventures where it is kept at 60-80 degrees and it seems to do really well

good luck
 
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