Dry Brine Smoked Salmon - Method and Receipe
My .02
I realy prefer the dry brine method for control and taste when it comes to smoking salom. Also it's less impact on the spouse as it can be done a room temp saving fridge space and hassle. I find flavor is much better than a Wet brine as the dry mix is sprinkled directly on to your fillets.
The dry brine cures and firms the meat better by drawing moisture out of the meat. The procces will cause your fillets "soup" up almost immediatly upon contact. With in a couple of hours of coating your brining tub will be 3/4 full of brine soup - most exellent.
You will want an inexpensive plastic tub with a flat bottom for brining.
The brine time is 24-72 hours depending on moisture content level you desire. If your smoker tends to run on dryer side then brine only for twenty four hours or so and allow is sit out for 1-3hours on racks skin side down to glaze prior to smoking. If you smoker is faster and leaves fish too moist then brine for 48-72 hours and allow longer peroid for fillets to set and glaze...3-8 hours perhaps.
Dry Brine Smoker Receipe:
2 cups Brown sugar
1/3-1/2 cup salt, Use Non-Iondonize Salt to prevent tinny taste - Morton's curing salt is good (1/2 rather than 1/3 cup salt will make your brine cure the fish harder and faster)
1 Tblsp. onion salt
1 Tblsp dill (optional)
1 Tblsp. garlic salt
1 Tblsp. celery salt
1 Tblsp. coleman's dry mustard (yellow can)
2 Tblsp. black pepper
Mix contents in dry bowl
-Leave skin on your fish pieces.
-Cover bottom of tub with fillets skin side down
-Coat fish with dry brine mix
*Heavy coating will cure firm and quick and give nice spicey flavor
*Light coating will need longer brine time and will produce less spicy result.
-Layer next level of fillets skin side down and coat with mix and so on unitl you are out of fish
-Brine turns soupy
-Set 24-72 hour at room temp - Brine Mix will cure fish and stop/prevent bacteria growth
-Rotate bottom fillets to top on tub every 8-12 hours,
-Put fish pieces in rack for about an 2-3 hours to allow glaze to form - do not wash or rinse.
-Smoke with Alder chips. Apple or Cherry will get it as well
-Let only your bestest friends taste this stuff!!
Below are some pics of how much dry brine to use. These were done on a hot week in July 90-100F temps with out any spoilage or contaimination. I have gone much heavier than that in the bottom picture - especially on thicker chinook fillets
72 hours coating...Chinook very light coating
24-48 hours Coating...Silver medium coating.
Note: No that is not a Tule in the chinook tub but a salt caught nook with white meat caught close to SE Alaska - most tasty.
My .02
I realy prefer the dry brine method for control and taste when it comes to smoking salom. Also it's less impact on the spouse as it can be done a room temp saving fridge space and hassle. I find flavor is much better than a Wet brine as the dry mix is sprinkled directly on to your fillets.
The dry brine cures and firms the meat better by drawing moisture out of the meat. The procces will cause your fillets "soup" up almost immediatly upon contact. With in a couple of hours of coating your brining tub will be 3/4 full of brine soup - most exellent.
You will want an inexpensive plastic tub with a flat bottom for brining.
The brine time is 24-72 hours depending on moisture content level you desire. If your smoker tends to run on dryer side then brine only for twenty four hours or so and allow is sit out for 1-3hours on racks skin side down to glaze prior to smoking. If you smoker is faster and leaves fish too moist then brine for 48-72 hours and allow longer peroid for fillets to set and glaze...3-8 hours perhaps.
Dry Brine Smoker Receipe:
2 cups Brown sugar
1/3-1/2 cup salt, Use Non-Iondonize Salt to prevent tinny taste - Morton's curing salt is good (1/2 rather than 1/3 cup salt will make your brine cure the fish harder and faster)
1 Tblsp. onion salt
1 Tblsp dill (optional)
1 Tblsp. garlic salt
1 Tblsp. celery salt
1 Tblsp. coleman's dry mustard (yellow can)
2 Tblsp. black pepper
Mix contents in dry bowl
-Leave skin on your fish pieces.
-Cover bottom of tub with fillets skin side down
-Coat fish with dry brine mix
*Heavy coating will cure firm and quick and give nice spicey flavor
*Light coating will need longer brine time and will produce less spicy result.
-Layer next level of fillets skin side down and coat with mix and so on unitl you are out of fish
-Brine turns soupy
-Set 24-72 hour at room temp - Brine Mix will cure fish and stop/prevent bacteria growth
-Rotate bottom fillets to top on tub every 8-12 hours,
-Put fish pieces in rack for about an 2-3 hours to allow glaze to form - do not wash or rinse.
-Smoke with Alder chips. Apple or Cherry will get it as well
-Let only your bestest friends taste this stuff!!
Below are some pics of how much dry brine to use. These were done on a hot week in July 90-100F temps with out any spoilage or contaimination. I have gone much heavier than that in the bottom picture - especially on thicker chinook fillets
72 hours coating...Chinook very light coating
24-48 hours Coating...Silver medium coating.
Note: No that is not a Tule in the chinook tub but a salt caught nook with white meat caught close to SE Alaska - most tasty.