Cured Salmon

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aussieant32
Posts: 369
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 2:48 pm
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Cured Salmon

Post by aussieant32 »

G'day all

Looking to some some smoked/cured whiskey salmon this weekend. Have a found a few conflicting recipes, so wanted some input if possible.

I want to mainly cure the meat as opposed to smoke it. Basically have it raw but with a smokey note. I feel the best way is to cure the salmon as I would normally and then put it in the smoker nice and low for half hour or so. Not enough to change the structure of the fish, but long enough to impart some flavour.

Some recipes back this theory up, some say it needs much longer in there after curing. Any thoughts from you guys?
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Angryman65
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Re: Cured Salmon

Post by Angryman65 »

If you aren't cooking it but just curing and adding a smoke flavour the ambient temperature needs to be fairly low. Below 18 - 20C i believe. I'll stand corrected when someone who knows more about this makes a comment.

Cold smoking is the trick to getting the smokiness onto the fish. A single heat bead in a can of sawdust will create smoke and next to no heat in a kettle.

I do my salmon for six hours in the smoker with a cold smoke generator and only in winter.

Once you get really keen look for a cold smoke generator. The proQ runs on dust and is cheap and easy to use. There are all sorts once you start looking
Vegetarian is an old Indian word for bad hunter.
Smokey
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Re: Cured Salmon

Post by Smokey »

Gus is right, for smoked salmon. The lower temp the better.
But in your case, you want Lox,,,, with a tinge of smoke.
Lox is what you have prior to smoking and is perfectly good as it is.
As Gus said, just a heat bead and some wood chips and smoke for half an hour in a kettle or hooded gas bbq used as a chamber and you can do that in summer or better still, a cool summer night. remember it's raw fish and no nitrites to help push through longer times out of refrigeration.
You could even cheat and add a small amount of liquid smoke with the whiskey and do the whole process at fridge temp.
I'm not sure if you have seen my tutorial but several of my peers have tested it and it works. If you follow that way, just don't smoke as long.
If trees screamed when we cut them down, We wouldn't. If they screamed all the time we would.
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aussieant32
Posts: 369
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 2:48 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Cured Salmon

Post by aussieant32 »

thanks alot both. Definitely going to down the low route.

So id I want to use my current equipment, you think go for a heat bead in a can? Assuming light the bead in the can and when its hot ad chips?
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aussieant32
Posts: 369
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 2:48 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Cured Salmon

Post by aussieant32 »

yer, so that went well.

What an easy, yet incredible tasting thing to make! Only problem is I didn't get much before it was gone!! Only got a small bit anyway to try, will go a whole side next
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Smokey
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Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:47 pm
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Re: Cured Salmon

Post by Smokey »

Good stuff mate, Glad to hear it when't well. :D
Now you get to save $30 per kilo from store bought from last I've seen was about $70+ kg.
If trees screamed when we cut them down, We wouldn't. If they screamed all the time we would.
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aussieant32
Posts: 369
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 2:48 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Cured Salmon

Post by aussieant32 »

I went with a more cured rather than smoke, put it in the smoker for about 20 minutes just for flavour, the meat was already cooked by the cure.

Image
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Smokey
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Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:47 pm
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Re: Cured Salmon

Post by Smokey »

Bit hard to tell from the pic but did
you hot smoke it until cooked? Or was it cold?
If trees screamed when we cut them down, We wouldn't. If they screamed all the time we would.
http://www.aussiecue.com.au
aussieant32
Posts: 369
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 2:48 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Cured Salmon

Post by aussieant32 »

Whats the temp cut off? Was in for about 20 mins at 90f.

It was cured in the fridge until the meat was cooked then thrown in the smoker to get some flavour in.
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Smokey
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Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:47 pm
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Re: Cured Salmon

Post by Smokey »

26 c but that is still good for only 20 min.
Your on your way
If trees screamed when we cut them down, We wouldn't. If they screamed all the time we would.
http://www.aussiecue.com.au
aussieant32
Posts: 369
Joined: Sun Jan 04, 2015 2:48 pm
Location: Sydney

Re: Cured Salmon

Post by aussieant32 »

most of the colour has come from the cure, used molasses :)
Coolabah Gas Smoker, Weber One Touch, Dragon Kamado
Smokey
Posts: 5958
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:47 pm
Location: Terranora- Tweed

Re: Cured Salmon

Post by Smokey »

Ahh, That's what threw me. Nice work :)
If trees screamed when we cut them down, We wouldn't. If they screamed all the time we would.
http://www.aussiecue.com.au
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