smoking salmon on a Brinkman charcol smoker

[MNmikew]

Got some salmon from a friend that he wants me to smoke. I've never smoked fish on my Brinkman before, lots of hams, turkey, chicken ect but not fish. Any pointers out there?

Like what to soak it in, how long to smoke ect.

[Surface Tension]

If your salmon came from an inland lake I prefer to fillet them to remove the brown meat at the same time I remove the skin. With an ocean run salmon that brown meat isn't as foul and I steak them out.

I use 1 cup non iodized salt and 1 teaspoon sodium nitrate to one gallon of water and let it soak overnight in a plastic cooler with a chunk of ice. If you can't find the sodium nitrate you can use Tender Quick in place of the salt. Then a quick rinse and let them dry. Sometimes I'll add a cup of brown sugar to the brine or sprinkle brown sugar on the salmon after they dry off.

Time depends on temp, thickness of fish, humidity, size of smoker and the amount if fish you have in your smoker.

Your looking for flakes that aren't opaque but you don't want to over do it either. One thing about the charcoal smokers is they're hard to regulate the temp and can get to the point where your not really smoking and your cooking the fish.

[stoneeyes317]

Ahh, someone else who smokes salmon on a Brinkman!!

I have used mine to smoke quite a few fillets using a recipe in Steve Raichlen's "How To Grill" book. This is a hot smoking technique with temp. @ 200-225 degrees. I've only once left a gathering with any leftovers, and that was when my sister-in-law set some aside for herself this spring:

Soak a 2 lb. fillet in your liquid of choice for 20-30 minutes (I've used tequila, Wild Turkey and Brandy with equal results). Drain fillet and pat dry with a paper towel. Mix together 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup coarse salt and 1 tablespoon pepper. Sprinkle some of the dry cure in the bottom of a non-reactive pan, place fillet on top and pour the rest of the cure over fillet. Refrigerate for 4 hours, then rinse off fillet and again pat dry. Let the fillet sit for 10-15 minutes before smoking for approximately 60 minutes. If the temp is below 200 it will take longer. I've never gotten anything but rave reviews...

eyes317

[ice_shack]

This one is a lot like stoneeyyes only wet brining (also I have never tried the booze but I might).

2 to one brown sugar to pickling salt

1 cup maple syrup

Water - enough to cover fish.

I also put in some cayenne pepper

and have tried liquid smoke with good results.

Soak in brine for at least 6 hours (overnight).

Take them out and rinse then place on the racks an let air dry for an hour.

Smoke a 200 - 225* until done

Do not brine fish (or anything for that matter) in a metal container. I use the aluminum pot from my turkey fryer but I put a Clean garbage bag in it first.