I’ll post pics a little later....
On Dec 23rd I was grocery shopping and realized I haven’t smoked salmon in a couple of years. I have this great recipe I used to cook regularly when I had my Cookshack smoker and thought it would be a good one to try on the PBC. I personally use this particular recipe more as an appetizer: Ritz cracker topped with cream cheese, salmon, and fresh dill.
First of all I made up my brine, which is very simple. It’s actually a recipe from a guy named Mr. T on the Cookshack forum. It is very simple, and it is awesome:
First of all, I like to use sockeye salmon as recommended for it’s rich flavor and high fat content. I cut the salmon into square chunks (about 4 per fillet) and be sure it is skin-on.
For the brine:
½ cup canning salt, Kosher salt or Tender Quick (preferred) 3.0 oz. by weight - (I use Kosher Salt)
½ tsp. Paprika
1 ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ tsp. cayenne
1 quart water
1 Tbs. garlic powder
2 cups brown sugar
4 bay leaves
Combine all ingredients and heat until sugar and salt is dissolved. Cool.
Place salmon in non-reactoive container or in zip-lock bags with brine (including bay leaves). Marinate for 12-24 hours.
Remove salmon and rinse under cold water, then pat dry with paper towels.
Place salmon on wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and let the salmon air dry at room temp until a nice shiny pellicle forms. It’ll feel slightly tacky when it is dried. You can use a fan to speed up the drying process.
For the smoke:
The salmon is usually smoked at a low temp (~200) until the salmon reaches 145 degrees, then cooked an additional 30 minutes. I knew I wasn’t going to get that with the PBC, but figured what the heck.... I did everything I could think of to keep the temp as low as possible, which I figured wouldn’t be too difficult. On a cook I did this summer I had issues with my temps plummeting to around 200. I’d have to crack the lid to get the temps up. After doing this a few times, I realized my lower vent screw was loose and the vent cover was falling into the fully closed position. Remembering that experience, that’s what I would do on this cook - keep the lower vent closed (of course it still remains slightly open when fully closed).
But this is the PBC. And if there is one thing I have learned about the PBC, it doesn’t like rules, and it doesn't like having it’s temperatures watched, so it’ll screw with you.... But I watched the temp anyway, and the PBC didn’t like me doing that.
I lit 30 Weber briquettes and let them get mostly ashes over before placing them in the basket. No unit coals were put in the basket as I wanted my temps to be low and the cook was going to be short anyway. I did not let the coals burn with the lid open like I usually do. I put the lid on, closed the lower vent, and allowed the temp to come up. I then put a 3 oz chunk of alder wood on the coals. I placed the 4 salmon chunks on the grate and placed both rebar through the holes. Now, here is where PBC gets the better of you.... Because I was watching the temps using my Fireboard, the PBC stayed around 260, which is unbelievable given my past experience with a closed vent. The outside temp was 45 degrees, with clear skies and no wind. The only thing I could figure was more air could circulate since I didn’t have a full basket of briquettes and I didn’t have large hunks of meat hanging in the barrel. At least that is the only explanation I could muster as to why my temps never got below 260.... I digress.
It took 30 minutes for internal temp to reach 145. I let it go another 20 minutes and finally pulled the salmon off at 150.
Verdict: The salmon tasted even better than I had remembered when I used my Cookshack. I mean, it was amazing. 30 minutes for this ? Are you kidding?
As for the PBC... screw you, PBC. Thanks for messing with my head once again. I thought 260 was going to ruin this salmon, but instead you made the best smoked salmon I have ever eaten.
Give the recipe a try and let me know what you think.
Lit coals with chunk of alder:
Salmon after 16 hr brine:
Salmon after air drying:
After smoking:
Gratuitous fancy post-smoke picture:
On Dec 23rd I was grocery shopping and realized I haven’t smoked salmon in a couple of years. I have this great recipe I used to cook regularly when I had my Cookshack smoker and thought it would be a good one to try on the PBC. I personally use this particular recipe more as an appetizer: Ritz cracker topped with cream cheese, salmon, and fresh dill.
First of all I made up my brine, which is very simple. It’s actually a recipe from a guy named Mr. T on the Cookshack forum. It is very simple, and it is awesome:
First of all, I like to use sockeye salmon as recommended for it’s rich flavor and high fat content. I cut the salmon into square chunks (about 4 per fillet) and be sure it is skin-on.
For the brine:
½ cup canning salt, Kosher salt or Tender Quick (preferred) 3.0 oz. by weight - (I use Kosher Salt)
½ tsp. Paprika
1 ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ tsp. cayenne
1 quart water
1 Tbs. garlic powder
2 cups brown sugar
4 bay leaves
Combine all ingredients and heat until sugar and salt is dissolved. Cool.
Place salmon in non-reactoive container or in zip-lock bags with brine (including bay leaves). Marinate for 12-24 hours.
Remove salmon and rinse under cold water, then pat dry with paper towels.
Place salmon on wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and let the salmon air dry at room temp until a nice shiny pellicle forms. It’ll feel slightly tacky when it is dried. You can use a fan to speed up the drying process.
For the smoke:
The salmon is usually smoked at a low temp (~200) until the salmon reaches 145 degrees, then cooked an additional 30 minutes. I knew I wasn’t going to get that with the PBC, but figured what the heck.... I did everything I could think of to keep the temp as low as possible, which I figured wouldn’t be too difficult. On a cook I did this summer I had issues with my temps plummeting to around 200. I’d have to crack the lid to get the temps up. After doing this a few times, I realized my lower vent screw was loose and the vent cover was falling into the fully closed position. Remembering that experience, that’s what I would do on this cook - keep the lower vent closed (of course it still remains slightly open when fully closed).
But this is the PBC. And if there is one thing I have learned about the PBC, it doesn’t like rules, and it doesn't like having it’s temperatures watched, so it’ll screw with you.... But I watched the temp anyway, and the PBC didn’t like me doing that.
I lit 30 Weber briquettes and let them get mostly ashes over before placing them in the basket. No unit coals were put in the basket as I wanted my temps to be low and the cook was going to be short anyway. I did not let the coals burn with the lid open like I usually do. I put the lid on, closed the lower vent, and allowed the temp to come up. I then put a 3 oz chunk of alder wood on the coals. I placed the 4 salmon chunks on the grate and placed both rebar through the holes. Now, here is where PBC gets the better of you.... Because I was watching the temps using my Fireboard, the PBC stayed around 260, which is unbelievable given my past experience with a closed vent. The outside temp was 45 degrees, with clear skies and no wind. The only thing I could figure was more air could circulate since I didn’t have a full basket of briquettes and I didn’t have large hunks of meat hanging in the barrel. At least that is the only explanation I could muster as to why my temps never got below 260.... I digress.
It took 30 minutes for internal temp to reach 145. I let it go another 20 minutes and finally pulled the salmon off at 150.
Verdict: The salmon tasted even better than I had remembered when I used my Cookshack. I mean, it was amazing. 30 minutes for this ? Are you kidding?
As for the PBC... screw you, PBC. Thanks for messing with my head once again. I thought 260 was going to ruin this salmon, but instead you made the best smoked salmon I have ever eaten.
Give the recipe a try and let me know what you think.
Lit coals with chunk of alder:
Salmon after 16 hr brine:
Salmon after air drying:
After smoking:
Gratuitous fancy post-smoke picture:
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