receipe for the smoker

[final flight]

hi all, built a smoker(4x4x8)with 3 removable grates now i need a good receipe for a brine. tried one that a freind gave me and it was sooo salty i couldn't eat it. thanks--rollie

[muskybob]

Adirondack Smoker Brine

From "My Adirondack Way of Cooking by Muskybob"

2 Tbs. Garlic Powder

2 Tbs. Kosher Salt

1 Tbs. Cayenne Pepper

1 Cup Brown Sugar

64 Oz. Apple Juice

½ Cup Soy Sauce

1 Cup of Maple Sugar

Soak for at least 8-10 hrs., then remove, rinse, and allow to air dry till a pellicle is formed (shiny surface dry to the touch). Then load yer smoker up.

[final flight]

musky, do i soak over night rinse then smoke,, this will be only my second attempt so i little more info. is needed thanks

[Schools Out]

FF why did you have to go and ask?? Here comes bob with "adirondack" this and "adirondack" that....

[muskybob]

musky, do i soak over night rinse then smoke,, this will be only my second attempt so i little more info. is needed thanks

Yes, soak for at least 8-10 hrs., then remove, rinse, and allow to air dry till a pellicle is formed (shiny surface dry to the touch). Then load yer smoker up.

Nick, you KNEW that was coming.

[final flight]

thanks musky heading to the market for fixins..rollie

[TrimTab]

Been using this one that I found on the net for years, everyone seems to love it that tries it. I use saturated apple for the wood in the smoker. Don't forget a few "s for yourself as you monitor the smoker. Enjoy.

Hunsicker's BRINE RECIPE

This one is a favorite among the 962nd AWACS' fisherpeople on Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage and was provided by Rob and Stephanie Casagrande.

In a large bowl or pot mix the following until the sugar & salt has dissolved as much as possible:

2 C. Water

3 C. Apple Juice

1 C. Brown Sugar

1/2 C. Honey

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 C. Salt

1 Tsp. Accent

3 Bay Leaves

(I usually use 4 cups of apple juice to one cup of water. But keep the ratio close to the recipe no matter how big a batch you are using.)

Fillet your salmon and cut into chunks, 2-3 inches long by 2-3 inches wide. Once you try a batch you will figure out the right measurements for your strips.

Put the salmon in the brine and let soak completely covered at least 12 hours but longer is better, usually overnight.

When the brining is complete, take your salmon out of the brine and let air dry on some paper towels meat side up.

Prepare your Smoker

Before putting the salmon on the racks of the smoker, put tin foil under the each rack letting it sag a little to catch the drippings and keep the drippings from creating a huge mess of your smoker.

Preheat your smoker without smoker chips.

Once the smoker is hot, take the salmon and toss them in a bowl of brown sugar to coat them, then lay them on the racks with a little separation between pieces.

I usually use smoking material/chips for the first 2-3 hours, usually about 2-3 pans of material or what ever your smoker uses to hold the chips.

Continue to smoke for about a total of 12 hours. The smoking time depends on how cold it is outside; my father-in-law used to place the smoker back into the box it came in to keep the smoker warmer. You can tell when the salmon is done by breaking apart apiece. Personal taste dictates how dry you like it. Good luck!

[chowder]

Rollie, I often leave the skin on lakers from the FLX, put them in the smoker, skin side down- watch your temp in that creation of yours ( much over 200 and you are asking for trouble w/ fish). It's very easy to overcook fish in a smoker, though lakers are a bit more forgiving as well as incredible- don't freeze and then smoke, do it the other way around, much better results! Keep asking questions!

[Gator]

I like the sound of all these recipes! Might need to keep a few cohos next weekend.

Our variation on the theme: we use orange juice rather than apple juice, but we cut down the amount; a one-to-one ratio with soy sauce is about right. The brown sugar and various spices are a must, as is peppering the fish right before smoking. We don't add any extra salt beyond the soy sauce (I've had it come out inedible, too), but if you like it salty, I hear it's important to use non-iodinized salt, like coarse or Kosher salt.

Sometimes we put some Naples Valley or dijon mustard in the mix instead of maple syrup to get a more spicy, less sweet taste. My mouth is starting to water...

The key is to experiment until you find what you like, varying one or two things at a time. I do know that there's a temperature where fish pasteurizes (~170??). Above that and you'll have hard smoked salmon, below that and you'll get lox. Since I hate the slimy stuff, I always smoke it hard. No jokes, please.

Gator

[skipper19]

Don't over smoke the fillets. Just a couple pans full of chips in the beginning is good. too much will give the product a bitter taste. I like alder or apple chips for fish. It's a little milder than Cherry or Hickory.

Mark