I Just Love Smoked Trout, Steelhead & Salmon ~ Cooks Thread for "Foods You Love" TD

[thirdeye]

The title says it all, and looking back through my photo albums smoked fish is everywhere, in all seasons, several different cookers, small batches, large batches, full sides or or smaller fillets. Other than possibly cheese, I've smoked fish the longest of any other food starting in 1974. One of the earliest smoked fish photos I posted online is below, from the original BGE Froum in 2004 (aka the Green Room). This is likely sockeye, and the toppings are not capers, but green and red peppercorns I soaked in warm water a few hours to soften them. In those days I used a lot of cherry, and still think it adds to the color. For many years, I smoked fish during the month of December to gift my friends and neighbors, hence the red and green peppercorns. Throughout the year, I smoke fish at least once a month, I eat it for breakfast, as an appetizer, or flaked into a pasta dish. It is my number 1 requested thing to take to a party or a pot luck.

Okay, going forward with my latest batch from this week, I bought a 2-pack of skin-on steelhead from Sam's Club (aka Lake Sam's). I use a dry cure with each piece wrapped in plastic wrap. The blue vacuum tray is perfect to stack the fillets in just in case one leaks. Cure time is 7 hours on the thicker pieces, 4 hours on the belly strips. I allow at least 12 hours for the pellicle.

A shot from the SmokerCam looking into my Big Chief electric box smoker, and a cooling rack photo. I used pecan pellets on this batch. The internal was 140° - 145°, the belly strips were at temp first, then the tails followed by the other fillets. The seasonings are cracked black pepper, roasted garlic powder, and a little Cimarron Doc's BBQ Rub.

Final photo

 

[zippy12]

Nice looking fish!

 

[Stingerhook]

looks mighty fine

 

[frognot]

Great looking fish!

 

[ronbrad62]

I love the looks of that, and the shine really hooks me (sorry for the pun). It looks absolutely delicious.

 

[Titch]

very nice looking

 

[Big George's BBQ]

Very nice. I have used your recipe and it’s awesome. I only do salmon. Will have to try steelhead

 

[thirdeye]

I love the looks of that, and the shine really hooks me (sorry for the pun). It looks absolutely delicious.

The shine is a very light spray of olive oil on the flesh side. The skin side gets oiled so it does not stick to the grates, which can be a real mess when it sticks.

Very nice. I have used your recipe and it’s awesome. I only do salmon. Will have to try steelhead

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, try steelhead if it's available. I began with trout, because they are everywhere where I live. And I have no issues with harvesting a few because they are managed so well by the state.

 

[Hoss]

Cream cheese ,crackers and dill sauce please! I am Golden! I sure miss the Green Room.Fun times back then.Spring Chicken,Stike,MaineEgg and all the other colorful characters.

 

[BBQgringo]

Steelhead is amazing! Aside from Chilean Seabass, it's one of the fattiest fish out there, which means it stands up to a ton of heat and smoke, the more the better!

I spent last spring/summer/fall up in north Idaho and wild Steelhead was available in every regular grocery store as common as farmed Salmon is down in CA. But Steelhead is literally better in every way. My wife still calls it salmon and thinks it's salmon no matter how many times I've explained it to her (shhhhh....) :-D It certainly does look like salmon, so I'll give her that!!

I made dozens of Steelhead on the Traeger with a 2-4 hour smoke, but never made the effort to brine/cure it properly beforehand. From your pics, it looks like it would definitely benefit from it!

 

[Shiz-Nit]

All looks amazing

 

[jzadski]

Great smoked fish. I grew up on the St. Clair River so took all fish for granted. Boy I miss that. To me smoked fish can go with anything but, nothing pairs better than beer but, it's a bit too early for that. Thanks for sharing