Chef Stewie's been smoking salmon!

[NeckBeard]

Not a huge fan of red meat, but happen to love a good fish.

I used to have a propane grill and grilled salmon often, but since being in the Lone Star State i've grown fond of the old, charcoal grill I snagged for $25 w/ wood chips to smoke with.

Been buying sockeye and sometimes king salmon. Marinate the filet's in my super secret recipe for a few days, then letting them sit on a few coals w/ either pecan, hickory or oak wood for a few hours.

End result is a meat that literally melts in ones mouth and makes my family happy.

No fire. just smoke. coals will sometime ignite when the oils from the fish start to drip. Ain't no body got time for that! Get the fire to die out.

Got a question for chef stewie?

I also do indian, asian and italian.

 

[Acera]

I have found if you make the extra effort to find real 100% wood lump charcoal, not the processed briquets with all the crap in them, you will notice a difference in taste.

 

[NeckBeard]

I have found if you make the extra effort to find real 100% wood charcoal, not the processed briquets with all the crap in them, you will notice a difference in taste.

Hmmmmm..... do you know any spots in the centex area to get 'em?

 

[Acera]

I get ours from Lowes. The Home Depot nearby does not carry it.

I think Academy also has some.


The briquets have coal, wood char, ash, binders and other junk in them.

 

[NeckBeard]

I get ours from Lowes. The Home Depot nearby does not carry it.

ill check it out. can they light w/o the lighter fluid crap?

 

[Lucas Mccain]

For lump I think the best is ozark. I get it at Ace Hardware but bbq shops sell it too. Below is a link to the rankings of all the brands. I have tried a lot of them and I settled on ozark. I have a Big Green Egg XL and all I use is lump. I just tried the BGE brand because I was in a pinch and I didn't like it all, the pieces were huge. BTW when I smoke I mix the lumb with hickory or oak at about a 60-40 ratio with the 40 being the hickory or oak.

The Lump Charcoal Database Rankings-- Naked Whiz Charcoal Ceramic Cooking

 

[Acera]

ill check it out. can they light w/o the lighter fluid crap?

Yes, they can be done that way.

I tend to use a charcoal chimney most often. Like the one shown below. Then transfer it to the firebox.

Found that all that junk mail from the recycling bin makes a nice fire to get it going. Also had good success in smearing olive oil on the paper before lighting to give it a hotter flame. Even used a jar of coconut Vaseline herself did not like anymore to help get it going. That produced a good smelling cloud that blanked half the yard, LOL. All that was burned off before I moved the charcoal to the smoker.

 

[Lucas Mccain]

ill check it out. can they light w/o the lighter fluid crap?

Yep, you will need to get you a chimney starter or they sale these little starter squares that are great.

 

[Acera]

Stewie, where you getting your fish???

 

[TheDan]

Fill us in on the marinade. Is it salty like a brine? What's the temp like? About 250 for 3 hours or what? I haven't cooked much fish other than frying.

 

[NeckBeard]

Stewie, where you getting your fish???

typically HEB. i focus on the sockeye and king salmon but will do the atlantic when it's a good price (usually cheapest). Central Market is another i buy from. They have some amazing varieties there!
I picked up some royal oak hardwood lump charcoal today. going to try it out. I have a nice king salmon filet marinating.

Fill us in on the marinade. Is it salty like a brine? What's the temp like? About 250 for 3 hours or what? I haven't cooked much fish other than frying.

The base is actually olive oil. I love cooking with it. I add adobo, sea salt and a small proportional amount of liquid smoke (mesquite/hickory). Last filet went for 2 hours. Not sure of heat (i have a cheap, old grill), but would assume maybe 250-280.

Im experimenting more with other methods as well.

here's the end result of the last one i did earlier this week:

 

[Glockster69]

Got a question for chef stewie?

I also do indian, asian and italian.

Would you like to be my neighbor? Sounds tasty, do you deliver?

That's two questions, isn't it?

 

[Acera]

I like Central Market, but usually a bit of a drive. Do they carry the Whataburger line like HEB does?

Reason I asked is I did now where you live and did not know if you have access to fish markets on the coast like we do.

 

[NeckBeard]

Would you like to be my neighbor? Sounds tasty, do you deliver?

That's two questions, isn't it?

been always wanting to have a food truck or a restaurant, but it's a lot of work!

I like Central Market, but usually a bit of a drive. Do they carry the Whataburger line like HEB does?

Reason I asked is I did now where you live and did not know if you have access to fish markets on the coast like we do.

austin area. I do need to go to the coast one day!