Salmon cure/brine question

[Craig]

I will be having a cookout this weekend for a friend of the wife, the friend is bringing her boyfriend, who is a vegatarian. I was thinking about smokin a salmon and have never tried one before. It seems everybody either brines them first, or uses a cure first. Any good brine or cure recipes would help. Or, anybody have good vegetarian smoker ideas.

[SCOTT]

My wifes favorite dish....I do them all the time...I dont brine them and just do a simple brown sugar/pepper/salt rub... Although the last time I used Bill's rub and it was good... I usually smoke em for about 2 hrs at 225..or until it flakes..

Scott

[Grumpy Gator]

Our friend Jim Minion and Jack Rogers from Washington State used to compete as the Cardogs Barbeque Team.

Here is their recipe for Salmon that they graciously allowed to be posted on the Weber Bullet site:

Cardogs Salmon (http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/salmon1.html)

Now as to that Vegetarian thing... Vegetarian is an old Indian word that means "poor hunter" :roll:

[Ed Embry]

Hey Craig, portabella mushrooms are another good option. Marinate in Italian dressing for an hour, then grill cap side up. Turn, put a little chopped garlic, black pepper and grated parmesan cheese on the vein side.

[SCOTT]

You can also do some stuffed Jap peppers... stuff with baby shrimp and cream cheese and etc...My veggie friends like them..I usually put a little of some kind of meat in them ...so small that they dont know they are eating dead animals...Just so I can smile about it :D

ps... just smoke the crap (I mean stuff) they eat and they are happy

[Craig]

BBQinFL, the cure looks simple and good. What the heck does the cure do, I assume it's supposed to remove moisture from the fish, but what is the purpose, is it a texture thing? Does brining do the same thing? The mushroom sounds good, but the peppers sound even better. What peppers are you using, the jalapenos or the mild type.

[Woodman]

Take the salmon and throw it out! :wink: Seriously, how's old Texas Hottie I treatin ya? You don't really need a brine, but I just use :

2 qts water
2 qts apple juice
1 cup sugar
1 cup kosher salt
1 tbs coriander
1 tbs cloves
1 tbs allspice
2-3 bay leaves
1 tbs whole peppercorns

brine an hour or so. Rinse off brine and Rub with Texas BBQ Rub or equivalent. Woody

[SCOTT]

Woodfish....If ya dont need it ...why do u use it??? :D

[Craig]

Hey Woodman, the pit is doing just fine. My friends are lovin it too. I have not tried the brisket again, but when I do, I'm going with the whole brisket, not just the flat. The butts are turning out real good, but the plateau is a pain, I finished the last two in the oven, ran out of time, hungry hillbilly's get real mean, could only hold them off with beer for a little while. That 7 bone roast was pretty damn good also, cooked it just like a brisket. I saw the pics of your pit, looks good. Your tuning plate issue get worked out, I was eye ballin' the grill chef master chef or whatever it's called, the new Klose square pit with upright, that's a few years down the road.

[jshively]

Vegeterians can eat fish?? I thought they still considered that a meat.

http://www.ivu.org/faq/definitions.html

I have dated a couple vegeterians and portabello mushrooms or egglant are pretty standard. Could also throw some of them veggie burgers on the grill.

Was pretty hard to cook for them also. Had to get creative with everything.

[Bigbrews]

I used the Cardogs recipe mentioned above over the weekend and it turned out wonderful.

Tom

[SCOTT]

There are different levels/kinds of vegetarians... Most of the one's I deal with have PHD's or at least a masters degree....

1. Some wont eat anything with legs (when I explain shrimp have little l legs they freak out)

2. Some wont eat mammals

3. Some wont eat anything that does'nt grow out of the ground

4. Some wont eat anything that has a Mother (now figure that out)

But I have found out thru the years that most of them (excuse my french)

eat ****.... :D :D


Scott
Scott

[Grand Scale]

Too me salmon is very fatty as is. That said I love it. Eat lots of it. I've never brined it. Altogh I may try it just for giggles. But I have cured it. Curing takes a bunch of the moisture out so that when you smoke it you end up with a firmer more dense meat. To me cured/smoked is more of a snack or appetizer than a meal. If you're talking dinner treat it like you would a pork chop. It'll cook about the same. Use a rub. I like just a standard although not a sweet rub on mine. When its done you'll have ssen the fat come out and if you press on it it will start to flake.
I like using alder if I can get it or mostly apple or maple. I've also used peat and that gave it a neat flavor.