# Advice please!!



## allie (Oct 30, 2006)

Ok I'm planning on smoking a chicken, a fatty stuffed with cheese, and an Alaskan pink salmon.  It's a whole salmon and weighs about 10 lbs.  I have rub to use on the chicken and the fatty (Wolfe rub and some Famous Dave Chicken spices).  I am thinking of brining the chicken in some apple cider I bought today.  

My questions are how long should I expect it to take if I keep the smoker around 200 degrees?  Never having smoked salmon before, I am completely clueless on what to do with it!!

Any helpful advice appreciated!!!

Thanks!


----------



## allie (Oct 30, 2006)

I was thinking the Wolfe rub would work well for the salmon.  I'll ask Les to help me out with filleting it before I cook it.  Right now it's frozen solid!
I'm not sure which day I'm going to cook.  I'm thinking Wednesday is looking like my best weather day this week. Today would have been great but I didn't have everything here! lol

Thank you Brian!


----------



## Bill The Grill Guy (Oct 30, 2006)

Allie, the big thing is to watch the temp of the salmon.  I have only done the one but someone kept telling me to watch the temps.  I used my wire therm in it and got it up to 145* internal.  Took it off and let it rest.  Took around 30-45 min if I remember.  Hope this helps.


----------



## LarryWolfe (Oct 30, 2006)

Allie, try *THIS*recipe, you will be very happy you did.  I've used it several time and the fish turn out fantastic!  I omitted the savory and dill, however I added lots of fresh cracked pepper and more brown sugar to the top of the filets.


----------



## Finney (Oct 30, 2006)

My advice would be to grill it over a wood fire (but no one ever listens to me when I say that :roll: ).  Sprinkle with Old Bay and Paul P's Seafood Magic (about 1/2 & 1/2) then sauce with a 1/2 & 1/2 combo of SBR's and honey.  It's great.


----------



## allie (Oct 30, 2006)

That does sound good Chris and I'd do it but for one thing.........I only go grocery shopping once a week and that was today!  lol  I don't have the Old Bay and have never heard of Paul P's Seafood Magic.  I did look at Old Bay in the store and debated getting it. lol  I do have some SBR but no honey.  I forgot to pick up some more honey since I wasn't really expecting to need it this week, it wasn't on my list.  I probably wouldn't have gotten the salmon but it was only $1!!  lol  They are discontinuing it so I got a great deal.

Larry, that looks great!  I don't have the savory (not even certain what it is) so will omit that. I don't have cracked pepper either but can substitute regular black pepper.  I know it's not as strong but maybe it'll work?


----------



## Nick Prochilo (Oct 30, 2006)

Allie, this is all you will need for the salmon. It has never failed me yet!

http://www.getphpbb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... orum=bbq4u


----------



## allie (Oct 30, 2006)

Thank you Nick!  That's pretty much the same thing Larry posted, just without all the added details.  

Thank all of you very much!!!!


----------



## Bruce B (Oct 30, 2006)

Nick Prochilo said:
			
		

> Allie, this is all you will need for the salmon. It has never failed me yet!
> 
> http://www.getphpbb.com/phpbb/viewtopic ... orum=bbq4u



Thanks Nick, I appreciate that.


----------



## Griff (Oct 30, 2006)

allie

All of the brines will work. The important thing, as the others have said, is that you must filet the fish. Then smoke the two separate filets skin side down the whole time--no flipping.

Griff


----------



## bigwheel (Oct 30, 2006)

Hey Allie..dont be putting no dead fish in a perfectly good smoker.  Done Salmon for the warden about 5 years ago..Fred still stinks like a dead fish on a hot day.  Get you a dedicated pit for such stinky stuff as fish..possums..coon..sheep...collared peccaries etc.  I got a januine NB universal water smoker which inhabits the backyard and is reserved for just such occasions as you are anticipating. Them fillets got skin on one side by any chance? If so this is gonna be easy peasy.  If not...we gonna have to work around it.  Tell me whut you think.  Thanks. 

bigwheel


----------



## allie (Oct 31, 2006)

Right now it's still a whole salmon so yes, it has skin.  If there's a chance the smell will get in the pit or in the other food, I'm cooking then maybe I shouldn't smoke it.  Les despises salmon and the smell makes him nauseous!  I don't want to cook it all up and then have him not want to eat it!!

Help me out here!!


----------



## LarryWolfe (Oct 31, 2006)

allie said:
			
		

> Les despises salmon and the smell makes him nauseous!



I agree with Less, nothing worse than a stinky pink salmon, much less having to eat it!

If you're concerned about the smell staying with the pit you could do two things.  Grill it as Finney stated, or after you smoke it on the pit do a high temp burn after the salmon is done and wipe the inside clean with fresh oil or lard.


----------



## allie (Oct 31, 2006)

I might be better off to hold it until we get the grill burner fixed. lol  Les will have a fit if his food or the pit smells like salmon. I love it and so do the kids but he's a picky one when it comes to fish.

Darn, I was looking forward to it!  Oh well, I can always fillet it and stick it in the oven....but then the house will smell like salmon!


----------



## DATsBBQ (Oct 31, 2006)

Tell him it's not salmon, it's..... sorry, not the blue room


----------



## allie (Oct 31, 2006)

I don't think he'd care for that smelling fishy either. lol


----------



## LarryWolfe (Oct 31, 2006)

allie said:
			
		

> I don't think he'd care for that smelling fishy either. lol



 [smilie=eek2.gif]  [smilie=eek2.gif]  [smilie=eek2.gif]  [smilie=eek2.gif]  [smilie=eek2.gif]


----------



## Finney (Oct 31, 2006)

[smilie=pope.gif]


----------



## cflatt (Oct 31, 2006)

brian j said:
			
		

> back on topic...  i've cooked salmon in my grill and my smoker with no lingering fish smell.



same here, no problems either way. last time was in such a hurry I just shook up a good margarita and marinated in the vac container while the coals got glowing. turned out great


----------



## allie (Oct 31, 2006)

I think I'll cook the other food first and then put it on there.  I'll probably put a baking sheet wrapped in foil under it so the juices don't drip down into the smoker.  That "should" help!


----------



## Nick Prochilo (Oct 31, 2006)

Just put a foil pan underneath the grate.


----------



## Bill The Grill Guy (Oct 31, 2006)

My pit doesnt have any lingering smell either.  But, I put a small aluminum foil pan under the fish first.  That may be why.


----------



## Shawn White (Oct 31, 2006)

allie said:
			
		

> ...
> My questions are how long should I expect it to take if I keep the smoker around 200 degrees?  Never having smoked salmon before, I am completely clueless on what to do with it!!
> 
> Any helpful advice appreciated!!!
> ...


filet it as others have said, I would prolly cook it by itself instead of with the other things ... how long? it depends what you are looking for... just cooked or salmon jerky? ... if you want it quite dry that much salmon could take 6+ hours at 200F ... if you want it moist, just cooked, you would be better off cooking it hotter and faster.... it could be done as quick as 15 minutes over a hot grill

hope this helps

oh, and I've never had a problem with lingering fish wsmell in the WSM either


----------



## bigwheel (Oct 31, 2006)

Well I would feed it to the cat and go buy yourself some canned salmon and make salmon patties rolled in yellow cornmeal and fried in Crisco. Now this is a meal fittin for a king. That the only way anybody from Texas eat stuff like that.  Few fried tates..fried Okry and some pintos with cornbread.  You be squatting in tall cotton so to speak.  That should work.

bigwheel


----------



## allie (Nov 1, 2006)

BW, I make awesome salmon patties using canned salmon, corn meal, eggs, and a little flour.  Never any leftovers of those at my house.  

I am wanting to try the salmon with a smoky flavor.  Getting a whole salmon for $1 I could not pass up the chance!  Shawn, yes I'm wanting it just cooked. I am going to cook everything else and throw it on at the last right beside the hot firebox and moreso grill than smoke it.  That worked pretty well on hamburgers and pork chops.


----------



## Shawn White (Nov 1, 2006)

allie said:
			
		

> BW, I make awesome salmon patties using canned salmon, corn meal, eggs, and a little flour.  Never any leftovers of those at my house.
> 
> I am wanting to try the salmon with a smoky flavor.  Getting a whole salmon for $1 I could not pass up the chance!  Shawn, yes I'm wanting it just cooked. I am going to cook everything else and throw it on at the last right beside the hot firebox and moreso grill than smoke it.  That worked pretty well on hamburgers and pork chops.


sounds good, let us know how you make out

For serving hot I like it 'just' cooked. For cold eating of smoked salmon (not Lox, yuck) it like to dry it out some so it becomes really firm. I've typically thrown a piece of filet on for like 3-4 hours in the 225F - 250F zone. 

Cream cheese, smoked peppery salmon and a roasted garlic clove on a cracker is pretty tasty.


----------



## allie (Nov 1, 2006)

Here are the finished pics.  I didn't have time to brine the salmon so just used Wolfe Rub.  The chicken was brined in apple cider and then rubbed with Famous Dave's Chicken seasoning.  The fatty was stuffed with mozarella cheese and rubbed with Wolfe rub.  It cooked a bit too long.  I was only able to find Royal Oak 100% Natural Wood Charcoal.  That stuff is crap!!  A total waste of money!  I have never seen charcoal turn to ash so quickly.  I have a feeling cooking may be over till spring as Walmart and Home Depot only had Matchlight and other instant light charcoals.  GRRRR!!!



















[/img]


----------



## allie (Nov 1, 2006)

I lit it and when I went back out, it was nothing but ashes and had fell through the grates so I had to start over again.  I checked it within 20 minutes.  I had an awful time keeping it up to temp and even getting it up to 200 or over because it was just burning so quickly.  I'll definitely stick with regular ole charcoal in the future.  It might work great for a wsm but mine is a Brinkman Smokin Pit Pro.


----------

