Some smoking outcomes

[bugman]

Hello all,

After the great smoking thread I was getting inspired. My wife bought me a little portable smoker for Xmas so it can stay in the boat. After reading the info here and looking at recipes on the net I've decided I'm an idiot for not having one earlier.

It is the only way I will eat freshwater trout now. All the muddiness is gone and it's hard to get any for yourself as the rellies dive in before you get a chance as soon as it comes out.

We've been doing mostly whole trout and I've found I have to soak them overnight in the brine for it to work best.

Brine is a simple water, salt, soy sauce, lemon juice.

The proof is in the eating.

Brett

[bugman]

I got further inspired on the weekend after going through the freezer.

I found some venison which was damaged a bit. It was the leg where the bullet had entered and was knocked around a bit. I became determined to make venison jerky.

After asking a few questions and doing a bit of internet research I settled on a brine of:

Soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, terryaki sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Thin strips were cut and let soak for about 28 hours and then smoked in my little smoker on the lowest heat I could get in the metho burner.

It took about 6-8 hours but the flame did go out a few times so probably could have taken a lot less. We sampled some of the meat after about 1 hour and the rest nearly never made it to jerky. It was the softest most tender thing I had eaten - just stunning but we were determined to make jerky so kept going.

I probably went a bit far with the drying as a lot of pieces did break went bent but it was still delicious. I did sample a piece every hour or so and probably shouldn't have done the last burn but you learn.

This is what it came out like. It's the next day so the plate was about 5 times bigger the day before.

Brett

[baitwaster]

Just my luck to see this thread at smoko. - fish looks awesome!!!

I do beef jerky at home, I use corned beef so that I don't have to add salt, cos if you add a tiny bit too much, it comes out very salty.

I use a food dehydrator i bought from myer.

My marinade is for 1.5 Kg meat is...

8 tablespoons Fruity BBQ sauce
4 tablespoons Sweet chilli sauce
1 tablespoon Red wine
1 tablespoon Soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Honey
2 cloves Chopped garlic
Ground black Pepper.

I chop the meat thin and put in a big snap lock bag with the marinade in the fridge for 2 days.

and try to trim as much fat as you can find off the meat as this makes it go off quicker.

I have the same probem as you though, hiding it from workmates, family, friends etc.


I might pinch your fish recipe and try it on some saltwater fish.

I'm really hungry now.

[Horse]

Some nice looking meals there Brett
Last July I pulled my smoker out for the first time in about five years to do some fresh Tailor. I had forgotten just how good it was.
Did you smoke the Jerky or just use the heat?

Cheers

Neil

[bugman]

Neil,

I did add a bit of sawdust but it last only about 30min on the low heat. The smoke didn't really come through the strong marinade. Might try a bit more smoke time.

It sure was good.

Brett

[bondy99]

G'day Brett

Good tips, I use to soak my fish in sugar and salt solution overnight or 4 hours min, then into the smoker (that I use to have), Mullet, Tailor and Salmon, smoked with hickory or ironbark wood blocks (soaked in water for a few hours). Nice orange colour and nice tasting, I'll give yours ago, seems good. Peter

[DICER]

what's the mix of salt to sugar?

[Noelm]

it is indeed facinating when you start off Smoking isn't it? you will try all sorts of things, some are great, others are not so flash, one of my all time favorites is Chicken Legs, they just come out fantastic, after a bit of a "soak" for about 4 to 6 hours in your own "secret" brine/marinade then a bit of a Smoke, very tasty, tried Pilchards once, they turned out like sh!t, but who knows, maybe I might try another time and see what gives.

[voiletmay]

Hi, I've got a few questions re those stainless steel portable fish smokers. The ones that your burn metho underneath.

My neighbour and I go fishing. I have a weber and she has been delighted when we smoke fish (rainbow trout we buy LOL, we only seem to catch bream) on it. Much to her delight, she found a stainless steel fish smoker in her yard that she forgot she had and she has been experimenting while she waits to try and find a cheap weber.

It didn't come with instructions but we worked it out. She has been having the problem of the fish tasting of burnt smoke, not the nice smoke taste that comes through with the weber. It is normally only the thinner part of the fish that tastes like this.

She has been using hickory chips (that she got from me, and has been using less and less each smoke). Starting with 1/2 cup which was way too much. She has been using them dry (which I read online somewhere, that you want it to smoke not to steam, so you don't add water). When I smoke with my weber I use soaked chips and a tray of water under the plate.

The first time she used two saucers full of metho and had to refill them to cook the fish. This produced a lot of fire everywhere. She has since changed to a herring tin that she found. This seems to produce a lesser amount of heat and seems to work better. Today she did rosemary marinated lamb and it was lovely - she didn't use any chips at all as she didn't want a burnt taste.

So my questions.. what is causing the burnt taste in the fish?
Will using sawdust stop the burnt taste?
How much sawdust should she use?
How many chips should she use? She is thinking about using 2 only.
Should she soak the chips?

Thanks so much for your help.

[bugman]

Violet,

I'm by no means and expert but I only use sawdust in mine. The little leaflet with the elcheapo smoker (same as the one your referring to) says only 1 tablespoon of sawdust per burn but I use a little more than that just sprinkled around the centre of the plate.

The little metho burner also has a reducing cap which allows you to reduce down the flame. They recommend to burn with holes only half open which gives only a small flame. I would have thought even a herring tin fully opened would give quite a large flame.

It seems the lower the heat and slower burn release of smoke the better it is.

Good luck.

Brett

[Noelm]

I just use a bit of sawdust as well (store bought) and my Metho burner does not have any adjustment, but seems to be just about the right amount of heat, it does sometimes go out which is a pain, but not always ,but it is nowhere near as good as the Weber

[gone_phishin]

More recipes for my Weber!!!! you ripper... thanks guys, use has fallen off over Xmas which is bad but starting up again right now.

Cheers
Geoff

[Horse]

I changed my burner from an open dish that came with the unit to one of the variable control ones. Much better IMO
When camping I often use the gas burner on low. I use only a small amount of sawdust and put it in an alfoil loose envelope to keep it dry and make cleaning easier

Neil

[voiletmay]

Thanks so much for your advice. I saw those variable control burners at BCF the other day and had no idea what they were. So is one of those enough? Her smoker is rectangular.

Only a tablespoon of sawdust, and putting it in an aluminum foil smoke pouch - great ideas. I'll tell my neighbour tomorrow night. She'll be delighted as she's been really stressing over the burnt taste.

Thanks so much.

[major-defect]

I use one of those cheap gas stoves that come in a plastic case under my little smoker and about a handful of sawdust.I really like doing spare ribs for about an hour{I like them a little dry} on a higher heat than I do fish this can leave quite a mess in the smoker so put some alfoil on the bottom before adding your sawdust.