Step 2 – Award Winning Fish Alaska Challenge Smoked Salmon Recipe

This is part two of a three part post. Be sure to continue to the other posts for the full process.

Continued from yesterday……

Now, the salmon has been thawed, de-boned and sliced, it is time for the brine.  Again, this recipe can be found with a simple Google search.

This is the recipe that won the Fish Alaska Challenge a few years ago.  It was judged amongst several hundred entries and won by a mile.

Here is the dry brine.

7 Cups of brown sugar
2 Cups of salt (non-Iodized)
¼ Cup course black pepper
¼ Cup crushed red pepper – I bumped this up to 1/2 cup for a little extra kick
¼ Cup garlic salt

Yoshida’s original

Thoroughly mix the dry rub in a big bowl.  Use a separate waterproof container with a lid to brine the salmon.  One that you can turn over and upside down.  I use a five gallon bucket but it can be smaller.  Start layering the fish.  First layer is skin down and flesh up.  Liberally (I use about two cups between layers) spread a layer of dry brine over the flesh side then lay another layer of fish on top of the dry brine but place this layer flesh down or flesh against flesh.  Continue to layer skin to skin and flesh to flesh. You only need to use the dry brine between the flesh sides.  Continue till finished, then add 2 cups of Yoshida’s sauce to the top of the bucket and close.  If you can keep in a frig great… if not, its ok.  I leave it in the garage or outside if it is colder out but not in heat.  Turn the bucket upside down every couple hours as liquid forms.  I’ll let soak for 18-24 hours.  I think I like to soak 24 or even a little more if the fish is borderline thicker.

Continue to Step 3 post……..