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BTW... anyone smoke catfish?
kindofsudden
Member Posts: 133 ✭✭✭
I love smoked salmon and I have heard of smoking trout, but those kind of fish are hard to come by in Indiana. Anyone ever smoke catfish? If so, include a recipe please.
Comments
I just submerge them in the fridge in a salt and brown sugar brine 24 hours, or longer depending on the size, after they have been gutted of course.
I leave the heads, and hide on and toss them in the smoker for the duration, depending on the size and amount of fish.
You can vary the amount of salt and brown sugar to suit your taster, and also the amount of smoking time. I leave 6, 18 inchers in the smoker for about 8 hours, but that will vary depending on the smoker.
I also do Sunfish, white, and yellow perch, and Walleyes the same way. I did a carp just once, and never plan on doing that again [xx(]
they make the papers soggy & they are hard to keep lit
...yes, they are fine, matter of fact most fish smoked are really good. Apple, is a good light wood for fish...I like pecan, hickory, mesquite too...Hickory may be my favorite smoking wood...I said "may".
If it's smoked, I like it...[;)]
One trick I have fond is to let the fish sit in the fridge for 2 ours out of the brine before you put it on the smoker. It gives the meat a chance to set up and is much more firm.
Sounds like apple is the way to go, although I have a bag of mesquite chunks in my garage....
...but, if your going to smoke fish, the head and skin helps it all stay together, and less chance of it drying out.
A mild wood, alder, cherry, and apple are most excellent on fish.
I love hickory...but use apple and the above mentioned as well.
Since I can go out and cut mesquite, it's cheap...and I love it, but, be careful...it burns kinda hot, watch your temp...
I use sea, or Kosher salt period, THERE is a difference...between that Mortons "table" salt...sea/Kosher...only way to go.
Fresh cracked white(for looks) or black pepper.
TOUCH of garlic powder..or LITTLE garlic oil.
A little of the Lime or Fruit and lime salt you find in
beer, convienance stores on the counter.
Beer
Real butter
Lighten up on salt if you use the Lime salt
Lemmon Pepper is good/but watch the pepper, if used.
Take the fish, rub the inside GOOD w/butter and sprinkle on some of all of the above. RUB the outside w/butter.
Set on steamer pan in smoker, or make a foil pan..DON'T wrap or cover...easy...smoking times vary with the temps you have, and the amount of fish and type/size of smoker...SO WATCH IT CLOSE!
Too long, and it will be mush, not flaky...[;)]
...Oh the beer, ICE COLD, and have a few while prepping, or while the fish are smoking...[:D]
Real important to keep smoke temp within a few degrees af your target temp...thru out the smoking cycle.
Same with, briskit, ribs, pork raost, heah buddy MEAT![:p]
Fish should smoke fairly quickly, for me they do...if your doing like a "curing" smoking...that sounds kind of like what mrbruce is doing...THAT, could take awhile, as his does.
At temps I stated, maybe after an hour...I would check and see if the meat is flaky(spck)...NO MORE THAN an hr. Matter of fact, after 45min. I would check 'em...then about every 15 min. NO MORE.
As I said, too long, and fish gets mushy, you want it flaky.
Hope this helps...hell, ck as often as you are comfortable with...they don't take all that long at about 175...[;)]
1 lb 10oz table salt
1 tbs onion salt
2 tbs cellery salt
1 tbs garlic salt
2 tbs paprika
4 tbs black pepper
4 tbs white pepper
2 tbs dill salt
3 tbs monosodium glutamate
4 tbs white sugar
1 tbs mace *
1 tbs curry powder *
1 tbs dry mustard *
* omit these for less spicy (I don't think the full recipe is very spicy, the salt will get to ya before the heat.)
Mix and seal in a jar. Let stand for several days before use. Trust me tastes better than it smells.[:D]
Hey mrbruce, why do you leave the heads and hides on? Does the skin come off easy after you smoke the fish?
I leave the heads on because it freaks out the little girl across the road, (she's the one that always asks me how come I don't get my meat at the store like they do)
The skin on a catfish has enough fat in it that it helps the smokin process, and peels right off real easy when it's done smokin.
I have always brined my fish, and smoked then at about 90 degrees for the duration but you can bet I'll try elkoholics recipe out because I could get to eatin quicker that way [:D]