Mullet

[pd444]

4 mullet

Mullet prep:
butterflied from the back
rinsed and patted dry
Seasonings:
1-4 light brush with olive oil
1 Old Bay "Lemon & Herb"
2 Tony Chachere's salt-free + salt
3 Salt & Pepper
4 Homemade Cajun rub
Wood - 3.2 oz Apple (Cowboy Brand)
Positioning - 1 & 2 top rack/3 & 4 rack below
Moisture - 16oz water
1st cycle temp - 225
1st cycle trigger - 5.0 hours

start time -  2:08 PM
finish time - 4:24 PM
total cook time - 4:16

What I'd change next time:

• Shorter time, likely 4 hours even
  
• try a little more wood, likely 4 oz

Might have been a tad too long. Fish was drier than desired. All four seasonings were good. Homemade Cajun seasoning and the Old Bay were exceptional, with the Cajun edging out Old Bay for all three judges! We'll likely be trying this again next week.

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[AlinMA]

Hey PD....Looking good.
Did a bit of research and Mullet is similar to Mackerel. Is it oily as well? I love fish but have been apprehensive to try it beyond Salmon. Your approach looks like it's worth a shot!
Also would you mind sharing your recipe for your homemade Cajun Rub.
Thanks

[pd444]

Al,
Mullet isn't oily like mackerel but mackerel is a good substitute.

Cajun Rub:
1 1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t salt
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t cayenne (this ratio is fairly hot, adjust down or omit if you don't like heat.)
1/4 t garlic powder

(Tip: If you increase the batch size, be careful about ramping up the cayenne equally. For example, if you doubled the above batch, I'd only increase the cayenne to 3/4 t.)

[Pork Belly]

Might have been a tad too long. Fish was drier than desired.

I think a lot less time would have been better. Personally I think more smoke is always better on fish.

The only smoked mullet I have had with was salt and sugar brined then hot smoked. Great smoke flavor with a salty sweet finish. If you like the Cajun spices I would suggest shaking them on fully dry fish after they have had a good soak in salt/sugar brine. This will slightly cure the meat and add moisture. You will just need to smoke it until it flakes. Chips give a large volume of smoke compared to a chunk.
If your fish is completely dry when placed in the smoker and you use plenty of smoke you should get a great color. Good luck with the next attempt, are you netting those mullet yourself?

[SconnieQ]

225 temp sounds a little high for fish. Especially for 4 hours. Maybe try 180. Pork Belly makes a good point, only smoke to the point where they flake, no longer. If you can get a probe in the flesh at all, you will want the internal temp to end up around 140. You might need to open the door and check them now and then on your next try, to figure out an approximate time for future smokes.

[AlinMA]

Al,
Mullet isn't oily like mackerel but mackerel is a good substitute.

Cajun Rub:
1 1/2 t black pepper
1/2 t salt
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t thyme
1/2 t cayenne (this ratio is fairly hot, adjust down or omit if you don't like heat.)
1/4 t garlic powder

(Tip: If you increase the batch size, be careful about ramping up the cayenne equally. For example, if you doubled the above batch, I'd only increase the cayenne to 3/4 t.)

PD, Thank you for the rub recipe.

[pd444]

Pork Belly- I didn't net these but I know they were fewer than 24 hours out of the water when I bought them. Probably going bow fishing Saturday morning. If that doesn't work out I'll just throw a couple times and come home and smoke. Hope the weather holds out...

Thanks for the tips!