Super Simple Smoked Salmon

[SconnieQ]

Tony, you are right. No nitrites in my hot smoked Salmon. The whole salmon terminology thing is complicated. It's inconsistent. I rarely see nitrites used in hot smoked salmon. It seems like if it is a dry brine, it is often referred to incorrectly as a "cure". And if it is a wet brine, it is a "brine". More accurately, I should have referred to my process and recipe as a "dry brine".

I do use nitrites in my cold smoked salmon (lox). In that case, it is "cured".

You have it down!  Now Brian (Pork Belly) will tell you there is no such thing as a "dry brine."  While he is technically correct, we use the term loosely because adding the salt mixture to meat, and letting it liquefy, essentially turns it into a wet brine.  Splitting hairs, I guess!

Figuring Brian (Pork Belly) might chime in and set me straight at some point. He the man when it comes to this stuff. Scandinavian gravlax does not use nitrites, but is still referred to as a "cure". In which case, "cure" refers to the removal of moisture by means of salt and sugar. Here is the Wikipedia definition of "cured" salmon, which does not include nitrites:

"The process of curing fish has been around for a significant amount of time as it has been used as a way to preserve fish from spoiling. The process usually involves an abundance of salt or sugar even sometimes both. A dry rub is mixed together using salt/sugar and an assortment of desired herbs. This is rubbed onto the surface of the salmon, which is then put aside for a number of hours or days. The salt/sugar "cooks" the fish by drawing a large amount of liquid out and replacing it with salt/sugar mixture. At the end of the process the result is cured salmon."

 

[DivotMaker]

Here is the Wikipedia definition of "cured" salmon, which does not include nitrites:

"The process of curing fish has been around for a significant amount of time as it has been used as a way to preserve fish from spoiling. The process usually involves an abundance of salt or sugar even sometimes both. A dry rub is mixed together using salt/sugar and an assortment of desired herbs. This is rubbed onto the surface of the salmon, which is then put aside for a number of hours or days. The salt/sugar "cooks" the fish by drawing a large amount of liquid out and replacing it with salt/sugar mixture. At the end of the process the result is cured salmon."

This may be right, in the fish world, but I'd recommend finding a better source than Wiki...highly unreliable information, since it is editable by users.  I would like to hear what our curing experts have to say about the use of "curing" without nitrites/nitrates.

 

[SconnieQ]

This may be right, in the fish world, but I'd recommend finding a better source than Wiki...highly unreliable information, since it is editable by users.  I would like to hear what our curing experts have to say about the use of "curing" without nitrites/nitrates.

Yeah, I was afraid to quote wiki, just for that reason, but then again, quoting from pretty much any website is just as unreliable. That's the world in which we live. Anyway, a better source would probably be Michael Ruhlman and his book "Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking & Curing", which seems to be the the meat curing bible. He repeatedly refers to meats as "cured" using just salt, such as prosciutto, or salt and sugar such as salmon. He doesn't seem to require nitrites/nitrates to be present when referring to something as cured. Anyway, this all makes for a lively and interesting discussion about terminology!

 

[DivotMaker]

Anyway, this all makes for a lively and interesting discussion about terminology!

All included with the price of admission!   That's one of those things that I don't think we'll ever all agree on!  He says, in his own title - "Salting, Smoking and Curing."  So why wouldn't meat that is just salted be called salted?  Signed, Very Confused. ???

 

[SconnieQ]

All included with the price of admission!   That's one of those things that I don't think we'll ever all agree on!  He says, in his own title - "Salting, Smoking and Curing."  So why wouldn't meat that is just salted be called salted?  Signed, Very Confused. ???

Dunno, but you are making me want to really study the book now. He uses "curing" a lot. And then, what about ceviche, which is pretty much always referred to as fish or seafood "cured" in acid (no nitrites)? I'm going to say you can "cure" without nitrites or nitrates (ceviche, gravlax, prosciutto). We can agree to disagree. But I'm going to be more careful on this forum with my words, and the use of the word cure...until further notice. Where's Pork Belly when you need him?

 

[DivotMaker]

We can agree to disagree. But I'm going to be more careful on this forum with my words, and the use of the word cure...until further notice. Where's Pork Belly when you need him?

Not necessary at all!  I'm not saying either of us is right or wrong - it just raised a question that I would like to know the answer to!  Hopefully, you can educate me and straighten-out my understanding on it.

 

[TexasSMK]

Sounds simple and delicious.  Smoking shortly, Thank you Leah