Cold cured lox, no smoke.

Desperately trying to master this technique.  My wife cares not for salmon but lox she does enjoy.

Step one…stay tuned…

I've done it before with just sugar and salt, no salt peter.  Turned out very well.  layered the bottom with some sugar/salt, then fish filets, then more sugar salt, covered with plastic wrap, in the fridge for a few day - trick is deciding when to pull it off the brine.

It's so incredibly easy to make lox too salty. I've been experimenting with courser salt and shorter cure times.

One thing I've found (of no use to you California folk) is I like coho lox more than chinook lox. Coho seems to have more of that salmon taste. They also tend to have thinner fillets... my last batch was [~1/3 cup of rock salt, ~1 cup of brown sugar, a ton of chopped dill] for a 24 hour period. It was initially pretty salty, but after slicing and leaving in the fridge for a day, the salt mellowed out (maybe diffused into the rest of the meat?).

Boom, da chef’s be chimin’ in, thank you…this round is 3pt salt 4pt sugar, put dark place 12hours, then rinse and put in 40% wet brine until morning, then “refresh” in ice bath for 1-2 hours.  Place on smoker racks outside, with fan on keeping temp under 80’ until I’m happy with dehydration air “curing”.  What I want to accomplish is paper thin moist slices of perfectly salted goodness that blows the minds of some…like…dang…you should open up a food truck or sumpin’…

It's so incredibly easy to make lox too salty. I've been experimenting with courser salt and shorter cure times.

One thing I've found (of no use to you California folk) is I like coho lox more than chinook lox. Coho seems to have more of that salmon taste. They also tend to have thinner fillets... my last batch was [~1/3 cup of rock salt, ~1 cup of brown sugar, a ton of chopped dill] for a 24 hour period. It was initially pretty salty, but after slicing and leaving in the fridge for a day, the salt mellowed out (maybe diffused into the rest of the meat?).

I’ve read that coho lockzezz better than king due to fat content.  The coho gets the thinnest slice award.. maybe I should connect wit da YouTuber that cohoed in these parts  

I hope yours turns out great. My brother takes whole fish to INN at Tides in Bodega they do it there for a fee per fish.

I hope yours turns out great. My brother takes whole fish to INN at Tides in Bodega they do it there for a fee per fish.

Thanks, 5:30 now, been dry brining since  9:30am, will pull at 10pm, rinse and put in 30’ wet salt brine for over night…

Into a 30’ salt brine overnight…

fun to watch the progress, can't wait to hear how it turns out.

Pulled it out this morning and tasted it...super salty...now to "refresh" so it goes in an icebath for up to 3 hours to draw salt out...too long in the ice bath would water log and ruin the texture...stay tuned...I'll change out the water in 1 hour...

Tasted and changed out the water. There was a salt content to it so I know it's refreshing...tasting the salmon in one hour.  Preparing the outdoor big chief for dehydration with fan knowing the outdoor temp and smoker box will not exceed 80 degrees.

Excited to see the final product Eddie!

Tanks brah…details…had to run and do two haircuts so I emptied the second round of desalination and put on a rack in the fridge until I get back.  This particular part is the most important to me not to ruin the flesh, I will taste the salmon when I get back and possibly do another round of water…no flavors added for this batch until I mini master the salt and texture…

Side note, anyone ever toyed with homemade aquavit?

Not finished but very pleased with the salt content now after 2 hours.  Going on the big chief to finish.  What I love about this is the flesh goes from pale to bright orange, I hope, as it sits…

On the racks with a fan for air circulation to cut some time off this procedure.  Temnperature of smoker is 62-63 degrees.  I'm also super stoked to use my new rack sheets on the rack grids because smoking fish directly on these racks has created a metal essence on sections touching the rack...