Quick question to all you fish smoking experts. I recently was smoking a batch of cats and had some of the fillets turned mushy when they were smoked. The others were fine, but I’m not sure what happened to make half of them go mushy. I let them keep smoking, but is seemed like staying in the smoker longer wasn’t helping. I prepared them the way Tubedude recommends by sprinkling them with salt and sugar and letting them sit over night. I’m not sure if I didn’t get enough salt on them to pull out the moisture or what? Temp issues mabey? The ones that didn’t go mushy were excellent, but I don’t like wasting half the batch. Any suggestions?
**Hard to do a good CSI evaluation without being there and seeing the results. But my best guess is that the ones that did not turn out well were either thicker fillets or did not get enough time in the heat…or both. **
That is one of the things I begin checking on my smoke batches somewhere around the halfway point of my guestimated time to completion. I do the finger push test. If there are thicker fillets I usually put them all on one rack and put that rack closest to the heat source…from the beginning. When they are properly done the other thinner fillets are probably done about right too.
**This past year I have been modifying the way I cut the fillets before smoking. We know about the lateral line and the red tissue. But that area also seems to hold the most oil and moisture…and it takes the longest to cook completely if you leave the fillets intact…especially if you smoke them with that side up. **
I now not only slice out as much of the sensory tissue along the lateral line as possible, but I also cut the fillets lengthwise along that lateral line. I also cut off the last two to three inches of the thinnest part of the fillet. Not much waste. For smaller cats I get two ideal sized fillets. For larger cats I cut the long half-fillet strips into two or three pieces. Then I always smoke them with the skin side down (without skin of course). This seems to help insure the maximum reduction in moisture and oil and gives up the firmest and most completely dried smoked product.
Bottom line is that it is probably not a problem with the fish…but a matter of thickness/heat/time.
To further the CSI diagnostics - I’d throw in the question - what kind of smoker do you have? What’s the heat source?
I’ve tried several, from a charcoal dome, to an electric heat-element Big Chief, to my beloved Camp Chef - propane.
Used to get mixed results with the dome - small cooking area, infective/uneven heat control. The Big Chief I got for nothing, it’s a top load - not preferred. It made smoke, but really - not much heat. The top rack (of trout) was we and mushy still by the time the bottom was ‘done’. Hassle to pull the whole spiel out the top to shuffle (front load would help, maybe needs a new heat element.
The Camp Chef - cabinet style - has a hinged front door, easy access to TDs suggested poking. Plus can top up the water or adjust heat (the dome - had to remove the cooking rack, AND water tray to add wood/charcoal - many have a side door). The thermometer in the door is great, gas adjustment for precise heat control, easy to top up the water tray, or add wood.
So maybe it’s not how you’ve cut, but where you’ve smoked. I have one rack that has a tight mesh - and it’s great for smaller fillets or trimmings. I like TD’s suggestions on cutting out and cutting down the filets. I do prefer a half-filet over finger strips for the smoker - especially when on the regular racks.
Give your racks a shuffle along the way. More smoke at the top, more heat at the bottom. Best of both worlds!