Smoked Steelhead

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Smoked Steelhead

Steelhead trout are anadromous fish, meaning that they can go in and out of saltwater to freshwater, much like salmon; the exact opposite for it’s relative, the rainbow trout. Steelhead can get up to 55lbs and almost 4 feet in length. They are indigenous to fresh and ocean waters of North America, but have been introduced to every other continent with an exception of Antarctica. Steelhead migrate and spawn during the summer and winter months.

Steelhead smokes the exact same way salmon does. It tastes really close to salmon; maybe a little stronger in flavor. I made a simple brine of water, sea salt, and brown sugar. The steelhead only needs 2 hours of brining. Anymore, the fish will be too salty. I cut my steelhead fillet into 6 pieces; each about 8 oz. Once they are done brining, place on a rack and pat dry with paper towels. The smoke won’t stick to the fish if they are wet. They are ready to smoke as is. If you want any extra seasoning on them, do so now. I made one with black pepper, one with gochugaru, and brushed honey on the tail piece.

Preheat you electric smoker to the manufacturer’s directions. Some people like to smoke their fish at a lower temp for a longer time(180-200 degrees for up to 4 hours). Others do higher temps for shorter amount of time(200-225 degrees for 2 -3 hours). I kept my electric smoker between 200-225 degrees. I used apple and cherrywood, but alderwood and cedar are also good choices. You will want to use a probe thermometer to monitor the internal temp. 145 degrees is the recommended internal temp for fish. But I want the steelhead to be cooked all the way through, so I set my thermometer at 160 degrees. It took almost 2 1/2 hours to smoke. Once the internal temp is reached, remove from the smoker. Refrigerate once cooled.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Brining Time2 hours hrs

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Snack

Keyword: appetizer, electric smoker, fish, main course, snack

Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

• Electric Smoker

Ingredients

• 1 side steelhead cut into 6 pieces

Brine

• 4 cups water
• 1/4 cup sea salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Wood Chips

• applewood
• cherrywood

Instructions

• Mix the brining ingredients together.
  
• Give the steelhead fillet a rinse.
  
• Cut into 6-8 pieces, depending on how big you want them.
  
• Place in a gallon sized storage bag with the brine. Squeeze out as much air as possible. Brine for 2 hours.
  
• Take out of the brine and place on a rack. Pat dry with paper towels. They are ready to smoke as is. If you want to add additional seasoning or glazes to the steelhead, do so. I have 3 plain, 1 black pepper, 1 gochugaru, and 1 brushed with honey in the picture.
  
• Preheat your smoker to 200 degrees. Place the steelhead in the smoker. The pieces I have are fairly thick and took 2 hours to smoke. The internal temp for fish consumption is 145 degrees. It is best to have a probe thermometer to monitor the temp. Since I wanted the steelhead cooked all the way through, I smoked it to 160 degrees internal temp.
  

Tip for smoking steelhead

• Brine the fish for 2 hours maximum. Any more then that, your steelhead will be too salty.

• Pat the steelhead dry with paper towels before smoking. This will allow the smoke to stick to the fish.

• There are 2 ways you can smoke your steelhead: low and slow(180-200 degrees for up to 4 hours) or high and fast(200-225 degrees for 2-3 hours).
  
• Since you want smoked fish to be cooked all the way through, use a probe thermometer to monitor the internal temp. You want the smoked steelhead to read 160 degrees internally.
  
• Applewood, cherrywood, alderwood, and cedar are all great woods to use for smoking.