Smoked Trout

[Joe Hell]

A buddy gifted 13 rainbow trout over the past couple of days that he and his brother caught. I brined them over night in a gallon of water with a 1/3 C kosher salt and 1/3 C brown sugar along with 2 TBL each of the Garlic & Pepper and Teriyaki Jerky seasonings.

I held them overnight in the fridge then patted dry in the morning and laid them on a sheet pan with bakers rack to form a pellicle while I was at work. An hour before I put them in the smoker I pulled from the fridge and put them in front of a box fan to make sure they were properly drying.

(Crosses fingers)

[Joe Hell]

Joe Hell This is a thing of nightmares…delicious nightmares!

[Joe Hell]

Joe Hell the “test fish” didn’t even hit the plate.

[Joe Hell]

Joe Hell I can’t argue with this guy

[Jonathon]

Joe Hell You’ve got some pretty amazing friends Joe! First they let you take their Sous Vide cooker for extended periods of time and then they just give you 14 rainbow trout, just gave them to you. I’m lucky if my friends leave a beer or two of what they brought over!

Are you going to clean your smoker any different after doing that fish to prevent any fishy flavor being left behind? I’ve never smoked a fish with the head on before!

[Joe Hell]

Jonathon Don’t forget the family friend (uncle Pat) that gave me the vacuum tumbler and trades Walleye for my Canadian bacon. Best deal ever!!!

It’s pretty awesome that the farther I dive into certain hobbies the more bartering situations come up. It’s beneficial to everyone!

I didn’t think about the fishy aftermath until you mentioned it. Maybe a vinegar scrub? You guys offer a smoker cleaner product if I remember correctly.

As far as the heads go I wanted to try both ways. My buddy had already processed the fish the first day and removed the heads but my grandpa taught me when I was about 5 that the jewel of the rainbow was the cheek meat. It’s only a morsel but it’s heavenly.

The fish turned out perfectly. It was moist, flaky and flavorful. I was a little concerned about not rinsing the trout after reading other recipes but due to the lower salt content it was a non-issue. The recipe was adapted from Hank Shaw which recommends 1/2 cup kosher and brown sugar to one gallon of water. I figured I couldn’t go wrong adding the jerky seasonings and I was right. So good!

[Jonathon]

Joe Hell Yes we sell the Smoke House Cleaner if you do get it you want to get a seperate squirt bottle for it. That amount should last you years and years, just a few squirts a little rubbing and then rinse it out and your smoker will look like new, just make sure you are ok ringing out your smoker.

Our Pk-100 doesn’t get the inside of the cabinet cleaned as the burn plate is on the bottom and isnt waterproof. After years of using the PK, I honestly think it outputs a better smoke color and flavor than big commercial-style smokehouses. Unfortunately or maybe fortunately with all things considered, the Pro Smoker we have in out test kitchen cuts hours off any smoke time with humidity and air flow control.

Bartering is a wonderful thing, I do it with my dogs every morning if they drop my hat/socks/towel/whatever else they arent supposed to have and they can have this bone!

[PapaSop]

Joe Hell
D**n… After seeing this I might have to get back into creek fishing. Looks great.

[Joe Hell]

Jonathon That’s funny about the dogs…My folks dog, Gary Busey is constantly stealing socks and bartering for treats. If you try to grab the sock first he will bite you.

[Dave R]

Joe Hell
Nice, they look great. I usually split the fish and smoke skin side down with a rub of brown sugar with a little of my favorite seasoning. Then again you can’t beat perfection,

[Joe Hell]

Dave R This was my first time smoking trout. I might change some of the prep next time around. It was pretty spur of the moment and the quantity was far more than I’m used to so timing was the biggest issue. Generally speaking I grill or pan fry but the occasions are rare. Overall I’m pretty impressed with the end result…I’ll be refining this one all fishing season!