How To: Smoke Steelhead

This past week marked the beginning of Steelhead Season in North East Ohio! In this episode, Farmer Domenic will share his method of making smoked Steelhead.
He filets and cleans two female steelheads and soaks them in a brine made to his tastes. It starts with a base of water and salt. He gradually adds brown sugar, soy sauce, maple syrup, and lemon juice. He adjusts the flavors based on how "fishy" the steelhead smells to nullify any oilyness.
He lets the fish brine 14-16 hours overnight to be smoked the following day. The ice allows the fish to be as cold as possible without freezing. He mixes the fish a few times throughout the brining process to prevent the sugar and salt from settling at the bottom.
After the fish have brined, he pats them dry with paper towels or kitchen towels and puts the fish back into the fridge to form a sugary glaze. Removing the excess moisture allows the fish to absorb the smoke flavor faster.
While the fish are glazing, he prepares black cherry wood and applewood to smoke the fish for at least 3 hours at 150-200 degrees Fahrenheit. This is dependant on the size and thickness of the filets. He also likes the fish to be more on the "beef jerky" side of doneness. In other words, a dryer smoked fish.
The fish can be kept in the fridge for a few days after smoking. It also makes a great smoked fish cream cheese spread. Eat it alone or with rice. An amazing way to use your beautifully fresh caught steelhead this season!
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• Steelhead Fishing
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[@williamsobers5057]

I am in NE Ohio. Subbed.

[@Assassinlad]

Don't think I've ever seen someone cut the wood for smoking with a chop saw before, but it honestly seems like an efficient way to get it to the right size. 🤔 Might be on to something here.

[@Kylebooker]

Great!

[@steveporteroutdoorsohio4739]

Do you remove the pin bones in the fillets?

[@LightHavenFarm]

Nope