Making Gravlox aka 'lox

[brothers]

Brian, all is certainly not lost. I frequently do salmon like you have that turns out like you are describing. I cure the filet with salt, brown sugar and black pepper just as you do and refrigerate for 24 hours. Then I hot smoke it for about 45 minutes using hickory wood chips. It becomes flaky and has a great smoked flavor. It is not lox but simply smoked salmon. We eat it on salads, as an entre, or on a sandwich. We love it! You did well!

We've done it this way several times. Makes for good eating, another excellent way to enjoy fresh salmon.

[ShadowsDad]

Basil, I don't intend to throw it away! My first thought was sandwiches. Then I thought to mix it with cream cheese and use it as a spread on bagels or English muffins. I absolutely intend to use it. It tastes delicious, it's the texture that's different, but as a spread who will know other than myself? The aroma is fantastic.

But the thread was gravlax, and gravlax it isn't. I'll come back after we get our cold weather and finish the thread. Or I could make some using just the refrigerator, and to "smoke" it just put a small amount of liquid smoke in with the cure. But I had to make it "genuine" by using real smoke in hot weather. Not the brightest move on my part. Anyone can make the real thing successfully, I had to complicate it. If salmon is for sale at reduced prices again this week maybe I'll make some gravlox using just the refrigerator.

[pausted]

Oh Brian, I didn't for a moment think that you were not going to eat it and enjoy it. I only jumped in when you indicated that it didn't turn out the way you had expected. The salmon and cream cheese spread sounds like a great idea. I will be trying that. One way we really enjoy it is flaked over a nice, crisp lettuce and tomato salad with a bit of honey-mustard dressing. A few croutons don't hurt either. Give it a try. I'll be looking forward to your trying the refrigerated gravlax. I've never done the refrigerator-only cure. It seems like when I see the TV cooking shows about gravlax they seem to do only the refrigerator cure. I had not thought of liquid smoke but it makes sense.

[ShadowsDad]

Yeah, I didn't think so.

I've done the refrigerator only with liquid smoke before. The time before this in fact. It works fine and can't fail as long as the salt/sugar/fish flesh proportions are adhered to. I've seen different species of liquid wood smoke somewhere also. I can't remember where. It had to be on the 'net. The refrigerator only method is dead simple. In fact gravlax isn't smoked, just cured for a day or 2, sliced and eaten. I prefer mine smoked, but I can eat plain gravlax just fine.

[ShadowsDad]

The fixed 'lox. I took the smallest bag and mixed it with 8 ozs of whipped cream cheese.

This was this mornings breakfast. The ladies were kind enough to supply 2 eggs for me. The green in the eggs is salted chives. The gravlox was spread on a toasted English muffin.