Smoked Tuna?

[Shore Thing]

Anyone have a way to smoke a tuna loin, or do you cut it up and smoke it? A recipe would be appreciated.

[Andaman Andy]

1 U.S. gallon of water at room temperature
2 cups salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon garlic juice (or 1 tablespoon garlic powder)
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon allspice (it is best to sift this into the water to avoid clumping
2 teaspoons white pepper

In a glass, plastic or ceramic container (never wood or metal), mix all of the ingredients thoroughly until dissolved. A small handblender such as those made by Braun works well for mixing the ingredients. For brining fish we like to use rectangular plastic containers that are four inches to six inches deep. These can be purchased at restaurant supply stores. As long as it is not wood or metal, any type of container is acceptable.
Place the fish in the brine solution ensuring that all pieces are completely submerged. Place plates on top of the fish to maintain complete submersion. For short brining periods (three hours of less) in cool temperatures the brine may be at room temperature if the fish is well chilled before placing it in to the brine. If the fish is not well chilled and/or the ambient temperature is warm, place the brine and fish in a refrigerator for the duration of the time of brining. Alternatively, you may place bags containing ice in to the brine mixture to cool the temperature.

Weight of Each Piece of Fish

Time for Brining

Under ¼ lb.30 minutes¼ lb. To ½ lb.45 minutes½ lb. To 1 lb.1 hour1 lb. To 2 lb.2 hours2 lbs. To 3 lbs.3 hours3 lbs. To 4 lbs.4 hours4 lbs. To 5 lbs.5 hours

Note that the total weight of the fish is irrelevant. Time of brining is established by the weight of the individual pieces of fish. That is why it is easiest to work with batches of fish of similar weight.

Drying
At the end of the brining period the fish is removed from the brine for drying. If rinsed it should be lightly rinsed in fresh water. If you do not rinse the fish the finished product will be somewhat saltier than if you rinsed it.
After removing the fish from the brine, place the fish on elevated racks for drying prior to smoking. It is easiest to use the same racks that you will use in your smoker. Lightly oil the racks (a product like Pam works well for this) to avoid sticking. Place the racks of fish in a cool breezy place protected from flying insects. We usually place an electric fan near the racks to provide a breeze. The time for drying is usually one hour at which time a thin glaze called the pellicle is formed on the fish. The pellicle aids in the development of the color and flavor as the fish is smoking. It also helps keep in the juices and retain the firm texture of the fish as it is smoked.

Smoking
Fish smoking can be accomplished in many different types of smoking equipment. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Depending on the type of equipment you are using, you will use wood chips or chunks, sawdust, pellets or whole logs for your source of smoke. We have found that any hard wood works fine for smoking fish. We have used alder, apple, oak, hickory, pecan, cherry, mesquite and grape stock with excellent results.
We use Cookshack electric smokers, Weber bullet smokers, Weber kettles and very large smokers like the types manufactured by Pitts & Spits and Jerry ("J R") Roach. Any type of smoker will work as long as there is a source of smoke and a source of heat at a consistent temperature. We generally smoke our fish at approximately 190 degrees. Lower temperatures can be used with a corresponding adjustment to the smoking time. At 190 degrees we generally follow these approximate smoking times:

Weight of Each Piece of Fish

Approximate Smoking Time

¼ lb. To ½ lb.1 and ¼ hour to 1 and ½ hour½ lb. To 1 lb.1 and ½ hour to 2 hours1 lb. To 2 lbs.2 hours to 2 and ½ hour3 lbs. To 4 lbs.2 and ½ hour to 3 hours

The foregoing represents approximate smoking times which will vary based upon the type of fish your are smoking, the equipment you are using and the temperature at which you are smoking. Additionally, the cooking time needs to be increased depending on how many times you lift the lid or open the door to check on progress.
Smoked fish is done when it flakes easily while pressing it lightly with a knife of fork. On larger pieces of fish you may want to test for doneness with an instant-read thermometer. Fish is done when the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees.

[Bertram28Classic]

Interesting recipe for tuna, as I have only done bluefish and mackeral. I may try some tuna (Brinkman smoker) this season. Thanks!

Gerald

[iguana1]

My recipe is a bit simpler. Brine a whole loin of a smaller tuna (30-50 lbs) in a ice brine of 1 cup kosher salt to 1 gallon of water/ice for a couple of hours. Rack dry until drips stop (hour or two). Stick the whole loin in the dry smoker at 200 degrees for 4-5 hours.

I then make smoked tuna salad with it. Is a great use for albacore.

Mahi smokes up very similar to bluefish also.

[Sublime]

I used to smoke them after marinading in zesting italian jacked up with some brown sugar.....It still dried it out like a pork loin when it was done because it was a grill an not a smoker but.....
I used to bath it in a shitcake.....I mean shitake mushroom cream sauce after it was done on the and put on the plate that fricken rocked! Haven't made it in over 10 years now, but my mouth is watering thinking about it......
If any one wants the recipe let me know and I'll dig it out......compliments a smoked chunk of meat very nicely.

JT

[clt_capt]

I save all of the ribs/bellies after I loin out the tuna and smoke those - Once smoked, the bones just fall out and it is a great use of the bellies.

First I brine them for about an hour in;
1/2 Gallon of water
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
a couple of whole peppercorns
couple of stems of fresh rosemary

Bring the whole thing to a boil and let it cool (or cool it with ice)

Put the loins in a plastic bag, pour in enough brine to cover and place on ice.

after an hour, rinse the bellies and let dry for about 1/2 hr on a cooking rack (cold) - add fresh ground pepper and seasoned salt (lightly)

place in smoker - will vary on temp of smoker, but I prefer about 1 1/2 hours at 150 - 170 depending on the size of the bellies.


Should work for loins as well, but I prefer that simply grilled.

[tacklebuster]

We used to commercial fish for the tuna and get them smoked at the Duck Deli obx. Then we sold it to different delis and mostly Seamark, and gave out some of the best Christmas presents! With fuel and everything we sold the red reels, we would have it vacum packed into 1-2 lb packs. I think they still do some for a reasonable price, its a good way to make a perishable product last longer.
Scott