Smoking BFT?

[CindyLou]

Does anyone smoke BFT? I have a slab of belly/toro (frozen) from August. It doesn't quite look like sushi grade anymore (was not vacuum sealed), and I'm thinking of smoking it. Any suggestions?

[FullStrikeAngler]

What do you have to lose? I would give it a try and let us know how it turns out. I think I would smoke it like you would salmon. Good Luck

[Fish Biz]

I have smoked alot of seafood and blue fin belly is a favorite.
1) Thaw completly
I always use a sugar/salt brine for smoking depending on amount of fish to be smoked
A batch for me consisted of a quart of sugar to a pint of Kosher salt(do not use iodized salt) ina a 4 gal bucket filled half way with cold water and add fish till water is just below the rim. So if you have a small amount of fish you can adjust your brine. say you can use a 2 gal bucket it would be a gal of cold water and dissolve a pint of sugar and a cup of salt

If its a small amount keep cutting it back use a 1/2cup salt to a cup of sugar.

Brine your fish from 12hrs to 24hrs depending on amount, for you 12hrs should be good.

you can cut into chunks or smoke the whole belly at once, just cut fish before it goes into brine

Remove from brine and pat dry

A full little chief smoker takes about 12hrs adding fresh chips as soon as your smoke output slows.

Look in on it after the first few rounds of smoke and rotate pieces that are getting done quicker than the others

I use for market cherry or apple wood chips. But I use hickory for my own personal fish

Be aware with a sugar brine you do not have as long of a shelf life as a pure salt brine. So if you have to much to eat in a few days you will need to freeze what you are not going to use right away
I hope this helps

[CindyLou]

Thanks FishBiz, sounds great! So 2-1, sugar to salt for the brine. I have hickory, apple and cherry and will probably use them all. Anyone else have a particular brine they like? I might try to bring in some spice/heat.

[aloop]

I have done it with chunk hickory or mesquite that was left over on the grill. Didn't taste to much smoke while eating the tuna steaks off the grill but the next day the smokey flavor was pungent on the cold leftovers.

[Fish Biz]

Thanks FishBiz, sounds great! So 2-1, sugar to salt for the brine. I have hickory, apple and cherry and will probably use them all. Anyone else have a particular brine they like? I might try to bring in some spice/heat.

If you use all three all you will really taste is hickory, You can use apple and cherry and it will give you a fruit smoke as both are similar.
Yes brine is 2 to 1 cold water to cover and refrigerate.
Enjoy let us know how it comes out

[CindyLou]

Good point. I use all 3 on ribs, and chicken and can taste the apple/cherry...but on fish (more delicate) maybe better to just use apple/cherry. I'll post on the results (hoping to fire up the smoker Sunday). Thanks.

If anyone else has any tips, please share.

[CindyLou]

FishBiz...any idea what temp your smoker is at? 12hrs seems like a long time. I've done salmon in 3hrs at ~225 degrees. My tuna will be thicker, but thinking I'll cut it in strips and hoping it's more like 4-5, maybe 6hrs.

[seaworm1]

smoking tuna????

[backman]

I just presented the annual smoked Thanksgiving tuna belly and side, along with a wahoo fillet to my annual "that's fantastic - how do you do that" accolades.

I unscientifically create a brine at 7 PM the day before and brine the fish till noon or so the next day. 1-2 hr's out of the brine on the porch to form a crust and then on the smoker for ~4-5 hours.

I use wild grape vines and crapapple tree trimmings because that's what's in my yard!