Why does my properly cooked smoked salmon look pale compared to my earlier (likely overcooked) batches?
When I first started smoking salmon I had no temp probes and an inaccurate thermometer — and honestly the salmon came out this gorgeous deep, rich color that I loved. Now that I’ve upgraded to a Big Green Egg with proper temperature monitoring, my salmon is hitting perfect internal temp but looks disappointingly pale in comparison.
Was that beautiful color just a byproduct of overcooked salmon? Or is there something else — cure time, wood choice, smoke temp — that I’m missing? Both taste great, but the color difference is stark and I’d love to understand what’s driving it.
by Substantial-Code848
8 Comments
There’s lots of different salmon and some has been fed in a manner that changes the flesh color. The “overcooked” batches are going to have more color from the smoke.
Hard to say really. Mine usually comes out like the darker picture. I use a rub of Salt/Pepper/Garlic/Paprika/Brown Sugar , sometimes others.
What temp are you smoking salmon at? Are you comparing the same size filets and same type of salmon (sockeye, king etc).
yeah i have the same problem with consistency on the color. I think the green egg is a problem. its so heat efficient that there is less smoke volume.
A big part of that color is the smoke sticking to the salmon pellicle and syrup.
I used hardcore carnivore black last week on a filet of salmon and it turned out spectacular
Speculating here, but is it possible you were at a higher ambient temp on the Egg than previous cooks? I ask because of the increased amount of albumin present in the second picture. That’s indicative of overcooking or cooking at a higher temp, so I wonder if you may have been at a higher ambient temp despite the final internal temp.
Wow, the salmon in the first pic really does look much better. can you tell us about what your process was when you smoked it?
Wild caught vs Farmed maybe?
After you brine and rinse, do you let it air dry (in the fridge) for 24 hours? That usually helps the smoke attach more. Just a thought
I only smoke salmon on the Egg when it is 5 degrees C or below outside (40ish Fahrenheit I think). Any warmer and it never turns out quite right. Also, internal temp doesn’t matter with smoked salmon. You aren’t actually cooking it, you are curing it before hand and then smoking it at very low temperatures so as to not cook it.