flaky salmon texture?

Smitty Two said:

I love a good salmon filet, but have trouble picking the texture I
prefer. Can't seem to figure out what to look for. Many cuts seem to be
sort of stringy and steaky in texture (not sure if those are correct
terms) but the stuff I like comes apart in slices when you push a fork
down on it.

Despite asking at seafood counters, asking friends, and spending some
time googling, I've gotten no satisfactory information. Is it the
species, the freshness, the part of the fish it's cut from, or what,
that gives some salmon that slide apart quality?

I suspect the high oil content of most salmon prevents it from
flaking in the way you describe (which I associate with cod).
Chum salmon has lower oil than most, so you may want to give
it a try.

Steve

Smitty Two said:

I love a good salmon filet, but have trouble picking the texture I
prefer. Can't seem to figure out what to look for. Many cuts seem to be
sort of stringy and steaky in texture (not sure if those are correct
terms) but the stuff I like comes apart in slices when you push a fork
down on it.

Despite asking at seafood counters, asking friends, and spending some
time googling, I've gotten no satisfactory information. Is it the
species, the freshness, the part of the fish it's cut from, or what,
that gives some salmon that slide apart quality?

A good indication that a Salmon fillet is cooked is to see that whitish fat
on top. Once that starts to appear it is almost cooked. But don't cook it
too long or it dries out, toughens up and loses its flavour.

Dave Smith said:

A good indication that a Salmon fillet is cooked is to see that whitish fat
on top. Once that starts to appear it is almost cooked.

That might work except some salmon whitish stuff doesn't ever come
out. I typically buy king salmon and I only see the whitish
stuff about 1/4 of the time, even if I accidentally overcook it.

I do not know what substance the white stuff is anyways, but
a salmon goes through a lot of different metabolism changes
in its life and I'm guessing it's present in a transition phase.

Steve

Smitty Two said:

I love a good salmon filet, but have trouble picking the texture I
prefer. Can't seem to figure out what to look for. Many cuts seem to be
sort of stringy and steaky in texture (not sure if those are correct
terms) but the stuff I like comes apart in slices when you push a fork
down on it.

Despite asking at seafood counters, asking friends, and spending some
time googling, I've gotten no satisfactory information. Is it the
species, the freshness, the part of the fish it's cut from, or what,
that gives some salmon that slide apart quality?

The flaking is mostly a product of proper cooking, not the
quality or type of the salmon. All salmon will flake when cooked
properly.

You can look for whiter streaks between the grain - these
indicate fat. Copper River salmon, for example, is pretty lean
in this respect (but will still flake).

If you really want a good flake, Steelhead Trout is usually a
sure bet and tastes/acts much like salmon.

-sw

"Steve Pope" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Smitty Two said:

I love a good salmon filet, but have trouble picking the texture I
prefer. Can't seem to figure out what to look for. Many cuts seem to be
sort of stringy and steaky in texture (not sure if those are correct
terms) but the stuff I like comes apart in slices when you push a fork
down on it.

I assume you mean that it comes apart in slices when you push a fork down on
it -- after it's cooked?

If so, try poaching your filet. When I've picked up a already cooked piece
at Whole Foods that is poached, this is how it is.
DeeDee

Smitty Two said:

I love a good salmon filet, but have trouble picking the texture I
prefer. Can't seem to figure out what to look for. Many cuts seem to be
sort of stringy and steaky in texture (not sure if those are correct
terms) but the stuff I like comes apart in slices when you push a fork
down on it.

Despite asking at seafood counters, asking friends, and spending some
time googling, I've gotten no satisfactory information. Is it the
species, the freshness, the part of the fish it's cut from, or what,
that gives some salmon that slide apart quality?

Avoid buying tail meat. It contains the most connective
tissue, which is the least tender and won't flake
as well.

With any kind of muscle meat, the more it gets
used by the animal the more connective tissue
it contains and the least tender it will be.

Don't let them sell you tail meat.

--
Reg

Reg said:

Don't let them sell you tail meat.

Yeah - good advice. I didn't think about that. It also cooks up
the least evenly.

-sw

Steve Wertz said:

Reg said:

Don't let them sell you tail meat.

Yeah - good advice. I didn't think about that. It also cooks up
the least evenly.

Yep. His description as "stringy" made me think that was
his main problem.

--
Reg

Smitty Two said:

I love a good salmon filet, but have trouble picking the texture I
prefer. Can't seem to figure out what to look for. Many cuts seem to be
sort of stringy and steaky in texture (not sure if those are correct
terms) but the stuff I like comes apart in slices when you push a fork
down on it.

That's a matter of what temperature it reaches in cooking.

129-131F seems to be the key.

So a probe thermometer is key.

You can use one that stays in the meat, or an instant-read
that you use when you think it's near done.

I have an instant-read gadget that consists of two
liquid-crystal patches on a pointed paddle. When inserted,
one patch says "almost" when it's a few degrees low and
the other says "ready" when it's just right.

In fact, it's exactly like this:

http://easycookin.com/catalog/images/burton_fish_temp.jpg

Cheap and it works. Just figure 350F for 1 minute per
1/10th-inch of fish, then check it, and leave it in for
another minute or three if it's "almost".

Quoted message said:

Despite asking at seafood counters, asking friends, and spending some
time googling, I've gotten no satisfactory information. Is it the
species, the freshness, the part of the fish it's cut from, or what,
that gives some salmon that slide apart quality?

Fattier fish do it easier. If you see a salmon with those
nice white lines between the flakes, it will practically
fall apart in big flakes when cooked right.

--Blair

Reg said:

Steve Wertz said:

Reg said:

Don't let them sell you tail meat.

Sell it to me.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Yeah - good advice. I didn't think about that. It also cooks up
the least evenly.

Yep. His description as "stringy" made me think that was
his main problem.

I like the unevenness. I get tail fillets and cook
until the thick end is just flaky and the thin end will
be a bit dry and crusty around the edges.

--Blair

Blair P. Houghton said:

I like the unevenness. I get tail fillets and cook
until the thick end is just flaky and the thin end will
be a bit dry and crusty around the edges.

I can dig it. The thing is, there's more than one way
to prepare salmon. You don't get a good result smoking
tail meat at low temps. Gnarly, lousy texture. And
the yield isn't as good. You definetely wouldn't
like the result making gravlax with tail meat, either.

--
Reg

In article <[email hidden]>,

Reg said:

Blair P. Houghton said:

I like the unevenness. I get tail fillets and cook
until the thick end is just flaky and the thin end will
be a bit dry and crusty around the edges.

I can dig it. The thing is, there's more than one way
to prepare salmon. You don't get a good result smoking
tail meat at low temps. Gnarly, lousy texture. And
the yield isn't as good. You definetely wouldn't
like the result making gravlax with tail meat, either.

I like the largest possible full-side-of-the-fish
fillet for grill-smoking. Usually they have removed
the tail fillet; I think they sell those to brew-pubs
for salmon burgers. But it works best, one BIG fillet,
2 lbs or even 3 lbs or more, and it smokes to perfection.
It is so easy, once you develop a method of knowing
when it's ready. I do that by timing these days.

Steve

Steve Pope said:

I like the largest possible full-side-of-the-fish
fillet for grill-smoking. Usually they have removed
the tail fillet; I think they sell those to brew-pubs
for salmon burgers. But it works best, one BIG fillet,
2 lbs or even 3 lbs or more, and it smokes to perfection.
It is so easy, once you develop a method of knowing
when it's ready. I do that by timing these days.

Yeah, I used to smoke grill whole fillets but not
so much lately. Now I normally do 8 oz pieces in the
smoker oven, vac pack then into the freezer. Normally I
only do whole fillets every now and then when there's
a crowd. It's fun cooking such a big hunk of fish.

When I do I like to use this recipe. Posted by
Jim Minion to the cookshack forum a few years
back. He cooks it more than I like, though.
I agree with Blair that the best internal temp
is around 130 F in the thickest part.

Cardog's BBQ Salmon

Dry Rub
-----------------------------------------------------------------

1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup non-iodized table salt
3 TBSP granulated garlic
3 TBSP granulated onion 1 TBSP dried dill weed
1 TBSP dried savory
2 tsp dried tarragon
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Turbinado sugar may be substituted for
brown sugar. To substitute garlic salt and onion salt, reduce table salt
to 1/2 cup and double garlic salt and onion salt to 6 TBSP.

Finishing Rub
-----------------------------------------------------------------

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 TBSP granulated garlic
1 TBSP granulated onion 1 tsp dried savory
1 tsp dried tarragon
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Turbinado sugar may be substituted for
brown sugar.

Buy a fresh, 3-pound salmon fillet, preferably Sockeye or King. Remove the
pin bones using tweezers or needle nose pliers. Do not remove the skin.
Place skin-side down in a glass or stainless steel pan.

Pack the dry rub on the flesh side of the fillet, approximately 1/4" thick.
Let the fillet rest in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours (the longer you
leave the rub on, the stronger the salt flavor). Rinse the fillet in
cool, clean water to remove the dry rub, then pat dry. Allow to dry for
about 30 minutes, until the flesh becomes tacky.

Heat a barbecue grill to medium to medium-high. Sprinkle finishing rub
on the fillet (twice what you would use as if you were heavy salt and
peppering). Cook with the lid closed to an internal temp of 140-155*F
(your preference) measured in the center of the thickest part of the
fillet.

We recommend using wood to produce smoke while cooking. On a charcoal
grill, just sprinkle a few wood chips on the coals. On a gas grill,
place wood chips in a pouch made of aluminum foil. Poke holes in the
top of the pouch and place it on the hottest spot under the grill.
Alder is our wood of choice, but fruitwoods are a wonderful substitute.

You can also smoke it at lower temps of 225-250*F; this allows for
more smoke on the fillets.

Jim

--
Reg

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Smitty Two said:

I love a good salmon filet, but have trouble picking the texture I
prefer. Can't seem to figure out what to look for. Many cuts seem to be
sort of stringy and steaky in texture (not sure if those are correct
terms) but the stuff I like comes apart in slices when you push a fork
down on it.

Despite asking at seafood counters, asking friends, and spending some
time googling, I've gotten no satisfactory information. Is it the
species, the freshness, the part of the fish it's cut from, or what,
that gives some salmon that slide apart quality?

The way it's cooked.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a [censored]" -- Jack Nicholson

In article <[email hidden]>,

Steve Wertz said:

Reg said:

Don't let them sell you tail meat.

Yeah - good advice. I didn't think about that. It also cooks up
the least evenly.

-sw

Try folding it.
--
Peace, Om

Remove _ to validate e-mails.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a [censored]" -- Jack Nicholson

Steve Pope said:

I like the largest possible full-side-of-the-fish
fillet for grill-smoking. Usually they have removed
the tail fillet; I think they sell those to brew-pubs
for salmon burgers. But it works best, one BIG fillet,
2 lbs or even 3 lbs or more, and it smokes to perfection.
It is so easy, once you develop a method of knowing
when it's ready. I do that by timing these days.

I usually buy whole fillets for smoking and cut off the tail and
belly flap and use that for salmon curry. Then you have a nice
piece of solid flesh that cooks evenly.

-sw

In article <[email hidden]>,

Omelet said:

In article
<[email hidden]>,

Smitty Two said:

I love a good salmon filet, but have trouble picking the texture I
prefer. Can't seem to figure out what to look for. Many cuts seem to be
sort of stringy and steaky in texture (not sure if those are correct
terms) but the stuff I like comes apart in slices when you push a fork
down on it.

Despite asking at seafood counters, asking friends, and spending some
time googling, I've gotten no satisfactory information. Is it the
species, the freshness, the part of the fish it's cut from, or what,
that gives some salmon that slide apart quality?

The way it's cooked.

elaboration?

In article <[email hidden]>,

Reg said:

Smitty Two said:

I love a good salmon filet, but have trouble picking the texture I
prefer. Can't seem to figure out what to look for. Many cuts seem to be
sort of stringy and steaky in texture (not sure if those are correct
terms) but the stuff I like comes apart in slices when you push a fork
down on it.

Despite asking at seafood counters, asking friends, and spending some
time googling, I've gotten no satisfactory information. Is it the
species, the freshness, the part of the fish it's cut from, or what,
that gives some salmon that slide apart quality?

Avoid buying tail meat. It contains the most connective
tissue, which is the least tender and won't flake
as well.

With any kind of muscle meat, the more it gets
used by the animal the more connective tissue
it contains and the least tender it will be.

Don't let them sell you tail meat.

hmm, good idea. seems like i've been getting the tail more frequently
lately now that you mention it.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Steve Wertz said:

Smitty Two said:

I love a good salmon filet, but have trouble picking the texture I
prefer. Can't seem to figure out what to look for. Many cuts seem to be
sort of stringy and steaky in texture (not sure if those are correct
terms) but the stuff I like comes apart in slices when you push a fork
down on it.

Despite asking at seafood counters, asking friends, and spending some
time googling, I've gotten no satisfactory information. Is it the
species, the freshness, the part of the fish it's cut from, or what,
that gives some salmon that slide apart quality?

The flaking is mostly a product of proper cooking, not the
quality or type of the salmon. All salmon will flake when cooked
properly.

You can look for whiter streaks between the grain - these
indicate fat. Copper River salmon, for example, is pretty lean
in this respect (but will still flake).

If you really want a good flake, Steelhead Trout is usually a
sure bet and tastes/acts much like salmon.

-sw

Thanks, I'll try the Steelhead. But when you say proper cooking, are you
referring to method, speed, final temp as others suggest?