Today I tried my hand at smoking my first tuna bellies. I threw together a quick marinade, let the bellies soak for 2 hours, pulled the bellies, let them air dry for 3 hours while I prepped the smoker and once it reached/held 180 threw the bellies on for a nice 3 hour long smoke.
It turned out good with great flavor and a subtle smoke taste!
Looks delicious PJ!
That looks great!
Yum :)
That looks delicious PJ!👍
Sal
looks like candy! Yumm
Nice... Dominick
Thanks interesting makes my mouth water, cheers Don.
Thanks for all the kind words!
looks great ! Did it stay fairly moist with the hot smoke ? I have been cold smoking some of the TY and it has turned out great. Have not tried hot smoke on it. We cold smoke albacore also . ....... might be worth a try also on the BFT if you want to experiment some more.
Cheers:
Todd
Wow Steve, that looks fantastic !
Congrats on your successful tuna outing.
Ted
That looks amazing!!!! :P
Here's another round of tuna bellies!
I'm really hungry now.
Reviving an old thread as I'm gonna fill up the smoker with bellies tomorrow....
Anyone wanna share a recipe or tips?
Pj
Looks tasty PJ. I've only done a couple batches using a simple marinade. Topped each piece w/a sprinkle of brown sugar & a shake of red pepper flakes & into my electric smoker for an hour max (my pieces we're probably smaller than your). Definitely a light smoke but didn't dry out.
The bellies are marinating.....
Final outcome..... Tuna candy!
Quote from: pjstevko on August 09, 2022, 01:39:29 AMFinal outcome..... Tuna candy!
Winner winner Tuna belly dinner :d
Pj smoke king. Looks delicious! What type of wood for the smoke?
Quote from: sabaman1 on August 10, 2022, 03:34:59 PMPj smoke king. Looks delicious! What type of wood for the smoke?
Charcoal with apple and cherry
Had a couple packages of bft leftover from last year so i decided to fire up the smoker and make a little tuna candy! 4 hour marinade, 2 hour drying and a quick 1 1/2 hour smoke at 200°
Firing up the smoker today!
PJ, that stuff looks addicting !!
Prep and final product!
Oh PJ, those looks so delicious!!!
Pj I like your smoker setup. Vertical smokers are the best for smoking meats. All your neighbors are probably attracted to your house when you fire it up. Is your smoker a wood chunk smoker?
PJ!!!!
Fantastic work effort project!!!!
PLZ vacuum pack some choice pieces, we must have a trip coming up eventually to Morro Bay!!!!!!!
Wayne
Quote from: pjstevko on August 08, 2022, 12:55:10 AMReviving an old thread as I'm gonna fill up the smoker with bellies tomorrow....
Anyone wanna share a recipe or tips?
Pj
PJ!!!!!!
PLZ post your exact recipe,
as I see it, you might be taking over where ChileRelleno left off!!!!!!! :al
Wayne
Quote from: sabaman1 on May 13, 2024, 04:35:21 PMPj I like your smoker setup. Vertical smokers are the best for smoking meats. All your neighbors are probably attracted to your house when you fire it up. Is your smoker a wood chunk smoker?
It can do both but i use charcoal mostly and add wood chucks as I go
PJ, what brand of smoker is that ??
Quote from: Maxed Out on May 13, 2024, 05:22:20 PMPJ, what brand of smoker is that ??
It's a Brinkmann Trailmaster smoker. I think the company went out of business around 2015
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PJ!!!!!!
PLZ post your exact recipe,
as I see it, you might be taking over where ChileRelleno left off!!!!!!! :al
Wayne
[/quote]
Wayne I never use a formal receipt, I just throw a bunch of ingredients into a bowl and taste it as I go along. Usual ingredients are soy sauce, garlic, citrus juice, honey, sugar, ginger, lemongrass, oil (sesame and/or chili) and water....
I found one online thru Ali Express that looks very similar to yours, but doesn't say it's a Brinkmann. It's $397
Quote from: Maxed Out on May 13, 2024, 08:06:05 PMI found one online thru Ali Express that looks very similar to yours, but doesn't say it's a Brinkmann. It's $397
I have no idea if that's a good price as I got mine as an anniversary gift from my wife around 10 years ago....I'm sure they are still produce just under a different name brand
Used a couple pieces with my breakfast...
Mmmmmmmm, now that's a breakfast!
Never smoked-up any tuna. Used to do Salmonids. The brine was just done to taste. Salt dissolved in water until it floats a raw egg, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic, marinate overnight in the fridge.
Quote from: pjstevko on May 13, 2024, 05:01:02 PMQuote from: sabaman1 on May 13, 2024, 04:35:21 PMPj I like your smoker setup. Vertical smokers are the best for smoking meats. All your neighbors are probably attracted to your house when you fire it up. Is your smoker a wood chunk smoker?
It can do both but i use charcoal mostly and add wood chucks as I go
:d
:d Quote from: pjstevko on May 13, 2024, 05:01:02 PMQuote from: sabaman1 on May 13, 2024, 04:35:21 PMPj I like your smoker setup. Vertical smokers are the best for smoking meats. All your neighbors are probably attracted to your house when you fire it up. Is your smoker a wood chunk smoker?
It can do both but i use charcoal mostly and add wood chucks as I go
Brought some into work today to share and it was gone before I came back to the table with the crackers from the kitchen!!!!
Gonna fire up the smoker tomorrow and smoke a bunch tuna chunks. Got the tuna marinating overnight. Tomorrow it'll be a couple hours over charcoal and apple wood at about 180°
I need to try this with some albacore steaks
Mouth watering!!
Out of the marinade and drying for a few hours before going in the smoker
My kind of Easter candy is tuna candy! (Actually I'm a candy junkie)
Wow! That looks so good!
PJ, bring some of those on our trip. 8)
Quote from: pjstevko on April 20, 2025, 05:29:43 PMOut of the marinade and drying for a few hours before going in the smoker
amigo, have you noticed a real difference between drying for hours the marinated meat until getting the pellicle layer , versus, just patting dry the meat with a towel and letting the meat to rest for minutes before going to the smoker?
maybe my taste is not that trained but I didn found a noticiable difference when doing it one way or the other.
Quote from: steelfish on April 22, 2025, 05:42:02 PMQuote from: pjstevko on April 20, 2025, 05:29:43 PMOut of the marinade and drying for a few hours before going in the smoker
amigo, have you noticed a real difference between drying for hours the marinated meat until getting the pellicle layer , versus, just patting dry the meat with a towel and letting the meat to rest for minutes before going to the smoker?
maybe my taste is not that trained but I didn found a noticiable difference when doing it one way or the other.
I haven't noticed much of a difference to be honest with you. I pat the fish dry after it comes out of the marinade then let it air dry while the smoker comes up to temp and holds the desired heat. It takes a while to get the charcoal smoker to settle to temp anyway so i let the fish dry while it does
thanks for your answer.
I have seen that some guys swear by letting the meat dry using a fan for few hours, but to be honest, on this city, we live in a constant battle with flies all year around, so, its pretty difficult to let fish fillets on kitchen for hours and really dont want to have to buuild a special cage ( I have seen them on youtube videos) to keep the flies away for the few times I smoke fish.
I used to smoke 5-10# of peppers at a time for my hot sauce company a few times a month. You absolutely had to let the peppers finish drying after washing them before putting them on the smoker or they came out tasting acrid.
Applying smoke before the pellicle forms allows the smoke to come in contact with Clostridium botulinum spores. The phenolic compounds (acetic acid and others) in the smoke significantly drops the pH surrounding the spores which provides an additional layer of protection against toxin formation when the internal temperature reaches minimum 145F for minimum 30 minutes.
When the pellicle forms before smoke application, the spores under the pellicle are in an environment with a pH well above 4.6.
Eugene
Quote from: jigmaster501 on May 08, 2025, 09:33:43 AMApplying smoke before the pellicle forms allows the smoke to come in contact with Clostridium botulinum spores. The phenolic compounds (acetic acid and others) in the smoke significantly drops the pH surrounding the spores which provides an additional layer of protection against toxin formation when the internal temperature reaches minimum 145F for minimum 30 minutes.
When the pellicle forms before smoke application, the spores under the pellicle are in an environment with a pH well above 4.6.
Eugene
so, it other words, (for us which are not too into food safety processing levels/rules) its better and more healthier to apply smoke before the pellicle forms, right?
Yes, right after the fish comes out of the brine.
Put the wet fish in the smoker with the vents fully open. Apply smoke during the first half of the smoking/drying cycle at minimum. Apply smoke while drying the surface. Once the surface is dry with the pellicle formed, you can start adjusting the vents.
It will take longer but it is much safer. Assuming that you have the water phase salt levels correct.
Eugene
Filled up the smoker today and got 3 trays full. Gonna make up a big batch of smoked fish dip
Quote from: pjstevko on July 29, 2025, 11:05:46 PMFilled up the smoker today and got 3 trays full. Gonna make up a big batch of smoked fish dip
Hook a Brother Up! 8)
Turned a bunch into dip!
Quote from: Crab Pot on July 30, 2025, 02:03:06 AMQuote from: pjstevko on July 29, 2025, 11:05:46 PMFilled up the smoker today and got 3 trays full. Gonna make up a big batch of smoked fish dip
Hook a Brother Up! 8)
Not sure how I'd get it to you....
Quote from: pjstevko on July 30, 2025, 01:52:22 PMQuote from: Crab Pot on July 30, 2025, 02:03:06 AMQuote from: pjstevko on July 29, 2025, 11:05:46 PMFilled up the smoker today and got 3 trays full. Gonna make up a big batch of smoked fish dip
Hook a Brother Up! 8)
Not sure how I'd get it to you....
Hand delivered of course! ;D :d
Quote from: Crab Pot on July 30, 2025, 10:55:32 PMQuote from: pjstevko on July 30, 2025, 01:52:22 PMQuote from: Crab Pot on July 30, 2025, 02:03:06 AMQuote from: pjstevko on July 29, 2025, 11:05:46 PMFilled up the smoker today and got 3 trays full. Gonna make up a big batch of smoked fish dip
Hook a Brother Up! 8)
Not sure how I'd get it to you....
Hand delivered of course! ;D :d
Next time we plan a trip remind me and I'll bring you some
Got some tuna marinating and gonna fire up the smoker tomorrow.
Looking forward to the report PJ! Standard stuff; marinade, wood type, and drooling photos... - john
Made a nice batch today. 180° for a few hours until the internal temp hit 145°. Half will end up in the freezer and the rest will get turned into dip!
Dip!
Cream cheese, sour cream, worcestershire sauce, lemon, poke seasoning and spicy furikake seasoning.
It tastes way better than it looks ;D
I like to make Smoked tuna dip and I dont need to taste your dish to know it tastes awesome, it just need some tostadas !! or nachos
PJ, that dip looks awesome to me. Have you tried it on a bagel ??
Quote from: Maxed Out on September 12, 2025, 04:04:48 AMPJ, that dip looks awesome to me. Have you tried it on a bagel ??
Ted I put that sh!t on everything! Bagels, crackers, potato chips,