Salmon Burnt Ends

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These bite-sized cubes combine what I love about a burnt end with the meaty, rich flavors of smoked salmon for an absolute winner.

Prep Time15

Cook Time4 15

Curing Time4

Total Time8 30

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Derek Wolf

Ingredients

Salmon & Cure:

1 Side of Salmon skinned & cubed
1.5 cups of Brown Sugar
¼ cup of Kosher Salt
2 tbsp of Honey
2 oz of Bourbon

Honey Sriracha Glaze:

2.5 tbsp of Melted Butter
1 tbsp of Sriracha Sauce
1 tbsp of Honey

Garnish:

Sesame Seeds
Chopped Scallions

Instructions

Cube and skin your Verlasso salmon first. Next, add it to a bowl or food safe bag.
In a separate bowl, mix together your brown sugar and kosher salt. Add the mixture to your salmon along with the bourbon and spicy honey. Mix together and place the salmon into the fridge.
Let cure for at least 8 hours but ideally 12-24 hours. Make sure to mix the salmon every 4 hours so that it gets evenly cured.
When the curing is done, pull the salmon out and gently wash with cold water to release any excess cure.
Place the salmon cubes on a baking sheet, and place in the fridge uncovered for 1-2 hours until the outside has developed a tacky texture.
Preheat your smoke for 185F. Add some wood chips or wood chunks for added smoke flavor.
Pull your salmon out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Place the salmon into the smoker and cook for about 2 hours until they have become browned and caramelized all over. Make sure to keep the temperature within 185F as the white protein inside the salmon will leak out if hotter.
About 1 hour before the salmon is done, mix together the honey sriracha glaze. Glaze the salmon all over and let sit in the smoker until done. Once done, pull the salmon out and let cool for 5 minutes.
As the salmon cools, garnish with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Why We're Curing Our Salmon

Curing fish dates back to those dark days before refrigerators, when cooks cured fish like salmon to kill parasites and bacteria. We've been blessed with refrigeration, but we still go through this process for a couple reason.

First, the salt and sugar in the cure draw the moisture out of the salmon, which creates a denser, more tender texture. And second, but definitely just as important, the salmon absorbs the flavors in the cure as it sits. Plain salmon versus salmon that tastes like brown sugar, honey and bourbon? Definitely going with the latter for salmon burnt ends.

Nutrition