This is in response to a request that I show the  procedure  for making Lox.

 

      Lox are not cooked, they are cured. The mixture is: 2 parts salt; 1 part sugar. 
After the filet is deboned  (I use needle nosed  pliers to pull the bones.) Place it skin side down  in pan. 
     Sprinkle about a shot of vodka or gin over each filet. Use enough to wet liberally. Don’t skimp.
     Sprinkle the mixture liberally (I use a teaspoon for control.) until it is fully covered with a white coating. Start with about a half cup per filet . The size of those in the picture  is about 12” x  5” x 1 ¼“. If you find that  your filets are smaller, then cut back to suit.

     These are King Salmon (Chinook) and came from about a 25 pound fish. I don’t think you’ll be in those sizes.
     The fish on the right  has the  mixture and some dried dill sprinkled  on top. The filet has developed some of its whiteness because the moisture of the mix has already started to react with the salt.

     Next, you cover with cheesecloth. I use some old T-shirts that have outlived their usefulness. Yes, the shirts are trimmed to exclude any sections  that would add unwanted flavors!
     Once you’ve covered the filets with at least 2 layers of material, sprinkle white wine liberally over the whole filet and around the edges to saturate  all the material
      I then place the pan in a cool place (refrigerator is good) for 3 days.

 

     After the curing period, rinse the filets to get the salt off of the surface. You can also rinse out the material and put it to be washed for the next application. Cut filets in 2-3 in. pieces for better smoke penetration.
    Place the filets on a slab of wood and pat dry with paper toweling. The reason for the wood is to prevent the cooking of the bottom of the filets during the “cold-smoke” process.
     Sprinkle onion powder and more dill over them.

 

I use a small barbecue as a smoker. You can also see that I’ve wrapped the wood plank that the filets are on with foil.

     The other plank that you see is the source of the smoke. Someone asked if I used alder or any of the smoking woods. I said that I use rough-cut lumber!
     The day that we went to the  Wedgeworths, Terry gave me a beautiful slab of hickory and a few pieces of oak. This batch was done before I got the hickory. It’s just taken me this long to write this up.
    Smoke for about 15 min.. Remember to keep it from getting too hot. You’re not out to cook, merely to add flavor.

 

Once the filets have been smoked, you can now process them for eating or preserving. If it’s preserving you want ,  then wrap in saran and if you have a vaccumm packer, use it. 

                                                                                                                               
      You can then freeze it for future use. I found that when we go to California for the winter that you can do just as well by buying Costco’s lox. By the time you buy the filet and go through the process of turning it into lox, you’re better off to buy it. The price is quite fair. However, it is farmed and not wild. It's not the same quality. But still very tasty..
  

   

     If you want immediate gratification, slice some off and eat with cheese and onions. Or make yourself a lox and bagel sandwich.
     For Lox & Bagel Sandwich use toasted bagel halves. Spread cream cheese on them with capers on top. Next put a layer of thinly sliced onion and tomato and top it off with a covering of lox slices.
     

We use this often for breakfast and sometimes for dinner.  The cheese and  onion version below along with crackers and cream cheese is almost a daily lunch for us.

 

THE END

 

Love, H & M