Where is everyone getting the Christmas hams?

[Sigarms]

No ham for Christmas (generally reserved for Easter).

Crabcakes and salmon this year for Christmas

 

[JRobyn]

mmmmm.... salmon!

I have been a lifelong fan of salmon, growing up in Washington state. We always tried the best we could to duplicate the alder-smoked salmon from Ivar's fishhouse on the sound.

I have always known that NOT OVER COOKING salmon is key. And that this is hard to do since it goes from under done to dried out in about 1 minute. It is sad that many, many people have NEVER had any properly prepared salmon. So this year, I learned something new. The 1st lesson is that almost all "sources" of the correct doneness internal temperature for fish/salmon is 145 deg. Based on FDA input I assume, likely because all potential pathogens will be instantly killed at 145 deg. What they DON"T tell you is that any/all pathogens will also be killed, just as dead, at an internal temperature of maybe 120 deg after 1-2 minutes.

I went looking for "alternate" sources of doneness temperature data, and found this - Ideal Doneness Temperature for Wild Salmon | Cook's Illustrated
from the trusted "Cooks Illustrated" site, where they actually repeatedly TEST recipes until they find perfection. So the second lesson is NOT 145, but either 120 or 125 depending on your salmon species. I use an inexpensive barbecue thermometer with a stainless probe and cable. Leave it in the whole time in the thickest part. Take the salmon off the heat just as it passes 5 deg under your target. Tent loosely with foil for at least that 1-2 minutes to make sure any potential pathogens are finished off.

And at an internal temperature of 120 to 125 deg, the meat is delectable! Silky and tender, just like salmon SHOULD be. When the meat is like this, it is fabulous regardless of whether it is smoked, barbecued, pan-fried, or broiled. We generally marinade at room temperature for a few hours in a soy/ginger/lemon concoction and grill on the gas grill or smoker.

 

[dragoneggs]

mmmmm.... salmon!

I have been a lifelong fan of salmon, growing up in Washington state. We always tried the best we could to duplicate the alder-smoked salmon from Ivar's fishhouse on the sound.

I have always known that NOT OVER COOKING salmon is key. And that this is hard to do since it goes from under done to dried out in about 1 minute. It is sad that many, many people have NEVER had any properly prepared salmon. So this year, I learned something new. The 1st lesson is that almost all "sources" of the correct doneness internal temperature for fish/salmon is 145 deg. Based on FDA input I assume, likely because all potential pathogens will be instantly killed at 145 deg. What they DON"T tell you is that any/all pathogens will also be killed, just as dead, at an internal temperature of maybe 120 deg after 1-2 minutes.

I went looking for "alternate" sources of doneness temperature data, and found this - Ideal Doneness Temperature for Wild Salmon | Cook's Illustrated
from the trusted "Cooks Illustrated" site, where they actually repeatedly TEST recipes until they find perfection. So the second lesson is NOT 145, but either 120 or 125 depending on your salmon species. I use an inexpensive barbecue thermometer with a stainless probe and cable. Leave it in the whole time in the thickest part. Take the salmon off the heat just as it passes 5 deg under your target. Tent loosely with foil for at least that 1-2 minutes to make sure any potential pathogens are finished off.

And at an internal temperature of 120 to 125 deg, the meat is delectable! Silky and tender, just like salmon SHOULD be. When the meat is like this, it is fabulous regardless of whether it is smoked, barbecued, pan-fried, or broiled. We generally marinade at room temperature for a few hours in a soy/ginger/lemon concoction and grill on the gas grill or smoker.

Great post! Indeed most people have never had the pleasure eating a properly cooked pacific wild salmon. Big difference between pacific wild and Atlantic farmed. I steer way clear of farmed raised. Fatty, pellet fed, tasteless, and colored to make it look like salmon.

Even most restaurants around here tend of overcook the salmon catering to visitors that don't know any better. Get some wild caught, use some alder wood as a plate on the bbq and watch the temp closely.

 

[om21braz]

For country hams, this is the best I have had recently:

country ham, Phillips Brothers Country Hams, Inc Contact Us

 

[kenmac]

Is that open to anyone? If so, I wish you had posted a week or so ago: I'm about 35 miles from you, I'd far rather go to where you live than either Huntsville or Madison. Fork that traffic!

Oh, where be your pics of your ham????????????

Yes, It's open to anyone. I had no idea they were going to do this until the last minute.
I would think you are more than 35 min. from me .
No pics of the ham, the one I purchased has been eaten.

I think ,We /they will be smoking butts around July 4th. They use the same process for the butts as they do the hams

 

[FTG-05]

Ok fir enough. If this deal comes up next year, will you please PM me?

I may be 45 miles from you depending on how I go through Huntsville. It's probably been 5 years since I've been out there and I used ot live out there (OXR).

 

[kenmac]

Ok fir enough. If this deal comes up next year, will you please PM me?

I may be 45 miles from you depending on how I go through Huntsville. It's probably been 5 years since I've been out there and I used ot live out there (OXR).

If I can remember it I will.
I will be another yr older. The older I get, the more I forget ! LOL

 

[mapper]

We had sockeye salmon for Christmas eve this year. I test for doneness by pressing lightly on the thickest part of fillet, when it firms up just a little it's done. You definitely do not want to overcook it!
I like to brush it with a emulsion of olive oil, garlic, dill and lemon juice, (prepared with an immersion blender), just before cooking.

 

[FTG-05]

If I can remember it I will.
I will be another yr older. The older I get, the more I forget ! LOL

Ain't that the truth!!!

 

[Sigarms]

mmmmm.... salmon!

I have been a lifelong fan of salmon, growing up in Washington state. We always tried the best we could to duplicate the alder-smoked salmon from Ivar's fishhouse on the sound.

I became a big fan of the fish when I was in Alaska and we cooked some in a fire pit wrapped in aluminum foil. Best fish dinner I ever had at that point in time.

Still laugh the first time I went looking for asome good salmon up in Pulaski NY (where the salmon river passes through). EVERY "nice" resturant I stopped at DIDN'T have salmon on the menu. Finally stopped at a truck stop resturant off I-81 and low and behold, they actually had salmon on the menu. I ordered it and asked when they brought it out if it was locally caught. The waitress laughed and said no, that no one is allowed to sell the fish from the salmon river because the iodine levels were too high LOL

My buddy showed me what salmon fishing looked like on the salmon river and I was like to heck with that, I'll just paddle it LOL If and when I go fishing, I do it to get AWAY from people.