Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation How to make gravlax...

Actually...it's not a drive at all... . No roads; no bridges. Well, OK, we have 42 miles of roads and some little bridges across the creeks. But basically -- plane or boat is the only way.

But you're certainly welcome here... .

Dennis

Dennis....quit teasin' me!

I was going to ask if they had built a road Outside instead of the Bridge...

Dennis,

I may be in Juneau this fall to hunt & fish with my best friend who now lives there. If I do make it up, I'll see about a hop to your fair city & we'll find an adult beverage somewhere?

Ed

Ed,

It's a deal. When are you coming up here? Flying or boating? Be easy to set up a day or so along the way here with either one, for that matter.

Looking forward to meeting you in person...

Dennis

Dennis
How does it feel being chastised about parasites by the idiot-savant of ground meat jerky? I guess bacteria is okay but parasites that cannot possibly survive the processing are a concern while you freeze your fish for textural reasons.

Pity some have to guess about what they post.

I think I will go to my Alaskan sakmon stocked freezer and remove some red and silver fillets and make a little this afternoon. Thanks for the inspiration.
art

The 'campfire has become a helpful training ground for me...mostly in how to ignore people, with an occasional snide response to keep them jerking... .

I made sockeye gravlax the first time this fall. Oh my lord... My effort to acquire reds just skyrocketed... I had the privilege of serving red gravlax at our friends' wedding January 1st, and a whole lot of people were pretty taken with it.

How you guys doing? We're supposed to have a day or two without rain about Monday and Tuesday. Daytime temps are running in the high 40's, so I think I'll go shooting. That will be different for February down here... .

Dennis

Isn't the salt there to kill the bacteria and parasites?

Among other things... .

Dennis

I think the salt is there for firming the fish and adding to the flavor... Gin and time probably do more than anything parasite wise.

I have about 20 pounds of silvers and reds defrosting... tomorrow I will see about assembling...

Salt helps cure the fish as does the acid that is typically added in Gravlox or even the peppercorn given enough time however none of those in the volumes used for a Gravlox recipe will diminish parasites to what would be considered a "safe" level. It shouldn't be that big of a deal to hit the Federal guidelines any how since most of us are probably are not pulling fish from the freezer in 48 hours. With fresh fish just leave it in the freezer a few weeks and be safe.
Bacteria in a recipe like this is primarily controlled by temperature and one one of the reasons why I'm not a fan of wrapping fish tightly in plastic wrap at home. The plastic wrap winds up insulating the fish and keeping it warmer than the air in the fridge. Higher temperature = more bacteria. The concept of using plastic wrap for Gravlox AFAIK was first published by Chef Sonnenschmidt and Chef Nicolas about 30 years ago although that method does not drain the fluid and uses it as part of the curing process.
While this article is about smoking it does touch on some of the guidelines and safe practices for handling fish and killing parasites.

http://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications-db/catalog/hec/FNH-00325.pdf


On edit;



Just saving that one for posterity or maybe in Arts case post-derriere. Kinda funny how trying to help is like giggin fer frogs around here at times. All you have to do is post a few facts, kick back, get the popcorn and wait for em to hook themselves. You know your good to go when you hear em squealing on the end of the line.

On edit;


Originally Posted By: Sitka deer
How does it feel being chastised about parasites by the idiot-savant of ground meat jerky? I guess bacteria is okay but parasites that cannot possibly survive the processing are a concern while you freeze your fish for textural reasons.
art


"Just saving that one for posterity or maybe in Arts case post-derriere."
_________

So sarcasm is lost on the tool, too. My point is you seem to find bacteria in ground jerky acceptable (because you cook it at 200F) but get worked up over parasites that will not survive the processing.

Do you ever actually "DO" anything? You post a site again with numbers that do not work. If you actually had a frigging clue what you were saying, (ie had actually done something) there might be an argument. As it is, you prove again you are guessing.

Show us the "acid component" in your version of typical lox preparation. And please show us where the posted recipe falls high. Surely you have calculated the predicted pH...
art

eta... Dropped the red line back in there so the quote would be returned to the intended context because the Guesser tried to make it look like something it was not...

I know it may come as a shock to you but Lox and Gravlox are not always the same beast. Kinda funny how you think were all going to die a slow painful death from eating ground jerky but ya think some magic transformation takes place and parasites die when a fish is processed. (eyes roll back in head).
Back to your question and this is really for the benefit of others. Try any standard CIA text like The Art of Garde Manger (page 152, Lemon juice) by the Chefs already noted. Ya know, the ones that actually created this method before it was hacked.
Next you can go to The New Professional Chef (5th edition) page 684 - 685 for the technique including how to cut the fish. Page 706 for the recipe which calls for the juice of one lemon per fillet.
Look up Emeril's recipes. IIR he uses either OJ or orange zest. Thomas Keller does a twist on the classic in The French Laundry cook book that uses citrus. It's a long list but the citrus component is small potatoes compared to handling and cutting the fish properly.
Pretty common at the moment is the use of citrus infused vodka.
Finally do yourself a favor and get a copy of Harold McGees on Food and science so you can at least have some clue instead of just offering lip service.
BTW. Unless your a bone hawk (or parasite) that hangs out in roadside rest rooms I don't think grown men actually call each other "tools" outside of your fantasy land.

The way I set up the plastic protects the fish, and drains the fluid off at the same time. It has been working very well for a bunch of years, so I'm not liable to stop doing it. Where I keep the gravlax while it's being made is cool enough to work right, and is modified to maintain a temperature that fits the season. And checked regularly with a thermometer, as needed.

Stetson, I don't know anything about you, except that you're fairly rude in your commentary. I do know Art, pretty well, and I know for a fact that he knows quite a lot more about many many things than I do, and I respect him for that. I also like him as a guy quite a lot. You, on the other hand, I neither like nor respect much, and you haven't shown us anything to make any of us in Alaska grow any in that category.

Sorry, dude, but you've brought it on.

Dennis

Just came back from the local grocery store. Salmon is $10 a pound.

From the Online Slang Dictionary:
Definition of tool
tool
noun

an "un-cool" person; LOSER; WANNA-BE.
That guy is such a tool.

http://onlineslangdictionary.com/definition+of/tool

That would be the first definition in the list and I find it fits perfectly... I can easily understand why you only recognize the other definition.


Why would you assume I do not know the difference between things we get to make with stuff we actually catch ourselves, every year? Serious case of envy; or stupidity?

You posted "Ya know, the ones that actually created this method before it was hacked."

You absolute freaking moron!!!!!!!!! Just exactly how did they create that little method in medieval times? You know the guys that actually did it back 1000 years ago or so? The ones that did not usually have a lemon tree in the front yard.

How about the Danish lady friend that makes it like her grandfather taught her? He learned it from his father about the turn of the century... 1900 or so. Yeah they must have time traveled to hack it!

And now for the obvious point... In the OP there is something there... Did you calculate the pH? Certainly you know how to do that... Don't you?

Oh, having parasite conversations with you is obviously a waste. Either you are too slow to keep up or you are deliberately obtuse. Either is enough to make you the poser, wannabe, loser tool I mentioned a post or so ago.
art

Darryl
Just finished wrapping the front halves from two reds and one silver. I also did one entire smallish silver fillet.

The front of the one silver was from one of the kodiak monster fish and is literally as much fish as the other stuff combined. It was a fish easily pushing 20#.

And I find you a good guy, too!
art

Uhmm ya think they used the plastic wrap method back then Artsy? Do ya think they had booze or other acids like vinegar big fella?
Bottom line. Your assertion is that there are no parasites on a processed fish. Dead wrong.
Freezing for 48 hours in a home freezer is adequate to kill parasites. Dead wrong.
Citrus or acid is never a component in Gravadlox. Wrong.
I noticed how you don't want to comment on the recipes you asked for or the University link that clearly shows you are incorrect.
Let the squealing continue. LOL

Your cluelessness is only exceeded by your arrogance...

Well, that and your lack of comprehension skills.

Or your expectation that "this method" after several pages referred to one particular method and not the general concept of gravlax.

I did not in anyway or form state there are no parasites on processed fish. Reread it... or mouth the words, they are mostly small words and still there.

Funny you should try reversing fields and claim some insight into keeping things sterile. And of course the noteworthy part suggesting it cannot be done.

Yup, tool still fits under the first definition...
art

Stetson
Oh, and two additional points.
Your University link makes a fatal error I have mentioned more than once previously in other places. It absolutely is NOT EVER done in a commercial smoking operation. Go ahead and see if you can find. Because you have to guess about things, or Google them, it will likely continue to escape you.

Also, Artsy is a term of endearment reserved for cute females. It gives me the creeps when you say it because I fear you really want to be one...
art

Newsflash. No one is talking about commercial operations or smoking in this thread but nice attempt at deflection.
I didn't figure you'd have any trouble claiming superior knowledge over a University.

snort.