recipe
Cold Smoked Albacore “Ham”
Just like salmon, albacore tuna turns into a delicious treat when cured and cold smoked. Slice it thin and serve it at your next breakfast spread or charcuterie platter.
TOTAL TIME
2 days, Active Time 3-4 hours
INGREDIENTS
- Northwest Blend Smoking Chips
- 5 Pounds Albacore Tuna, cleaned and cut into 2” strips
- 4 quarts Water
- ¼ cup Kosher Salt
- 1 Tbsp Pink Salt #1
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- 10 each Pink Peppercorn
- 2 each Bay Leaves
- 2 each Cloves
CHEF'S TIP
Pink salt #1 is also known as Insta-Cure or Curing Salt. It is not the same thing as Himalayan Pink Salt. You can find it online or ask around at specialty meat shops.
DIRECTIONS
- Clean and portion albacore.
- Take 1 cup of water and place into a Vitamix blender with both salts and sugar. Turn blender to high and let blend until water heats up and dissolves the sugar and salts completely.
- Pour hot mixture into a bowl and add remaining spices. Let sit for 2-3 minutes before adding remaining water. Cool to 41˚ F.
- Place Tuna in cure and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- After tuna has cured, rinse under cold water and pat dry.
- Cold smoke for 2-3 hours with Wildwood smoking chips and allow to cool back down to 41˚F before eating.
*Keep a spray bottle of water handy in case of flare-ups.
