How to Smoke Sturgeon

Smoking meat and fish was once a method of preserving food for as long as possible without refrigeration. It is now a technique used to achieve a distinct flavor that can't be duplicated by conventional cooking techniques. The following is a basic guide to smoking sturgeon.

Steps

1
Use fresh sturgeon that has been kept clean and cold. Do not use fish with damaged flesh.
2
Remove the fins, tale, sautés (bony plates), innards and bones with a knife and your fingers.

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3
Briefly wash the inside of the sturgeon with cold water.
4
Slice the fish into halves lengthwise. Cut those pieces into smaller fillets, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) or 1 1/2 inch (3.8 cm) thick.
5
Place fillets into a bowl.
6
Prepare a brine. Brine recipes can vary widely based on preference. You can add different spices to the brine or to the fish before smoking it.
- A basic brine for 5 pounds (2.25 kg) of sturgeon is 1/2 gallon (2 liters) of water, 3/4 cup (230 g) of salt, 1/2 cup (100 g) of sugar, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of coarse ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of onion powder.
7
Stir the brine in a bowl until the salt and sugar dissolve.
8
Completely cover the fillets with the brine and refrigerate.
- Pieces an inch (2.5 cm) or thicker should sit in the brine for 8 to 12 hours. Thinner slices should take 6 to 8 hours. The longer fish are brine, the heavier their cure.
- Do not pack the sturgeon fillets too tightly together or the brine won't soak into each piece.
9
Remove fish from the brine and rinse in cold water.
10
Pat fillets dry with paper towels and lay them skin-side down on wax paper for 1 to 3 hours, until shiny coat forms.
- A low-speed fan can help the drying process.
11
Ignite about 24 charcoal briquettes in a covered barbecue.
12
Soak a few handfuls of wood chips in water for at least 20 minutes.
- Typical woods used to smoke fish are hickory, oak, apple, maple, birch, beech or alder.
13
Move the coals, after they are covered in gray ash, so that there are about 4 piles of 6 coals arranged around the sides of the barbecue.
- If you're using a vented barbecue, make sure it is adjusted to maintain a low heat.
14
Grease the grill and lightly grease the skin side of the fillets.
15
Drain the wood chips and sprinkle about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of chips onto each pile of coals.
16
Set the grill about 6 inches (15 cm) above the coals.
17
Place the fillets skin-side down in the center of the grill and cover it.
18
Monitor the temperature with an oven thermometer. Keep the heat at about 180 degrees F (82 C), and add or remove coals as necessary.
19
Pat fillets with paper towel each time you check the grill.
20
Add wood chips when necessary to keep smoke flowing.
21
Cook until the fillets are flaky in their thickest part when poked with a fork.

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Warnings

Smoked sturgeon needs to be refrigerated until use.

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Do not use pine, fir, spruce or other green woods as wood chips.

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