Lox refers to salmon(traditionally the belly) that has been cured in brine but has not been smoked. The brine can either be wet or dry. With a wet brine, the salmon soaks in a salt and sugar solution, while a dry brine involves sprinkling the salt and sugar directly onto the salmon. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. A wet brine tends to yield a softer salmon, but I find that the water dilutes the flavor of the salmon. A dry brine will make a more flavorful lox as it draws moisture out from the salmon, but it will also make the meat more firm. It’s similar to a traditional Japanese method of preserving fish, called Kobujime, which used konbu and sea salt to preserve fish. Smoked salmon on the other hand takes the process one step further by smoking the brined salmon. The smoking process can be either “hot” or “cold”. In the case of hot-smoked salmon, it is put directly over smoldering wood. The heat cooks the salmon and the proximity to the source of smoke will impart an intense smoky flavor. Cold-smoked salmon is cured by indirectly applying smoke to the salmon so that it’s not hot enough to cook the fish. This is usually achieved by distancing the salmon from the source of smoke either by hanging the salmon in a large smoke-filled tent, or putting the salmon in one of two interconnected chambers with the smoldering wood in the other. Cold smoked salmon is sometimes called Nova Lox. Today I’m going to show you how to make Lox with a dry brine. I love the dry brining method because it not only concentrates the flavor of the salmon, you can also infuse it with other flavors by adding spices and herbs to the salt and sugar mixture. To make Gravlax for instance, you just add a ton of fresh dill, juniper and black pepper to the brine. I’ve also found that you can make a pretty good faux cold-smoked salmon by using smoked salt or sugar. I used a very small side of salmon, but you may need more brine depending on how large your salmon is. Keep in mind that the longer you cure it, the more liquid gets drawn out of the meat, making the salmon firmer and saltier. This in turn will make it last longer.
📖 Recipe
