Although fish jerky may not be as popular as jerky made from beef, buffalo, or deer meat, it offers a viable snack option for those who love smoked meat. However, because there are so many varieties, choosing the right one for your jerky may be a challenge. Fortunately, it isn’t just one type of fish that makes for excellent jerky. Lots of different kinds do, so if you’re having trouble deciding between a couple of different kinds, you don’t have to. You can make any and all of them into jerky. It’s more a matter of deciding if you want a fatty fish, a lean fish, or something else for your jerky-making endeavors.
Let’s start with rainbow trout. It has a couple of advantages to consider right off the bat. It’s a common and popular fish, so it’s easy to get your hands on. Second, it’s a lean fish, so if you’re trying to watch your dietary fat while still enjoying tasty fish, rainbow trout’s an excellent way to go.
As for curing fish jerky, you’ll need to both marinate it and smoke it. For rainbow trout jerky, ingredients like soy sauce, fresh black or white pepper, and brown sugar to sweeten it up complement the nutty flavor that’s often associated with rainbow trout.
Tuna as a fish jerky
In most articles that concern themselves with the ideal fish to use in a recipe, it’s rare to see a list that doesn’t include tuna, and this list is no different. Its chewy texture and deep flavor make it a shoo-in for jerky. Tuna has been considered an oily fish in the past by some, though that’s changing in certain culinary circles these days. Aside from its fat and oil content, the fish offers jerky lovers another option for a lean fish. The meat also happens to be hearty and meaty, making it an extra satisfying choice as a jerky option.
Although you can use a traditional sweet marinade to cure tuna for fish jerky, the fish also takes to marinades with an Asian flare. Like many marinade recipes for smoked fish, smoked tuna thrives with ingredients like sugar, garlic, and soy sauce. However, it also takes to miso, ginger, and sesame oil well, too. In short, it dresses up nicely come jerky-making time.
Don’t forget the salmon
Finally, wild Alaskan salmon is a good choice when it comes time to pick a type of salmon. It’s a cousin to rainbow trout and just might qualify as the most popular of all fish jerkies. This is likely due to its inherent fattiness that gives it an amazing flavor and texture. It’s also thanks to the fattiness that the fish meat can accommodate a spicier marinade, so if you want fish jerky with a bit of a nip, this is the fish to choose.
Some of the ingredients that might go into the marinade include soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, garlic, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco sauce. These seasonings will upgrade your salmon. That said, once it gets smoked, this fish jerky might be on the spicy side. If you need a little something to temper the spice, break out some sort of cheese, like mozzarella sticks, to cool off the fire. It’ll save your taste buds, allowing you to enjoy the flavor all the more.
