Even if the cost is the same I still prefer to make my own. Check the packaging to see a list of all the stuff they put in the product.
To slice very thinly I use my long (and thin) knives. They are the 2 on far left. The longest one is actually a jamón carving knife. Works great for slicing cured meats and fish.
Stopped at Aldi today and picked up 2 sides of salmon. Skinned and portioned giving several good meal options. The belly is curing now and will go on the smoker. The 2 tail sections are in a brn sugar salt mixture with the crushed corriander (a repeat from the last one) it was really good. Sprinkled bourbon for a little different flavor profile
How much are the salmon sides at Aldi? It was 10.99/lb at TJ (wild sockeye).
Nice knives. The knife selection available to me was pretty good, just needed sharpening. We did discuss how a flexible filleting knife would have been optimal.
I’ll add in case others venture this way - I watched a Martha stewart video that taught me an easier method (I was trying to slice the way it’s done professionally - I mean Zabar’s - perpendicular to the length, for long, triangular slices, but you do need a long, sharp, flexible blade for that).
MS cut the side into about 3” fillets, and sliced them the short way for blini or other hors d’oeuvres - this was much easier, and also helped portioning (family - incl me - is good at walking by and popping a few pieces into the mouth on their way to another app 
)
About $3 less per pound
Back at it! Found a nicely shaped piece of salmon at the store and decided to try a “wet” cure using a fennel and onion paste.
Used Atlantic salmon this time for a more unctuous outcome than the previous iterations with wild Alaskan salmon.
As an aside - marinated fennel after its sat for a while has a cucumber-ish flavor to me - noticed it in leftover fennel fattoush a while ago, and reiterated now. (I should say that I dislike cucumber, which is why the change in fennel stands out.)
The recipe has a 3 day wet cure, followed by a 1 day rest after rinsing and rewrapping the salmon. I sneaked a few slices before rewrapping of course!
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Salmon looks fantastic
Superb texture - silky smooth.
I think it’s because of the moisture in the onion-fennel paste, in addition to Atlantic salmon being fattier. Will try this method again with wild salmon - maybe it will fix my texture issue there.
Stumbled on this looking for a thread about hot smoked salmon. I’m trying to understand the point of the cure. I’m guessing it removes moisture and affects texture, but why so much salt/sugar, and why so,long for a hot smoke, using this Alton Brown recipe as an example.
I guess the video explains it well enough.
Like brine for meat?
Also sucks out moisture and as a preservative here, iirc.
I guess im not feeling committed to smoking it, so I just did a “dry brining/pre-salting” approach. Maybe I’ll just cure some of it. These are boneless, skinless, farmed filets.
“Hot smoked” with "dry brine " , closest to the salt pepper skillet idea. Perhaps a bit salty, although we like salty!
I realized that the recipe is two to one sugar to salt ratio, which was not my original dry brine. 
Rinsed some of the salt vs sugar heavy dry brine, added my spiced pecans mix, and let it dry a bit before smoking the rest. .
I smoked mine in an old wok with lapsang souchong. An incredibly aromatic tea. I drink it all the time, too.
I drink again
I cry again
I swear again
I smoke again…
That looks pretty amazing. Any details beyond the type of tea?
Can be either dry or wet brine and use aromatics of choice. It’s important to keep the heat low. High heat brings out the albumin (white gunk, protein) faster.
Thank you!
Hmmmm…Maybe the white IS albumin! I can usually avoid that.
I started around 140, but I’ve been smoking the last six 6-8oz “dry brined” boneless skinless farmed filets at about 150 f for 60 minutes so far. A little belly piece (missing from most of my pictures !) tastes great, but I’m not anticipating the dark edges you have on yours.
One recipe says to finish at 175 for the last hour. Anyone want to share the temps they are using for a hot smoked boneless skinless salmon?
Finished, I guess; pretty close to 130 F+. These were rinsed of some of the “dry brine”, and the tomatoes are some Princippe Borghese I grew for smoking, but haven’t quite figured it out.
It’s extremely difficult to smoke this type of tomatoes. The distal end is much too close to the face even at the very beginning, there isn’t really anywhere to hold on to, and they’re surprisingly tricky to light.
Won’t keep me from trying.
