For glaze

Cup of Yum
1. Add honey, orange juice salt and pepper to a small bowl.
2. Cover and refrigerate until needed. If the honey is really thick, microwave it for about the 30 seconds.
3. Add all ingredients for dry brine to a large bowl. Grate orange zest directly above the bowl.
4. Mix well. If the brown sugar clumps up, get it there with your hands to break it apart and mix. Add a generous layer to a plastic or glass container, large enough to fit the fillets.
5. Slice the steelhead into chunks. Leave the tail end larger than the rest so that it cooks in about the same amount of time. Add a layer of fish, skin side down on top of the brown sugar & salt mixture.
6. Cover with another generous layer of the brine mix. Continue until all pieces are covered.
7. Place the fish in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. Notice how the fish lose some of their moisture?
8. Rinse fillets off well with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Place them on a cooling rack. Dry the pieces in a cool place, or the fridge for a couple hours to develop a pellicle. The fish will feel slightly tacky after the pellicle forms. This will keep moisture in the fish as it’s smoking and increase the smoky flavor. A small fan will help the fish dry faster.
9. Spray the skin side with non stick spray to make clean up easier.
10. Place the fish skin side down on the smoker racks. Brush with the honey glaze.
11. Smoke at 180°F / 80°C for about 4-5 hours until internal temperature measures 140°F / 60°C with an instant read thermometer. We like to smoke fish with a light smoke of fruit wood. Apple and cherry work well.