Why Salmon BBQ Is So Rare

Slimp and his brother now maintain a pit in Mountlake Terrace , smoking brisket, ribs, and chicken for loyal fans who chased the Slimps north and curious new customers. They rarely fuss with salmon. "We got it on a special, but it doesn't sell as hot as the catfish," Slimp says, referring to a blackened dish on the restaurant's expanded entrée menu. "It was a little bit weird to me. I couldn't twist their arms to go with salmon."

Unlike the meats that figure into the nation's best-known barbecue styles, such as beef brisket, pork ribs, and mutton shoulder, salmon doesn't require hours of slow-smoking to make it tender. It's typically cooked over an open flame, whether in traditional Native American fashion—which calls for the fish to be affixed to a wooden frame—or on a modern grill. Salmon barbecue is such a rarity that when most eaters hear the phrase "smoked salmon," they immediately think of Nova lox or the candied filets sold in decorative gift boxes.

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