Instructions:

Wash the salmon fillets with cold water and slice the meat off each side. Optionally pluck out the pin bones and skin the fillets based on your preference. Cut the prepped fillets into uniform 5-inch pieces.

Mix the brown sugar and coarse salt thoroughly in a large bowl. Place a thin layer of this cure at the bottom of a large plastic container (~10L), then alternate layers of salmon and cure until all fish is fully covered.

Cover the container with its lid and place it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours (or up to 24 hours for thick Chinook fillets).

Remove the salmon from the container and thoroughly rinse each piece under cold running water to remove excess external salt. Pat dry with paper towels.

Arrange the salmon pieces on wire racks (or upside-down smoker trays) and let them air-dry for 2 hours under a fan to form a sticky pellicle.

Load the racks into your smoker using alder or fruitwood chips. Run for 2 hours at 110°F–120°F, then 2 hours at 140°F, and then 1 hour at 170°F.

At the 5-hour mark, quickly remove the racks and use a basting brush to apply a layer of pure maple syrup to each fillet. Return the trays to the smoker at 170°F for the final 1 hour.