Ingredients
8 to 12 oz fresh salmon, tail section with skin on (scaled)
¼ cup kosher salt
¼ cup white sugar
cayenne and/or freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 beet
Directions
In a small bowl, stir to combine salt, sugar, and cayenne.
Drape 2 pieces of cheese cloth over a baking dish then evenly sprinkle in ⅓ of the salt/sugar mixture. Place salmon, skin side down, into the dish.
Grate enough beet over the salmon to cover it by ⅛-¼ inch when spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining salt/sugar mixture evenly over the beet-covered salmon.
Fold cheesecloth over the salmon, cover with plastic wrap, then weigh it down with a foil-wrapped brick. Transfer to the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days. When cured, salmon should feel firm.
Remove from cheesecloth and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Scrape grated beet from the salmon with the back of a knife and discard. Transfer to a clean plate, cover with plastic wrap, then transfer to the refrigerator for 1 day for aging.
Thinly slice at a 45° angle beginning at the wider end of the salmon, leaving the skin behind, then serve.