Why You Don’t Want A Smoke Ring

[4ever3]

Well, over cooked is bad in my book

 

[PitRow]

So wait. He's saying the smoke ring is basically the same reaction that happens when you cure meat... nitric oxide reacts with the myoglobin and creates the pink color. He further says that it has no affect on taste... so he's saying that bacon tastes the same as uncured pork belly? Bull****. Aside from the saltiness, cured meat definitely has a different flavor than uncured. Dude's smoking something other than meats. :crazy:

 

[Curt.P]

but you eat with your eyes first

Not that I disagree, but seeing a mahogany crust over the entire surface of a steak is much more appealing than grill marks to me. Smoke rings don't get me excited. Maybe it helps being colorblind and nearsighted :nerd:

 

[Get’n Smokey]

op2:

Y’all make me laugh

 

[4ever3]

Not that I disagree, but seeing a mahogany crust over the entire surface of a steak is much more appealing than grill marks to me. Smoke rings don't get me excited. Maybe it helps being colorblind and nearsighted :nerd:

Oh… :laugh:


Same here about the steak, but really, grill marks are just crust in a design.

Wonder where grill marks equate a finely grilled piece of meat came from, prolly marketing from some major corporation.

 

[NoNotTheDuo]

So wait. He's saying the smoke ring is basically the same reaction that happens when you cure meat... nitric oxide reacts with the myoglobin and creates the pink color. He further says that it has no affect on taste... so he's saying that bacon tastes the same as uncured pork belly? Bull****. Aside from the saltiness, cured meat definitely has a different flavor than uncured. Dude's smoking something other than meats. :crazy:

I mean, I think you took a pretty large leap. Bacon is cured for much longer than it takes to get a smoke ring on a piece of meat. And then smoked. And then fried. Clearly there's some more steps in besides the nitric oxide/myoglobin reaction that make bacon taste different than uncured pork belly.

You can 100% get a 'smoke ring' by putting a dusting of TenderQuick or other curing salt on a hunk of meat and then cooking it in your oven. There's videos on YouTube that show a similar process - adding nitrites/nitrates and then smoking in electric smoker, but still getting that good 'smoke ring'. This is a short one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkbeCaxohaE

 

[Lahawk1]

Sales of his smokers must be down.

 

[bschoen]

This is just getting silly.

So a crust on a steak is over cooked?

Over cooked on the outside, under cooked on the inside. Medium rare, just how I like it.

 

[Bill-Chicago]

A sprinkle of tender quick, let sit for 10 minutes, rinse, ..... Best smoke ring you'll ever see, smoke rings have nothing to do with smoke.

op2:

Y’all make me laugh

Wonder if there is a bedroom application here.... give the wife a nice smoke ring.


I mean, we're talking about presentation, right?


Smokin VaJayJay

 

[elcapitan]

Here we go again, now we are gonna have 1000 youtubers and Boutique craft BBQ guys talkin about you don't need a smoke ring..... smh :crazy:

I m convinced now that some have smoke rings left in the brain from the THC-globyn molecules. :mrgreen:

 

[Get’n Smokey]

Y’all been smoke’n too much….

Sounds like the good stuff :wink:

Please share

 

[4ever3]

Over cooked on the outside, under cooked on the inside. Medium rare, just how I like it.

That’s exactly what I just finished

 

[LloydQ]

Wonder if there is a bedroom application here.... give the wife a nice smoke ring.


I mean, we're talking about presentation, right?


Smokin VaJayJay

After all, you eat with your eyes first! Except those eyelashes could be irritating.

 

[cayenne]

I thought I read somewhere...I think it was in the Franklin BBQ book, that this nitrogen by product causing the smoke ring, was usually more pronounced when you put your meat in the smoker cold rather than room temp.

The impression I got from that was, if you want a smoke ring, keep your meat a bit chilled when you throw in on the smoker, and make sure to adjust your timing and technique to deal with it.

 

[Smoke Dawg]

Now I need to go throw a Brizkit on the pooper and over cook it!

 

[Texas Hogger]

Did I miss something?
Why don't I want a smoke ring?
No one ever explained why a smoke ring is not a good thing. All Wade said was that it is actually a chemical reaction and not related to smoke at all.

The world is full of chemical reactions. Some are bad and some are good. Some are even very good like the bark on a brisket or pork butt, or the crust on a well seared steak.

 

[Juggy D Beerman]

Other than Meathead of AmazingRibs, has anyone seen a RELIABLE source that states the chemical reaction that causes the smoke ring to occur ceases when beef reaches an internal temperature of 170F?


Disclaimer: I am not saying that Meathead is not a reliable source, I am asking for another person's opinion because I was taught that the cessation temperature was 140F.

 

[NoNotTheDuo]

Other than Meathead of AmazingRibs, has anyone seen a RELIABLE source that states the chemical reaction that causes the smoke ring to occur ceases when beef reaches an internal temperature of 170F?


Disclaimer: I am not saying that Meathead is not a reliable source, I am asking for another person's opinion because I was taught that the cessation temperature was 140F.

I found this article from America's Test Kitchen, which confirms with 140F temp: https://www.americastestkitchen.com...5894-a-smoke-ring-doesn-t-mean-smoky-barbecue

Myoglobin will start turning brown at 140 degrees, and once it turns brown, it won’t go back to pink.

I do think it's important to note that the cessation temp is related to Myoglobin temperature specifically, and not necessarily the internal temperature of the hunk of meat. I guess the way I read that, is that the internal temp of the meat could be, say, 120F while the outer layer of meat/myoglobin could be over 140F and thus not capable of creating a smoke ring anymore.

 

[Juggy D Beerman]

I found this article from America's Test Kitchen, which confirms with 140F temp: https://www.americastestkitchen.com...5894-a-smoke-ring-doesn-t-mean-smoky-barbecue

I do think it's important to note that the cessation temp is related to Myoglobin temperature specifically, and not necessarily the internal temperature of the hunk of meat. I guess the way I read that, is that the internal temp of the meat could be, say, 120F while the outer layer of meat/myoglobin could be over 140F and thus not capable of creating a smoke ring anymore.

Thank you for posting this information and I do consider Americas Test Kitchen a reliable source. (I watch their show and Cooks Country religiously.) I agree with your assessment that the outer temperature is more of determining factor than the internal temperature of the exact time the smoke ring formation ceases. I am guessing that when the internal temp does reach 140F, you can be assured the smoke ring is no longer forming on the exterior of the meat and that is why that recommendation came about.

This link below is to a Michigan State University study on the color of meat. My browser will only allow me to read the first page. In the first part of the article it states:

"The more myoglobin content meat contains the darker red it will appear in color. Myoglobin content is higher in beef and lower in poultry with lamb and pork having intermediate amounts."

I guess that is why most people say that poultry usually does not have much of a smoke ring when cooked on a smoker.

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/the_color_of_meat_depends_on_myoglobin_part_1

Thanks again for posting this information!

Juggy D Beerman

 

[NickTheGreat]

I know smoke rings (and grill marks) are a little overrated. But I'm still a little happy when I have nice ones.


I did a brisket a couple weeks ago that turned out really well. But no smoke ring. Still tasted great, though.