Best Way TO Get A Deep Smoke Ring

Remington · May 23, 2005, 04:28:39 PM

Any suggestions to getting a deep smoke ring? I've smoked things for 11 hours and still hardly a smoke ring in the meat. I always get an awesome smoke flavor which is the most important thing, just wondering how to get the smoke to penetrate the meat.

Remington

MallardWacker · May 23, 2005, 05:20:20 PM

Tender Quick young man, Tender Quick.

This will be the only way to get a smoke ring using the Bradley. Maybe someone else will chime in here with amounts and time. I have forgotten but if I remember it does not take any amount of time at all to treat the meat to get the desired effect. I also know that that this a Q contester trick that some use to make sure they get a good ring.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know. But...

eightball · May 23, 2005, 05:23:44 PM

Tenderquik? I hae been reading about this product on the posts, but have not been able to locate any in my area of Louisiana. Any suggestions on where to order or get this product from would be deeply appreciated.
Jay [8]

psdubl07 · May 23, 2005, 05:27:41 PM

I have wondered about this too. There is a local smokehouse here that makes a pretty mean brisket. It has a nice smoke ring, but I know for a fact they don't use any nitrate/nitrite.

MallardWacker · May 23, 2005, 05:38:08 PM

WALMART has it. Go to where find the Pickling and Kosher salts. (Bottom shelf at my W/M) Also my local market has it in the meat section. It is really not that hard to find. It is from Morton Salt Company and comes in a dark blue paper type bag.

The nitrite/nitrate is not an issue unless you start eating in high doses you will be fine. With this use, you only leave it on the meat for a VERY short time. Then rinse it off really well.

I'm hoping some others will add too this.

Like I say, this has been told to me for the contesters that this is a common practice with some. Strange fact, some contests are cutting out the smoke ring as a part of the appearance part of the meat.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know. But...

Remington · May 23, 2005, 05:39:37 PM

L.E.M.Products selld Morton Tender Quick online. The also have some of the best Pepper Stick mix for making smokies that I Have tried. Here is the link. If it does not take type LEM products in your search engine and look under the online catolog under cures.

www.lemproducts.com/cat04/cat04_14.pdf

Remington

BigSmoker · May 23, 2005, 06:08:16 PM

The smokering is caused by burning charcoal not the wood itself best I can remember. The tender quick will give you a fake ring. The flavor is what your looking for. The pink ring does not add any flavor to smoked meat as far as I know. Happy Smokin'.

Jeff

Some say BBQ is in your blood, if thats true my blood must be BBQ sauce.

MWS · May 23, 2005, 06:14:08 PM

I agree with Big Smoker. I've read that charcoal has nitrates/nitrites in it. This is transfered to the meat giving it the smoke ring. Personally, I try to stay away from nitrates. I read that when the meat is charred (high temp. grilling), it's the nitrates combined with this blackening process that can be carcenogenic. (or something like that)

Mike 

"Men like to barbecue, men will cook if danger is involved".
-John Wayne

MallardWacker · May 23, 2005, 06:22:43 PM

Old Thread on the Subject

Above is an old thread about this.

MWS,

This carcenogen reaction can be halted by simly marinating the meat. I wish I wrote down the study; they wanted to find out what caused this and what could prevent it. They came up with that just about any type of marination would stop the above said mention nasty reaction. Plus in a BS, charing doesn't ussually occur.

Do a search on this nitrate thing here on the forum, there has been some good discussions on this subject.

SmokeOn,

mski
Perryville, Arkansas
Wooo-Pig-Soooie

If a man says he knows anything at all, he knows nothing what he aught to know. But...

MWS · May 23, 2005, 06:35:10 PM

Ya, I also just read it's mainly a grilling (500F +) thing that's of concern. It was probably a rumor started by a vegetarian....[;)] but seriously (my wife's a vegetarian [:0]), better to err on the side of caution.

Mike 

"Men like to barbecue, men will cook if danger is involved".
-John Wayne

psdubl07 · May 23, 2005, 08:36:00 PM

There's good info about Nitrate/Nitrite on Olds' site here:
http://www.susanminor.org/smokers/curing/curingandbrining.htm

Personally, if it takes TQ to get the ring, and it's only for appearance, I would leave it off.

Brother Bill · May 23, 2005, 08:49:55 PM

When the GANG comes over to EAT, they don't much care what the food looks like as long as it tastes Good ! I am not going to subject all our childern & grand children plus other guests to the dangers of Nitrates just to look at a smoke ring. Hope you agree! [8D]

Brother Bill

MWS · May 23, 2005, 09:05:57 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Brother Bill
 When the GANG comes over to EAT, they don't much care what the food looks like as long as it tastes Good ! I am not going to subject all our childern & grand children plus other guests to the dangers of Nitrates just to look at a smoke ring. Hope you agree! [8D]

Brother Bill
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I fully agree.....

Mike 

"Men like to barbecue, men will cook if danger is involved".
-John Wayne

JJC · May 23, 2005, 09:31:27 PM

Hi All,

I would definitely read the Curing + Brining piece that pasdub10 refers to. It will give you the straight scoop on the proper use of nitrites and nitrates. The key is to follow the instructions for how much to use very carefully! As long as you don't double the amount the receip calls for (or worse), you'll be fine. Nitrates only get converted to carcinogenic nitrosamines at grilling temps way abpove 500F--lot of sudies have been done on this and this is the conclusion of the Natonal Aademy Sciences. Bottom line: use the correct amount in your BS and you will not/cannot get an unhealthy product.

John
Newton MA

Habanero Smoker · May 23, 2005, 11:12:38 PM

Big Smoker is correct. According to Harold McGee, you can only get a "smoke ring" by cooking over organic fuel such as wood, charcoal and/or gas. Burning of these types of fuel produces trace amounts of nitrogen dioxide. When it comes in contact with the meat surface it dissolves and eventually converts to nitric oxide, which react to the pigment in the meat to form a "pink ring". This can penetrate to a depth of 8-10 mm.

Although you are producing smoke in the BS, I am not sure the wood is burning hot enough to produce traces on nitrogen dioxide, or in the amount that would be needed to create a "smoke ring."