Do you like Bar-Bee-Que?

I should have framed my question for @SthrnMixer better…my EVER inquisitive mind wanted to know the ‘science’ behind the formation of the ring! Did a quick search, and found the answer to be quite interesting,to me anyway :grimacing:

What Creates the Smoke Ring

The smoke ring is produced by a chemical reaction between the pigment in the meat and the gases produced from wood or charcoal. When burned, these organic fuels produce nitrogen dioxide gas. This gas infuses into the surface of the meat as it cooks surrounded by the smoke. It reacts with water in the meat and produces nitric oxide.

Myoglobin is the iron-containing purple pigment in meat. When meat is exposed to air, it reacts with oxygen to develop a bright red color that you might think is blood, but isn’t. The red or pink color of raw meat is due to this oxygenated myoglobin. When cooked, or exposed to air for a longer duration, it turns brown as the oxygen escapes (basically, the iron in the myoglobin rusts).

But when myoglobin is exposed to nitric oxide, it binds to the myoglobin and blocks oxygen attaching. This retains the pick color even when cooked. The nitric oxide stabilizes the myoglobin and binds tighter than oxygen, preventing the production of the brown metmyoglobin forming with cooking.

Getting the Best Smoke Ring

Opinions vary on how to get a good smoke ring. Generally, water-soaked wood produces more nitrogen dioxide in the smoke than dry wood, but only by a small margin. The type of wood also matters in producing more nitric oxide. Charcoal briquets beat lump charcoal. Propane and electric smokers produce far less of the desired gases.

A wet, sticky meat surface will also hold more nitric oxide, so mopping or spraying the meat rather than cooking it dry will enhance the smoke ring. Or, a pan of water in the smoker keeps moisture condensing on the meat. However, you should avoid acidic components like vinegar or lemon juice as that can prevent the smoke ring from developing.

Removing fat from the surface of the meat also exposes the meat to the smoke and will allow more nitric oxide into the meat. Cooking the meat at low and slow temperature will allow the nitric oxide to penetrate more before the meat’s temperature is high enough to turn the myoglobin brown.

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I hate mopping, but I know I should …

Don’t tell my wife …

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About 4.5 hrs in a cooler.

This one I pulled off at 280F uhhhh, I mean 208F :slight_smile: . It’s when a small bamboo skewer would slide in and out of the flat like butter

interesting info you found. I suppose understanding the science would be knowledge gained, but the only real scientific information I would truly want to know is why I always need a beer in hand to even fire up my equipment.

Last of my food porn from this cook…

https://i.imgur.com/RXdVeqR.jpg?1

https://i.imgur.com/U1cZP2N.jpg

EDITED TO REMOVED THAT INSANE FINAL TEMP TYPO

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Big TEASE, is what ya are! :laughing:

Seriously though, I might be passing through both your, and @SessionDrummer 's neck of the wood’s in the next few month’s…I’d pick up some of the fixin’s before I stopped at each of your home’s if I could have a couple slice’s of something like this… :wink:

OR, THIS
image
It look’s THAT good, to me!

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I think BBQ is making me phat…

…anyone got any pellets ??

:slight_smile:

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Your funny!

I have to admit, though…If I ate as many ‘meat’ meal’s as you guy’s do…I shudder to think :open_mouth: My existing spare tire would be a set of dual’s…LOL

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Maybe just look at is as a Keto diet. Avoid most carbs and pound down the meats.

That’s my excuse.

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So, this is a 3lb. Spoon Roast that we did on the stove in beef stock, for 5hrs. It was approximately an 8in. diameter chunk. Can this ‘thick’ of a cut of beef be smoked? Would you just continue to add time, regardless of the size? This one came out very good…no knife required, and tender too!



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So, I’m not familiar with this cut. However, I’ll offer some info based on what I do know.

  1. Adding time. From everything I know you will shoot for 2 targets regarding slow cooked, smoked beef. Internal temp and tenderness. Depending on the cut of the beef, tenderness will be achieved at various times. One thing that does tend to contribute to this is intramuscular fat. It’s why Kobe or Waygu is so wonderful. The internal temperature target will be based more on the cut of beef than anything else. Where does your cut typically achieve doneness/tenderness? I know for brisket it’s in a range between 195-205F.

  1. Smoke vs thickness. Yeah, thicker cuts can tolerate more smoke. However, there’s a limit to everything. Beef absorbs smoke only to a point, after which all additional exposure is superfluous at best, and will taint the flavor at worst. I think for thicker cuts of beef a decent rule of thumb is 6-8 hrs for full smoke saturation, after which you’re risking some form of rancidity.

The one sure-fire method for finding this type thing out is experimentation.

Off the cuff, what would I do for an 8" thick cut? Well, first I would inject it with something compatible with beef. Example - 2 cups beef froth, 3 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Roast Beef, 2 tbsp Worcestershire. Pump a good 1/2 cup per 5 lbs of beef. Secondly, I’d make sure before putting it on the smoker to have the meat resting in a room temp envrionment for at least 1 hour. Better for 2. Bring that internal temp up closer to 50F before putting on the smoker. It will help in various way, including the initial exposure to the smoke. Next I’d make sure my cook environment was in the range of 225-250F. And then I’d monitor for internal temps, making sure to not let it push through the stall and beyond before wrapping. Then wrap just after the stall, either in butcher paper (preferred) or aluminum foil. Once wrapped, let that puppy roll to that 195-205F range, checking for tenderness with a skewer or even a toothpick. It should slide in and out of the leanest portion of the cut with little to no effort. Once there, allow to cool slowly, either under some towels or in a cooler until you are back down to an internal temp of 150ish F.

That would be my approach. Again, never cooked that cut but I suspect it would rock.

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One song from Madonna said I like to singy singy singy, like a bird on a wingy wingy wingy

Of course there’s always Tommy Boy!

Ewwww, think it’s time to clean the Bronco!

Drumettes take a little longer to get done.

Let’s eat!!!

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It’s just a fancy name for a Top Sirloin Roast!

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Part of the reason I don’t marinate much, tend to use a dry rub. Seems to make less mess although I may be missing out on some of the extra flavour goodness!

I’m down! Starvin Marvin here :rofl: It’s dinner time and I have no meat to cook. :rage: Not eating rabbit food, might be milk for dinner that came from a cow :crazy_face:

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Wait a minute @SthrnMixer, 280 internal temp ??? !!!

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:slight_smile: Serious typo!

208F

Glad you caught that. I’d hate to get that nasty feedback when someone says they chipped a tooth on brisket.

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Hehehe, ok, ok @SthrnMixer. Been working a lot of hours, lots of busy, and I did a double take, wanted to make sure it wasn’t my sleep deprivation talking …

Whew…

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Thank you for the clarification…

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I’ve read through your response twice now(at least), and firstly, thanks for the detailed information! The more time I spend here, at this thread, the more intrigued I become! What type of equipment did you start out with @SthrnMixer ? I presume that monster you currently have is a step up from a smaller, simpler model?

Secondly, this caught my eye…

I’ve entertained the thought of trying Keto, but it seems like a temporary fix for my lifelong struggle with my weight. ‘Yo-Yo’ best describe’s the effect’s of my effort’s! :laughing:
All of the worst thing’s are my favorite’s…Pasta, bread, cookies, IC, etc. Right now at 6ft./205lbs. I’ve lost 10lbs. in the past few month’s by eating only twice a day and a huge salad is one of those meal’s. 250 was my high point(years ago) when alcohol was also part of my diet!

Meat and potatoes are right up there with my favorite food’s, but alway’s associated that dish with weight gain for some reason! Anyway, thank’s for getting me thinking! :+1: :wink:

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The red thing was the first time I ever had an actual smoker. My prior outdoor cooking experience was a disaster, having only ever known what I observed my step father doing when I was growing up. So I’m really only on about 6 years now having success.

That was more a joke…a wink and a nod at “too much” meat consumption.

Keto does work for some people, but I just can’t do it. My struggles with weight come from my love for food and virtual inability to be satisfied with a human portion of food. But efforts to try and lose weight via carb reduction, many years ago now, resulted in my becoming moderately hypoglycemic. The only thing I found to work really well is intermittent fasting. If you find this concept interesting, please research it well before getting started. Seems the internet has become so saturated with bullshit it’s hard to know real from fake anymore. That said…

If I want to lose weight, I’ll assign myself a 5-6 hour window of time each day where I will only eat during that time. If I want to maintain weight…or should I say, not gain…I will do an 8-10 hour window.

That’s all I really want to say about it. Each person is different and as we get older I feel it is probably best to consult a doctor before trying anything radical when it comes to nutrition or weight loss plans.

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Intermittent fasting is how I lost weight, the biggest thing to remember is drink loads of water, before and after meals is important to aid digestion and keep you hydrated

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Trying out some more “naked” thanks to @SthrnMixer’s tip.

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