Page 16 - October 2021 Issue

What fuels make the best smoke ring?
Here’s a table of fuels Blonder created from actual readings he took with sensitive equipment.
This data is quite star-
tling. Roaring hot
charcoal briquets pro-
duce about the same
amount of NO as roar-
ing hot wood and sig-
nificantly more than
lump charcoal. Roar-
ing hot briquets also
produce more than 12
times the NO given off by briquets in a low and slow cook at 225oF. A hot fire is key, which is why electric smokers and propane grills give off so little NO. No wonder electric smoker owners complain they
don’t get a smoke ring.
How long does it take?
With a good stable clean fire,
the pink myoglobin color
starts locking in almost imme-
diately. Try this: if you have a
charcoal, wood, or pellet fire,
put a slab of ribs on the
smoker at 225°F. After 30 min-
utes, move the ribs to an in-
door oven at the same
temperature and finish cooking. There will be a fine look- ing smoke ring. After just 30 minutes exposed to NO and CO!
It has long been known that smoke rings stop growing as the cook progresses. The point at which they stop seems to be when the myoglobin hits about 170°F, depending on a number of variables. At that temp, the myoglobin has bro- ken down so far that the pink color can no longer be locked in. But basting or spritzing the surface of meat cools the surface and allows the smoke ring to grow. So the depth of the smoke ring is connected to how fast the meat heats. Yet another reason to cook low and slow.
The fat cap also plays a role. Fat doesn't contain myoglobin and if the fat cap is thick, the NO and CO may not get through before the meat underneath goes from pink to gray. Yet another reason to remove most of the fat.
All this data busts a bunch of myths. The smoke ring is not caused by the billowy white stuff. It is caused by gases in
the smoke. It is not enhanced by paprika. Salt has little to do with it. There is no time limit on smoke absorption, the ring stops growing when the meat hits about 170°F and myoglobin loses its oxygen re- taining ability. And fi- nally, the smoke ring has no flavor.
How To Get A Deep Smoke Ring
Although it adds no
flavor, the pink band does look cool, it gets the saliva flowing, and it gives your
meat a look of authenticity. Here’s what we know about how to get a good smoke ring:
Keep the meat moist. Baste or spritz the surface with a thin water based mop. In many parts of the country, mopping with vinegar based liquids is popular. Many people spritz with apple juice, which also has fructose which can help with browning. Blonder ex- plains: “First, when water evaporates from the surface of the meat it cools the meat and this enhances condensation of
NO. Second, the water is ‘sticky’ and grabs onto passing smoke chemicals. And third, it delays the formation of a dense bark which impedes absorption of smoke chemicals.”
A humid cooking environment helps because moisture condenses on the relatively cooler surface. We also know
BarbecueNews.com - 14
OCTOBER 2021