How can I avoid the meat being so pink after low and slow?


 
P

P Mata

New member
I've seen the smoke ring in pictures but my ribs come out with almost all the meat entirely pink. Thing is, I don't even add wood for smoke. I pour the charcoal into the kettle after they're ready so as to avoid the bitter taste from the smoke and whatever chemicals are being burned off, yet I still get the pink meat and some of the 'bitter' taste.

What am I doing wrong?
 
I would try another brand of briq´s if you feel a bitter taste.

Coals should not need to be blasing and gray before you cook on em.
Just look at the Minion Method.

I asmume you dont use L-fluid?
Are the ribs "natural"?

I often get a ring,but on HH-indirect cooks in the kettle sometimes the meat have a light pink to it.
 
P Mata - upload some pics so we can diagnose better! You didn't mention if you are using a rub or are injecting the meat - those things could affect the taste and texture - and appearance - of your meat. Also, are you talking about pork shoulder (picnics and butts) or some other cut of pork?

Lay a little more info on us!

Pat
 
The pink in the meat or "smoke ring" doesn't come directly from the smoke but rather nitrate components in the combustion byproduct of the wood/charcoal burning.
 
Ok, you said "ribs" so I assume those are all you are talking about.

On another site, I read that when pork is perfectly done (not overdone) the meat will be pink. So far so good
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.

As others said, your problem with taste is possibly your components -- so we need the info Ted requested including EVERYTHING you use (brand/type of charcoal, any fluid
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, your method of starting, preparation, etc.

Rich
 
First of all thanks for all the replies.

When I've tried low and slow it's always either Baby Back ribs or Spare ribs, and I always use Kingsford charcoal (I don't use lighter fluid when I do low and slow)

When I was experimenting with my New Braunfels grill I would always have the fire on the offset smoker box. The minion method, by far, always gave me the worse bitter taste of all my attempts. When I first went to pouring in only already-lit coals was when I had the best results; however, I still had some of the bitter taste but not nearly as bad. Last weekend I tried some spare ribs for the first time on my new weber kettle and had better results than with my NB but I still had pink meat and some of the bitter taste, but this time it was easy to mask with the bbq sauce. Maybe it's just that pork is supposed to be pink, as mentioned by richpb and george.

You guys think it could be the kingsford? Should I try lump charcoal? I'll give smoking another go next weekend and upload some pictures this time
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edit:
I forgot to include that when I used my NB I tried to keep the temp at 250-275 and cooked for about 5 hrs.. When I used my Kettle I started at about 450 and eventually settled at 350 and cooked for 3.5 hrs. I must disclose that these ribs turned out really tough, probably due to the high temp. It was my first attempt with my new Weber so I still have to get the hang of it.
 
I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'pink meat', nor what the problem with that might be, unless you're talking about the smokering. Pics and a fuller description of what you mean would help.

I've been using the Minion Method for all my cooks for many years and have not noticed any sort of bitterness. Perhaps that's a subjective difference. Though I almost never use Kingsford Blue (I do use the comp) I do use some smokewood for most cooks.

Those high temps would not make the meat tough. Meat is tough if it is undercooked, usually, and sometimes when overcooked, though in that case it is usually more stringy and dry than 'tough'.

Irrespective of cooktemp (I cook ribs routinely at 350-375), meat needs to cook till it is done, i.e., tender and juicy. The best way to determine this is to check the meat for tender; cooking for X amount of hours then removing the meat often does not work well. Checking for tender and cooking only to that point does.
 
P you said you don't use lighter fluid when you do low and slow. Do you use it for a higher heat cook? The bitterness could be an aftertaste of lighter fluid!
Another thought. Do you make your own rubs or buy premade? I usually buy mine because the ones I made the missus didn't care for. I had a partial jar of McCormicks "pork" rub in the spice cabinet from last year that I used a couple of smokes ago. I had used this brand of rub with success before. Sweet Pammi Sue told me it tasted bad. For my next smoke,I bought some Stubbs Bar-B-Q rub and used it. Much better results as far as she was concerned(she's the main "audience"I cook for. If she don't like it,I won't cook it again!). So maybe you had some older spices.
Or,you could try Comp K. It has natural binders and none of the inpleasant smells that are associated with K. I hope you get it figured out,and let us know what you decide.
 
Pork is the other "pink meat". If the texture was right then it was cooked.

Try a GOOD lump charcoal such as Weekend Warrior for your next cook and see if the bitter taste is gone. It costs more but if your sensitive to the by-products of charcoal burning I think it is your best bet.
 
The only time I've had pink meat all through the ribs is when I used a salt rub and let them sit overnight. As others have said, without pictures, it's hard to tell what's going on, but my guess is that you're using enhanced ribs or you have done what I did which makes the ribs hammy and pink all the way through.
 
No pics makes it tough. Just guessing at the bitter taste - sounds like fire control, black smoke or heavy smoke. Depending on the side fire box horizontal the lower end units really have bad heat transfer from the fire box. You should start the fire in the box and let it turn to coals. I.E. start with a load of coals fully engaged before adding the meat. You should have a bluish white smoke not heavy white or black. Definitely keep the stack vent wide open.

I think bitter taste is coming from dense smoke while the fuel is lighting.

But just guessing.

I used a cheap Char Griller Pro with SFB for a good long while. Would use a load of lit lump charcoal and then add gradually over time to maintain temps. Briquettes would have too much ash and would clog air flow. Lumps has less ash and creates less trouble that way.

I then moved to burning all wood until I had a box full of coals and then added "sticks" during the cook maintaining blue white/clear smoke.

Poor air control, air flow can create dense sooty smoke that will definitely give a bitter taste.

Now in the kettle that shouldn't be a problem as there's better air flow. Try using more lit for your minion.

Doing minion in a horizontal really requires a special firebox insert that controls the progression IMHO. Just loading firebox and adding some lit can be a problem if you don't have enough airflow underneath not just from the side. At least that's what I found with lower end horizontal set ups. I remember my early cooks with the SFB. I would have ribs pink all the way through almost, but bitter. I think it had to do with lack of oxygen/heavy smoke in the cook chamber. Bitter of course due to sooty smoke clinging to the surface.
 
Could be the "pink" be caused by using "self basting" ribs? Perhaps nitrate/nitrite in the brine?
 
From what I can see, you haven't yet told us what equipment you use. You mentioned a New Braunfels and a kettle, but then said "my new Weber". What cooker are you experiencing this problem with?

Regardless of the method of starting your cooker, if you are getting big smoke (regardless of color) and putting your ribs into it, that could cause you to get off flavors. If that's true, always wait until the heavy smoke dissipates to a thin blue smoke (or as Ray said, a "blue white/clear smoke" and THEN add your meat. Grey smoke, black smoke or heavy white smoke is not something you want to cook in.

When I first start with Minion, it will take about 15 - 30 minutes for the smoke to clear properly. That usually also gets the cooker up to smoking temp. That's when I add meat.

Rich
 
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