Smoke ring on Pork butt?
- Thread starter Chris E
- Start date
The reddish meat near the bark is what I call a smoke ring on mine.
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7643/img00305cf.jpg
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7643/img00305cf.jpg
Jim Creasy
TVWBB Fan
Glenn,
Can I come over and eat your BBQ? Hate to invite myself, but For The Love of Pete!
Chris,
No pics, but mine look similar. I get a pretty deep smoke ring. My ribs, on the other hand, are currently sucking wind. See my post on pulling hair out.
I may do one tomorrow and if so, I'll try to get photos and post.
JKC
Can I come over and eat your BBQ? Hate to invite myself, but For The Love of Pete!
Chris,
No pics, but mine look similar. I get a pretty deep smoke ring. My ribs, on the other hand, are currently sucking wind. See my post on pulling hair out.
I may do one tomorrow and if so, I'll try to get photos and post.
JKC
Jim Creasy
TVWBB Fan
Glenn,
I am in Atlanta, you are in Mississippi... So, at least a State and a half away... I'll be there in an hour!
You sound like me cooking all time. Just relaxing and fun.
Thanks for the feedback this AM on the grates. I'll see if I can get you guys PICs of the Pulled Pork.
JKC
I am in Atlanta, you are in Mississippi... So, at least a State and a half away... I'll be there in an hour!
You sound like me cooking all time. Just relaxing and fun.
Thanks for the feedback this AM on the grates. I'll see if I can get you guys PICs of the Pulled Pork.
JKC
j biesinger
TVWBB Platinum Member
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">but I wonder if I'm using enough smoke. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
wood does not a smoke ring make.
wood does not a smoke ring make.
Jim Creasy
TVWBB Fan
Paul,
Can you expand on that?
I always rub the pork at least 12 hours before and put it back in the 'fridge... Then, take it out of the 'fridge while I am setting up the smoker and lighting the chimney so it starts warming up, then put them on. Not really room temp. when they go on, but certainly warmer than 'fridge temp. I am guessing 50 to 55 degrees F. My 'fridge is at 45 degrees.
I smoke/cook overnight, usually starting after 1000 PM and finishing late morning early afternoon. I get good "... bark" and a decent ring.
I'd like to hear about your technique. Specifically, the following: Do you rub, then freeze? Or, do you buy frozen and just keep them that way? Do you season the frozen pork? Are you using pork that has been injected by the packer? How are your cook times impacted? I am guessing they are extended by quite some time because a frozen pork butt is a pretty dense hunk of ice/meat.
Thanks in advance. This might be something interesting to try out.
Take it easy,
JKC
Can you expand on that?
I always rub the pork at least 12 hours before and put it back in the 'fridge... Then, take it out of the 'fridge while I am setting up the smoker and lighting the chimney so it starts warming up, then put them on. Not really room temp. when they go on, but certainly warmer than 'fridge temp. I am guessing 50 to 55 degrees F. My 'fridge is at 45 degrees.
I smoke/cook overnight, usually starting after 1000 PM and finishing late morning early afternoon. I get good "... bark" and a decent ring.
I'd like to hear about your technique. Specifically, the following: Do you rub, then freeze? Or, do you buy frozen and just keep them that way? Do you season the frozen pork? Are you using pork that has been injected by the packer? How are your cook times impacted? I am guessing they are extended by quite some time because a frozen pork butt is a pretty dense hunk of ice/meat.
Thanks in advance. This might be something interesting to try out.
Take it easy,
JKC
Jim, I could be wrong about the temp but my understanding is the longer the meat stays between 40 and 140 while cooking the better the smoke ring. Now that is also the temp that meats turns bad so I may have my temps mixed up. Somebody will correct me if i got my tempps wrong here. I simply take the butts out frozen,slather with mustard and rub, and throw on the smoker when it's reached the right temp. After a few hours, when the meat softens, you can insert your meat temp probe. I've got some of the most beautiful coloring on my pulled pork from doing it this way. That's not to say you couldn't accomplish the same thing doing it completely different. It's a combination of things that makes a smokering.Cold temps plus a chemical reaction
Forrest Whyte
New member
I've fount that I get the most visible smoke ring when letting the meat "hold" for several hours before pulling.
j biesinger
TVWBB Platinum Member
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">I've fount that I get the most visible smoke ring when letting the meat "hold" for several hours before pulling. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
not sure how holding will have any effect on the appearance of the ring.
Ring formation requires enzymes, naturally found in the meat, to be functioning. Enzymes function best around body temp, and start to fall apart as temps increase. By 140*f they are destroyed beyond repair and your ring will cease forming. After a couple of hours of cooking, the ring will be done.
not sure how holding will have any effect on the appearance of the ring.
Ring formation requires enzymes, naturally found in the meat, to be functioning. Enzymes function best around body temp, and start to fall apart as temps increase. By 140*f they are destroyed beyond repair and your ring will cease forming. After a couple of hours of cooking, the ring will be done.
Chris E
TVWBB Pro
Doesn't the chemical reaction that forms the smoke ring require chemicals (nitrates?) from teh smoke produced by the wood chunks?
Second wood chunks/smoke are obviously producing flavor as well as the smoke ring. I was always told that after the meat got about 130 or so no more smoke flavor would enter. Therefore adding smoke wood after a certain point doesn't do anything but annoy the neighbors.
Second wood chunks/smoke are obviously producing flavor as well as the smoke ring. I was always told that after the meat got about 130 or so no more smoke flavor would enter. Therefore adding smoke wood after a certain point doesn't do anything but annoy the neighbors.
j biesinger
TVWBB Platinum Member
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Doesn't the chemical reaction that forms the smoke ring require chemicals (nitrates?) from teh smoke produced by the wood chunks?
Second wood chunks/smoke are obviously producing flavor as well as the smoke ring. I was always told that after the meat got about 130 or so no more smoke flavor would enter. Therefore adding smoke wood after a certain point doesn't do anything but annoy the neighbors. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
yeah, but charcoal is much better at producing nitrates than wood, and its possible to get a smoke ring out of an oven with neither wood nor charcoal.
smoke never enters the meat, it sticks to its surface.
its common to confuse (combine) smoke ring formation (which stops at 140*) with accumulation of smoke flavor which occurs throughout the entire cook.
Second wood chunks/smoke are obviously producing flavor as well as the smoke ring. I was always told that after the meat got about 130 or so no more smoke flavor would enter. Therefore adding smoke wood after a certain point doesn't do anything but annoy the neighbors. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
yeah, but charcoal is much better at producing nitrates than wood, and its possible to get a smoke ring out of an oven with neither wood nor charcoal.
smoke never enters the meat, it sticks to its surface.
its common to confuse (combine) smoke ring formation (which stops at 140*) with accumulation of smoke flavor which occurs throughout the entire cook.
Russ Sylvester
TVWBB Pro
I've gotten my very best smoke rings when the meat comes straight out of the fridge or cooler and goes right into the cooker. It's even better if I can catch the smoker temp on it's way up. That way the first temperature runup is a lot slower.
To do that, I wait until the coals in the chimney are really going before pouring them into the cooker. Then I real quickly assemble (vents closed) the cooker and put the meat on. Keep the vents closed and the smoker will take forever to come up to temp. Even slower if the water in the water pan is cold. Bingo, killer smoke ring.
I don't know the whole chemical process but I know it works.
Russ
To do that, I wait until the coals in the chimney are really going before pouring them into the cooker. Then I real quickly assemble (vents closed) the cooker and put the meat on. Keep the vents closed and the smoker will take forever to come up to temp. Even slower if the water in the water pan is cold. Bingo, killer smoke ring.
I don't know the whole chemical process but I know it works.
Russ
j biesinger
TVWBB Platinum Member
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> don't know the whole chemical process but I know it works.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
and it should.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
and it should.
Hey J.
Does humidity in the cooker make any difference?
This topic seems to cause a lot of confusion. I totally agree that smoke flavor and smoke ring should be thought of as completely separate. You could put a fully cooked piece of meat into a smoker and it would take on a lot of smoke flavor, regardless of temp.
Smoke ring, however, seems to be a bit more mysterious. I seem to get more of a smoke ring in a humid cooker... But I might be imagining that too.
I always appreciate your take on stuff like this.
Joon O, that looks awesome!
Does humidity in the cooker make any difference?
This topic seems to cause a lot of confusion. I totally agree that smoke flavor and smoke ring should be thought of as completely separate. You could put a fully cooked piece of meat into a smoker and it would take on a lot of smoke flavor, regardless of temp.
Smoke ring, however, seems to be a bit more mysterious. I seem to get more of a smoke ring in a humid cooker... But I might be imagining that too.
I always appreciate your take on stuff like this.
Joon O, that looks awesome!