Smoke ring Thickness


 
J

Jeff Jocsak

TVWBB Member
This was probably discussed before but I could not find it. I was wondering what factors influence the thickness of the smoke ring. When I do my ribs many times they are almost pink all the way through. On many of the pictures I see I noticed a thinner layer that I'm use to. Is it the amount of smoke, the length of the cook, or a mixture of factors that I'm missing?

Jeff
 
The smokering forms due to a chemical reaction that takes place while the meat is between 40 and about 140°. Try a search in this forum on "myoglobin" for the science part. The longer the meat remains in that range, the deeper the smokering penetrates. But smoke continues to be deposited on the meat as long as there is still smokewood to be consumed. The smokering should be viewed as evidence that the meat was exposed to smoke while cooking, but I believe the phrase "nice smokering" can be misleading, as it implies that the bigger the ring, the better the final product. Too much smoke can make for an unpleasant bitter taste, not to mention too much time between 40 and 140°-- what is known as the food safety "danger zone"-- also bears consideration.
 
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