Tender Quick for brisket smoke ring


 
J

Jimmy Gee

New member
I‘ve been reading about using Tender Quick to enhance the smoke ring. Any thoughts on how much to use on a brisket? How far in advance to apply before putting the meat in the smoker ? Leave additional salt out of the rub?
 
I would add a teaspoon to your normal rub and see what happens. It's mostly salt, then sugar, so I would try to reduce about 3/4 tsp of salt elsewhere from your rub recipe.

Or you can try adding celery seed or ground celery seed to your rub recipe. It contains natural nitrites that will enhance smoke ring.

Our friend Harry Soo did a nice video on this subject where he compared a variety of ingredients to enhance smoke ring, including TQ, celery seed, and ground celery. He simply did a light sprinkle of TQ on a chunk of brisket, you could do the same all over a whole brisket and then follow with your usual rub that's been slightly de-salted.

Good luck!

 
I use tender Quick in my rub. I cut the salt in half and half the amount of salt called for is the amount of tender quick I use. I have started using ground celery seed. in my rub and cutting the salt and tender quick more. turns out pretty good.
 
I don't like the idea, personally. I've seen some smoke rings that are absolutely ridiculous looking. More is not always better. You can go from a nice smoke ring to an undercured pastrami look pretty quickly. A teaspoon of TQ on a whole brisket wouldn't hurt anyone, but it's just one of those things, almost like someone getting implants to look more ripped. If you do it, use a light touch. Don't leave it on forever.
 
It's mostly visual and independent of smoke flavor. You could do the tenderquick approach and cook it in the oven and get a smoke ring.
 
Jim C in Denver said:
Question. Does a bigger smoke ring mean more smoke flavor? Or is it just a visual?
Click to expand...

No mostly about it , it has nothing to do with smoke flavor.
That pink meat is also cured meat... That's what happens. With brisket, you have a layer of pastrami on the outside.
With pork, you got a layer of bacon.

I can make an argument that more is not better...., And adding extra ingrefients to create it excessively.....for looks... It's kind of stupid.
 
Last edited:
I for what ever reason don't feel as weird about Celery seed because it actually adds some flavor and tastes good with BBQ. I don't add it unless a rub I'm using happens to have it. Mostly I use salt and pepper on a briskets. Occasionally, I'll use some Meat Church Holy Cow.
 
Dustin Dorsey said:
Occasionally, I'll use some Meat Church Holy Cow.
Click to expand...
Which, for those who don't know, includes celery.

Smoke ring is one of those funny things. It can look great or it can look overdone. In competition BBQ, every competitor wants a smoke ring even though judges are told to ignore the presence or absence of it because it can be artificially created. Yet scores don't lie, teams know that entries with a nice smoke ring tend to do better than those without.

The ring shown here came from using just three chunks of oak and Slap Yo' Daddy Beef Rub which contains celery seed. Very happy with the look of it.

IMG_4104.JPG
 
I have never put anything on to make a smoke ring but have had some huge ones on ribs, may look and see if the rubs I use have anything in them, done a brisket awhile back that had a good ring, used suckle busters 1836 rub, love it on beef
 
Setting here thinking Its been a really long time since I done some CSR , way over due. Yep I will look for some, about 6 hrs should cover it on cook time.
 
6B9C879C-A1EB-449A-996E-A853E855E6D6.jpegJust salt and pepper on this brisket. The smoke ring surprised me to say the least, first brisket on the SmokeFire.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top