Shoulda Put A Ring On It

I had to stop my last post before it got too long. I was explaining the idea about using a spray bottle for barbecue. The long and short of it is, the amount of flavor from spritzing your ‘cue is minimal. I don’t worry about spraying with worcestershire sauce, apple juice, or red wine vinegar. It really does nothing for the flavor. Also if you use something acidic it influences the Maillard reaction in a way that you may not want. That is for another post. 

Don’t get me wrong, I use a spray bottle on my barbecue. It’s just that if you aren’t spraying for flavor, what liquid are you spraying? I just spray with water. Why spray anyway if you are just spraying with water? The reason why is for the smoke ring. I’ll wait…..yes, the smoke ring. Hang with me for a bit and we will get there. 

Smoke rings are not made because the smoke makes the meat pink. Meat is already red or pink. This is because of myoglobin. Myoglobin is a protein that binds to iron and oxygen, and is found in the muscles of vertebrates. Myoglobin's main function is to temporarily store oxygen in muscle cells, which helps them function. Muscles that are popular in ‘cue contain high concentrations of myoglobin. So, where are we going with this?

Myoglobin is bright when it makes contact with oxygen, but as it cooks it changes color. In beef this looks brown or gray. This color change starts to happen above 140°F. Side note, this starts at 140°F, not that the change is complete at 140°F. The color change can be stopped with Nitric Oxide(NO) which is found in the smoke produced by a well managed fire.

If you can keep the myoglobin under 140°F long enough for the NO to take hold from the smoke, you get a smoke ring. Yes, I know, you can get a smoke ring without spraying your barbecue. But…if you want to get a smoke ring that is thick. I mean making other folks turn their heads and be jealous-thick. I mean THICC. Spray with water to help control the surface temp of the meat and give nitric oxide more time to halt the color change process of the myoglobin.  

All in all this is just what I do and why , and your ‘cue is for you. My suggestion is to spray an hour after the cook starts, and every hour for the first four to five hours. Then spray as needed to cool any hot spots you see towards the end of the cook. 

Once again, thank you so much for joining me. There is more to come about this and other topics. Feel free to email me at theseasonedsmoker@gmail.com and your question may be featured in my next post! 

To better barbecue,

The Seasoned Smoker