Thick Skinned

In a previous post I got to gabbing about smoke rings. I want to stop and zoom in on what I said about spraying your barbecue with acidic liquids. I’m talking apple juice, washyoursistersauce(Worcestershire), red wine vinegar. These can negatively affect the Maillard reaction that is happening to your ‘cue. This is one of the reasons I spritz and spray with water. It’s for temperature control, and not for flavor. If you decide to use something else, listen up.

What is the Maillard reaction? Simply put, it’s browning food using high temperatures. This happens everytime you cook. The Maillard reaction gives us grill marks and the brown stuff in the bottom of the pan. We also see this reaction in barbecue as the bark. To a lot of people the bark is hit or miss. It either sets up well or not. Well maybe with a little chemistry you can give your bark some bite. 

The Maillard reaction works at high temperatures when protein and sugars are present. As the meat cooks the protein on the surface breaks down and reacts with sugars. These are probably glycogen stores within the muscle. As these mix and mingle with the high heat they start to brown. New compounds are being formed and those new compounds are delicious. They just give a different flavor to meat. You know what I’m talking about. The little crispy edges on a steak, or burnt ends from a brisket. 

Research shows that the Maillard reaction is optimal around ph of 6 to ph of 10. This can be halted by introducing acids. So, you can use this info to your advantage. Beef is slightly acidic, but S&P is neutral. Since salt and pepper sit at roughly a 7 on the ph scale we are off to a good start. I personally don't put a binder on anything, expect brown sugar on a random pork butt to mix things up. I know it seems simple, but good barbecue doesn’t have to be overcomplicated.

Also, the Maillard reaction works better when you start off with a dry piece of meat. This helps the heat make more direct contact with the surface which helps get the reaction to happen quicker, and more completely. On long smokes it may be less of a stress for you, but for a short smoke like ribs or chicken you may see positive results.

Bark isn’t everything, but it helps create something unbelievable.  I’m not telling anyone to stop what works for them. If it works, it works. I  just want you to have a great bark on your barbecue that you, and anyone you share it with would be proud of. So, be mindful of what you do. Try things out. Ask questions. Well, I have other things cookin’. There is more to come about this and other topics. Feel free to email me at Info@seasonedsmoker.com and your question may be featured in my next post! 

To better barbecue,

The Seasoned Smoker