Smoke Ring?

I am sure that many if not all of you have heard of the infamous smoke ring. Within BBQ circles, it is supposed to signify that you have a proper job of smoking your meat low and slow and is particularly prized in smoked brisket.

Well, that is true. HOWEVER, it does NOT mean that lack of a smoke ring indicates inferior BBQ. Why you ask? Let's take a look at what a smoke ring is.

A smoke ring is a band of pink discoloration of the meat just under the bark. Depending on the amount of smoke the meat has been exposed to, the thickness of this band can range from being very thin to about 1/4" in thickness. It is caused by the build-up of nitrous dioxied in the meat and its reaction with the hemoglobin. This NO2 forms ONLY if using a hydrocarbon as a heat source - i.e. wood fire, charcoal, etc. or if using natural gas or propane as it is a biproduct of natural gas or propane combustion. In short, an lectric heat source will NEVER produce a smoke ring while pretty much any other heat source is capable of it.

But wait you exclaim! We are still burning wood to create smoke - how come that doesn't create a smoke ring? Well, a high temperature flame is required to create NO2 from nitrogen and oxygen. A smoldering fire without a flame does not produce as much NO2. Consequently, a smoker that uses indirect heat generated from the burning of wood typically will develop a pronounced smoke ring while a smoker that uses smouldering wood simply as a smoke source will not.

Is it a big deal though? If aesthetics is important, then I guess it might be. However, from a taste standpoint, the difference a smoke ring might have is so miniscule compared to all the other flavor reactions that are going on that I don't think it really makes a difference at all.

So there you have it. No smoke ring doesn't necessarily mean bad BBQ.