3 Questions

[bryce]

So i have a couple questions that I've been thinking about since i begin smoking food last summer. Most are 101 type questions but textbooks don't answer everything.

- Why do you need to let pork butts rest? I mean i know it'll burn the prints off your fingers but is there a flavor benefit or just texture? I've smoked 3 butts and never let them rest so I'm wondering if i can add to the quality of i do.

- Is it true that the smoke ring in meat is not an indicator of smoke flavor?

- How much does the charcoal add or change the flavor of the meat vs the chunks of wood i use on top of the charcoal? Do different charcoals have different flavors? IE; Lump vs briquettes?

Thanks!
Bryce

 

[cliffcarter]

So i have a couple questions that I've been thinking about since i begin smoking food last summer. Most are 101 type questions but textbooks don't answer everything.

- Why do you need to let pork butts rest? I mean i know it'll burn the prints off your fingers but is there a flavor benefit or just texture? I've smoked 3 butts and never let them rest so I'm wondering if i can add to the quality of i do.

- Is it true that the smoke ring in meat is not an indicator of smoke flavor?

- How much does the charcoal add or change the flavor of the meat vs the chunks of wood i use on top of the charcoal? Do different charcoals have different flavors? IE; Lump vs briquettes?

Thanks!
Bryce

You do not need to foil it wrap in towels and put it in a cooler for an hour if that's what you mean. It is, however a good idea to rest any meat to let the juices redistribute into the muscle fibers, for a butt that's about 20 minutes or so.

True, the smoke ring is formed because wood smoke contains nitrogen dioxide, the smoke ring stops forming when the internal temp of the meat reaches 140°. Smoke flavor can be added throughout the cook.

Charcoal has practically no effect on smoke flavor IMHO.

 

[jarjarchef]

Wrapping and foiling of the product when the product reaches the final cook temp is to allow it to rest. It is felt the meat will relax and allow the juices to redistribute back into the meat. It is also felt that the meat will relax and when cut it will not "bleed/release it juices" all over the cutting board. I feel both are true and I also allow the carry over cooking process to finish the cooking. Carry over cooking is the process of the temperature of the outside and inside of the meat balancing each other out. So wrapping will help direct the temperature energy towards the product and not out into the great wide open air.The carry over cooking will increase the IT of your product anywhere from 5-15 degrees depending on how it was handled and stored. So counting on carry over cooking I will pull my PP at 190-195 and let rest for about 1hr before pulling. I feel like I get a better texture of the product in the end. Yes the bone still pulls out cleanly after the rest and carry over cooking finishes the cooking.....

The smoke ring does not mean their is smoke flavor. It is actually a chemical reaction with burning wood and meat. I will look to see if I can find a thread that explained it in detail. Chef JimmyJ had a great link. If you taste meat that has been smoked in a MES, you will taste the smoke flavor, but not see a smoke ring. I have been told that even in comps they do not even look at the smoke ring anymore due to it being able to fax a ring.

Charcoal will add flavor to your product. That is why it is not suggested to use lighter fluid. Yes the different charcoals will have different flavor. I prefer Kings-ford Blue....

 

[chef jimmyj]

So i have a couple questions that I've been thinking about since i begin smoking food last summer. Most are 101 type questions but textbooks don't answer everything.

- Why do you need to let pork butts rest? I mean i know it'll burn the prints off your fingers but is there a flavor benefit or just texture? I've smoked 3 butts and never let them rest so I'm wondering if i can add to the quality of i do. The biggest advantage of resting is the meat holds on to the Juices better. There are also some textural changes, butts get more tender.  Now, yes you are mixing the juices back in anyway so it should not make that much difference but there is a huge difference in the juiciness of sliced meat and larger pulled chunks. If you shred very fine resting matters less.

- Is it true that the smoke ring in meat is not an indicator of smoke flavor? Absolutely...Smoke ring is a reaction to Nitrogen in the burning fuel gasses. The Nitrogen does no drag any of the flavorful Smoke Particulate Matter in. So lots of pink but no smoke flavor. An hour soak in a gallon of water with 1Tbs Cure #1 will get you all the Faux smoke ring you want... 

- How much does the charcoal add or change the flavor of the meat vs the chunks of wood i use on top of the charcoal? Do different charcoals have different flavors? IE; Lump vs briquettes? Anything you burn gives off it's own particulate matter therefore it's own flavor. The biggest difference is most of the Flavor Particles are burned off in the charcoal making process, so less flavor impact. The wood you are adding has all the good stuff still there to add the flavor we are looking for...JJ

Thanks!
Bryce

 

[bryce]

Clifcarter, JJChef and ChefJimmyJ - Thank you guys! Good thorough answers and very helpful. I'll be pulling a butt in a couple hours so thank you for answering the resting question in paticular.

I appreciate your help and time to answer these...you just made a fellow smoker that much better. Long live the craft!

Bryce

 

[cliffcarter]

This link explains smoke ring formation.

http://www.smokingpit.com/Info/SmokeRing.pdf

 

[bryce]

Nice link, thank you. Just finished ready it. Definitely expains a lot.

 

[bama bbq]

All answers are spot on...I'd like to add one comment about the smoke ring.  The smoke ring is so insignificant that KCBS does not allow judging the smoke ring in a team's submission.  It's too easy to artificially produce and is no indication of quality, taste, skill, etc.  I admit it looks cool but that's about it.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Smoke Ring does look nice and is really pushed on TV cooking shows as the only indication of great Q. The staunchest supporters are the guys that feel the Only Q Worth a Damn is from a Wood fired Pit. Granted wood does produce tasty BBQ but I feel it's the Pitmaster not the Pit that makes the Best Q!...JJ

 

[aelder2]

".....the smoke ring stops forming when the internal temp of the meat reaches 140°. Smoke flavor can be added throughout the cook".   

Learned something new here. Thanks cliffcarter

ae

 

[venture]

These are questions BBQ'ers will never agree on.

For my opinions in general, I would refer you to Post #4 by JJ.

As to resting?  There are different theories on how resting works and why.  I don't think there is any question among experienced folks that resting is required for larger cuts of meat?  Or that longer rests are in order for larger cuts of meat.

If you doubt this?  Cut your meat and check your cutting board.

Just be sure to capture and save that lost goodness on the cutting board!

Good luck and good smoking.