Blowing meat with a fan - Why?

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island boy

Fire Starter
Original poster
Mar 14, 2008
31
10
Hollywood
Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve noticed in Q-views; that some Q-ers seem to be using fans to blow air over meat before smoking.

What is the purpose of this? Are there pros and cons to this practice? What meats does this work best with?

Thanks in advance.
 
When the flies hit the fan blades, it saves on pepper!
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it helps with something called a pellicle (spelling might be off) it's a layer of proteins that form on the outside of meat when it's exposed to air. It's reputed to 1- help the smoke penetration, 2- help keep the juices in.

Maybe some of the smokers that do it can tell more about it? I'm kinda curious myself to see how much of a difference it makes, which means, I'm tempted to do it.
 
You know, I Googled pelliculite and Google asked if I meant pellicula. I said yep and got all kinds of references to some video or movie. This sounds kind of pellicular to me. Can anybody be more definitive regarding this term?

Thanks
 
I think it is call pellicle. It is the shiny sheen and tacky feel left on brined meats prior to smoking. It is only necessary for fish, and brined meats that are not dry rubbed. As far as putting your raw meats in front of a fan in summer,
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I guess we all hafta go sometime!

I agree with WD, leave em in the fridge uncovered for a while, they'll dry out plenty.
 
used mostly in smoking fish, here is the best explanation i have seen so far.

After curing, the fish is rinsed to remove the salt and other curing ingredients from the surface, then allowed to dry in cool flowing air until a shiny, slightly tacky skin (pellicle) forms on the surface. The pellicle serves several functions: it provides an ideal surface for the smoke flavor to adhere, it helps seal in the remaining moisture through the smoking process, and it prevents the fats in the fish from rising to the surface and spoiling.


found at http://www.3men.com/allabout.htm
smoking fish website
 
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