Hi new guy from PA with a problem already

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jbest123

Fire Starter
Original poster
Jan 18, 2011
34
14
My name is John and I just got my smoker finished. As soon as the weather permits I will fire that sucker up. After seeing some of the beautiful photos here I know I'm going to have a problem. My wife refuses to eat pink meat let alone red meat. Can I simply add to the smoking time? If so how much do you suggest or is there something else I can do? Other than getting a new wife.
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  John 
 
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I'm not sure I understand your question John, but you can cook/smoke your meat to any doneness you like just as you would on the grill or in the oven. If you're talking the pink smoke ring that developes in a peice of smoked meat that's a different story but doesn't have anything to do with doneness but with a reaction of the smoke with the meat.

Welcome to the forums, I was checkin out your smoker, looks like a winner to me!
 
My name is John and I just got my smoker finished. As soon as the weather permits I will fire that sucker up. After seeing some of the beautiful photos here I know I'm going to have a problem. My wife refuses to eat pink meat let alone red meat. Can I simply add to the smoking time? If so how much do you suggest or is there something else I can do? Other than getting a new wife.
biggrin.gif
  John 
Welcome John,

I'm John from PA too, but you can call me Bear.

Dan about covered it, but the only thing I can add is--If it is the Smoke Ring "pink", most guys strive to get that, and we Watt Burners don't get a smoke ring, so if you use a Watt burner, you won't have to worry about that darn old "scary" Smoke Ring.

Must be the water in PA---My wife would rather eat Pork from the crock pot. I think she thinks smoked meat makes you crazy, because of what it does to me????

We seem to be getting a lot of good ole PA smokers lately,

Bear
 
I think she understands the pink smoke ring, its the center of the larger cuts.  John
 
 

Welcome to SMF, Glad to have you with us.
 


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John,

Adding to your smoke time shouldn't do anything but further develop the smoke ring.  The smoke ring is developed by the same chemical reaction that gives you pink meat when curing with Nitrites.  In the case of smoke the reaction is driven by the nitrogen oxide generated by burning wood.

If you can't explain the chemistry to her try showing her the temperature of your smoked meat and the temperature of the meat taken out of a slow oven.  They will be same.

Another idea is to gradually get her used to smoked meats.  If you do pulled pork, take hers, throw it in the fry pan a second with a bit of sauce and then throw it on the bun.  She sees the meat being cooked in a fry pan.  Same idea with chicken, pop it in the microwave for a minute or in the oven to "cook it for her".  Ribs can be sauced and finished in the oven.  Eventually she will either develop a taste for the meat directly off the smoker or she will be happy eating her meals after you "properly" prepare them for her.  Either way you still get to enjoy your hobby and make your wife happy at the same time.  I would call that a "win win" solution!

You can fight it or you can use her preconceived ideas to solve the problem.

Good Luck,  Sounds like fun.

Al
 
Just read you second post. 

Remember we suggest that you cook to temperature.  I will not eat chicken red at the bone and I do not like rare pork.  It the food is cooked to the proper temps and you are cooking to med to med well there should not be any red in the center of the meat.  If you like med rare beef or rare beef and your wife doesn't its another problem that doesn't have anything to do with smoking.

Throw it on the grill for her!

Al
 
Sounds like you wife isn't worried about the pink smoke ring its the pink meat in the center of the meat so in other words she likes the meat to be done med/well or something around there. Well if you are smoking ribs, pork butts for pulled pork, brisket, chicken, meatloaf I could go on and on you won't have to worry about that at all because those meats are taken to a higher internal temp and there isn't any pinkness left in the meat except for any smoke ring you may have. When you are doing pulled pork or brisket you are taking the internal temp to around 195-205 depending on if you are pulling or slicing the meat so there is not chance there will be any pink. The kinds of meat you will have to watch out for would be if you are making any kind of roast such has a prime rib or roast beef for slicing, lamb, wild game. These cuts are usually taken to a lower internal temp say around 130-140 to keep them pink in the center. If you can't get your wife to eat it pink then you just take it to a little higher internal temp and the pink will be gone. What ever you guys like is what you should do. Just because I don't want a prime rib that isn't pink in the middle doesn't meat that you can't make yours so it isn't pink. Start her out with some ribs, pork butts for pulled pork and brisket and ease her into loved smoked meat as those meats won't have any pink in them. Good luck.
 
Sounds like you wife isn't worried about the pink smoke ring its the pink meat in the center of the meat so in other words she likes the meat to be done med/well or something around there. Well if you are smoking ribs, pork butts for pulled pork, brisket, chicken, meatloaf I could go on and on you won't have to worry about that at all because those meats are taken to a higher internal temp and there isn't any pinkness left in the meat except for any smoke ring you may have. When you are doing pulled pork or brisket you are taking the internal temp to around 195-205 depending on if you are pulling or slicing the meat so there is not chance there will be any pink. The kinds of meat you will have to watch out for would be if you are making any kind of roast such has a prime rib or roast beef for slicing, lamb, wild game. These cuts are usually taken to a lower internal temp say around 130-140 to keep them pink in the center. If you can't get your wife to eat it pink then you just take it to a little higher internal temp and the pink will be gone. What ever you guys like is what you should do. Just because I don't want a prime rib that isn't pink in the middle doesn't meat that you can't make yours so it isn't pink. Start her out with some ribs, pork butts for pulled pork and brisket and ease her into loved smoked meat as those meats won't have any pink in them. Good luck.
As for the pink center---Exactly what "Rbrantsner" said.

Plus if you make Prime rib like many of us do---225˚ for however long it takes to get it to 130˚ or 140˚, the whole inside is pink.

If you use a higher heat in your smoker until the center is 130˚ or 140˚, the ends of the roast, and the outer part of each slice will not be pink, so you could give her  an "End" slice, and I'm sure she'll be happy.

Bear
 
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First off Welcome John to SMF.  You'll like it here for there are alot of really good folks here that would just love to help you with just about anything to do with smoking. Now there are alot of proven recipes for some amazing things here too. So if you need sign up for the E-Course it's free and it will give you the basics of smoking and some good methods to use also. So the next big thing for you to do is go out and get you something to smoke and if you happen to have any questions just post it here and we will be happy to answer them for you.

Welcome To Your New Addiction

GO GATORS    
 
Wecome aboard Pennsylvanian, where about are you at in PA? Seems like the majority on here come from the east side except a few including me from the west.
 
Lower Burrell about 30 mi up the river from PGH.  John
 
John, I know exactly how you feel, my wife takes the same position on meat that has been smoked/grilled/baked, you name it. Going for a higher internal temp will help you out, without ruining the Q. It's all good my friend. 
 
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