A Hunk a Hunk a Burning Love!
- Thread starter Libohunden
- Start date
Libohunden
Member
Well, I think the problem is that mine is still in my fridge 12 hours later and has not been put in the smoker yet. And probably won't do that until around 5pm. The tender quick is still working in the meat...
DivotMaker
New member
Libo, if you rinsed it well, and put it back in the fridge, don't panic. You'll be fine. Don't waste a brisket! It'll probably have a pretty dark ring, but it should be fine.
Oops - re-read that! If you only had the actual TQ on for a short time, and rinsed it off, you will be perfectly fine! Don't sweat it, it'll be great.
Oops - re-read that! If you only had the actual TQ on for a short time, and rinsed it off, you will be perfectly fine! Don't sweat it, it'll be great.
Libohunden
Member
Well, I decided that I just couldn't toss that big of a hunk of meat and that it deserved to be cooked so that I could see how it turns out. In the meantime, with company coming over, I ran out to the store and picked up a smaller 14b brisket to smoke with it. I just finished trimming it and getting her rubbed down in all the right places. So now, I'm covered no matter how the big daddy turns out.
Now, with close to 30lbs of trimmed and prepared meat ready to go in, my wife informs me that our daughter has pink eye and we will have to call off the BBQ tomorrow (at least for our friends with kids). So, it looks like 4 adults and a (hopefully) hungry little girl will have a lot of meat to devour! Good thing I have a vacuum sealer!
Now, with close to 30lbs of trimmed and prepared meat ready to go in, my wife informs me that our daughter has pink eye and we will have to call off the BBQ tomorrow (at least for our friends with kids). So, it looks like 4 adults and a (hopefully) hungry little girl will have a lot of meat to devour! Good thing I have a vacuum sealer!
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Libohunden
Member
Just popped em in. I'm a little nervous about blocking the air hole at the top but I don't really want to move them down closer to the heat. I've got about 1.25" clearance. I'll have to keep a close eye on the top one as she swells up. I've got a feeling I should just move them down now.
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Pork Belly
Moderator
I think those attempting to mimic a ring need to cut way back on the amount of Tender Quick. The real ring does not look like that.
When you do a TQ or Nitrate Brine on butts, the meat is blended when pulled giving somewhat realistic streaks of red. Briskets show the faults to the method.
I suggest you try Pork Mafia Sweet Pink, http://www.thebbqsuperstore.com/product_p/pork-mafia-pink-1.htm Sweet Pink is a pre-rub application that is applied and allowed to set on the meat. It adds sweetness from corn and honey solids and pink/purple tint from beat powder.
I have not tried sweet pink in my SI but have used it frequently. Since I use it in a smoker that gives a ring I can not say how much of the color i get is the Sweet Pink and how much is the smoker. I believe though that a heavy application would likely give you a realistic tint of a smoke ring that your searching for.
The picture is a Cherry/Hickory Smoke ring on a 16.5 hour Packer Cut Brisket in an
Ole Hickory SSG. There is a bit of humor to me though in watching you guys chase what is an unpredictable fickle bitch even in a $20,00 commercial smoker. If I were judged on smoke rings I would be out of a job you can't consistently get them. Quality of meat is what counts.
When you do a TQ or Nitrate Brine on butts, the meat is blended when pulled giving somewhat realistic streaks of red. Briskets show the faults to the method.
I suggest you try Pork Mafia Sweet Pink, http://www.thebbqsuperstore.com/product_p/pork-mafia-pink-1.htm Sweet Pink is a pre-rub application that is applied and allowed to set on the meat. It adds sweetness from corn and honey solids and pink/purple tint from beat powder.
I have not tried sweet pink in my SI but have used it frequently. Since I use it in a smoker that gives a ring I can not say how much of the color i get is the Sweet Pink and how much is the smoker. I believe though that a heavy application would likely give you a realistic tint of a smoke ring that your searching for.
The picture is a Cherry/Hickory Smoke ring on a 16.5 hour Packer Cut Brisket in an
Ole Hickory SSG. There is a bit of humor to me though in watching you guys chase what is an unpredictable fickle bitch even in a $20,00 commercial smoker. If I were judged on smoke rings I would be out of a job you can't consistently get them. Quality of meat is what counts.
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drains
New member
That was actually the first time I tried the faux smoke ring trick on a brisket and frankly I won't do it again. I was just curious and now I've done it so back to the tried and true method that has served me well over the years. Libo, your brisket should be ok just really pink. I left mine on for just a few minutes but I had scored the surface and it got in deep. It may be quite salty though. Sorry your little girl got pink eye and hope she gets better soon.
Libohunden
Member
Thanks Drains.
To tell you the truth, this is my second trip with he faux smoke ring. The first time, I used prague powder on a pork butt brine and it was ehh. I thought it was too much trouble really and I didn't really get much out of it. Well, BBQing is really a hobby after all (at least for me) and I want to try stuff that I haven't tried. I figured I'd try for a faux smoke ring on a brisket. Didn't really want to use the prague powder (although I still have some) so I ordered the Tender Quick. I wouldn't say that I'm "chasing a smoke ring". Frankly, I'm just having fun learning different stuff. That's how we get better at whatever it is we do. I think some people call that experience, right?
If this one doesn't turn out, I'll probably give it another go sometime to see if I can get a nice looking faux smoke ring. Not that I care if I have one. I never really have in the past. It's more or less to learn how to do it if I ever want to do it in the future. I'm already figuring, I've screwed this one up. My plan is to make chopped beef out of it and slice the other brisket.
At any rate, with two in the box, I'm covered no matter what! I put them in early thinking with that much meat, it may take longer. But in just 5 hours, I'm at 180. I'm hoping the stall goes long so I don't have to get up in the middle of the night!
Cheers!
To tell you the truth, this is my second trip with he faux smoke ring. The first time, I used prague powder on a pork butt brine and it was ehh. I thought it was too much trouble really and I didn't really get much out of it. Well, BBQing is really a hobby after all (at least for me) and I want to try stuff that I haven't tried. I figured I'd try for a faux smoke ring on a brisket. Didn't really want to use the prague powder (although I still have some) so I ordered the Tender Quick. I wouldn't say that I'm "chasing a smoke ring". Frankly, I'm just having fun learning different stuff. That's how we get better at whatever it is we do. I think some people call that experience, right?
If this one doesn't turn out, I'll probably give it another go sometime to see if I can get a nice looking faux smoke ring. Not that I care if I have one. I never really have in the past. It's more or less to learn how to do it if I ever want to do it in the future. I'm already figuring, I've screwed this one up. My plan is to make chopped beef out of it and slice the other brisket.
At any rate, with two in the box, I'm covered no matter what! I put them in early thinking with that much meat, it may take longer. But in just 5 hours, I'm at 180. I'm hoping the stall goes long so I don't have to get up in the middle of the night!
Cheers!
SconnieQ
New member
There wouldn't be any reason to throw out your brisket. It's still going to taste good. Here's my take on the faux smoke ring. I'm a fan, but you don't want to overdo it, or you'll end up "corning" your brisket, and changing the flavor. DM goes 6-8 hours with the TenderQuick dusting. RG goes 15 minutes. For my last brisket, I went 3 hours, then rinse, rub, and directly onto the smoker. (I wish I took pictures. Nice ring.) I might even go 2 hours next time. So time is something you can experiment with. I think it's important though that the TenderQuick rub needs to be the last step before you smoke. Do not do the TenderQuick rub, rinse, and put in the refrigerator overnight or whatever. Even though the TenderQuick has been rinsed from the surface, it continues to work itself further into the meat. One person who posted here refrigerated the brisket overnight after rinsing the TQ off, and the brisket ended up red almost all the way to the middle. Also, I would never use pink salt directly on the meat for a faux smoke ring. It's WAY to concentrated. I'm not trying to fool anyone with the smoke ring (even though everyone is fooled). It's just fun and it looks pretty, as long as you don't overdo it to where it looks too fake.
RG 2.0
New member
SconnieQ said:
Yep. What she said. All of it
The 15 minute deal works for me as I don't want to alter the taste or texture. I inject, let that hang out for a while then sprinkle TQ all over and rub in. I don't measure, I just dust it somewhat evenly and then rub it along the brisket to spread it out. 15-20 minutes I rinse it totally and dry it off mostly and add rub and off to the #3 it goes. Works for me!
Libohunden
Member
Well, my little BBQ is over, guests are all gone so it's time to brag a little. While the non-TC'd brisket was good. The original brisket that I slathered with TC, rinsed and let sit for 20 hours, turned out fantastic! It was the one that everyone wanted! Luckily, the faux smoke ring actually turned out pretty darned good... Especially for basically a first time. Since I ended up with about 30lbs of brisket, everyone went home with a doggie bag full of brisket. Great brisket, friends, wine and scotch! Good times! All that worrying was for nothing!
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DivotMaker
New member
Had a feeling it would be good, and a hit, Libo! Nice job! I think there's a lot more flexibility with the TQ than we're making out.
DivotMaker
New member
SconnieQ said:
Fortunately, we're not competition smokers. Our only "judges" are the folks that eat our Q! Funny thing, about smoke rings, is that even the real ones differ, depending on the meat and how they are cooked. This, to me, is all about presentation, and "perceived" taste. When folks see that pretty pink outer edge, their brain tells them (from past experience) that it's good BBQ. Like Libo said, "it's the one that everyone wanted!" Why is that? Did it taste better? Or, did it look better? You can boil a chicken and it is very moist and tasty, but it sure doesn't look very good! Now compare that to one smoked, or fresh off the rotisserie. If you have 2 slices of brisket, side-by-side, and one has a ring, and the other doesn't, which is more appetizing? Just my 2¢ on the whole real vs. faux smoke ring thing!
SconnieQ
New member
I'm a big fan of the faux smoke ring. True that there is a variety of "real" smoke rings, including fairly large and defined ones. Even though it's just for looks, it's so easy to do once you get the hang of it, that the next challenge is to fine tune to your own personal preference.
RG 2.0
New member
A while back y'all may remember that I did the Traeger Vs. Keg Vs. Smokin-It challenge where I did beef ribs. I also did one with chicken (Keg Vs. Traeger) and Boston Butt (Keg Vs. SI). In the Boston Butt challenge, I brined both butts with DM's brine with the exception of leaving out the pink salt in the kegged butt. I wanted these butts to be as close to the same as I could make them. I did do the pink salt in the SI butt just to match the kegged butt which I knew would have a smoke ring. Since we eat with our eyes first, that smoke ring makes the food look "authentic" so people do gravitate toward it. I wanted all things to be equal and not have the appearance alter preference (sounds educated don't it?) lol.
Like Libo saw and Tony pointed out, they went for the faux smoke ring choice over the non smoke ring choice. Had they closed their eyes and ate from each sample, they would not have been able to guess which was which! I know that the ring makes no difference, you know that it makes no difference, but it's sure nice to see. The color that breaks up the dullness of black and gray, it's just nice to see!
By the way, for those that didn't see that thread or are new, the SI butt won unanimously! I have to admit, even I was shocked! I don't think I ever even posted that on the keg forum because they would NOT have liked hearing that. Ultimately the drama over there lead me to exit due to the narrow mindedness of a select few. You know how touchy people can get. I get it, we're all passionate about the cookers WE own so I don't hold grudges. Just remember, these little SI smokers kick serious ass! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise
Like Libo saw and Tony pointed out, they went for the faux smoke ring choice over the non smoke ring choice. Had they closed their eyes and ate from each sample, they would not have been able to guess which was which! I know that the ring makes no difference, you know that it makes no difference, but it's sure nice to see. The color that breaks up the dullness of black and gray, it's just nice to see!
By the way, for those that didn't see that thread or are new, the SI butt won unanimously! I have to admit, even I was shocked! I don't think I ever even posted that on the keg forum because they would NOT have liked hearing that. Ultimately the drama over there lead me to exit due to the narrow mindedness of a select few. You know how touchy people can get. I get it, we're all passionate about the cookers WE own so I don't hold grudges. Just remember, these little SI smokers kick serious ass! Don't let anyone tell you otherwise
DivotMaker
New member
Well-said, Kari and Jason! Bottom line - the ring is just pretty, and icing on an already very tasty cake! 8)
Libohunden
Member
Thanks Gents! I'll be experimenting with the Tender Quick again soon.
