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Talking to an old pitmaster from Texas changed how I think about smoke rings
I was at a competition in Memphis last month and this 70 year old guy from Lockhart told me a smoke ring is just cosmetic and doesn't mean the meat is cooked right... he said he's won trophies with barely any ring at all. It hit different because I've been chasing those pink lines for years. Has anyone else had a pitmaster straight up tell you that something you thought mattered actually doesn't?
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phoenix_campbell8821d ago
Well now, that old timer from Lockhart knows his stuff. He's right that a smoke ring is mostly about the chemical reaction between wood gases and myoglobin in the meat, not about moisture or tenderness. You can get a great ring by keeping your meat cold and your smoke thick, but it won't fix bad cooking technique. I've had plenty of briskets with a nice pink ring that came out dry as a bone because I didn't pay attention to the internal temp. Focus on getting your bark set right and keeping the meat moist through the stall, that's where the real eating quality comes from.
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cole_robinson21d ago
That old pitmaster's full of it, a good smoke ring means you actually know how to control your fire.
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