Smoke ring troubles? Centex can help.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

Did a brisket last night with 50/50 salt and pepper and I added a little, and I mean very little, pink salt (the curing kind, not the Himalayan kind). Crazy "smoke" ring. So, if you really feel like you need a smoke ring for a comp or to impress your buddies, add a little curing salt to your rub and you'll have a smoke ring like this.......



The brisket was really good but I'll put my bad Byron's briskets up against salt and pepper any day.

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More pics

MrCookingNurse

:-B that sir looks like a smoke ring

pkaboo1

Great smoke ring, good job.

 

 

yzzi

Holy smokes.

Fred19Flintstone

That looks like you brined it in beet juice.

JRWhitee

Nice looking Brisket, great job.

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MrCookingNurse said:

:-B that sir looks like a smoke ring

But it's really a nitrite ring . I never get very good ones so I thought I'd play a little and was pretty surprised by how fat the ring was with how little pink salt I used. I probably wont do it again but was just thrown it out there since so many people ask. I think Nola threw it out there too but just wanted to confirm that it works.

sumoconnell

Looking good

I'll have to try bb butt rub next time, a little butt rub makes everyone happy.

travisstrick

Salt lick does that. Their brisket sucks.

Black_Badger

Damn cen-tex, smoke ring or no that looks awesome. There's a reason you're the brisket guru round these parts...

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travisstrick said:

Salt lick does that. Their brisket sucks.

It really does.

Tjcoley

Will Saltpeter give the same result? The Mrs. keeps that around all the time.

nolaegghead

Tjcoley said:

Will Saltpeter give the same result? The Mrs. keeps that around all the time.

Potassium nitrate - yeah, not as well, since the nitrate needs to convert to nitrite first.  Don't use it!  It might not even be food grade.

nolaegghead

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

MrCookingNurse said:

:-B that sir looks like a smoke ring

But it's really a nitrite ring . I never get very good ones so I thought I'd play a little and was pretty surprised by how fat the ring was with how little pink salt I used. I probably wont do it again but was just thrown it out there since so many people ask. I think Nola threw it out there too but just wanted to confirm that it works.

Yeah, I used a little in the rub on my last brisket.  I got a nice little smoke ring, nothin' that big!  The ring is exactly the same as one created by smoke - no taste difference, just a different source for the nitrite.
 

caliking

Yet another winning briskly.  I think I read somewhere that chilling it in the freezer for a bit helped smoke ring formation bit I haven't tried it myself 

Skiddymarker

Fred19Flintstone said:

That looks like you brined it in beet juice.

That's it exactly....

Deckhand

Throw one briquette in with the lump... the binder material helps with nitrate formation... or so I've read... Won't change flavor, though.  

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caliking said:

Yet another winning briskly.  I think I read somewhere that chilling it in the freezer for a bit helped smoke ring formation bit I haven't tried it myself 

I've don't it and it didn't help. Water pan does though. Moisture is key if you aren't taking it with added nitrite.

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Deckhand said:

Throw one briquette in with the lump... the binder material helps with nitrate formation... or so I've read... Won't change flavor, though.  

Haven't tried it but I've read that too. The binder is usually corn starch. Not sure the science behind that.

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Black_Badger said:

@#!*% cen-tex, smoke ring or no that looks awesome. There's a reason you're the brisket guru round these parts...

It looked better than it was. Im in a bit of a slump actually. It's because the last 3 I've done have all been different. As long as I stick to my normal deal (bad Byron's and Post Oak) I'm in good shape. I still like to play around so occasionally I chase new things but none of them are as good as when i do them with BB and Oak.

bccomstock

CT, I recently did a brisket that came out great.. I was going to use some Bad Byron's, but I went with John Henry's East Texas Brisket Rub instead.  I did, however, use a couple of oak chunks based on your previous recommendations on the forum.. And I agree that oak is perfect for brisket.

:-bd

The Naked Whiz

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

Throw one briquette in with the lump... the binder material helps with nitrate formation... or so I've read... Won't change flavor, though.  

Haven't tried it but I've read that too. The binder is usually corn starch. Not sure the science behind that.

My guess is that it would have to be Kingsford because they include sodium nitrate as one of their "ingredients".

The Cen-Tex Smoker

My guess is that it would have to be Kingsford because they include sodium nitrate as one of their "ingredients".

That makes perfect sense. I'm pretty sure I first saw that on your site waaaaaaay back in the day when I first got my egg. 

The Naked Whiz

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

My guess is that it would have to be Kingsford because they include sodium nitrate as one of their "ingredients".

That makes perfect sense. I'm pretty sure I first saw that on your site waaaaaaay back in the day when I first got my egg. 

Saw the trick of the briquette?  Nope, I hadn't heard of that.  If you mean that Kingsford contains sodium nitrate, I'm one of many places that have quoted the letter Kingsford sent out listing the "ingredients".

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bccomstock said:

CT, I recently did a brisket that came out great.. I was going to use some Bad Byron's, but I went with John Henry's East Texas Brisket Rub instead.  I did, however, use a couple of oak chunks based on your previous recommendations on the forum.. And I agree that oak is perfect for brisket.

:-bd

glad it worked out. John Henry is fine too. I like BB but several are similar. I really think the post oak is as important as anything (although I used a chunk of Alabama Red Oak that @Shtgunal sent me a few weeks ago). The red oak was good but I prefer post (white oak) on brisket.

I stole the brisket from my neighbor at 10pm (with permission), had no oak chunks so I used the Red Oak he sent me and I was out of bad Byron's so I used Salt and Pepper. 

For such a mash up, it turned out pretty good!

My neighbor (who donated the brisky) and I took it out on the boat all day yesterday. All and all, a pretty good little Sunday.

GQuiz

CT, you got me so hooked on Bad Byron's, I've added it to eggs for breakfast and put it in Ramen noodles. Tomorrow night, it goes in the grilled chicken breast.

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I will forevermore call this method the "Ryan Braun" and I will deny using anything other than salt/pepper, smoke, and my god given talents to create badass smoke rings. And I will destroy you if you dare to say otherwise (even if it's obvious and printed above that I cheated.........I will destroy you)

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Destroy....

nolaegghead

The "Ryan Braun" method name is apropos.  (clapping)

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nolaegghead said:

The "Ryan Braun" method name is apropos.  (clapping)

I think that one will stick. It hope it will become as ubiquitous as FTC. Like :"Yeah, I "Ryan Brauned" it. Turned out awesome".