"dan" > wrote in message
news:OraJc.72068$JR4.18633@attbi_s54...
> Last week I bbq'ed two boneless pork butts and had great smoke penetration
> and flavor 1/2"+ smoke ring. This week I did two more butts and had almost
> no smoke ring and very little smoky flavor 1/8"- smoke ring.


Were you the only one to notice the lack of smoke flavor? I notice that
there are times my q tastes soso but others rave about it. Ultimately I
discovered that times when I tend the fire more often and smell the smoke
for long periods, the q isn't as flavorful. Next day it tasted great!

Now the lack of smoke ring with high temps, that is very understandable
however you still should have had smoke flavor (as they aren't dependant on
each other). The reality is smoke flavor is only a surface phenomenon that
only can make it thru the meat given a very long time. You trim off a half
inch of bark around a tenderloin or brisket while being careful to clean the
knife after each cut (to avoid smearing the smoke flavor on the newly
exposed meat) and see this. There will be very little if any smoke flavor.
Remember that smoke flavor is in reality no different from LS. If you over
smoke the meat (I.E. apply too much smoke too fast) you will have a result
that tastes like you put a bunch of liquid smoke on it. Now the longer you
cook it, the greater chance of the natural convection flow of the juices in
the meat will cause an equal distribution of the smoke particulate. This is
the advantage of a longer cook time, greater mixing of flavor and juices.
However, there is normally enough smoke on the outside that you really won't
miss a lack of smoke flavor in the center of the meat given the mechanics of
how we taste and the fact that the surface of the meat touches our tongue
first



Now just to cause a little trouble he

If you wish to simulate bbq in the oven do this. Prepare the meat as usual
(rub and all). Cook in the oven at 250deg on a grid elevated over a roasting
pan until done. Now every so often spray a dilute mixture of water, vinegar,
Morton's quick tender or curing salt and liquid smoke. The idea is to apply
the smoke/cure slowly so as to allow a homogenous distribution of the smoke.
You will get a natural smoke flavor and a smoke ring. If you don't over do
it with the liquid smoke, you will be amazed.


-CAL