# Tender quick question



## jsockhouse

The whole nitrate poisoning has me totally paranoid. I cooked a brisket yesterday in an electric smoker and used tender quick to get a nice faux smoke ring. I used three tablespoons for 15 min. and then washed it all off and used a normal rub. Final product came out great but I felt like I was killing my self while eating it and didn't enjoy it. The bag calls for 1.5 tablespoons per pound and it was a 5 pound brisket. Am I just being a baby? I know cure #1 is different then tender quick in that it had less nitrates. Which is why itsmok to use more...I think


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## bigwheel

The old outlaw comp cooks just spinkle to down to look like fresh snowfall..leave it 20 mns and wash off. Dont think it would kill anybody any deader than something else.


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## richtee

Christ..just smoke the meat. If you want to make pastrami or corned beef..use the cure,

And no..you won't kill anyone with that method. And you won't accomplish much either.


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## jsockhouse

I accomplished a great smoke ring on a electric smoker  so I wouldn't say I won't accomplish anything glad to hear it's also edible.  













image.jpg



__ jsockhouse
__ Mar 11, 2014


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## bigwheel

Looks good. My phoney smoke rings usually come out deeper and pinker.


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## frog1369

I'm pretty new to all this and don't want to pi$$ anyone off, but help me out here.  You're adding artificial ingredients to a perfectly good piece of meat to make it look like it was smoked better than what actually occurred?  What's wrong with the lighter, normal smoke ring, still has all the taste and is just natural?  Am I missing some special reason to do this besides looks?


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## jsockhouse

This was my first brisket but from what I understand electric smokers do not heat wood to the point of nitrate release which creates no smoke ring. Tender quick only adds nitrate so chemically does the same thing as burning wood(which is the same chemical reaction from wood) and shouldn't affect the taste at all. I'm gonna make a second brisket without and see how true no taste difference is. Yes overall it's a look thing and the smoke is what makes it taste better not the ring but having the best of both worlds is nice too:)


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## bigwheel

I got burned when clowning around with certain funky brisket marinades which seem to prevent the formation of a natural smoke ring..which isn't an earth shattering condition except for contest cooking..then you had best have one. The TQ ring beats none at all. The TQ rings are typically deeper and lighter colored than a real one. Instead of dark red and shallow they tend to be light pink and real deep depending on how long before washing the stuff off. Real easy to spot. The one in the pic looks good. My electric smoker dont need it. I gave up on marinades.


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## frog1369

jsockhouse said:


> This was my first brisket but from what I understand electric smokers do not heat wood to the point of nitrate release which creates no smoke ring. Tender quick only adds nitrate so chemically does the same thing as burning wood(which is the same chemical reaction from wood) and shouldn't affect the taste at all. I'm gonna make a second brisket without and see how true no taste difference is. Yes overall it's a look thing and the smoke is what makes it taste better not the ring but having the best of both worlds is nice too:)


Thanks, kinda what I thought, it was a "looks" thing.  I heard somewhere that they stopped considering the smoke ring in competition judging for just this reason, that it could be artificially created.  I've only cooked with charcoal and gas so haven't had any electric experience, so I typically have some ring but never really paid attention to it much, I'm more into the flavor of things.


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## bigwheel

Good point Frog..the judges tell them dont look for one but the old widder ladies who do the table judging aint so easily fooled. Texas man/lady off the street type judging. Sure them fancy professional KCBS judges could be trained to tune it out.


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## sb59

jsockhouse said:


> The whole nitrate poisoning has me totally paranoid. I cooked a brisket yesterday in an electric smoker and used tender quick to get a nice faux smoke ring. I used three tablespoons for 15 min. and then washed it all off and used a normal rub. Final product came out great but I felt like I was killing my self while eating it and didn't enjoy it. The bag calls for 1.5 tablespoons per pound and it was a 5 pound brisket. Am I just being a baby? I know cure #1 is different then tender quick in that it had less nitrates. Which is why itsmok to use more...I think


The bag calls for one level tablespoon per pound of meat. One & a half teaspoons is for ground meat. And at this point in the planets existence the air you breathe is killing you faster then the nitrates in your food!


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## Bearcarver

For whole meat, it calls for 1 TBS per pound to cure it.

Using TQ to get a phony smoke ring is not what it's for.

Since some people are afraid to use cure to make Bacon, why would anyone use it to get a phony smoke ring that is all show anyway???

My advice would be to Either cure it properly & smoke it, or just smoke it. If you need a smoke ring, get a tube of lip stick. 

But that's just my opinion.

Bear


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## marauder

from what i understand from high school chemistry and reading  what the smoke ring is... wood smoke charcoal create nitric dioxide when this connects with the wet meat under 140 degrees  it turns into nitric acid. at this point myglobylin fatty juices combine with the acid decomposing into nitric oxide.. which creates the smoke ring all done under 140 degree temp.. so addtion of nitrates would accelerate this process? low and slow would be the indicator of the smoke ring with or without additives! Yawn ;)


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## frog1369

Bearcarver said:


> For whole meat, it calls for 1 TBS per pound to cure it.
> 
> Using TQ to get a phony smoke ring is not what it's for.
> 
> Since some people are afraid to use cure to make Bacon, why would anyone use it to get a phony smoke ring that is all show anyway???
> 
> My advice would be to Either cure it properly & smoke it, or just smoke it. If you need a smoke ring, get a tube of lip stick.
> 
> But that's just my opinion.
> 
> Bear


Now that's just funny Bear!  Hmmmm, wonder what the family would think about maybe a blue metallic smoke ring with that "wet" look.  Oh, so many smoke rings to choose from!


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## bigwheel

SB59 said:


> The bag calls for one level tablespoon per pound of meat. One & a half tablespoons is for ground meat. And at this point in the planets existence the air you breathe is killing you faster then the nitrates in your food!


You positive you are reading the bag right? One and half tablespoons per pound for ground meat would make it highly too salty. Maybe it say one and a half "teaspoons." which is the rate at which I always use it. It should be used just as a person would use salt. I dont have a bag of the stuff handy to read it right now..but would definitely be excessive usage for ground meat products. Prob be ok for whole chunks of meat. Kindly keeps us posted.

http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/meat-curing-methods


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## sb59

bigwheel said:


> You positive you are reading the bag right? One and half tablespoons per pound for ground meat would make it highly too salty. Maybe it say one and a half "teaspoons." which is the rate at which I always use it. It should be used just as a person would use salt. I dont have a bag of the stuff handy to read it right now..but would definitely be excessive usage for ground meat products. Prob be ok for whole chunks of meat. Kindly keeps us posted.
> 
> http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/meat-curing-methods


Thanks for the correction bigwheel ! I've edited my post to the correct amount. Some times my brain and my typing fingers aren't quite in sync.


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## gary s

I have a question ? Since you want a smoke ring just for looks by adding chemicals, What does it taste like?

I take pride in my briskets by smoking them low and slow for a long time, at the end of the day I always have a great bark, a good smoke ring, tender and juicy with a mild smokey flavor, but it takes time to do that


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## jsockhouse

The chemicals added are the chemicals that make your smoke ring no difference.  Mine are cooked low an slow with electric which smolders the wood and doesn't burn so no nitrates are released. In the end it's the same great taste either way.


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## gary s

Now I know


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