Many people out there believe the smoke ring in smoked foods adds flavor and
is a good sign of good BBQ. However, this is just a myth. For
electric smokers, like Cookshack's Smokette, you do not get a smoke ring.
This is because it has nothing to do with taste or quality of smoke. It
is no more then just a chemical reaction between nitrates and the food.
Basically what happens when you are smoking with a traditional smoker, with wood
and/or charcoal, you are producing a lot more nitrates then you do with an
electric smoker, such as the Smokette which uses 2 to 4 oz of wood on average
during a smoke. To put it simply, nitrates are produced during the smoke
and are reduced to nitrites by bacteria found in the food. Nitrites then
become Nitric Oxide which in turn cures the meat and this causes the smoke
ring. This is one of the longest ongoing debates on Electrical
Smokers vs. Traditional Smokers. Overall, people are going to BBQ the way
they want to BBQ and that is about it.
Thanks,
Jason