Image by: wikimedia.org

When smoking meat, the pink outer ring around the cut is called the smoke ring. The smoke ring is a sign of a successful smoke and is a key component in an amazing barbecue. The layer of pink under the crust or bark of the meat happens when it is slow-smoked.

The science behind the ring is simple. The Myoglobin is the protein that gives meat its red color. Beef has a much richer red color than pork or chicken. When myoglobin binds wit oxygen and becomes oxymyoglobin which is a bright red pigment. When the meat sits out longer it becomes metmyoglobin, which turns the meat brown.

When wood is burned it created nitrogen dioxide. The gas then dissipates on wet surfaces of the meat, binding with the myoglobin and that locks in the beautiful pink color. The key to this process is moisture because the gas cannot seep in deep if the meat is dry.