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**Thunder77** · January 12, 2018, 08:08 AM

Sodium NITRITE is what is in Prague Powder #1, which is what I normally use for curing. Prague powder #1 is salt with 6.25% sodium NITRITE added. Sometimes called pink salt, because it has food coloring added to avoid confusion with table salt.

For those interested, the difference between the two is one oxygen atom. Nitrate has 3 oxygen atoms, nitrite has 2.

Here is a link to Chef Steps and Meathead doing indoor ribs.

Amazing Ribs With Meathead, Part II: Exploring Indoor Barbecue

https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/amazing-ribs-with-meathead-part-ii-exploring-indoor-barbecue

Welcome back to our two-part series featuring our friend smoked-meats sensei Meathead Goldwyn! After a day of succulent, traditionally smoked ribs and ice-cold beers on Grant’s patio, the team reconvened the next morning in the ChefSteps development kitchen. This time, Grant and Meathead were joined by Ryan Udvett, Amazingribs.com’s test kitchen director/secret weapon, and Ben Johnson, our own development chef. (Important aside: Ben started grilling for his family as a young child and has an extraordinary ability to make all meats taste amazing. Seriously, we think he might be some sort of meat witch. Are meat witches a thing? If so, he’s definitely one of them.) Each team took a different approach to barbecuing ribs without the benefit of a smoker and then chewed over the results to understand the best techniques for achieving a crusty, delicious bark; tender, flavor-packed meat; smokiness; and the smoke ring that signals superior ’cue. Watch the video above to see the insights that came out of this highly aromatic experiment. Feeling inspired? You’re in good hands with this indoor recipe from Amazing Ribs, as well as with our Smokerless Smoked Ribs. Heck, why not cook up both and have your own tasting party? If there’s one thing we learned from this most enjoyable indoor/outdoor barbecue party, it’s that you can never have too many ribs.Want to devour more barbecue recipes and science? Try our free guide on all things barbecue. Got your own secrets for indoor barbecue? Share them in the comments below!

**Potkettleblack** · January 12, 2018, 08:19 AM

Here’s the key:

The small quantities used in curing meats is harmless, but in large quantities can be lethal.

you’re using the nitrite and nitrate in PP2 as a food safety issue, to allow the safe smoking at lower temp without fear of incubating botulism. But since the stuff is toxic in large quantities, you really want to limit your use.

This process has a step for fixing a smoke ring without using a smoker:

Sous Vide Barbecue Brisket

https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/smokerless-smoked-brisket

Brisket is a pitmaster’s mainstay, but let’s face it: It’s often poorly executed, and ends up being dry, bland, blah. Tired of the ho-hum stuff (and never willing to shy away from a challenge), we set out to make a better brisket, with juicy, smoky meat and a sticky, satisfying bark. Just to up the ante, we decided to develop it without the aid of a smoker, taking a modernist approach using liquid smoke and nitrites to evoke a smoky flavor and signature pink ring at the edge of the meat—both hallmarks of first-rate ’cue—and cooking the beef sous vide. We also developed Bark Builder, which can be applied to the meat just before finishing it in an oven to produce a crust on the exterior that is very close to the dark and delicious crust that forms on the outside of long-smoked meats. Combined with our Texas Black Pepper Barbecue Rub and our Sweet and Sticky Barbecue Sauce, even the most discerning 'cue enthusiast will find it hard to pick nits about the quality of our sous vide brisket. The upshot for you, hungry meat fiends, is the best dang barbecue brisket you’ll ever make, and you can make it in the climate-controlled comfort of your own kitchen. You don’t need a smoker and you don’t need a lot of space—although we also give you the option of finishing this tender-as-heck brisket in a smoker, if you've got one. Grab some carnivorous buddies—you’re gonna want to show this one off. EDITORS’ NOTE: We’ve updated this recipe after further testing and considering reader feedback. We’ve increased the sous vide cook temperature to [f 162], and reduced the time for the oven finishing step to 30 minutes (down from 3 to 4 hours). This produces a better brisket texture that is more in line with great Texas barbecue: jiggly, juicy, and tender. We've streamlined the seasoning process by replacing the wet brine with a dry cure and brushed glaze approach. We've retested the recipe using our Texas black pepper rub and sweet and sticky sauce, and provided the option of using our Bark Builder for improved bark results. Finally, we’ve also added the option of finishing the brisket in the smoker. If you prefer to use the original recipe, we’ve included it as a tip at the end of the recipe before the make-ahead and storage instructions.

I did it but I can’t find my pictures. Probably on my work computer. Works very well.

**Thunder77** · January 12, 2018, 08:32 AM

Potkettleblack , thanks for that link. I knew Chef steps had done something like that, but I couldn’t remember when.

**Brisket Syndicate** · January 12, 2018, 11:04 AM

You can put Morton's TQ on a brisket, for a few minutes, then rinse it off. It will make a helluva "smoke ring".

**DWCowles** · January 12, 2018, 11:06 AM

Welcome slideways_4s

**Jerod Broussard** · January 12, 2018, 12:34 PM

Originally posted by slideways_4s View Post

I was reading the myth regarding the smoke ring. As described, you don't need smoke to produce the smoke ring and i wanted to personally bust this myth by creating a smoke ring on a pork tenderloin roasted in the oven. I intended to add nitrate and curing salts before cooking to accomplish such affect, however, i also read in Meathead's Science of Great Barbecue that you are not suppose to use nitrate and curing salts as a seasoning (page 33.) I have since put my experiment on hold until i do further research. Is it there some type of health concern or is it just stating that curing salts are not to confused as seasoning salts? I also feel I may be using nitrATE and nitrITE improperly and / or interchangeability and don't exactly know the difference between the two.

The point is you just need certain gases to produce the smoke ring, not visible smoke.

You can also use food coloring to get a smoke ring. Here chef steps uses curing salt for an indoor brisket.

**jfmorris** · January 12, 2018, 03:31 PM

First, do not use Sodium NITRATE (as contained in Prague Powder #2) on anything you want to cook and eat right away. It is intended for use in meats that are cured for extended periods of time, during which time the NITRATE converts to NITRITE.

You want to use Prague Powder #1, which contains table salt and sodium nitrite, for the artificial smoke ring you've read about. You can also use the TenderQuick stuff as well. And the amount used is very very small - about 1/4 teaspoon per pound of meat at the most. You have to be very careful not to use more than the recommended amount. You will normally mix it into a brining solution to spread on the surface of the meat, so that 1/4 teaspoon per pound goes a lot farther than you thing. It only takes a few parts per million of sodium nitrite to bring out the pink color in the myoglobin in the outer layer of the meat, in the same manner that a smoke ring does.

I've got Prague powder #1 here, but only for the purposes of curing beef jerky.

**Meathead** · January 12, 2018, 04:44 PM

They are both preservatives and should ONLY be used in approved quantities to penetrate deep into meat and not sprinkled on the surface for flavoring.

**HouseHomey** · January 12, 2018, 05:11 PM

I'm simply not sure why you would want to do this at all. I don't get it.

**HouseHomey** · January 12, 2018, 09:18 PM

Potkettleblack Nope. Just nope, no, negative and Negatory! Just saying for me anyhow. But who knows, I also like SV Tritip for 3 or 4 hours. "He's a wild one folks!"

**slideways_4s** · January 14, 2018, 09:32 AM

Jerod,
great video. Just what i was looking for. Thanks

**Meathead** · January 14, 2018, 11:54 AM

If you are looking to simulate a smoke ring, and not for flavoring, that's doable. Here's a recipe of mine where I used nitrite on pork ribs cooked indoors with the ChefSteps boys. https://amazingribs.com/tested-recip...na-indoor-ribs

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