The French are banning bacon (and sausages)!

[Finster]

jfmorris Spinaker
My definition of moderation always seems to be different than my doctor's 😀🤫

[jhapka]

I’m rolling the dice and accepting the consequences if they come for me

[rickgregory]

So, is that distinctive pink hue inherently desirable? Or have we become conditioned to look for it from eating the delicious nitrate laden products all our lives?

It's not just the color though that's nice. We cure meats to preserve them. It's probably not necessary for bacon, frankly, but for most cured sausage that's hung for days/weeks/months, it makes them safer from bacterial spoilage. Mmm.. botulism...

[Murdy]

I get that part, was wondering if the coloration became a thing due to us getting used to it so now its regarded as appetizing as a collateral consequence.

[rickgregory]

Murdy - i think so. Meats like pastrami just turn grey if you don't cure them with nitrites. Same taste less appealing color

[Edward_Fortin]

What about the nitrates from smoking? Isn't the smoke ring on my brisket caused by nitrates?

[jfmorris]

You raise a good question. We need someone more expert than me to answer it.

Maybe docblonder or Meathead can drop in and give us an opinion.

Smoke rings are caused by Nitrogen Oxide (or Nitric Oxide, or the molecule NO), which is a result of combustion. The NO combines with the iron content in the myoglobin in the meat to form a smoke ring, but only if the NO reaches (penetrates) to the myoglobin before it denatures at a temperature of 160F or so.

[jfmorris]

Here is a scientific read on the topic.

https://genuineideas.com/ArticlesIndex/sranoxring.html

And Meathead's take here:

https://amazingribs.com/more-technique-and-science/more-cooking-science/mythbusting-smoke-ring-no-smoke-necessary/

So the question is.... is nitric oxide (NO) that causes our smoke ring going to have the same health concerns as nitrite (NO2) or nitrate (NO3)?

[smokenoob]

Your chances of dying in are car accident are about the same as dying of colon cancer but we don’t talk about driving less…..🧐🤔

[hoovarmin]

So true.

[Attjack]

I certainly do. I love living where I can walk everywhere. It's a win on multiple levels.

[smokenoob]

Attjack You are lucky! My extra walking usually involves parking at the far end of a parking lot 😀 or just walking in circles in the hood with no destination.

[hoovarmin]

Life is nasty, brutish, mean, and short. I'm eating my charcuterie.