Why does smoked meat have a pink ring instead of a dark ring caused by smoke?
Felli’s answer is correct, but is only the first part of the process. Here’s the rest:
After nitrogen dioxide from the wood smoke is in contact with the surface of the meat, it encounters moisture which dissolves the nitrogen dioxide into a solution of nitric acid. This is absorbed into the muscle tissue (meat) which then interacts with myoglobin to produce nitrates and nitrites which create the reddish or pink color formed in some smoked meats.
The pink ring is called a smoke ring, and smoke rings are caused by nitric acid building up in the surface of meat, absorbed from the surface. This nitric acid is formed when nitrogen dioxide from wood combustion in smoke mixes with water in the meat. Basically it is a chemical reaction between the smoke and the meat.
