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mrdirtyville

Newbie
Original poster
Oct 29, 2014
12
10
Greensboro, NC
Hello all! I'm new to the smoking scene and going to smoke some ribs and chicken quarters coming up soon for the family. I've recently purchased some pecan and apple large chunks to use. Just wondering if I could get some helpful tips and questions answered.
I plan to brine the chicken quarters over night then a grill mates dry rub before cooking (just salt and sugar nothing fancy for the brine) and letting the ribs marinate with some grill mates dry rub. The wife said someone suggested Pre-boiling the chicken before smoking to save time (she isn't a patient cook), but how does that affect the smoke flavor and does it make the skin rubbery? Also I wanted to do the ribs with pecan and chicken with Apple chunks. Do I just add the different wood when the ribs are done and add coals to keep the heat going or do I need to pull out the coals and do a fresh set, or would it even make a difference? I'm using a smoke hollow 4 in 1 grill.
 
Hello MrDirtyville.

Overall, it sounds like you've got a solid plan.  To answer your questions:

No self-respecting pitmaster would ever boil meat before smoking it...not necessary at all, and you'll be leaving flavor in the boil pot instead of in the meat.  Chicken quarters should cook pretty fast, so speeding up the cook time shouldn't be an issue.  One of the key traits of good pitmasters is patience.  If you're wife wants it fast, fry it...smoking takes a little more time.  Trust me...its worth the extra time to get that smoky goodness!  I suggest smoking at a cooker temp of about 300-325* for poultry...that temp should give you a nice, crispy skin on your finished product.  I cook my poultry until the internal temp reaches about 170*

If you want to switch flavor woods between meats, no problem...just add the apple when you put the chicken on.  Just my humble opinion, but pecan and apple wood compliment each other very well.  If were me, I'd probably cook both meats at the same time, with a mix of both apple and pecan in the smoker.  One thing:  if you chose to cook both meats together, just put the ribs on the upper rack...for proper food safety, you don't want the juice from raw poultry dripping on your other meats.

Hope that helps...good luck!  Be sure to post up some qview to let us know how it turns out!  
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Red
 
Most suggestions I saw said to cook ribs at 225 for best results so I wouldn't be able to do both meats right?
That's for the help Red!
 
Most suggestions I saw said to cook ribs at 225 for best results so I wouldn't be able to do both meats right?
That's for the help Red!

This is true... so with that being said... if your going to eat both for the same meal.. I believe one of them's going to have to be reheated when it's time to eat... If your doing the 3-2-1 method on the ribs... I would cook the them first (@225`) and then only do the 3-2 part of it.. set them aside... Stoke the smoker up to 300-325 and do the chicken put the ribs back on (for 30 minutes) with the chicken when the chicken is almost done (the last 30 minutes)... hope this makes sense to ya...
 
You got great advice so far.

BUT I have cooked ribs at 300 and they turn out great.
 
that's actually I good idea I haven't considered. It's gonna be a long day. Feeding 20- 25 so about 20lb spare ribs 30lb chicken quarters, dogs, brats, burgers, maybe redhots...
 
Pit masters will debate hot & fast &  low & slow   Till the dogs come home . It's like debating good liqueur. What they won't debate is parboiling. DON"T DO IT.  Properly prepared and cooked to the right doneness ribs  are easy and fun to eat. The reason people cook poultry hot and fast is to crisp up the skin. I like JD7 Would cook the ribs then work on the chicken.  I Cook my ribs at 242 not hot & fast and not low & slow.  I would quarter  the bird and smoke @ 240 then bump it up to just over 300 in the oven inside when the bird hit 145 or 150 IT. It would be done at just over 165. That way you can cook both and get good smoke on the chicken w/crispy skin. If the skin was right and the IT was not just back it down.  I would finish the ribs to the 1 hour stage, I find that ribs are more forgiving than chicken. when cooking ribs  the last hour for me is to dry the rub out from the second stage of the 3-2-1 The ribs are about 80 or 90 % cooked they just need to sit some after the previous stage.

Your mileage will vary but It's just my opinion.  Good luck with your cook let us know how it comes out.       jted
 
BUT I have cooked ribs at 300 and they turn out great.
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  Me too....lots of folks cook ribs at high temps...275, 300, even 325* or higher, and still get great results.
so what were your cooking times at 300?
Every slab of meat is different...Times are really only estimates, and shouldn't be taken as hard and fast rules...but I'd guess spares taking around 4.5-5 hours @ 300*.  Just keep in mind the adage, "its done when its done". 

Red
 
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