Please Help..... Need Advice....

[smokin_germ]

OK I need some advice. I have volunteered to smoke some chicken legs tomorrow for a dish for the kids soccer party. Well being mothers day week end I was told I had lunch plans In the middle of the day. But I have to be at the party at 5:00. Oh yeah forgot to mention I've also already taken out and opened a rack of baby backs for (late night snack) which I need about five hours for. so here is my schedule.

leave for soccer game at 8:45

back home at 10:30

Leave for lunch at 1:15

back home by 3:00

leave for party at 5:15. With chicken

So I'm thinking my best option is start the fire at 10:30 and be able to get in 2 solid hours of smoke before lunch then wrap the ribs and put the chicken in a foil pan and cover. but then what do I do with it. It wouldn't worry me to much to leave them on the smoker while I'm gone or should I sit them in the oven on 200 and then back in the smoke when I get back. I would think if they are in the oven the chicken would be done. I don't know, HELP

Or am I just screwed.

 

[chestnutbloom]

I would leave the ribs on the smoker since they take the longest. The legs should cook quickly and if you put them in the oven they will probably be fall-off-the-bone. Just my reasoning anyway....

 

[chef jimmyj]

You have not said what type of smoker you have so here is a shot in the dark...Smoke the Ribs , No Foiling, at 275° as close to 10:30 as possible. They will be tender, bite off the bone, by 3:00 PM when you get home. Wrap and rest an hour or so, then chill until snack time.

If we are talking Leg Quarters crank the smoker temp to 350°F as quickly as you can when the Ribs come off. I will figure it is 3:30 at this point. At this temp they will take 1 hour. So you will be done with time to pack up and go. 

If your smoker will not go above 300° then put the Chicken in with the Ribs, over/under don't matter, then pull them at 12:30 pan cover with foil and put them in your oven at 150°F. They can stay there until you get home at 3:00 PM then check for internal temp and raise the oven temp as needed to finish them. The only issue with this plan is, I can't guarantee they will not be falling off the bone or will even hold together. There is a lot of time for the collagen to breakdown and the meat may fall apart. I would have Pulled Chicken Sandwiches as a back up plan for service. Good Luck...JJ

 

[smokin_germ]

Thanks for the advice. I pulled the chicken legs off after a solid 2 hours about 275. Wrapped the ribs in foil, put in some apple juice added some wood to the smoker and left it was at about 300 when I left and about 175 2 hours later. I put the chicken in the oven on 200 and it looks delicious. Ribs are unwrapped mopped and on the grill for another hour they look great also.

Thanks for the help, I'll let you know how the chicken went. And some Q-view.