Can you mix meats on the smoker?

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viper12161

Newbie
Original poster
Aug 30, 2018
15
3
Looking to smoke a few racks of ribs this weekend. Rough cooking time is about 6 hours-ish. Can I add on some drummies towards the end of the cooking process (say with about an hour and a half left on ribs), or is mixing raw food with stuff almost done a bad idea?

Thanks!!
 
Awesome!! Thanks!!! I was just guesstimating on the cook times. I also only have one rack...I took out the upper when I made my mods....might have to put it back in.
 
Third-ed... Just don't cross contaminate and all will be well. can up the temp when the ribs come off to rest too to crisp up the drummies and finish cooking them to proper IT after a the smoke session:emoji_thumbsup:
 
I’d go more like last 2.5 hours on those drum sticks but that’s just me. I Always mix
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The temp at which fat renders means you have no worries. Somewhere here there is a post from Chef Jimmy on this subject. Personally, I think pork fat on chicken tastes better than chicken fat on pork. LOL
 
You sure can!! do it all the time. just rough out your cook times and add or subtract product as you go. you can plan for snack for during the long cook or all done at the same time (roughly - ha - unless its a fighter of a brisket)
 
Like others have said just be careful not to cross contaminate. I try not to mix on a single rack to avoid itching raw to cooked / partially cooked. In my cabinet i save the lowest rack for the raw adds
 
The temp at which fat renders means you have no worries. Somewhere here there is a post from Chef Jimmy on this subject. Personally, I think pork fat on chicken tastes better than chicken fat on pork. LOL

chef jimmyj chef jimmyj , gotta link? Interested in this for sure and applicable here. Thanks in advance.

This may be the one Venture is talking about post #10:

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t...cross-meat-contamination.247595/#post_1573125

Chris
 
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This comes up now and then Chicken on Top, Chicken on Bottom...It don't matter! Everything is taking place at temps WELL above the Instant Kill Temp of 165.

Fun example from the thread GMC Linked and a couple I added...

You are smoking a rack of Ribs, 225°F, at the 4 hours mark you put a whole drippy Chicken on top for a 2 hour smoke. Red Bacteria laden Chix juices are oozing all over the Ribs...ONE MINUTE later you realize the smoker temps were higher than you thought, this whole time the smoker was at 275°F, and Those Ribs Are Done! You immediately remove the Ribs...Any Problem here???? Is a trip to the Hospital certain??? NOPE!

The " surface " of those Ribs are 275°F! There is not a single Bacteria known to man that can survive more than few SECONDS at 165°F !!! There is just No Way the Salmonella, or anything else, see Dave Omak's chart below right column, could possibly survive contact with the 275°F surface of the Ribs. ALL Bacteria are Instantly killed and there is no chance of food-borne illness eating those Chicken basted Ribs...Even with Rare Steak. Bacteria can't Bore into the happily cool center and the Surface is 275°...More than instant Death to all!

Ok...There is mentally some YUCK factor because raw Chicken juices dripping sounds nasty but no Safety issues exist. In every other case the Chicken and other meat will be in the 225+ temps for hours. Above or below, again all bacteria is killed...

Tasting Spoons...People will see a Chef on some YouTube video, stir in some seasoning to a simmering pot, taste with the mixing spoon, then add more seasoning and stir it in with THE SAME SPOON!!! OMG, the Seventh Seal has been broken and Satan will rise to reek havoc on the world for a Millenia!!!.
NO, No ,No...The Simmering Liquid is around 200°F. Any Mouth Bacteria on the spoon was instantly killed. This is the same reason we can make foods like Gumbo in stages. Get the Roux and Trinity going, add the Sausage. Cook a few minutes and add the Raw Chicken. Getting near done and add the Raw Shimp and finish simmering 5 more minutes. Any Bacteria on the Veg, ,Sausage, Chicken, or Shimp, meet their Demise in seconds, once added. If it didn't work this way? There'd be a Shortage a CAJUNS! ...JJ

 
Thanks again everyone!!!!! Was running short on time today, so just went with the chicken legs for now (smoking as we speak...errrr type....whatever. I'm hungry :)
 
Jimmy this is GREAT info. THANKS!
This comes up now and then Chicken on Top, Chicken on Bottom...It don't matter! Everything is taking place at temps WELL above the Instant Kill Temp of 165.

Fun example from the thread GMC Linked and a couple I added...

You are smoking a rack of Ribs, 225°F, at the 4 hours mark you put a whole drippy Chicken on top for a 2 hour smoke. Red Bacteria laden Chix juices are oozing all over the Ribs...ONE MINUTE later you realize the smoker temps were higher than you thought, this whole time the smoker was at 275°F, and Those Ribs Are Done! You immediately remove the Ribs...Any Problem here???? Is a trip to the Hospital certain??? NOPE!

The " surface " of those Ribs are 275°F! There is not a single Bacteria known to man that can survive more than few SECONDS at 165°F !!! There is just No Way the Salmonella, or anything else, see Dave Omak's chart below right column, could possibly survive contact with the 275°F surface of the Ribs. ALL Bacteria are Instantly killed and there is no chance of food-borne illness eating those Chicken basted Ribs...Even with Rare Steak. Bacteria can't Bore into the happily cool center and the Surface is 275°...More than instant Death to all!

Ok...There is mentally some YUCK factor because raw Chicken juices dripping sounds nasty but no Safety issues exist. In every other case the Chicken and other meat will be in the 225+ temps for hours. Above or below, again all bacteria is killed...

Tasting Spoons...People will see a Chef on some YouTube video, stir in some seasoning to a simmering pot, taste with the mixing spoon, then add more seasoning and stir it in with THE SAME SPOON!!! OMG, the Seventh Seal has been broken and Satan will rise to reek havoc on the world for a Millenia!!!.
NO, No ,No...The Simmering Liquid is around 200°F. Any Mouth Bacteria on the spoon was instantly killed. This is the same reason we can make foods like Gumbo in stages. Get the Roux and Trinity going, add the Sausage. Cook a few minutes and add the Raw Chicken. Getting near done and add the Raw Shimp and finish simmering 5 more minutes. Any Bacteria on the Veg, ,Sausage, Chicken, or Shimp, meet their Demise in seconds, once added. If it didn't work this way? There'd be a Shortage a CAJUNS! ...JJ

 
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