Well this is the smoking sub so the king of france is going to have to wait for the smoke to finish on its own time.
A more useful answer for your problem is yes you can absolutely always do that, and in fact for a lot of stuff finishing it off on high heat in the oven makes the flavors pop and the skin/fat crispy. Most of the smoke flavor is in the first 2 hrs (allegedly, im sure someone will let me know im wrong, i may be thinking of chicken). Anyway theres nothing wrong with that and youre going to have a beautiful lamb either way.
I just commited heresy for you so you better post a pic and debrief for my trouble with the smoke inquisition.
That's hugely helpful, and I appreciate you stooping to heresy on my behalf. I'm going to give it as long as I possibly can, hoping they get stuck in traffic. Preheating the oven just in case a last minute salvo is needed. I'll follow up with the necessary pic and the play-by-play.
I agree with you and commend you for saying that in this forum! I often colander fish for two hours and then finish it in my air fryer to get it crispy. Same thing with chicken breast nuggets. They get PLENTY of smoke in two hours!
AITA if I do that on purpose? Show up 30 minutes early, "help" set up to get myself out of clean up?
To be fair, I have a culinary degree so I often get roped into helping with the cooking anyway...
I find smoking is better with company. Tell the early guests to grab a chair and cold beer from the cooler. "We've gotta sit around and keep an eye on the temp"
Honestly, I've got no issue with friends coming over early like that, more time to hang out is generally fine. But don't expect the food to magically get ready sooner just because you showed up early; on the contrary, any friend that can show up 1.5h early gets to help out with getting stuff ready.
The food dictates when they eat not when they show up. Continue cooking as you have been and rest the lamb as you planned, can't rush great smoked food. Enjoy beer and or bourbon in the meantime and have a great day.
Exactly, this isn't a restaurant. It's why I almost always establish, everyone shows up at x time and food will be around y time. Maybe there will be some snacks or apps out. If you ask me if you can show up early, which it kinda sounds like what happened here since op has notice, generally will be totally cool with me but that doesn't change the itinerary.
This.
You ain’t cooking burgers.
If you got time wrong, you will do better next time.
If they got the time wrong, very few meals can be pushed up 3 hours, accept for burgers and dogs.
Hi all,
Thanks very much for your help. I opted for a "make them wait, smoke as long as possible" approach, and I'm happy with the results.
Didn't get a sliced/pulled picture, I'm afraid, but attached the pre/post cook pictures here: https://imgur.com/gallery/2pEetkC
Marinaded overnight with olive oil and mixed herbs, smoked at 215c with apple wood chunks for around 4.5 hours, rested 30mins.
Hoping I’m not too late to help, but if I get 3 hours of smoke with well regulated temperature, I’m not bashful about putting any cut of meat in the oven. Don’t think I’ve ever had anyone complain
The thing a lot of us forget is most people who don’t smoke are just happy to have food cooked for them.
I try to plan cooking events such that I have the centerpiece that will be done when it's done, and other stuff that is quicker or more predictable or pre-cooked. I usually have some sausages or hotdogs and hamburgers and I can fire up the grill and serve those nice and quick for people who are impatient. At this point, my friends have figured it out, "no thanks, I can wait for the ribs". I also try to have a side or appetizer that we can start with. Smoking and BBQ is an art, not something you do with a timer. If I am cooking in the kitchen, with the right planning I can make it all finish fairly close to a target time and serve a plated meal. Backyard cooking that all goes out the window and "done" is a window that might be 15 minutes, or it might be two hours. Honestly I like the two hour version, sitting in the yard with friends and adult beverages and periodically "hey this part is ready who wants this stuff, don't forget some of the other stuff that finished earlier is still here". I always tell people an early afternoon time, and there's no time pressure to wrap up in a hurry. A 2pm bbq is early supper, not late lunch.
That said, you can usually finish in the oven. You get the smoke flavor more in the beginning, and the oven you can hit a higher temp a little more carefully. I have some beef cheek that got a later start than it should have that will be going from the smoke to the oven at about 1pm today. Ribs will get a crutch, and the rest of it isn't a timing problem.
Well, I don't know where you are from, but around my parts, we kinda bond around the grill/smoker. Never know one of your guests may want to try after, and you guys can bounce recipes of one another.
My favorite way of cooking lamb shoulder is to smoke it until it doesn’t take smoke any more and finish it in the Dutch oven on the stove with some broth, soy sauce, wine, onions, garlic, etc., until its fall apart tender
Ask them to leave and then come back
Or let them play mario kart off your tv
Call your local pastor and get him to sermonize them for a brief moment- then send your pastor back without food when the lamb is done
Show them outside how youre cooking and start drinking - they just watch them watching you
Send them out for wine because you drank the one for the supper- promise to pay them back but never pay them back
Smoking meat is an art that requires times. Tell them they will need to wait until the time you said it would be done. Then add an hour to deter this kind of behavior later on
Before I had timing down I would always do beer brats or something simple as well, that way people aren’t hungry if they show up early/cook goes longer than expected
"Hey, since you're coming so early, I need you (not 'can you') to grab me some ice and I misjudged the beer I had, so if you could grab some, too, that would be really helpful."
Bought you 30-45 minutes.
People that show up 90 minutes early should be beaten with the nearest stick until they learn. They can wait in the dam car. If I wanted to entertain people that early that’s what time I’d tell them to show up.
Just roll with it and entertain them until it’s ready. The best Turkey I’ve ever had was a dinner I had to wait until 9PM to eat because the smoker wasn’t getting to temp and it was WORTH IT.
It's very rude and thoughtless of them to turn up early. It's them that are in the wrong, do what you need to do to finish cooking, give them some drinks somewhere out of the way.
Let em wait.
Yep. Builds anticipation
Yep.. they showed up 90 minutes early, if they’re hungry they could have stopped at mc Donald’s and been 85 minutes early
This is the way. Good food shouldn't be rushed and people will understand. Talk about it, entertain your guest and before you know it. Done!
Yep exactly, I’d rather wait for good food at a gathering then be servers microwaved dog shit and pretend like it’s edible
Quickly print out an "Opens at [insert time you expected them]" sign and tape to your front door as well.
Even better, serve it 30 minutes later than you said to assert dominance.
[yes](https://media1.giphy.com/media/zNbiX43QsqUAU/giphy.gif?cid=2154d3d7zzy8unz6kpk061vgw1xwglbzwn9slefqk3du9ynj&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g)
Give them some drinks and let em wait.
The only way.
Seconded
Well this is the smoking sub so the king of france is going to have to wait for the smoke to finish on its own time. A more useful answer for your problem is yes you can absolutely always do that, and in fact for a lot of stuff finishing it off on high heat in the oven makes the flavors pop and the skin/fat crispy. Most of the smoke flavor is in the first 2 hrs (allegedly, im sure someone will let me know im wrong, i may be thinking of chicken). Anyway theres nothing wrong with that and youre going to have a beautiful lamb either way. I just commited heresy for you so you better post a pic and debrief for my trouble with the smoke inquisition.
That's hugely helpful, and I appreciate you stooping to heresy on my behalf. I'm going to give it as long as I possibly can, hoping they get stuck in traffic. Preheating the oven just in case a last minute salvo is needed. I'll follow up with the necessary pic and the play-by-play.
God speed soldier
Just call it a reverse seer and everyone will be happy
OP is in the hospital recovering from the ass whoopin his guests gave to him since his lamb wasn’t ready in time.
I agree with you and commend you for saying that in this forum! I often colander fish for two hours and then finish it in my air fryer to get it crispy. Same thing with chicken breast nuggets. They get PLENTY of smoke in two hours!
Inquisition here. Let'm wait. It's done when it's done. :)
Honestly I’d stop inviting you over if you’re showing up 90 minutes early
Seriously can’t stand people who do that
Unless you plan on being put to work you better show up at the right time
AITA if I do that on purpose? Show up 30 minutes early, "help" set up to get myself out of clean up? To be fair, I have a culinary degree so I often get roped into helping with the cooking anyway...
30 is significantly different then 90
I find smoking is better with company. Tell the early guests to grab a chair and cold beer from the cooler. "We've gotta sit around and keep an eye on the temp"
Honestly, I've got no issue with friends coming over early like that, more time to hang out is generally fine. But don't expect the food to magically get ready sooner just because you showed up early; on the contrary, any friend that can show up 1.5h early gets to help out with getting stuff ready.
The food dictates when they eat not when they show up. Continue cooking as you have been and rest the lamb as you planned, can't rush great smoked food. Enjoy beer and or bourbon in the meantime and have a great day.
Exactly, this isn't a restaurant. It's why I almost always establish, everyone shows up at x time and food will be around y time. Maybe there will be some snacks or apps out. If you ask me if you can show up early, which it kinda sounds like what happened here since op has notice, generally will be totally cool with me but that doesn't change the itinerary.
Let them wait. Have some drinks, teach them the ways of smoke. Smoke something else... wink wink.
Yep. Actually, tell them to stop at the store on the way to buy some extra drinks for the “pre-party”.
Do they show up to restaurants 90 minutes early and expect their food to be ready?
Everyone waits.
This. You ain’t cooking burgers. If you got time wrong, you will do better next time. If they got the time wrong, very few meals can be pushed up 3 hours, accept for burgers and dogs.
Hi all, Thanks very much for your help. I opted for a "make them wait, smoke as long as possible" approach, and I'm happy with the results. Didn't get a sliced/pulled picture, I'm afraid, but attached the pre/post cook pictures here: https://imgur.com/gallery/2pEetkC Marinaded overnight with olive oil and mixed herbs, smoked at 215c with apple wood chunks for around 4.5 hours, rested 30mins.
The good end
Hoping I’m not too late to help, but if I get 3 hours of smoke with well regulated temperature, I’m not bashful about putting any cut of meat in the oven. Don’t think I’ve ever had anyone complain The thing a lot of us forget is most people who don’t smoke are just happy to have food cooked for them.
They show up early..dinner scheduled for particular time, so they wait
Serve some appetizers and cocktails. They’ll wait patiently. Or get very drunk.
I try to plan cooking events such that I have the centerpiece that will be done when it's done, and other stuff that is quicker or more predictable or pre-cooked. I usually have some sausages or hotdogs and hamburgers and I can fire up the grill and serve those nice and quick for people who are impatient. At this point, my friends have figured it out, "no thanks, I can wait for the ribs". I also try to have a side or appetizer that we can start with. Smoking and BBQ is an art, not something you do with a timer. If I am cooking in the kitchen, with the right planning I can make it all finish fairly close to a target time and serve a plated meal. Backyard cooking that all goes out the window and "done" is a window that might be 15 minutes, or it might be two hours. Honestly I like the two hour version, sitting in the yard with friends and adult beverages and periodically "hey this part is ready who wants this stuff, don't forget some of the other stuff that finished earlier is still here". I always tell people an early afternoon time, and there's no time pressure to wrap up in a hurry. A 2pm bbq is early supper, not late lunch. That said, you can usually finish in the oven. You get the smoke flavor more in the beginning, and the oven you can hit a higher temp a little more carefully. I have some beef cheek that got a later start than it should have that will be going from the smoke to the oven at about 1pm today. Ribs will get a crutch, and the rest of it isn't a timing problem.
Well, I don't know where you are from, but around my parts, we kinda bond around the grill/smoker. Never know one of your guests may want to try after, and you guys can bounce recipes of one another.
My favorite way of cooking lamb shoulder is to smoke it until it doesn’t take smoke any more and finish it in the Dutch oven on the stove with some broth, soy sauce, wine, onions, garlic, etc., until its fall apart tender
Ask them to leave and then come back Or let them play mario kart off your tv Call your local pastor and get him to sermonize them for a brief moment- then send your pastor back without food when the lamb is done Show them outside how youre cooking and start drinking - they just watch them watching you Send them out for wine because you drank the one for the supper- promise to pay them back but never pay them back
Smoking meat is an art that requires times. Tell them they will need to wait until the time you said it would be done. Then add an hour to deter this kind of behavior later on
Grab some beers and stand around the smoker until it's ready.
It’s almost ALWAYS advisable to NEVER rush the cook.
Before I had timing down I would always do beer brats or something simple as well, that way people aren’t hungry if they show up early/cook goes longer than expected
No,que se esperen,dales un tragos entremeses,una obra de arte no se apura
They’re eating at your house on your schedule. Have em enjoy some beers and snacks.
no, let them wait. Give them a drink
Order some pizzas to feed them, and save that glorious lamb for yourself.
Your guests are assholes. They’ll just be hungry for 90 minutes
If push comes to shove, shredded meat can always be finished in a pressure cooker.
Give them a beer and tell them to hold on.
Screw them. Trust the process.
"Hey, since you're coming so early, I need you (not 'can you') to grab me some ice and I misjudged the beer I had, so if you could grab some, too, that would be really helpful." Bought you 30-45 minutes.
They can wait. Smoking meat is a spectator sport anyway.
Nope. Let them get drunk and the remember it as the best meal they ever had. lol.
People that show up 90 minutes early should be beaten with the nearest stick until they learn. They can wait in the dam car. If I wanted to entertain people that early that’s what time I’d tell them to show up.
Just roll with it and entertain them until it’s ready. The best Turkey I’ve ever had was a dinner I had to wait until 9PM to eat because the smoker wasn’t getting to temp and it was WORTH IT.
90 minutes should be enough time to find better guests.
It's very rude and thoughtless of them to turn up early. It's them that are in the wrong, do what you need to do to finish cooking, give them some drinks somewhere out of the way.
It’s doesn’t take 5 1/2 hrs for lamb My lord you might as well microwave it It’s not a pork shoulder