Cooking & Baking

If the meat has been cooked to the right temperature, it's safe to eat.

From a Science point of view, the red color is due to a chemical reaction that is part of the smoking process. It has to do with the lowered temperatures used in smoking, it's a complex reaction involving the high level of 'particulate combustion byproducts' (smoke), lowered oxygen levels, and long heating at (relatively) low cooking temperatures.

On a pork butt, a brisket, or a turkey / chicken, the smoke ring can be half an inch thick. The thickness of the 'smoke ring' is considered an indicator of the quality of the cook; thicker is better. Of course, it can be overdone (cooked too long), and this will dry out the meat too much, making it tougher. The "art" of smoking is the balance between as many of the variables such as temperature, wood type, density of the smoke itself, time, basting or other seasoning, and smoker type to create the best tasting results.

The comment above about the thermometers is a bit of an indicator about how seriously people can devote themselves to the process. People can get more than a little bit fanatical about this, so they REALLY want to produce the best product. The risk of food poisoning is pretty low. Smoking is actually one of the oldest methods of food preservation.

Just sit back and enjoy the goodies. If the 'cue tastes good, tell the pit-master/mistress. They'll enjoy the compliments.