if it’s safe is with a good quality meat thermometer.

Thanks!

they would be very concerned about food poisoning...the last thing I would want to do is sicken my family and/or friends who came over for the food and goodies. But it is an art. One must be very talented and alert in cooking (outside) as weather conditions could warrant changes to how long items should remain on the cookers/smokers.

The texture is different. It'll take some getting used to

I smoked, pork ribs, pork shoulder,butt, and beef brisket. Ribs spent the lowest amount of time, About 3 hours. Pork shoulder around 6, with some variation based on thickness. Brisket takes the longest.
All develop a pink smoke ring an 1/8 to 1/2 inches just under the outside part of the meat. That may have been whst your chicken had but I have no direct experience.
I have also smoked salmon. Temp check also.

Ask to come over and bring some beer to see what he does.

They have an app on their phones, so dad and son can keep track of the progress. Helps if Dad is out and my grandson is manning the smoker

I started with a gas grill which normally doesn't allow a low enough temperature. People use Weber grills.
I've used bullet smokers, charcoal and gas. Charcoal is a pain in those. I bought an electric unit that had a puck feed that worked well. Here I have been able to use a woodsmoker with the two sections. Fancy.

Most people that smoke are into the gadgets and toys that enhance the “science” of the hobby. One of those gadgets/toys is a thermometer. Like the fisherman who brags of his lures, reels, rods etc. The smokers I know all have high end thermometers and brag about using them.

They use them as much to make sure food is not overdone, as to make sure at proper temperature safety. Smoking meat is expensive. They don’t want to screw it up in either direction.

Relative to poultry, chicken and turkey absorb the smoke and often will take on a pinkish hue as a result.

But nothing wrong with asking the temp of something that is presented. Your eyes probably aren’t lying to you.

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.