The BBQ thread

I've had my Traeger pellet smoker for just over a year. In fact, I currently have it smoking some burgers and veggies while watching the Orioles.

It's considerably more work than a charcoal grill, because you really need to clean it up after each use. You don't just leave grease on the grill. And I had to do some handyman work earlier this summer when the pin for the auger drive became loose.

But when it's working, it's tasty, it's effective, and it's intriguing to grill in a new way. Before I had the Traeger, I never really realized that preparation consisted of two separate parts -- smoking, then grilling.

I get things started on the smoke setting until it's puffing like a locomotive. Then I turn it up to 225 degrees -- that's all -- and throw the meat or fish on for two hours to get the smoke taste and that smoke ring around the outside. Then at the end, I turn it up all the way to 450, give it 4-5 minutes on each side to sear it and melt the cheese.

Traeger wood pellets come in different flavors, including pecan, apple, hickory, mesquite, cherry. It's nice to have the options. Again, you need to be sure you clear them out after a grill session.

There's some debate about whether you smash your burgers on the grill. I've fallen on the side of not smashing, because you're losing some of the moisture that way. If you like well-done, thin burgers, you might go the smashburger route.

I'm going to try pizza on a stone sometime in the next few weeks. It looks like that could be very flavorful, too.

 

I wouldn't trade my Weber Kettle and Smokey Mountain smoker for two Traegers.
Well, I probably would, sell the Traegers, buy new Webers and pocket the difference.

I work with a guy who lives by his Treager. He's alway showing how he can adjust it from the app on his phone, etc. I tell him he is missing the point. Yes, his food is very good, but working the grill/smoker is over half the enjoyment.

 

I cook with Webers, I drive manuals, and I play blades.

 

Wife does not liked smoked meat, but one thanksgiving I did two birds, one oven and one smoked, and they were both amazing. But I’ll never forget that smoked bird.

 

My wife claims the same crap until I serve up some chicken she doesn't know I've smoked for about 3 hours. "This is awesome."

 

The main reason I use gas is where I live. We use the grill all year round and it's just easier in the land of the ice and snow.

The lump worked great and I think this is the way during moderate weather moving forward.

The starters smoked when they burned out at the end, other than that it was a clean burn.

No chimney.

 

I hope to drive a manual again, someday, after simplifying.

I still have the switchblade from my teens. I never carried it.

 

I have a gas grill, too, that I use for quick stuff. I grill about 10 months out of the year, and if I am just throwing on some chicken tenders for supper, it doesn't make sense to use charcoal.

 

I exclusively used an offset smoker for years, and still have/use that on occasion.

Then I went to work for a company that offers insane employee discounts on pellet grills/smokers, so I grabbed one of those. I do most of my smoking on that now, because it seriously is idiot-proof. I put all of my efforts/attention into seasoning and injecting the meat, and the flavors of wood pellets to use, then fire it up and use the bluetooth thermometers to monitor the temp of the food, and ambient temp inside the pit.

My next project is to work on a recipe I haven't been able to find anywhere online, but I'm sure has to be out there somewhere: smoking a full slab of salmon, a good 4-6 servings, but instead of having it sit right on the grate or on a cedar plank, it cooks on pineapple sliced longways and arranged side by side on the grate. Probably would try some kind of teriyaki/brown sugar glaze to go on top.