This thread will be dedicated to the fine art of barbeque. I purchased this piece of culinary equipment Friday. For its maiden voyage, we will be cooking spatchcock chicken this afternoon.
Attachment 537
Printable View
This thread will be dedicated to the fine art of barbeque. I purchased this piece of culinary equipment Friday. For its maiden voyage, we will be cooking spatchcock chicken this afternoon.
Attachment 537
I saw one of those yesterday, Jarid, and thought of you. I love barbecuing but so far have mastered only the standard Weber gas grill. I am due for anew one and Father's Day is coming, so I hope to learn a lot here in a short space of time. The Traeger in your photo does both barbecuing and smoking, right?
EDIT: I should add that I grew up BBQing on a Weber kettle, then graduated to a gas grill, so smokers a new to me. This Yelp page was pretty educational for me. One comment:
EDIT 2: This web page offers a great Traeger summary. Now I want one!Quote:
Well, there is grilling, bbq'ing and smoking and you want different equipment for different manners of cooking. I did take the leap and purchased the Traeger that Costco was selling at an unbeatable price. It is beautiful. It sat on my deck for 3 weeks before I delved into cooking on it.
My first meal cooked on it was a feast. I figured if I was going to fire it up and use the fairly expensive pellets to cook, I would fill up the girll. I cooked up a gorgeous albacore tenderloin, several chicken legs and a pile of veggies, all at different times and the albacore and chicken with different marinades. My life in the kitchen is changed. Everything will go on the Traeger unless the weather is terribly inclement. I LOVE OUR TRAEGER!!!
I am hoping to build an Ugly Drum Smoker this summer. I have been smoking on my Weber kettle so far. Its a lot of fun. BBQ Brethren forum is an excellent resource for all things bbq
:facepalm:Quote:
Originally Posted by LA Ute
I know a website with thousands of posts and photos about cooking with a pellet grill.
Right - I never really paid much attention to it but I knew the name Traeger, so when I saw a grill with that name yesterday I began to get interested. I'll check the CS thread out.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski
EDIT: Only 778 posts.
The inaugural firing was a success.
I started by breaking down the birds spatchcock style(actually did half-spatch on the advice that it would be easier to handle on the grill).
Attachment 538
I then brined them overnight with a mixture of salt, sugar, minced garlic, and water. I like using the gallon ziplock bags to avoid contaminating the cooler.
Attachment 539
Attachment 540
After the overnight brine, I pat them dry and applied the Traeger chicken rub that came free with the smoker.
Attachment 541
On to the grill
Attachment 542
I cooked at 325 until 130 degrees in the breast, then bumped up to 375 until 160. I mopped with Italian dressing twice during the process.
Attachment 543
The flavor was great, the skin didn't get quite as crisp as I would like. Probably due to the mop. The Traeger rub is a little salty as well. But overall, everyone loved it. A passion is born.
Nope. Thousands. For reference, here are some of the more popular threads:Quote:
Originally Posted by LA Ute
http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthr...t-a-new-smoker
http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthr...ing-with-DT)-)
http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthr...or-smoked-ribs
http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthr...ed-Pork-Thread
http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthr...Brisket-Thread
http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthr...Tri-Tip-thread
http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthr...chcock-Chicken
http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthr...on-the-Traeger
http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthr...ial-ABT-thread
http://www.cougarstadium.com/showthr...y-to-make-them
Uncle! UNCLE!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Lebowski
LAU :flamethrower: JL
Congrats JIC and welcome to the brotherhood. We did crab legs and beef tenderloin. When asked how she wanted it prepared my wife responded with, "I don't care as long as it is not smoked." That comment almost started an argument and would have if it was not Mothers Day.
http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/fi...y-emoticon.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by FN Phat
That got an actual LOL out of me. I don't know how you defused that situation, but I commend you. I pan seared some thick rib-eyes made some hashbrowns, and scrambled eggs for her. She was pleased.
I've never followed the BBQ/grilling threads and know little about the whole smoker scene. I'm a basic gas griller. I am now a willing smoker pupil, however.Quote:
Originally Posted by FN Phat
Twp marinades I used over the weekend that were really good:
Hot Sauce Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil3 tablespoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Lemon Pepper marinade:
1 TBS of Lemon Rinds grated
3 TBS of Olive Oil
3 TBS of Lemon Juice
1 TBS of Ground pepper
2 Teaspoons of Garlic
(I think that was it on that one)
Both were really good though, I'd especially recommend trying the first one if you like things with a little kick.
You will absolutely love the traeger. My wife continues to tell me it is the best culinary investment I have made.
For Mothers day, I ended up cooking for 3 families. My own little family and 2 other families in my ward whose dad's had one or more things going on that ended up not allowing them to cook dinner for their families. I went with pulled pork and smoked 3 pork shoulders. One per family, they needed some leftovers for the week.
It ended up being the best I have done so far. I had 3 bone in shoulders, all 3 weighed around 7 pounds. On Saturday night I trimmed the fat, applied a good amount of rub to the three of them and threw them back in the fridge. Woke up on Sunday morning at 7, turned the smoker on to 225. Had a mixture of pecan and mesquite pellets in the hopper. Put the butts on around 7:15. When I got home from church at 12:20ish, the internal temp on all 3 was around 170 degrees. I lightly squirted the pork with apple juice every 30 minutes until the internal temp hit 199 at 3. I then foiled it and put it in the oven at 170 until 5:15. I only let it rest for about 15 minutes before I started pulling it apart. I promised them we would deliver it at 6. It shredded perfectly. moist and tender with a ton of flavor. The bark was crispy and tasty. It was a hit.
I need to do a better job taking pictures of the product. That helps tell the story.
Pics dammit!
Jarid - which model is your traeger?
The Texas grill.Quote:
Originally Posted by OrangeUte
I'm getting the lil tex elite. Texas was a little bigger than I need and the jr was way too small. Wife agrees it will be a welcome edition to the family.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jarid in Cedar
What do you guys think of the combo grill and smoker setups that are out there? I saw one yesterday that looked good. I've been grilling for so long that I don't want to give up that option.
Yeah, I am worried about the same thing. But the one I saw was a smoker on one side and a grill on the other. Here's a description:Quote:
Originally Posted by sancho
http://www.osh.com/eng/product/smoke..._grill/6867378
It's kind of a monster but it does do everything.
EDIT: Looks like too much work:
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/1...-1-combo-grill
What Sancho said. I have a Trager Texas, UDS, Bradley electric smoker, and a Solaire gas grill with an IR burner and use all of them. I use the gas grill for high temp stuff and the Trager for most smoking. I just added the UDS and am really liking it too.
You can get temps up to 450 or 500 on a Trager but it really goes through the pellets. Some of the higher end pellet grills are insulated and can go higher. If you are set on just one unit, take a look at the Memphis Grill. It is one of these.
The lil Tex Elite is the perfect size if you don't cook for huge groups on a regular basis. I can smoke a whole brisket, a few pork shoulders, or up 4 racks of ribs (without stands) at a time on mine. I'm very happy with it.Quote:
Originally Posted by OrangeUte
This is great information, thanks. I just checked out the Memphis Grills. Higher-end is right! Attachment 568Quote:
Originally Posted by FMCoug
Kamado. The versatility is arguably its greatest advantage. I can smoke pork shoulders for 16 hours at 225F, I can grill burgers at normal grill temps, and I can sear a steak or fire a pizza at around 900F. If you're looking for a legitimate smoker with the most versatility, the kamado is it. If you're looking to flip a switch and be done, the kamado - although very easy to operate - is not the best option.Quote:
Originally Posted by LA Ute
This looks like a very appealing option. Is it true that you're ready to cook in 15 minutes? If so, I could see myself giving up my gas barbecue. It looks like if you just want to grill, you can get to the right temperature simply by controlling the airflow. Do you use the special natural wood charcoal they offer?Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Public
Hard to argue, especially when you consider the price.Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe Public
Looks like it's possible to spend a lot of money on one of those as well....Quote:
Originally Posted by FN Phat
Its all relative. A man of your stature shall not be bothering by such trivial matters.Quote:
Originally Posted by LA Ute
I have all 3 smokers running today. :)
I thought this thread was about smoking cigarettes. I was wondering what the pictures of chickens would show. If anyone has a tip for how to quit smoking (particularly when your spouse also smokes) pass them along.