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I've been smoking things in Brinkmann water smokers for a few years now. I want to step up a level and take ribs and pulled pork to the next level. The other day at Costco, I drat near bought a Traeger pellet grill. A little poking around has shown that there are some pretty terrible recent reviews of them, though, attributing issues to Chinese manufacture and poor quality control. I really would like to have some kind of set-it-and-forget-it control, but I am also not averse to buying some drums and welding something up, using an off-the-shelf pit controller. So what's the right move? Traeger? Homebuilt? (I'm not really that nerdy that I want to build my own controller, though) Big Green Egg? Cabinet smoker?
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Apr 22, 2012 18:12
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Cool, thanks for the input. I will look into those two brands and see what grabs me. A friend had an electric Brinkmann and he said it burned out elements on a pretty aggressive schedule; obviously, the cheap smokers are built to a different standard, but how has element life been for you and your BIL?
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Apr 23, 2012 17:52
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I have good results with quicker-cooking things on my charcoal water smokers - beef tri-tips take about 60-90 minutes, salmon fillets about 50-60 minutes, etc. That's a great way to ease into things. The long cooks required for ribs, butts, etc. are not really hard work, but do require partial attention for a long period of time, which can be a hassle.
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Apr 25, 2012 22:02
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As a followup to my previous posts in this thread: I've been looking into a few electric smokers, and while I don't doubt that goons have had good results with them, reviews in various places have been... mixed. And, I have to admit, the idea of an electric smoker seems somehow disconnected to me. So I am back to wood-or charcoal-fired smokers. Big Green Egg just seems a little expensive for what it is. I've already been through two Brinkmann charcoal smokers. I could weld up something out of some steel drums and various pieces of plate, but that seems like a lot of bother for uncertain results. Maybe what I need is something that is a smaller step up than I had originally suggested. One thing that catches my eye is the 18" WSM, possibly with the addition of a pit controller of some kind for better temperature control. Or maybe I just need to man up and find someone with a plasma cutter to make the fabrication of the drum smoker less laborious. gently caress, I dunno. What other suggestions do you guys have?
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Apr 28, 2012 03:13
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PhotoKirk posted:How much do you want to spend? Honestly, if I knew the Traeger was going to be a solid piece of work, I would spend a grand on it. I mentioned a little earlier that I had seen some reports of shoddy workmanship on the newer ones, though. How has yours been? Happy with it? I had in mind the ~$800 Lil Tex Elite for the digital thermostat.
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Apr 30, 2012 02:07
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Does anyone here have experience with Green Mountain Grills? These are pellet-type grill/smokers similar to Traeger. I just discovered a dealer near me and am going to give the unit a once-over.
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Oct 22, 2012 15:38
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That's basically what I do. A lot of people think it's an odd cut to smoke (and it kind of is, because it's tender enough to use for grilling), but I think it's delicious. I put on a Santa Maria rub overnight and then smoke it.
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Jul 5, 2013 20:57
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jonathan posted:It seems counter productive in the Darwinian sense. Actually, it seems productive in the Darwinian sense: unhappy mate = fewer chances to reproduce.
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May 22, 2014 18:01
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I just picked up a used Traeger on Craigslist. I have some baby back ribs ready to go, and I made some Memphis Dust after the amazingribs recipe. I'm planning on 4 to 5 hours at about 225, and while I'm not planning on foiling, I'll be ready if they seem to be getting too dry, maybe 3-.5-.5 or 3-1-1. Does all that seem reasonable? Anything in particular I should watch out for?
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Jul 12, 2014 00:26
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It would be hard to go wrong with a rub of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and a little cayenne or chipotle.
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Sep 18, 2014 23:25
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Rand alPaul posted:I went with a variation on this and it was terrific. The crust was lacking because of no sugar, but the meat tasted great. That's basically a Santa Maria tri-tip rub; it's really flexible and works great on beef, chicken, low temps, high temps, whatever.
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Oct 2, 2014 18:03
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BraveUlysses posted:I'm going to try spatchcock this year I'm going to do that on the Traeger this weekend to see how it works out. I have a 15-ish pound bird defrosting now, and the wife was talking about buying a few more birds while they are cheap - 57 cents a pound.
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Nov 6, 2014 02:39
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Well, my wife insisted we cook the turkey today rather than waiting for the weekend. I cut the backbone out with the poultry shears and splayed it out. Here it is after about 90 minutes at not quite 450 on the Traeger.
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Nov 7, 2014 01:44
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Early results are quite promising. I've already boned and sliced the breasts into a container, and disjointed the legs and wings into another. Slices of breast are not dried out, and the wing I ate was wonderful. All the skin on the thing is crispy, too. The bones I've taken out so far have been bagged in the freezer for stock.
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Nov 7, 2014 02:22
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Apparently it is for spatchcocked turkeys. If you were doing a traditional roast without the butterflying, I think the usual is 350 for several hours.
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Nov 7, 2014 05:48
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I have these shears: https://www.amazon.com/Wusthof-5558-1-Come-Apart-Kitchen-Shears/dp/B0000631ZM/ They were good enough at cutting parallel to the backbone that I would be fine using them once a year or so. If I were doing it a lot (and this seems so excellent I might start doing chickens this way also), I'd probably buy some real poultry shears. These OXO ones look like they should be a good bet: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Spring-Loaded-Poultry-Shears/dp/B000PGG7ZQ/ As to temperatures, I think the USDA is way conservative (because they have to be) about temperatures. I think the 165 thigh/150 breast thing is going to be just fine, especially given that you want to tent the thing on the cutting board for 10-15 minutes before slicing it anyway. That said, I overshot a bit because I got busy, and the bird turned out just fine - not too dry anywhere. Jo3sh fucked around with this message at 19:06 on Nov 7, 2014 |
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Nov 7, 2014 19:01
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sellouts posted:Why cook at 275? Fire up a grill to 450 and get crispy skin while the bird is done in 2hrs or so. While it's not possible on all rigs, a spatchcocked turkey at 400 to 450 is a thing of beauty. I've done two since halloween on my pellet smoker, and they've both been great. Making soup this evening from the stock I made from the carcasses.
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Nov 24, 2014 21:13
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Smoked salmon has become one of the go-to entrees for company. So drat easy, amazingly delicious, and always well-received. I usually just put a little Aleppo pepper and some back pepper on the salmon, put the fillet on a piece of parchment, and throw it on. You can use any spicing you like, or none, though.
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Dec 15, 2014 18:57
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Bacon is usually cured with a mixture of salt and curing salt. Personally, I'd also use a ton of black pepper and maybe some brown sugar or molasses.
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Jan 15, 2015 03:12
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His Divine Shadow posted:That's a buncha beans, some onions, jalapenos and a bell pepper, they turn out very well IMO. I like them on the sweet side so I add a bit of sugar or molasses. So just I am understanding this correctly, is this something like what you do? Canned beans - say pintos or kidneys or something, but not sauced beans like premade BBQ beans. Do you drain these, or use them with the liquid from the can? Chopped up onions and peppers Molasses or (brown) sugar Stick all of this in a foil tray underneath something fatty on the smoker to collect smoke and drippings. 'Cause drat it, this sounds really good and now I want to go get a shoulder just so I can make some beans.
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Apr 18, 2015 16:14
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His Divine Shadow posted:^^^ I think some beer in there would be good too. OK, I'm doing this soon. Maybe not this weekend, but probably next at the latest. Thanks! EDIT: Seems we're on tomorrow. Went to the local carniceria and picked up a small butt for $1.99/lb. Then I went to the regular grocery store and saw they had butts for $1.79/lb., so I bought one there, too. Now I have a butt rubbed in the fridge and another one in the freezer for next time. Jo3sh fucked around with this message at 00:38 on Apr 19, 2015 |
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Apr 18, 2015 22:47
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Jo3sh posted:So just I am understanding this correctly, is this something like what you do? Late update - these beans were loving fantastic. 2.5 pound can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed. Big onion, diced. Some cloves of garlic, chopped. Red bell pepper, diced. One large jalapeno, diced - could go more here, but had guests who prefer mild food. Could also use other chiles, cock sauce or whatever - or leave 'em out if you like not-hot. Spoonful of tomato paste. Pint mild beer. Half pint water. Some brown sugar. Some ground cumin. All of the above in a foil tray. I found a rack that fit nicely on top of said tray and put the butt on top of that. Beans were on for about 5 or six hours - checked them for moisture and gave them a stir at about 4 hours. Jo3sh fucked around with this message at 18:27 on Apr 27, 2015 |
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Apr 27, 2015 18:06
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Based on my very limited experience, precooked (not just soaked) or canned beans are the way to go here.
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May 1, 2015 00:02
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For slicers, the Chef's Choice 615 is pretty decent for a home model: http://www.amazon.com/Chefs-Choice-Premium-Electric-Slicer/dp/B0058VCYWS/ There are a few other models that are a little less, but the 615 has a more powerful motor, which might mean it would last longer.
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Jun 19, 2015 03:15
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Well, I've just been informed that the 'cue on the 4th will come with guests; that I'm making pulled pork; and that we should eat around 3 in the afternoon. So here's my plan: The day before, I'll rub up a couple of shoulders. I'll stay up late (2-3 o'clock) and put them on the Traeger at 225 when I can no longer stay awake. I'll leave the pellets out where the wife can get at them and ask her to refill the hopper when she rises around 6. I'll get up around 8 or 9, fill the hopper again, and check on everything. Then I'll set up the beans in foil pans and put them under the meat to catch drippings. When the meat hits an internal temp of 190 or so, I'll pull the shoulders, wrap them in foil, and stick them in a cooler to stay hot and rest. The beans will get covered with foil and left on the grill to keep warm. There will probably be a few minor things (not sure what yet) on there as well for the party. The wife tells me she's making slaw, potato salad, and nectarine pie. I have homebrew on tap and will probably also pick up some commercial beer. Any major flaws or omissions in my plan? I really, really don't want to have to push the eating time back too much if I can help it.
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Jun 29, 2015 18:19
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sellouts posted:Do you really have to fill the hopper every 3 hours on a traeger at 225? Nah, it's good for 6 to 8 hours easy, but topping up the hopper is easy, so there's no reason not to do it. At the moment, it looks like we have 9 for dinner, but the idea (as always in my family) is to make too much food. EDIT: Just found out in the last 10 minutes that the guest list has grown to 12. Might be 15 by the time the 4th rolls around. Jo3sh fucked around with this message at 15:02 on Jun 30, 2015 |
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Jun 30, 2015 14:51
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Cool, thank you all for chiming in. I feel much better now that my plan has been tuned up a bit. I've also warned my neighbor that the smoker will be running, so no need to call the fire department if he sees or smells smoke.
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Jul 2, 2015 21:41
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Also, BBQ is meat-centric and prices for good pork and beef are only going up.
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Jul 3, 2015 17:46
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Well, the shoulders hit 201 at about 12.5 hours at 225. They're
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Jul 4, 2015 19:37
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Traegers, especially with the Traeger brand pellets, do seem to give a milder smoke flavor than other methods I have used. Use a good, flavorful rub and start the shoulders (I use a variant of Meathead's Memphis rub) at 225 at least 12 hours before you want to eat. Mine took about 12.5 hours to hit 201 internal. I have a Texas and it would have no issue accommodating 25-30 pounds of shoulders (that is, 4-6 good size pieces), but if you're on a smaller unit, you may have issues. The nice thing about the Traeger is that you can start the cook and then go to sleep without having to tend the fire. If the meat's done early, wrap in foil and towels and put in a cooler until just before eating time, then shred them up. If you want more smoke flavor, you can use a 100% flavor wood pellet, or you can add an AMAZEN smoker or similar. Oh, and a full bag (20#) is good for a 12-hour cook. I figure I used a little more than a pound an hour for my recent overnight. On the off chance that you run out of fire, foil 'em and put 'em in the oven at 225-250 until done, then into the cooler to rest until eating time. Jo3sh fucked around with this message at 02:30 on Jul 9, 2015 |
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Jul 9, 2015 02:28
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| # ¿ May 3, 2024 15:06 |
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sellouts posted:Someone gifted me a rub to use today on some ribs so I did. It's not your palate that's hosed up; it's everyone else's. And it's not just BBQ rubs, either - there's a fuckload of salt in drat near everything. It's a fast, easy, and cheap way for food manufacturers to make bad things taste good, because we're wired to crave salt by our biochemistry. That trick has been used so much that we eat way more salt than is really needed, and people think that's what good food tastes like. I do put some salt in my homemade rib rub, but it's way less than most of the other ingredients and a tiny fraction of the overall batch. On your bottled rub, I'd guess salt at or near the top of the list.
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Aug 17, 2015 17:50
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