Most secret recipes I have seen or heard say to add a little LOVE!
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Roy, sometimes the probes location makes a huge difference in the readings. My thought is, your chamber is in the 185f range. Looks like your probes are right near the top of your plate. Not the most accurate place in my opinion. But that would explain why they are reading that way. Now their site says +/- 20 so your temps were in their range of "float". Brother, when cooking with wood/pellets, temps will vary and we just do our best to hold the range we want.
Any grill/smoker has many different heat zones, in your seasoning did you notice the probe side cooking hotter?
I haven't 'seasoned' the grill as it's porcelin coated rods.
As I posted I was surprised at how close the factory probe and my ThermoTemp probe were given that the factory probe is much higher up. I'm thinking that due to the fan constantly moving air that's what makes the readings close.
Anyway as I predicted the salmon warmed perfectly was a huge hit. I've got a whole chicken in a brine of 1/4 cup plain salt and 1/4 cup white sugar in a gallon of water and I'll be baking/roasting it later today.
Happy Easter All!
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Guess what landed at my buddy Ski's place while I was out of town and I picked up earlier today ---------------------------Attachment 305878
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A lot of traditionalists have a problem with electric. I don't. And if you plan on doing cold smoking or any other sausage/charcuterie cooking with it, you need some precision. I wouldn't expect perfection on the temp controls. My Bradley has always been way off. I keep a separate probe inside along with the Bradley probe. Between the two I can tweak the settings to hit the temp I want it at. Nice unit. Now you'll discover how Mother Nature hates smoking. She plans a storm every time I plan to smoke. And electric units don't care much for rain.
Those that know me well know that I like to play--especially with new toys.
I decided to see how the Traeger would work for baking. :hmmm:
I thawed three Rhodes dough balls, then let them warm just a bit then cut them into quarters and once they were pliable I rolled the quarters into balls and placed them into an oiled cast iron muffin pan.
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When they were almost done rising I turned the Traeger on to Smoke and once it was smoking I raised the temp to 350 degs. I found that the unit stays much closer to the higher temp than at the Smoke setting. It only fluctuated about 10 degs up and down and that was according to both probes.
Here's the result after about 25-30 minutes:
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Ok, I was very pleased with the result of that bit of playing. So I turned the unit to the Shut Down Cycle which stopped the supply of pellets but keeps the heating rod red hot and the fan going to clean out the remaining pellets in the burner. It shuts off automatically after 10 minutes.
I'd picked up a whole chicken to see how it would cook. I brined it in a gallon of water with 1/4 cup plain salt and 1/4 cup white sugar for several hours. Once I had it rinsed and dried I seasoned it inside and out then trussed it so it would hold a nice shape.
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Again I got the unit going at the Smoke setting then raised the temp--I cooked it at the 300 deg setting and again it held temp + or - 10 degs. I cooked till the thigh was 165 degs then wrapped the bird in foil and an old towel to rest while I cooked some apple slices in butter and pure maple syrup to go go with some canned baked beans.
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I was very pleased with all of the results. The bread didn't taste 'smokey' and the chicken was done throughout, it was very moist and tender.
I'd call this a successful day of playing here at The Boars Nest. :y
Good on ya, Roy! What "flavor" pellets did you use for the chicken? Same for the rolls?
I've never used anything other than Treager-brand pellets, and it's hard for
me to tell the difference between the various smoke flavors. There are
differences, but they are very subtle.
I'm wondering how to get a more pronounced, say, hickory...or apple...flavor.
Treager insists that we use only their pellets, or the warranty is voided.
Never mind the warranty, I just don't want to damage the thing.
Any suggestions?
We've used our Traeger for 3 years now, and we've cooked just about
everything in it.... burgers, sausages, steaks, fish, chicken, ribs, roasts,
veggies, even a 16lb Thanksgiving turkey, and all the results were delightful.
But we've never tried any sort of bread baking.
I think I'll give cornbread a go next weekend.
By the way, I've found that the temperature regulation fluctuates at the
HIGH end as well as the SMOKE end of the range. Outside air temperature
makes a difference, as well as wind. Mid-range, calm day, and the
temperature is pretty much on the money every time.
Thanks my friend,
I used Apple Pellets for both the rolls and chicken. I'd been using it as a sawdust for my big smoker/I'd tried using it with the pellets intact but that didn't work worth a Tinker's Dam.
I used Bear Mountain pellets. They sell for $9.99 regular price for the 20 lb bag but they run them on sale once in awhile for $1-$2's off. I just double checked and my 3 year warranty doesn't mention anything about the warranty being voided by using non Traeger pellets. I can't imagine how non Traeger pellets could possibly ruin the unit. They all are pretty much the same. Wood a mold to form the pellets and extreme pressure to compress everything. A little water on those Bear Mountain pellets and they start crumbling apart.
While I just got this unit, if it works like other 'smokers' that I've owned and used extensively, I think that by keeping the 'Smoke Setting' for longer periods of time would produce the heavier smoke flavor.
I only tried the Apple on OCD's thoughts about it having a 'sweeter taste' than my go to Hickory that I've used for over 30 years.
About your cornbread. While I couldn't preheat the cast iron muffin pan due to the nature of the bread. If you have a cast iron pan to cook the cornbread batter in be sure to put it in the Traeger when you turn it up to high and let it preheat. Then when you're ready to bake, take the batter outside, remove the pan and quickly spray it well with some oil/OR wipe it with a rag or paper towel with some Crisco or grease of your choice and quickly pour the batter in the pan and put it in the Traeger.
Also make sure that all 'wet' ingredients are at room temp before you make the batter. That will help to keep the heat of the pan up so you get that wonderful crunchy bottom and sides.
I look forward to not only hearing about how it goes but hoping to see some pics also--hint-hint-hint :w
It's a deal, Roy. I have one cast iron wedge pan and another flat cake pan.
I'll try both formats and see how it goes. Cornbread is a favorite around here.
So is cornmeal mush. I made a big batch the other morning, but everyone
dashed out without breakfast, so there was a pot full of left-over. So, I tried one
of my grandmother's tricks:
Make a roll (about 4" thick) with waxed paper and twist the ends shut. Put the
roll in the refrigerator. Next morning, open up the roll (the mush holds together),
and cut into 1" slices. Fry the slices in butter, and serve with maple syrup.
A little bacon on the side never hurts, either.
Looking forward to hearing and seeing how it goes.
Your grandmother must have either been Italian or knew some Italian's as that's exactly how I've been served 'Polenta' but after frying it was served with a red sauce with meat and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
I have also made my regular recipe for cornbread but thinned it out a bit and made 'Corncakes' instead of serving 'Pancakes' and served as you did.
I always keep a roll of polenta in the fridge as a quick go-to base to replace pasta when I don’t feel like steaming up the kitchen boiling water. It also tastes great coated with good olive oil and grilled on the bbq. Crispy on the outside and creamy in the centre.
First and Foremost, I know that this Will Not be the Real Deal. But I want to play a bit before committing to an actual brisket. What I'm trying to simulate is the 'Burnt Ends'.
I failed to take pictures before I put the rub on to show the marbling in the boneless chuck roast. However here's the chuck with the rub on it.
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I'll try to take some pics as it goes along.
Well, it looks good for the start Roy.
Bit 15+ hours after the picture and either the stall was epically long...............or you got done, ate and well, that was that :roflmao
God's honest truth is that after I got the dish done and ate, it was all I could do to get the leftovers put away, the unit covered and get between the sheets before I went to sleep.
I did get some more pics taken but not after they'd simmered in the BBQ sauce--
Quick peek after about an hour--
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After about 4-5 hours and the internal temp was 185 degs:
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Well Dave/Tc--whatcha tink?
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Damn, would you look at that smoke ring?! I can taste it from here! Roy, I've been working up to a brisket for a while now; long overdue-one of these weekends here real soon; takes about an hour a pound on my Arkorn the way I do it. Enjoy that Traeger. I'm kinda interested to know how the food compares to a more old-school smoker?
looking good, like dave said temps vary as the fan kicks in and pellets are fed. and as you know the temp gauge does not read in small increments,, its 25 degrees between ,, if i want 250 then i use 250,, but if im looking for 210 i,m going to be at 225. what matters the most is watch that meats internal,, 185 is good,, myself i would have got her off the grill at 170, if you were making burn ins they go back on, so i stop around 150=160 they cut up and sauce in the pan and back on the grill the smoke ring is looking great. also, seasoning a grill is not all about the grates its the whole inside of the grill, the grill we have out on the location is so well seasoned and never over cooked that it imparts flavor that hard to match, if the works go well buy parts and keep the drum. my Traeger i bought had several packages of bacon smoke on it, its the fat and i doused them in lots of seasoning, it wasnt for eating, just getting the grill right
as to the chicken its a great seasoner too, cause of the grease sweat going on in the grill. and if you havent noticed no more flare ups! cook chicken with no worries, same thing for burgers, this grill really woke me up, and by the way its not an elctric grill, its still using wood, only electric feeds the pellets and runs the fan after it ignites the pellets, the smoke is so consistent you just cant knock it. and remember i,m a traditionalist, ive been in the world championship bbq in memphis several times, but i love it, plus they let you use pellet cookers now cause its still wood fire
So far and the best I can tell, the food is very comparable as far as flavor, tenderness and moistness.
With that said, I've never cooked a roast in any of the smokers that I've had so this was virgin territory.
My neighbor across the street recently had a problem with his car and was going to take it to a shop. I saw he was home and I went over to see what the shop had said it was and low and behold he'd bought the Craftsman copycat of the Traeger so I helped him get it put together and going. While there were a few differences in things like the wheels, smokestack location and such it was damn near like the Traeger Pro as it had the two plug ins for probes, an evacuation door to change out pellets etc.
Even the instructions for the first firing and break in were almost word for word with what came with mine.
He stumbled upon it when he'd gone in to see if they had belts for his lawn tractor. It was about $500 regular price but they had them marked down 50%. While it was burning off the manufacturing oil I had a couple of beers while he enjoyed some Rum and Coke.
My only concern with the copy cat would be with replacement parts and customer service---------------
My only complaint about our Traeger is that we have to dismantle
the "Hot section" and vacuum out the ashes quite frequently. It's
good for about 2 cooking sessions, but after that the fan starts
blowing ashes all over everything.
Small price to pay, I suppose, but it is a nuisance.
Thanks for the reminder Paul. I was going to check and see how much ash there was after about 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 hours of usage/that would include the rolls, chicken and imitation burnt ends but spaced it off.
Here's what I found.
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I didn't find any ash on the stainless piece that directs the grease etc away to the bucket and there wasn't any ash on the beef last night so it looks like I cleaned it before it got carried away.
Nice new rig Roy!
Looking forward to the experiments.
All pellet coolers have ash they burn it down to almost nothing. But I have smoked on it all week before vacuuming.
I am just glad it is not a sin to covet another mans smoker.
:rofl2::rofl2::roflmao:roflmao
That looks great Roy!!!!
And really glad you enjoyed it :tu
My curing chamber has gone through a transformation as of late. So much has come out at once that as I was taking one batch out, I was putting another in. I actually used the “skins” from a couple items to flake over the new stuff so my mold culture would continue on. My ambition has increased an I’m a little concerned that I’m up for it. I’m working with the same cuts but they are legit. It’s the full neck muscle from the hog, not the leftovers that some meth head working deli/meat at the grocery store left unhacked. These are legit shoulders, left unhacked from Berkshire pork. They are bigger than what I’m used to. My camber is really full and I’m thinking I need to up the humidity since these will be long term projects. Cure times are also an area of imprecision. Some say a week in salt, others say two for bigger cuts. But the upper limit is not set. I did three weeks on two of them. Two weeks on the smaller of them. I’m also branching out. The largest, riskiest of them is being prepped for a specific flavor profile. My salt was infused with Madeira wine. The salt is moistened with a small amount of Madeira and allowed to evaporate for about a week until dry. I used white pepper for its funky, fermented taste. And I used about 1.5% of dried mushroom powder and just a touch of smoked paprika. It’s been washed in Madeira, wrapped, tied, and hung to dry. I hope to finish it with a wash of truffle infused cognac and a vacuum seal rest for a month or more before eating it. A lot can go wrong and I’m prepared for the inevitable failure. But for the sake of learning, I hope to make it through.
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I have a Traeger too, dealing with the ash is a small price to pay for how easy it makes smoking. One thing that makes a big difference for cleaning it is lining the grease tray with tin foil if you aren’t already. And if you are doing an overnight cook make sure you have enough pellets, I slept through my middle of the night mopping and ran out of fuel. It was a bummer to say the least.
This Lonza came out yesterday. It tastes great.
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That looks mighty tasty
Congrats Roy, I've been cooking/smoking on a pellet pooper for some time now, there was not a single thing I did not like that came off it.
The latest were reverse seared pork chops. Here is the recipe: Videos: Reverse Seared Butterflied Pork Chop with Pan Sauce | The Sauce by All Things BBQ
Also take a look at Lumber Jack Pellets and PelletHeads Pellets. Great variety and all natural wood. Don't subscribe to the Traeger marketing scam that you only have to purchase their pellets!
Cheers Friend!
Thanks my friend,
So far I've really been enjoying it. With that said, I can see ending up owning stock in some pellet manufacturing company :w And I fully understand the 'Marketing Hype' that goes with so many things. I can understand wanting to have people use your products to either use or maintain what was purchased from them. It just makes good business 'cents'.
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Good Sale On Instant Read Probes at Thermoworks! :tu
http://marketing.thermoworks.com/pub...012f5a4420386c.
Roy have you looked into buying others pellets? I don’t buy traeger pellets, my go to is Pitt boss competition blend 40# bags when on sale, there are others out there you can get too, some in bulk, Lowe’s always has a sale on the 40# bags at this time of the year, I just picked up 6 bags they were 14.78 I believe.
Now tommorow I go to my butcher to pick up my 2 briskets I ordered in prime and trimmed to my liking, 4 pork shoulders, 6 racks baby backs, and 10# of brats with jalapeño and cheese, have to get those briskets and shoulders seasoned and back in the cooler wrapped in plastic to sweat. Midnight Sunday/ Monday I’ll get everything on the grills. Got all the kids and friends coming, and my grandson is in from Iraq, so big party. And Sunday morning a club poker run, I think this s a big weekend for me. Plus I came up with a drink all the girls like, gotta make a couple gallons!
I LOVE mine. I actually bought one for a friend a few months ago when they were 15% off.
I use their 'Smoke' and I also Highly Recommend it.
https://www.thermoworks.com/Smoke
My neighbor bought the Craftsman knock off Traeger and while it has the plugins for probes his didn't come with them (the probes). They offered the Smoke at 15% off and I sent him the link but he wouldn't buy it as it wasn't 'Wi-Fi' hell it comes with a remote to tell you what the temps are and when they reach temp (an alarm sounds).
I just don't' understand some people and their need for 'Tech'. Attachment 307313
I have my probes on my phone. :nono:
I was at WalMart the other day and found that they had 40lb Pit Boss Competition for about $13-$14 and was going to ask if that was a decent price. I won't actually buy them. I'll meet Ski there as he's from Oregon and is tax exempt. WA tax including local tax is almost 10% so it adds up.
With that said, it sounds like a Wonderful Family Get Together. Especially with your grandson landing from Iraq :tu
Jumped the gun:
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Wife’s family is in town but is leaving Sunday so we decided to do a big dinner tonight. I tended the pit all last night then got up a 5 for work, it’s a good thing we have a 3 day weekend so I can recover.
TC, thank your grandson for his service,for me. And thank you to those that served, and those who served and never made it home.