I smoked my first meal

[firestopper]

Picked up a Traeger at Costco last Thursday along with a couple of different flavors of pellets.
Assembled it and seasoned with the intention of trying it out yesterday. I also picked up a 5 pound brisket flat at Costco.
Having no experience in the art of smoking it went pretty well. I do enjoy cooking and grilling so I used some common sense and all went well.

1) Trimmed the fat from the back side leaving a thin layer. Injected with broth and butter.

2) smoked for 4 hours @ 225º until internal temp reached 165º.

3) Placed in aluminum tray poured the remainder of broth, covered and cooked another 3 hours @ 250º until internal temp reached 205º.

4) Placed the entire sealed tray inside an insulated bag and let sit for one hour to rest.
5) Carved in 1/4" strips against the grain and served with baked sweet potato steak Frys and fresh salad.

Not bad for a novice so any advice is welcomed as I'm always willing to learn. BTW, those jalapeños where awesome.

Happy Easter.

 

[AlaskanWheeler]

Looks pretty text book to me... Traeger is a great all around smoker/convection oven. I've been using mine for a few years now.

 

[JohnVee]

Nice meat, man!

 

[splitshot]

Looks excellent!

 

[firestopper]

I tried my hand at some spare ribs. Took a total of six hours using the 3-2-1 method I found online.

Although tasty, I think I over cooked them slightly. The digital readout on the temp control unit might be off a bit. I didn't use the probe either so there's that. Still juicy and yummy, just wanted to fall apart coming off the grill.

 

[Spike Strip]

Now I'm hungry ....

 

[richardlillard1]

I hope you don’t drag that huge grill with you when you’re camping.

Also, bring yourself up to Phoenix. Don’t forget the meat.

 

[empty80]

Amazingribs.com is a really good resource. It has all sorts of recipes and guidance for selecting meats and smoking.

 

[firestopper]

Amazingribs.com is a really good resource. It has all sorts of recipes and guidance for selecting meats and smoking.

Thanks for the resource. I’ll be looking into this site.

 

[firestopper]

Yesterday I smoked some salmon I picked up at Costco. I used dark brown sugar, Kosher salt and pepper corn to cure the the fish.
After six hours I removed the slabs and rinsed the now wet brine off the pieces. I also noticed how much the pieces of fish had firmed up and became a darker red. I let stand for about 1.5 hours to allow that sticky layer to form ( Pellicle) allowing the smoke to stick.
I used maple, hickory and cherry pellets on this smoke job and it payed off. I smoked it for 75 min with a temp of 170º. With ten minutes remaining I basted them lightly with pineapple/habanero glaze sauce and checked the thickest piece for internal temp of 150º.

I have never been a fan of grilled salmon but this turned out delicious . I'm still playing with the Traeger's temp control but I found using a .556 shell to prop open the lid provided me with a steady 170º-ish temp on smoke mode. I used three different probs to compare the temps in and around the grill. Served with baked cauliflower and sweet potato fries.

I see more salmon in my future.

 

[firestopper]

Still playing with the Traeger, I tried some beer can chicken. It turned out pretty darn tasty if I do say so myself. I soaked the whole bird (5 lbs) in a saltwater brine with a touch of vinegar for about five hours. The grill was loaded with Cherry,Maple and Hickory pellets (same as for the salmon). I smoked for three hours at 350º until the inner thigh reached a temp of 170º.

Served with scalloped potatoes and fresh pinto beans. BTW, the skin was heavenly.

Sprinkled "smokin Butt rub" and loaded in.

Ready to come out and rest for five minutes. Notice how little loss of juices, I think the brine solution helps seal in the skin while still allowing the seasoning/smoke to penetrate. IDK, I'm new to this smoking game but so far so good.

That leg was tasty and the skin was simply awesome.

The rest of the bird will make chicken tacos with fresh pico.

 

[J Mack]

any advice is welcomed as I'm always willing to learn.

Check all things BBQ for some good recipes and cooking techniques. We’ve cooked several of his recipes and they have quickly became our favorites.
The Sauce by All Things BBQ | Rub, Smoke, Eat, Repeat | BBQ Recipes

I printed a copy of this “Smoking Meat Time and Temperature Chart” when I first got my smoker and still use it every time I cook something new. It is a great resource.
Smoking Meat Guide: Smoking Meat, Making Sausage, Making Cheese, Making Jerky, Brewing Beer, Canning, Dehydrating

Check into a Thermapen thermometer, it’s a game changer having an accurate fast thermometer. I spent too much money and time messing around with cheap units.
We cook everything to temperature and modify the times on our “Smoking Meat Time and Temperature Chart” times, we’ve noticed most are reasonably accurate but now that we use the Thermapen we have modified a few.

Classic Super-Fast® Thermapen®

Classic Super-Fast® Thermapen® delivers fast, reliable temperature readings cooks have trusted for years. It provides full readings in 1–2 seconds with ±0.7°F accuracy, so you can check doneness and make adjustments without slowing down. Each unit includes a NIST-traceable calibration...

www.thermoworks.com

If you like to experiment with homemade rubs check out the “More Advanced Blends, Deejay’s Spice Blend Collection, Deejay’s Book of Rubs”
Smoking with Herb and Spice blends Menu: Smoking Meat, Making Sausage, Making Cheese, Making Jerky, Brewing Beer, Canning, Dehydrating

 

[firestopper]

Thanks so much J Mack, looking forward to reading the information and learning.