Smoking Meat?

[navychop]

Consider the Kamado Joe series.

Traeger is the brand for pellets. Don’t buy a cheap off brand.

 

[TRG]

Consider the Kamado Joe series.

Traeger is the brand for pellets. Don’t buy a cheap off brand.

I'm leaning towards the Traeger PRO 575 currently.

 

[navychop]

I DK models. But I know the brand has a good reputation.

Pellets might be a bit more expensive than charcoal. And ceramic bodies hold heat better and use less fuel. But upfront $$$.

 

[navychop]

OUCH!

These things don’t get hot enough to do pizza. Pizza really needs 550-600, at least. I have found I am making a lot of pizzas in my smoker. The charcoal and heat, and day (or 2) ahead homemade dough make for great eating.

But if you only need low and slow, no problem.

 

[reubenray]

Don't buy Traeger pellets - they are flavored.

Consider the Kamado Joe series.

Traeger is the brand for pellets. Don’t buy a cheap off brand.

Get real hardwood pellets like from Lumberjack.

 

[navychop]

Absolutely- no soft woods. Fruitwood is good. I use apple chunks a lot with my charcoal.

REAL fruitwood. Not DuPont flavored.

 

[klang]

I'm leaning towards the Traeger PRO 575 currently.

I just bought a Traeger Redland, Costco's version of the Ironwood 650. Seems well built and gets up to temp pretty quick. Been raining so much around here I haven't had much chance to use it so far. I do enjoy the WiFi control from their app.

 

[dfergie]

Fired up the Oklahoma Joe about 10 minutes ago, chuck roast with pecan & hickory... Letting it get going good before putting on grill.

 

[dfergie]

Loosely following this...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHLTtExMzr4&t=26s

 

[dfergie]

Sweet baby rays & beef broth in one pan, homemade & broth in another… give an hour and a half & pull, covered with foil.

 

[TRG]

I'm still kicking tires on the pellet smoker decision. So I'm going primal again today. St Louis cut ribs on lump charcoal and fist size chunks of cherry wood. Normally I'd use hickory or pecan for pork but I don't have any. Cherry will work fine. The thermometer reads 98 degrees so it's good and hot on my patio. But its shaded and I'm drinking plenty of fluids. Not just beer either.

 

[dfergie]

Notes to self, keep better track of temp, use less rub(S,P with less O & G better balance of)... Otherwise pretty good if slightly overcooked and salty. Not much difference in the 2 batches of BBQ sauce.

 

[TRG]

Notes to self, keep better track of temp, use less rub(S,P with less O & G better balance of)... Otherwise pretty good if slightly overcooked and salty. Not much difference in the 2 batches of BBQ sauce.

Do you make your own rub or is it store bought? I make my own and scale back on the salt on account of my blood pressure.

 

[dfergie]

Made my own, hand cracked pepper, sea salt and a little onion & garlic powder with a dash of smoked paprika. (I had way too much salt)

 

[TRG]

Made my own, hand cracked pepper, sea salt and a little onion & garlic powder with a dash of smoked paprika. (I had way too much salt)

Live and learn.

 

[dfergie]

What I did, I seasoned then decided to cube and added more instead of leaving well enough alone...

 

[TRG]

What I did, I seasoned then decided to cube and added more instead of leaving well enough alone...

Ah... we have all fallen into the the more is better mindset and later discovered otherwise.

 

[primestar31]

I have a charcoal smoker, and absolutely HATE it. What's the next step up, that's relatively CHEAP, but you don't have to babysit constantly for 12 hours?

 

[TRG]

I have a charcoal smoker, and absolutely HATE it. What's the next step up, that's relatively CHEAP, but you don't have to babysit constantly for 12 hours?

Pellets but it wont be cheap unless you can find one used.

 

[primestar31]

Pellets but it wont be cheap unless you can find one used.

What about electric? I've seen some neighbors with these smokers that kind of look like little refrigerators. I remember when I was a kid, my dad using an ancient refrigerator as a smoker, he had an electric hotplate in the bottom of it. But, I was too young to care about the rest. New fridges can't do the same, as there's too much plastic in them now.