jbenham

How do you like your pellet grill. It's pretty popular up here. I would have liked one but we really don't have the room for it.

olbriar

I have to admit... I love it! I've only used the Traeger I got a year ago so I'm not a source for this one is better than that. The pellet grill overall is a good tool. It does it's job well. I doubt seriously if it can be classed in the same category as a wood burning two stage smoker... but hey, it works great for me. The best part for a novice smoking enthusiast is having the ability to set the grill at a given temperature and having the grill maintain that temp. It takes an entire learning process out of the loop for smoking. I know what temp I want... I set it.. I walk away.
With wood I would have to be present during the smoking process to make certain my coals and vents were keeping my temps right.

The smoke from a pellet grill is far more flexible to the novice smoker as well. Just buy this bag or that or pellets and you are set. It's not like you have to find a source for apple logs or hickory logs etc. They burn clean and there is not much for maintenance. They produce a lot of smoke at lower temps... the higher the temp.. the less smoke. It's ideal for smoking a few hours on low temp and then turning the temp up to finish off the project.

Another neat thing about a pellet grill is it is also a grill. You can turn the temps up and grill a steak or burger just like a gas grill. You don't have that direct flame heat so there is no flaming up. You can grill a burger without even turning it over. The convection heat cooks from all sides.
You can even bake a cake in the darn thing lol. I still flip my burgers and steaks... but I don't watch over them like I did with my gas grill.

The down side if any is it's expense. The cost of fuel is more than LP. It's not so much different that I'm concerned about it. It does cost more to run. I've only had my grill a year so I can't speak about how long lasting the grill might be. So far, I've had zero problems with it with heavy use.

It is not likely the smoker/grill to run all other options out of town but it's an easy tool to master.

__________________
Site Rules/How To Use Android Forums

NightAngel79

Getting close to time to fire that grill back up!! i REALLY NEED TO DO A THOROUGH CLEANING OF THAT SUCKER THIS YEAR THOUGH.

i BOUGHT ALL THE STUFF TO DO IT LAST YEAR BUT NEVER USED IT.. :P

Stupid caps lock! Sorry for yelling!

(headed to the registry to finally disable that damn thing!)

__________________

Sync your files online and across computers with Dropbox. 2.5GB account is free! And get extra free space from referrals - Just click here and sign up
Site Rules/Guidelines and Zero Tolerance Policy
GameFans - All things Gaming!

kymberlin

I am 100% into wood smoking. It is part of the process of smoking meat. There are multiple places in the US that brutally ban wood fire and that would be about the only time I would consider anything other than wood. Just my opinion is all. Once you get the hang of true wood, it's really not that much work. Invest in a good thermometer that will notify you if the temp drops to low.

BTW, made some mango chilpotle wings today.... Let's just say OMG.!

__________________
I really can't walk the walk.... or talk the talk, but if you need someone to drink the drink.... I'm your girl!

Last edited by kymberlin; March 3rd, 2013 at 05:59 PM.

olbriar

I tried something new for me today. I grilled out some lobsters. I wanted to smoke them but after playing with the idea a while I just grilled them. They didn't turn out fantastic but was fun for something different. I kept them brushed with butter a few times while grilling. It wasn't KC strips but was ok for something different.

breadnatty08

^ Look at you, rich man.
Did you go low and slow or blast em high?
We just started grilling a couple of the new antipasti dishes we have.
-Grilled asparagus with frisee, boiled egg and a pork vinaigrette.
-Grilled artichokes with, ah man I forget. I know they're delicious though.

__________________
New to the forum? Check out the FAQ
Site Rules
Problematic Posts -> hit that Report button

olbriar

My food budget went from feeding four to two last year. So we splurge on the weekends and treat ourselves to something special. Naturally, the rest of the week is crackers and water. It's near impossible to grill crackers.

The grill was at 350f and they cooked for 11-12 minutes. The other grilling option I read was 250f for around 30 minutes. I might try that next time. More time... more butter.

pbf98

I love grilling, but man when you add more than one thing to the grill I get lost fast. I can not manage multiple foods on a grill haha.

I can't wait for the weather to warm up here so I can get out there and start grillin!

pastafarian

I would think that if you wanted a smoke flavor with lobster, you would have to cold smoke. Lobster just too delicate for hot smoke By the time you got any smoke flavor into the lobster, you would probably have a rubber texture.

__________________
The RULES, follow them and prosper!

Did you forget to kiss a Mod today?

olbriar

I drew the same conclusion. There is a fine line between done and over cooked with lobster. Smoking lobster would be near impossible to pull them at the right time... and they would have little smoke about them.

olbriar

Tonight I'm grilling some boneless skinless chicken thighs. Butter, honey, garlic salt, and a touch of poultry seasoning will be the mop.

Tomorrow is smoke day. I'm doing some pulled pork. Was going to do a brisket until I saw the price. The shoulder was on sale and looked great. I will smoke up some beans and do some potato salad as well. Dang, I've made myself hungry.

jbenham

Must be warmer in Oz. We still have a couple feet of snow on the ground and temps in the teens.

pastafarian

And that stops you from grilling? tsk tsk!

Rxpert83

This photo accurately sums up the cars outside my Window.



Maybe exaggerated slightly, but the cars are frozen.

Only the George foreman gets used

pastafarian

A good place to store beer!

And my kids call the Forman grill the grilled cheese machine, because that's all its used for.

olbriar

It was in the thirties with winds gusting 20-30 mph That's a beautiful day to smoke some pork. The plus side of a pellet smoker is you set the temp and walk away. Even in the most extreme weather, smoking is no chore. You run out every hour or so and spray a little apple juice on the shoulder and run back in lol. My patio is covered so I've grilled and smoked in the worst of elements.

When my daughters were still home, they grilled with the Forman all of the time. They loved grilling boneless skinless chicken breasts all decorated in their magical concoctions and have it with or in a salad. It was their thing... I think it went to AZ. when the last one left home

I love your kids calling it the grilled cheese machine... That reminds me of my father calling his microwave the popcorn machine.

Last edited by olbriar; March 13th, 2013 at 09:23 PM.

jbenham

You know, I thought of that too. Reading olbriar's posts just makes you want to get out there and grill. But we just got back from vacation and there is nothing in the house to grill. -2 degrees this morning. Somebody please shoot the groundhog.

pastafarian

Then you'd have something to grill!

olbriar

Has anyone here tried smoking country style spare ribs? I'm not certain what sort of pork they are even. They are cut in rib like portions and have no bone. I've grilled them often and they are tasty... much like a chop. I thought about smoking some. I'm thinking it shouldn't take but three hours or perhaps four. Any thoughts?

pastafarian

I've never tried to smoke country style ribs and have only eaten them once. From what I remember, they were relatively lean, which might be a problem. I tried to smoke pork chops once and they came out a little tough and dry even though temp was dead on. Maybe a bit of bacon to add fat? I'd certainly wrap them up after an hour or so of smoke to keep in moisture (didn't do that with the chops). Either way, go for it! I'd love to know what results you get.

olbriar

They are lean... very lean in fact. I hadn't considered a bacon wrap but that would be the ticket. Thanks..
It will have to wait another weekend. I forgot about Sunday being St Patty's Day. I'll have to have my corn beef and cabbage

olbriar

I have my ribs rubbed down and ready to smoke tomorrow. It's been a while since I smoked some ribs. Man I can't wait. I almost bought some baby backs. I've never smoked them before. Anyone have a prefered method for bb ribs?

pastafarian

The biggest difference between spares and baby backs is size. An hour less or so on the pitt. They're usually leaner, so wrapping in foil (the Texas crutch) with a little mop or juice to braise for the last hour or so usually doesn't hurt.

olbriar

The only baby backs I've eaten were served in a sweet glaze. They weren't bad at all. I fix my spare ribs with a fairly hot sweet rub. I have been finishing them up wrapped in foil with some apple juice. I'm smoking with apple. I didn't know if the same treatment would work for the baby backs.

pastafarian

For casual parties where people tend to stand and eat, I tend to do baby backs because they're a little more finger friendly. For sit down diners, I much prefer St Louis cut spares (I'm not a fan of gnawing tine bones). The spares have a bit more fat (flavor) and a lot more meat. Rub, sauce (if any) and method don't change because of the cut.

Lucked into a full brisket (almost impossible to find here) and a point at the butcher. Brisket samiches and burnt ends next weekend!!!!

jbenham

Nothing special here, but Spring hasn't quite arrived, but baseball season has.

olbriar

You gotta love grilling in the snow. I had a thunderstorm roll through while I was smoking yesterday. Was very happy to have a cover over the patio.

jbenham

Okay, what were you smoking? Had to be better then my brats and hot dogs. Although these were Klements Bratwursts, second only to Usingers in quality and taste if you are limited to American. The absolute best bratwursts are in Colberg Germany.

New addition to the grill, the light that goes on when the lid is open, essential in the winter when it is dark before 5:00.

olbriar

I was smoking a couple of racks of ribs. I tried something a bit different for me. I normally smoke em low and slow. This time I kept the temp around 225f for six hours. I then wrapped them in foil with some apple juice for an hour and a half. No complaints.

I use a pellet grill/smoker and was smoking with apple pellets. The hotter the smoker the less smoke. I like smoking slow to drive more smoke into the meat. 185f for the first four hours and then I turn the heat up to 225f. They turn out with more smoky but they weren't bad cooking faster.. when I'm in a hurry.

olbriar

Tomorrow I have an appointment with the smoker. It's a boston butt that's going to be smoked and pulled for sandwiches. I'm smoking it very slow and will wrap it and steam with some apple juice to finish it up. I'll bake some beans with my favorite bbq sauce, onions, and a bell pepper. I've got to have potato salad too Nothing special about my potato salad. Very little mustard and no vinegar. I use mayo and not a salad spread and onions and sweet relish.

pastafarian

There's a large and growing contingent of the BBQ community that go hot and fast. The hot and fast guys are winning competitions just as often as the low and slow traditionalists and they get more sleep while doing it. I've been moving that way too. With ribs, I still stick to the 200-225 range, but for butts an brisket I'm at 275. I still get just as much smoke, I just wrap a little later in the process. With ribs, the hotter temp reduces the window between done and overdone a bit more than I like. FWIW, smoke doesn't penetrate the meat very deeply, nor do rubs or marinades, they sit on the outside of the meat. There's been a few scientific studies that have shown all the "penetrates the meat" applications are mostly imagination. A smoke ring has absolutely nothing to do with smoke either, though it does demonstrate proper cooking. I guess oxidation ring doesn't sound as appetizing?

olbriar

I'm still a big fan of the slow smoke method. With the pellet smoker it doesn't take much baby sitting. I rubbed my pork butt down the night before. I got up way early and put the meat on. It just takes a couple of minutes for the smoker to get to the right temp. I then went back to bed. I got up a few hours later and sprayed it down with some apple juice and then went to work for a few hours. I got home and tented it up with some apple juice, turned up the heat, and put my beans on. An hour and a half later I'm eating.

The last time I did ribs I rushed the process. I can honestly say that they turned out just as good as they always do. There is something to be said for less time at the smoker. I'm normally in no hurry however so low and slow works most the time for me.

Granite1

I had Thanksgiving Turkey done on the grill a few years ago. It was a gas fired grill, with a pan of wood chips placed down with the lava rocks. Turned out dynamite!!

I haven't had the marbles to try it myself, because I'm a charcoal and wood griller. Last grille I got had the gas components removed and thrown in the corner.

__________________
"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." Albert Einstein
Help BabyBlues reach her goal - click her button below:

olbriar

I've never tried grilling a turkey but I've smoked a couple. Not only is it a fun thing to do the end product is so much better than oven fresh. I don't know why grilling a turkey wouldn't be just great. As long as you kept the temps low so the bird didn't get way done on the outside long before the inside cooked. Let me know if you do one. I'm curious how it turns out.

jbenham

I probably mentioned before, my brother and I once smoked a turkey for Thanksgiving. We improvised a smoker using garbage cans and bricks, charcoal and applewood chips. We cooked it a few hours in the oven first, to get it started. Turned out great!

olbriar

Sometimes the improvised method of cooking is the best. I do believe the best pork I ever ate was cooked in a hole in the ground.

Granite1

Pit pork is very good.

We've been deep frying turkeys at the field office. The Boss has a really good injection recipe, garlic teriyaki I believe. The job pretty much shuts down when we do one, and nothing gets done afterward.

olbriar

Tomorrow I'm cooking out a prime rib for mother's day dinner. I spiced it up today and have it bagged up resting. Rub consisted of a garlic rub, worcestershire, montreal grill seasoning, and a bit of my own rib rub. Tomorrow I'll pull it from the fridge and let it get up to room temp. My plan is to braze it for around 45 minutes at 450 degrees and then turn the grill down to 225 for around two and a half to three hours. During the slow cook it will be in a throw away pan with some beef broth and a few crushed garlic cloves. Target temp is 130 degrees. When reached I'll pull the meat and wrap it in foil and let it finish cooking as it rests.. about a half hour. It will be served with the remaining au jus and a horseradish dip.

jbenham

Very special mom!

olbriar

Just to be courteous and respectful of the occasion... I ate some myself.

jbenham

Well of course! You had to make sure your rib rub was right.

olbriar

Obligated.