On Wed, 25 Oct 2017 11:07:30 -0700 (PDT), Its Me wrote:

On Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 1:35:31 PM UTC-4, John H wrote:
On Wed, 25 Oct 2017 09:16:46 -0700 (PDT), Its Me wrote:

On Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 11:42:27 AM UTC-4, John H wrote:
On Wed, 25 Oct 2017 08:19:37 -0700 (PDT), Its Me wrote:

On Wednesday, October 25, 2017 at 10:06:32 AM UTC-4, John H wrote:
On Sun, 22 Oct 2017 18:09:11 -0000 (UTC), Bill wrote:

John H wrote:
I am considering a pellet grill. Looking at Traegers and Cabellas. Anyone
own and used one? Any
advice?


I have a Traeger. Is handy. Great for ribs, triTip, slow cooking. Not as
good for needing high heat grilling. If you want to grill a steak, put it
at the front or the back where the heat comes around the heat shield. I
have a friend, who has a Rectek, I think that is the brand, he likes it
better than the treager and has a great warrantee. Treager also stands
behind their product. My control board went out and they quickly sent a
new one. If you get a pellet grill, cover the heat distribution plate with
aluminum foil. Easy cleanup,

One thing I really like about this one, a Traeger, is that the legs fold up. I would be taking it on
camping trips, so the folding legs are a big advantage.

http://www.traegergrills.com/shop/gr.../TFB30LZB.html

Came across this recipe on the Traeger site for rib steak:

When ready to cook, start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established
(4 to 5 minutes). Preheat, lid closed, for 10-15 minutes.

Combine all ingredients for the rub in a medium bowl and mix well. Season the rib-eyes generously on
both sides with coffee rub. Place the steaks on the grill grate and smoke for 1 hour.

After the steaks have smoked for an hour, momentarily remove the steaks to a platter and set the
temperature of your Traeger to 450 degrees F and preheat. Place a cast iron griddle on the grill
grate to preheat for tomatoes and herbs.

Once the Traeger has preheated put the steaks on the hot grill grates to achieve a good sear.

Flip the steaks once and allow them to cook for about 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until done to your
liking (135 degrees F for medium-rare).

Sounds like it might work, but I wonder what would happen if the 'smoke' cycle was skipped.

Once the meat is seared, the smoke doesn't really "take" anymore. When slow smoking meat, the smoke flavor and the smoke ring all happens in the first part of the cooking process when the meat is "wet". If you cook it first, you won't get much of the smoke flavor.

Something to remember is that pellet grills are light on smoke flavor anyway. Some die-hards that prefer stick-fed smokers don't like them for that reason. I prefer the lighter smoke myself.

If you end up getting one, here are some great pellets to use:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00819OICI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks! Have you ever tried these (at half the price)?

Can any pellets be used in any pellet grill? I'd have thought each maker would require their own. I
suppose that's wrong 'cause I see a lot of different makes of pellets out there.

Bill (if you're watching), does Traeger have any *requirement* for their own pellets? Have you used
other brands?

I used the Memphis branded ones that came with my grill, and then only the linked brand after that. The pellets are a standard size, so there is no special requirement for the pellets. However, there are different quality levels. Some pellets reportedly have a lot of dust in the bag, and some don't have much of the wood they are supposed to, and instead have a lot of filler with just a little of the stated type of wood. I did quite a bit of research on the various pellet forums and sites, and the CookinPellets are highly recommended. Be aware that it's a 40lb bag. Some of the manufacturers sell 20lb bags, so the price will be less. You didn't post a link so I can't see which ones you're asking about.

Pre-alzheimers. Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HBCD5UM..._t1_B00819OICI

They're probably OK. Overall, I think you'll find that the pellets are a minor expense. A 40 pound bag last a long time even if you're doing boston butt or brisket, which can take 8-10 hours. The Memphis does have one of the lowest burn rates because of the double wall construction. Some of the others consume the pellets faster. I always try to load it up when I run it, then freeze some of the results for later.

Hey, part of the fun is experimenting... both with pellet flavors and recipes.

You're going to be talking me into it. I put it on my wish list. Let the kids buy it...maybe.