Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

My Traeger works great, hopper is nice sized more than accommodates overnight sessions, temps stay consistent. I heard when they first moved the production overseas that the quality was pretty poor. I bought mine just over a year ago and had been reading a lot of reviews. The reviews started getting a lot better, I read an article saying they either switched who was making them or came down on them for the quality issues. Mine holds temps pretty well (bought the thermal blanket this past winter for days it's really cold).

However I do NOT use their pellets. They heat well but that was about it. I switched to Lumberjack pellets WAY batter. I had looked at a few other brands and they were either not any better, cost way too much for me at that point and one was just way too blingy (ya not a word) for me

All in all I load up the hopper run through the get the fire going phase then get to smoking. One thing I did add was a remote wireless dual probe thermometer. Not sure I trust the built in and wish it had a wireless connection so I don't have to walk up to it and check all the time.

 

Do you cut the roast in half along that diagonal line first, or do you put it in whole? Im thinking halfing it will reduce cook time and allow more bark. ???

 

Nope. No cutting.

 

I'd say yes.

 

Thanks. I'm 97.2% certain at this point that I will:

Leave the roast whole, no cutting in half before rub.

Smoke then sear to 120.

Let rest under loose foil in fridge to get it down to temp semi-quickly.

Once it's cool to the touch, put whole roast in vac seal bag for the trip.

Anything unsound with that logic? Only part I'm not sure of is the rest in fridge... normally, it's on the counter so it'll still be warm 10 minutes later for slicing, but I'm not slicing this one. I need it to get fairly cool before it goes in the vac seal bag, otherwise it will steam.

 

these were the first few slices. i got better at it as i went.. the last ones are really really thin.

 

My second tri tip, this time with a few pics

 

What the hell is that flame plane emoji anyhow? I'm an old dude, can't be bothered to look it up.

 

Just a banana burning!



You're only as old as you feel!

 

Banana burning? What in tarnation? Young'ns

 

I don't think I ever said it.....generally speaking, people recommend oak with tri tip. However, I use whatever the hell I have available and it's always worked. I usually shy away from mesquite. Too strong for the family.

 

Tried like hell to find oak, not real big in Seattle area. Forget red oak. Using pecan, closest sub I could find.

 

Rub?

 

Like you said... Salt. Pepp, g powder with addition of onion powder and paprika. I put the salt on two hours ahead for dry brine, then pat the rest in just before it goes on the grill.

 

Fat side...