Food Smokers and Smoking Tips/Tricks/Techniques

My Traeger Junior was a workhorse for me! Only minor gripe is I had to upgrade to the digital controller, cause that 3 setting thing is garbage. But other than that awesome!

Currently have a Louisiana Grills pooper. She's a good one....but I'm not sure its "better" than the Traeger. If anything, with the new production, Traeger may have it beat.

 

I'm not knocking Traeger. I just thought the pellet restriction was silly. I know guys who have one and love it. I know guys that have the GMG and love it. The wifi controller is awesome.

 

I'm actually surprised they even put it in there and it's allowed to be in there. Law says it's not something they can enforce and is a total joke if you ask me. I have run 2 bags of their pellets in mine in 2 year's, 1 when I first got it and the other when I was stone cold out of pellets and it's the only thing I could find local. Now I'm following in @scottalot footsteps and I am keeping a couple of bag's of Lumberjack on hand at all times. Well they would be in his footsteps if he had a pellet pooper and not a charcoal addiction.

 

We had a few friends over for Halloween dinner and I smoked a couple racks of ribs. Sorta last minute my GF wanted to Halloween theme it so she made meatloaf. Pretty tasty!



Making lunch from leftovers today, opened up the meatloaf container to see this. Somewhat disconcerting!

 

They are dried, no canning or vac pack. I don't know how long they'll last. I'd assume as long as and other dried fruit or spice. It takes a shit ton of peppers to get any decent amount of chili powder. I like to just grind them down with a food processor and use it in place of store bought chili powder.

Time on smoke, about 5 or 6 hours @170f
Time in oven, 12-24 hours @ lowest oven temp on a cookie cooling rack so air can move around them. However long it takes to get them dried out.


These peppers turned into about half a pint of chipotle chili powder. I drop in 1TBSP of corn starch to keep it from clumping, but that's optional. You can also just put them in a mason jar whole and rehydrate them to use in recipes.

 

It's ALL about the BRAINS when it's Halloween time.

 

Baby back action!

 

Kewl. Is that a Weber 26?

 

Today I am in the smoking phase of a 5lb buckboard bacon.

10-14-17: 5lb deboned pork shoulder, 5 tbls of tender quick, 3 tbls of brown sugar and a palm full of black powder. Combine rib and massage into the pork shoulder. Put in vacuum bag, pull most of the air out and seal. Place in lower left drawr of the beer fridge for 19 day to cure flipping periodically.

11-1-17: Pull cured bacon from bag, rinse well and then soak in an ice water batch for 1-1/2 hours. Remove from water rinse again, dry w/ paper towels then place in the fridge overnight uncovered to develop the pellicle.

11-2-17: 6:15am check to see if the bacon is tacky, it is coat in black pepper and onto the smoker for a 12 hour +/- cold smoke over apple wood.

11-2-17 thru 11-4/17: will pull from smoker and wrap in plastic wrap and a zip top bag place back in fridge for another day or two to let the smoke mellow. Then into the freezer for a couple hours to firm it up before slicing.

 

I have one as well . zero issues with it. there pellets do seem to work better then other brands I have used. and Costco sells there comp blend for a good price. I know of a few others that have treagers as
well and one of them had a temp issue and teager sent out a new controller free under warrantee.
I do like the camp cheff as it has a easy clean feature and the GMG is also very nice. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the well known brands. And there the easiest for smoking good eats. The one thing I like them for over gas, coal , and wood is the ability easily use them on cold ass windy winter nights.

 

ATC, set it and forget it. WSM. Silicone Condom. Teens and twenties below zero with wind chill often thirties and forties below zero. Starting erh, ahh, way too soon again. Coldest State in CONUS during winter year after year. Piece of cake. And any charcoal and wood smoke I want to use. Just saying...







I think it is time to break out the Vortex tonight for some wings. Been awhile. And there is a game on tonight. And first day it hasn't snowed after 6 straight days. It is up to 39 now so it is a light rain instead and melting the snow. Snow will be back but no hurry for it LOL.

 

Hey, I think I saw that same setup on an episode of MacGyver.

 

Didn't trust it putting it directly on the intake vent exposed to the elements. Some sump pump hose and hot knife to a plastic box and full protection. With lid on it anyhow LOL. Even have some duct tape in there. If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy...

 

It's always worked for me

 

Yes it is!!

 

I wanted to take pics of the deep smoke ring I got but yea....lol

 

I can believe it. Looked good on the smoker. Amazing how much food that 26" will swallow.

 

26" FTMFW

But mine needs some meat on it soon. real soon. like prime rib roast this weekend