Who likes to smoke food

[Bateman]

XstreamVking, that is nearly the exact sauce I whip up. I start with a base of Sweet Baby Rays though.

[Rodney Nance]

"Sweet Baby Rays" You can't go wrong.

[FUJIMO]

...those pictures are ridiculous. wow.

[Turborr]

Dude...after looking at this gourmet delicacies.......I have put my grill in storage indefinitely. I obviously have been wasting my time.

I LOVE My Pellet Grill Smoker, Roaster, Baker and every thing else it does. I liked mine so Much I bought a Country Smoker Traveler Tail gate Pellet Grill to take to the races!! I rarely use my cabinet smoker any more.

Armadillo Eggs Stuffed Jalapinos with a cream Cheese mixture Encased in Spicy sausage dusted with my Homemabe Pork Rub wrapped in Bacon and smoked at 250 for 2.

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Smoked Pork Shoulder
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Home Cured Smoked Pork Belly Bacon
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Brisket
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Porchetta
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Dry Rubbed Cubed Flowered Pork Belly Bites finished with a Maple Dijon Bourbon Glaze
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Dry Rubbed beer Butt Chicken
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Ribs
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Home Cured and Smoked Pastrami
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[Merc 2.5]

I LOVE My Pellet Grill Smoker, Roaster, Baker and every thing else it does. I liked mine so Much I bought a Country Smoker Traveler Tail gate Pellet Grill to take to the races!! I rarely use my cabinet smoker any more.

Armadillo Eggs Stuffed Jalapinos with a cream Cheese mixture Encased in Spicy sausage dusted with my Homemabe Pork Rub wrapped in Bacon and smoked at 250 for 2.

Attachment 473422Attachment 473423Attachment 473424Attachment 473425

Smoked Pork Shoulder
Attachment 473458Attachment 473459Attachment 473426Attachment 473427Attachment 473428

Home Cured Smoked Pork Belly Bacon
Attachment 473429Attachment 473430Attachment 473431Attachment 473432
Brisket
Attachment 473433Attachment 473434Attachment 473435Attachment 473436
Porchetta
Attachment 473437Attachment 473438Attachment 473439Attachment 473440Attachment 473441Attachment 473442

Dry Rubbed Cubed Flowered Pork Belly Bites finished with a Maple Dijon Bourbon Glaze
Attachment 473443Attachment 473444Attachment 473445Attachment 473446
Dry Rubbed beer Butt Chicken
Attachment 473447

Ribs
Attachment 473448
Home Cured and Smoked Pastrami
Attachment 473449Attachment 473450Attachment 473451Attachment 473452

Thats exactly it you can grill, smoke etc with 1 unit. I havent used my grill 1 time since having this thing and I smoked a brisket for 16hrs last week but I never remember or think about takin pictures I swear ill try get some pics also soon

[Slough]

Got a Traeger last December. Use it 5-7 nights a week. Still use my side box smoker and weber grill occasionally.

[Turtleherder]

Beautiful smoke rings.

[keefallan]

My smoker will never replace my Weber. I literally grill 3-5 times a week...........regardless of the weather. There are some foods that just dont need to be "smokey" like a good steak or just some grilled chicken breasts.


HOWEVER......... I DO LOVE MY SMOKER.

There's no way I will ever pay what Traeger wants for one of them. I do have an electric one(fully digital) and it does all I need. I have one primary use for mine...........MAKIN' BACON!!!!!

The price of bacon is stupid and I refuse to pay top price for a meat that is 50 percent fat! We arent independantly wealthy. And my wife and I are always looking for the best prices for meat. SO, we make our own bacon and sausage. Thats where Boston butts come in. I can cut certain portions of the butt and get slab bacon.......only a little leaner. The parts that I cant use, I grind up as sausage and make breakfast, italian, and even brats with it. Its simple. I have been making sausage for over 10 years now. Best money I ever saved!!

As for the bacon, I just started it this year. And i still buy bacon from time to time(on sale at a very good price). But I have nmy freezer stocked up with homemade bacon and the taste is unlike any store bacon. I use a wet brine. Others use a dry rub and drain the water..etc. I like the wet brine(for 5-7 days) because its simpler and more consistant in my opinion. After the brine, I take it out, rinse it off, and let it sit open in the fridge overnight on a cooling rack. When tomorrow comes, I throw a large handfull of chips in the smoker(all thats needed) and cook the bacon to an internal temp of 135..........take it off, and let it cool. Put it in the fridge to firm up(or not). slice it thin and try it out. You can eat it right then for a smokey meat, or fry it up like bacon the next day and have some serious good eats.

You can also make canadian bacon by buying a pork loin, tie it up in a log(or not), brine the same way, smoke for 135 internal...done.......canadian bacon. Slice it after smoking tastes like ham.

I will try and post the brine if I can locate it. I couldnt make my bacon without my smoker........nuff said

[InjectorService]

Yup! Best bacon you'll ever get is off the smoker! We do a peppered bacon with a little kick to it, and a maple bacon! You can't make Canadian Bacon though, only us Canuks can, don't ya know!

[Bateman]

Gonna have to try the bacon mentioned.

I have a $20 charcoal grill. One of the little square ones from dollar general and it grills a dang fine ribeye, but for smoking, my Pit Boss has been great. Got a $100 off coupon for the Traditions 1000 a couple years back when they started giving a 5 year warranty. I’ve left it out in the rain a few times accidentally. No problems so far. It has definitely paid for itself ($400).

I have a small propane grill for the boat. It does the job when we are way out somewhere on a sandbar.

Tonights spaghetti suddenly sounds a bit less appealing ha

[SS Minnow]

Yup! Best bacon you'll ever get is off the smoker! We do a peppered bacon with a little kick to it, and a maple bacon! You can't make Canadian Bacon though, only us Canuks can, don't ya know!

We have Canadian Bacon down here, we call it Ham.

And the best "Canadian Bacon" I have ever had, was not Canadian.

[keefallan]

Yup! Best bacon you'll ever get is off the smoker! We do a peppered bacon with a little kick to it, and a maple bacon! You can't make Canadian Bacon though, only us Canuks can, don't ya know!

That's right...........you guys make a ham and call it bacon and we genius' take a blob of fatty belly muscle and make it priceless

[keefallan]

WET CURED BACON BRINE:

This recipe is for each quart of water used......remember that. But a quart mix will brine roughly 5lbs of meat or watever you can get in a gallon ziploc bag. If you need two quarts ......x2, gallon....x4 etc.

5 tsp kosher salt
3 tsp curing salt(prague powder #1) I got mine at amazon
4 tsp brown sugar(you could do equal parts salt and sugar....up the sugar to match)
a couple of squeezes of maple syrup
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Worchestershire
1/4 tsp garlic
2 bay leaves

Bring water to a boil to get everything(minus prague powder) to dissolve in water. Add the curing salt now. Don't taste it after you add the curing salt.....before is fine. Let cool. Put meat in a ziploc bag and add brine. Cure for 5-7 days. Flip it over if necessary to get meat in brine.....weigh it down with plates or pots....use your imagination. if you keep your cuts to the thickness of regular bacon(or generally less than 3 inches thick), you can cure it for 5 days. I have found no adverse affects for leaving it a day longer. I let my canadian bacon...I mean ham, cure for 7 days. After the cure time is over, wash it off thoroughly and pat dry. I then place mine on a cooling rack that sits in a jelly roll pan(cookie sheet with sides) overnight. You are letting the outer meat/fat dry out to absorb the smoke. Smoke doesnt adhere as well to a wet surface.....come to find out. Set your smoker for 190. Any higher and you will start melting fat........no good. You can cook lower, but it will take longer. Cook for internal of 135 in the center. At this point its cooked. You can eat it. its really good sliced smoked meat. You could make a smoked pork sandwich at this point and its crazy juicy too. To make bacon you are gonna have cut offs at the ends anyways!! After it cools, throw it in the fridge. It cuts better cold. Use a razor sharp slicer........I cant emphasize enough how helpful that is. Slice it as thin as you can make it.........enjoy your homemade bacon!!! Even if you are stuck on what the store bacon has told you, "This is what bacon is supposed to taste like" you will appreciate the good flavor of real bacon........just like real maple syrup.....don't ya know.

Try it out. You wont be disappointed. Wait till boston butts are on sale in your area(or not) and slice it in such a way that you are left with a cap that resembles bacon. We are making buckboard bacon. And like I said in earlier post,
a rolled up pork loin done this way is canadian bacon or unrolled for some good ham.

Enjoy!!

And if you try it.........let everyone know what you think.....

[XstreamVking]

On the boston buts....I have an easy way to make pulled pork sammiches. Make a rub with 1/2 cup brn sugar, cayenne 3 tbs (to taste) 2 tbs salt, 2 tbs black pepper, 2 tbs garlic and onion powder, 2 tbs smoked paprika. Rinse the butt and dry. Coat the whole thing good with rub. Place in the crock pot. Add apple juice to cook and flavor. About 1.5 cups or so will do. (pour it off to the side when adding) Cook on low for 6-8 hrs. This is for a 4-5 lb butt. Makes the kitchen smell like heaven. Shred it up, add some bbq sauce, use some big tasty buns and pile the pork hi topped with cole slaw. I like marie's brand dressing. it is soooo good everyone will love it. Total prep time is 15 -20 mins.

[HStream1]

OH Really??!

Yup! Best bacon you'll ever get is off the smoker! You can't make Canadian Bacon though, only us Canuks can, don't ya know!