splinervision
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- Joined
- May 6, 2020
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- Location
- Mid-Missouri
- Grill
- Traeger Pro Series 22 TFB57PZBO
Here's the way I look at things with my Traeger. If I haven't done something before, but have done it in the oven, I mimic exactly what I do in the oven with my Traeger. So many smokers on the market barely reach 300F. They are good at low and slow but that's about it. Traeger's have no issue hitting 400-500F (depending on model). So if you tend to bake chickens in your oven at say.. 375 or even 425 to get that crispy skin then do that in your Traeger. It's perfectly capable and it'll add that wood smoked flavor to any recipe.
I do wings in my Traeger all the time at 375. My butcher sells packages of pre-cut fresh wings. I grab two packs, toss them with a light amount of olive oil then my favorite rub, toss them on the Traeger and cook em right up. Usually takes less than an hour. After about 30 minutes I check them if they are close, I sauce the ever-lasting crap out of them and give them another 10-15. Enjoy. Nice crispy BBQ wings.. nothing fancy.
I also do bone-in chicken thighs (one of my favorites) at the same temp. Same method as the wings. They come out super juicy and the skin is crispy.
Low and slow will always make chicken, or any poultry, have rubber skin. For that reason, you season under the skin if you're going to cook it low and slow, then discard it before eating the chicken.
Just remember, the Traeger can do everything your oven can do, it'll just add better flavor.
Once you get the hang of it, try some of the recipes for lower and slower, but remember, unless that skin gets crispy with higher temps it's going to be rubber.
For pork butts.. use the bone-in if possible. Dunno why, but mine turn out better with the bone-in style. I generally will unwrap the pork butt, trim the excess fat off of it (excess fat, eave about 1/4" or so). Next slather it in either PYM (Plain Yellow Mustard) or Molasses. Then hose it down with your favorite rub. Wrap it in plastic wrap and put it back in the fridge overnight. Very early the next morning I pre-heat the Traeger up to 400ish, then drop it back to 275 and pop in the pork butt. This part will take all day. Feel free to baste but it's not necessary. Pull it off once the internal temperature is 205F. I have a special Pork Butt Spatula for this (it's freaking huge, found it at Academy years ago). Once you pull it, wrap it tightly in foil, then in a heavy towel and toss it in a cooler for at least 30 minutes to an hour (you can actually 'hold' it in the cooler for much longer if you want it to stay warm, I've done up to 4 hours). Right before you are ready to serve, shred it (bone should pull out with no effort). Discard any pieces that don't look good or are too burnt. I generally will set aside a lot of the bark and chop a little and toss it back in but not all of it. Serve with a sweet spicy BBQ sauce (my preference anyway).
I've had smaller pork butts be done in 12 hours, but larger ones in 18+ hours. Pork butts take as long as they take there's nothing you can do about it, just let it cook. So plan accordingly on time.
For ribs (I usually do baby back pork ribs or pork spareribs) 3-2-1. Unwrap them, remove the skin on the back (plenty of videos for this online, or ask here if you have never done it), rub either with your favorite rub or use the PYM + rub method (I just use rub). Pre-heat your Traeger to 225, and smoke them directly on the rack for 3 hours. Pull them, wrap them in foil with about 1/4-1/2 cup of liquid.. beer or juice of your choice, and put them back on the grill for up to two hours. Once that is done open the foil (be careful they may be fall off the bone tender.. feel free to adjust this time to less if you're using small racks) and pour off (but save) the liquid. I will sometimes leave them sitting in the foil (roll down the sides but leave the foil on the bottom so you can flip them easy and sauce the backside and they won't fall apart and through the grill grates, but keep the foil open for the sauce to cook on), if I think they will fall apart on me. Put them back on the grill and cook for up to an hour to tighten them back up a bit, sauce them up baby. Doesn't have to be a full hour, and usually isn't at my house. For the sauce, trust me on this, mix your favorite sauce with a little of that liquid you poured off before putting it on the ribs. It'll blow your mind how good that is.
Tri-Tip.. I have not done any of these, but with beef, unless I'm doing pulled beef, I'd suggest doing it like you would in the oven. For pulled beef do it like you would pulled pork. I've done some killer BBQ beef that way. Couple of big roasts, rubbed and smoked low until 200ish internal temp (baste as you feel is necessary), then shredded and sauced. There's a recipe you should look into called "Poor Man's Burnt Ends", they turn out great on the Traeger.
Hope all that helps. Don't over complicate things at first. Treat it like an outdoor wood-fired oven and have fun. You got this.
I do wings in my Traeger all the time at 375. My butcher sells packages of pre-cut fresh wings. I grab two packs, toss them with a light amount of olive oil then my favorite rub, toss them on the Traeger and cook em right up. Usually takes less than an hour. After about 30 minutes I check them if they are close, I sauce the ever-lasting crap out of them and give them another 10-15. Enjoy. Nice crispy BBQ wings.. nothing fancy.
I also do bone-in chicken thighs (one of my favorites) at the same temp. Same method as the wings. They come out super juicy and the skin is crispy.
Low and slow will always make chicken, or any poultry, have rubber skin. For that reason, you season under the skin if you're going to cook it low and slow, then discard it before eating the chicken.
Just remember, the Traeger can do everything your oven can do, it'll just add better flavor.
Once you get the hang of it, try some of the recipes for lower and slower, but remember, unless that skin gets crispy with higher temps it's going to be rubber.
For pork butts.. use the bone-in if possible. Dunno why, but mine turn out better with the bone-in style. I generally will unwrap the pork butt, trim the excess fat off of it (excess fat, eave about 1/4" or so). Next slather it in either PYM (Plain Yellow Mustard) or Molasses. Then hose it down with your favorite rub. Wrap it in plastic wrap and put it back in the fridge overnight. Very early the next morning I pre-heat the Traeger up to 400ish, then drop it back to 275 and pop in the pork butt. This part will take all day. Feel free to baste but it's not necessary. Pull it off once the internal temperature is 205F. I have a special Pork Butt Spatula for this (it's freaking huge, found it at Academy years ago). Once you pull it, wrap it tightly in foil, then in a heavy towel and toss it in a cooler for at least 30 minutes to an hour (you can actually 'hold' it in the cooler for much longer if you want it to stay warm, I've done up to 4 hours). Right before you are ready to serve, shred it (bone should pull out with no effort). Discard any pieces that don't look good or are too burnt. I generally will set aside a lot of the bark and chop a little and toss it back in but not all of it. Serve with a sweet spicy BBQ sauce (my preference anyway).
I've had smaller pork butts be done in 12 hours, but larger ones in 18+ hours. Pork butts take as long as they take there's nothing you can do about it, just let it cook. So plan accordingly on time.
For ribs (I usually do baby back pork ribs or pork spareribs) 3-2-1. Unwrap them, remove the skin on the back (plenty of videos for this online, or ask here if you have never done it), rub either with your favorite rub or use the PYM + rub method (I just use rub). Pre-heat your Traeger to 225, and smoke them directly on the rack for 3 hours. Pull them, wrap them in foil with about 1/4-1/2 cup of liquid.. beer or juice of your choice, and put them back on the grill for up to two hours. Once that is done open the foil (be careful they may be fall off the bone tender.. feel free to adjust this time to less if you're using small racks) and pour off (but save) the liquid. I will sometimes leave them sitting in the foil (roll down the sides but leave the foil on the bottom so you can flip them easy and sauce the backside and they won't fall apart and through the grill grates, but keep the foil open for the sauce to cook on), if I think they will fall apart on me. Put them back on the grill and cook for up to an hour to tighten them back up a bit, sauce them up baby. Doesn't have to be a full hour, and usually isn't at my house. For the sauce, trust me on this, mix your favorite sauce with a little of that liquid you poured off before putting it on the ribs. It'll blow your mind how good that is.
Tri-Tip.. I have not done any of these, but with beef, unless I'm doing pulled beef, I'd suggest doing it like you would in the oven. For pulled beef do it like you would pulled pork. I've done some killer BBQ beef that way. Couple of big roasts, rubbed and smoked low until 200ish internal temp (baste as you feel is necessary), then shredded and sauced. There's a recipe you should look into called "Poor Man's Burnt Ends", they turn out great on the Traeger.
Hope all that helps. Don't over complicate things at first. Treat it like an outdoor wood-fired oven and have fun. You got this.
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