Game Day Grilling

Discussion in 'In The Stands' started by Badass, Aug 30, 2019.

  1. Badass

    Badass 2,500+ Posts

    Whatcya grilling?
    I bought a Traeger smoker today. I was supposed to grill burgers tonight but delivery got delayed til tomorrow.
    Want to smoke some chicken wings tomorrow.
     
  2. easy

    easy 2,500+ Posts

    How did it work out. I have been eyeballing one of those for a little while. Was hoping to catch a decent price when fall/winter rolled in. A friend of mine has a rectec and he swears it’s the greatest thing ever.
     
  3. Badass

    Badass 2,500+ Posts

    Worked great. It was $100 off for Labor Day weekend
    :hookem:

    If it’s not on sale in your area, ask the dealer to throw in two pellet bags and half off the cover ... that’s what my dealer quoted me a month ago before the sale. With the sale, I only got one free pellet bag. I asked for two lol
     
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  4. WorsterMan

    WorsterMan SEC here we come!!

    In about 30 minutes I'm grilling some thick ribeyes on my Chairbroil infa-red grill. Get it to about 600 degrees, seer the meat at the start to keep more juice in and make it tender.

    I know it a poor man's grill and does not put out the awesome meats y'all get from your fancy smokers... but it gets the job done for me.
     
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  5. BurntOrangeLH

    BurntOrangeLH 2,500+ Posts

    That's one of those pellet grills? I always ask the demo guy what is employed to bind the sawdust together but they never seem to know.
     
  6. Dionysus

    Dionysus Idoit Admin

    :e-eyes:
    That’s a hot grill
     
  7. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    So is this!

    [​IMG]
     
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  8. Badass

    Badass 2,500+ Posts

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  9. BurntOrangeLH

    BurntOrangeLH 2,500+ Posts

  10. EasternHorn

    EasternHorn 500+ Posts

    Badass,

    I will soon be shopping for a grill and would be very appreciative of a review of your Traeger.
     
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  11. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    Thought was going to be a thread about asking tough questions on game day.

    Sorry. o_O
     
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  12. Badass

    Badass 2,500+ Posts

    sure EH --

    First thing to know is that a Traeger runs off electricity -- you plug it in. So it is useless after a Hurricane or other event where you lose power. Propane and old fashioned wood smokers would be better in that situation.

    It is very simple to use. When you first get it, there is an initial burn in period. It comes with detailed instructions. Takes about an hour. The first time you ignite the grill, it takes a good ten minutes or so to ignite because the pellets slowly travel from the pellet box through the auger which moves them eventually to the lighter. Once ignited, you will see smoke and the temperature rising to 325 which you set it at -- after 20 minutes i think it was, you raise temp to 450 and burn another 30 minutes i think it was. Then its ready to cook.

    Second thing to understand is that on ignition, the heavy smoke period is just for a short time, only a few minutes. But Smoke will emit from the grill and it will smell and remind you of any football tailgate to which you have ever been. Its a beautiful thing. The pellets come in many different woods or flavors (pecan, hickory, oak, cherry, apple, and even blends of more than one).

    After the initial smoke period, the visible smoke stops, so it cooks more indirectly i guess than a traditional wood smoker. You won't be cranking out smoke all day long like you see in Austin on football weekends.

    It has a temp adjuster where you can set the exact temp by digital display for what you want. You can raise or lower the temp during cooking too. Important tip to know is that although you can set the exact digital temp, temp can fluctuate because of wind, weather or other conditions. THIS IS NORMAL per Traeger. So you want to keep an eye on the grill -- don't set the temp and leave for three hours without checking on it.

    It has a wifi connection where you download the traeger app and it connects to your grill. The app gives you grill info while sitting on your couch like what is the current grill temp, how many minutes left to go, and the temp of your meat if you use the built in meat probe.

    The app provides all kinds of recipes to try -- also, you tube has a bunch of videos, just google how to grill ____ on a traeger. Also, the grill comes with a cheat sheet for minimum internal temp of different kinds of meat which is very helpful

    Traeger is a lil more expensive than some other electric smokers but I trust Traeger. This is my second one and they sponsor NASCAR so I went with Traeger. My first one lasted seven and a half years or so ...

    Another good tip, my office manager gave me some after market grilling accessories like several diff size grilling grates with holes to place over the Traeger grill. This makes clean up so much easier and the mess left behind on the Traeger is reduced by like 90%. The after market grill grates are also great for cooking small items which might slip through the original grate. I used one tray to put tater tots on for example, did not lose one tater tot through the grill.

    If you have any specific questions, let me know. Good Luck with your search.

    :hookem: :bevo:
     
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  13. EasternHorn

    EasternHorn 500+ Posts

    Thanks, that is good information.
     
  14. Badass

    Badass 2,500+ Posts

    Tomorrow I am smoking my first brisket (with Mac & Cheese for my side). I bought a trimmed, baby brisket, just over 4lbs

    Any Pitt Bosses out there? I have read and watched many methods.

    Traeger says to cook fat side up. Set smoker at 225 degrees.

    I rubbed and wrapped it with saran wrap. In the fridge already.

    should I put a water tray, or apple vinegar tray inside the smoker for moistness?

    When brisket hits 160 degrees, I plan to double wrap in aluminum foil after applying beef stock juice on the meat

    Traeger says cook til meat is 190 to 195. Other recipes say cook til meat is 204. Whatcha think?

    Most cook times I see are 50 to 60 minutes per pound. One guy said 90 min per pound

    Please give me your help, I spent almost $30 on that meat lol, pre trimmed

    Thx
     
  15. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    @Badass, I have put bowls of water in the pit and not done it. Can't tell a difference. I'd wrap it after a few hours so it doesn't get too smoky in a pit. Yes, fat side up.

    There used to be a primer somewhere on Hornfans by someone and he said something like don't peek, it's still there. If it's a normal whole brisket you need 12-14 hours at 225-250. You can transfer to an oven if needed.

    After it's done, let to rest 15 minutes or so before slicing. Slice against the grain.

    I've never used a Traeger but I guess they are easy to use. I have an offset pit and use hickory.

    Good luck.
     
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  16. Horn87

    Horn87 1,000+ Posts

    was always told cook for 1 hr per lb, 225-250 degrees
     
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  17. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    Yes, and obviously there is a point where you can dry it out, but it's hard to do. My best briskets, fork tender fall apart juicy, have smoked/cooked 12-16 hours. Hard to overcook at low heat.
     
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  18. Badass

    Badass 2,500+ Posts

    Thank you for input! I know at least I got Mac and cheese lol
     
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  19. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    Hope to see pics of the results.
     
  20. Badass

    Badass 2,500+ Posts

    So far so good! I put the baby Bevo on the grill at noon. The Traeger is keeping the proper temperature within minimal swings.

    Cooking with the probe attachment. So I have not peeked once. Brisket started at 40 degrees. Currently at 95 degrees ...
     
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  21. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Well BA how did it go?
     
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  22. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    I'm late to the game, but this is fool proof.

    * I soak/brine my brisket for 48-72 hours in coke or Dr. Pepper. Helps break things down so the actual cooked temp is less important to monitor.
    * Take out, rinse and liberally rub the night before with your choice of rubs
    * Smoke fat side up with oak and a very small amount of mesquite for 6-7 hours @ 225 (smoke ring is formed and it basically stops taking smoke at 7 hours anyway)
    * Wrap in foil and put in the oven 5-7 hours for 12 total hours (yes, the oven sounds blasphemous but why waste the wood and frustration of temp control when it's wrapped? Plus you get a nice smoky smell in your kitchen after a couple hours).
    * Take wrapped brisket out of the oven and put in a cooler for at least an hour. It was in there for nearly three hours the last time I smoked and it didn't cool off much hardly at all.
    * Cut the brisket against/across the grain is a must

    You will have the juiciest, moist, tender and flavorful brisket you will ever eat.
     
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  23. Badass

    Badass 2,500+ Posts

    Sorry for the delayed response. I had mixed results. The end result was good smoke flavor, nice bark, but not fork tender. Not bad, just not fork tender

    The problem I ran into was this after five hours ... (my brisket was only 4 lbs and change) When meat was 145 degrees, it stopped getting hotter for like an hour. So I put it in aluminum pan and covered with foil, raised the grill temp to from 225 to 245. It still took another three hours, omg

    Maybe next time I should start earlier ... the Traeger grill does fluctuate more than I would like for longer cooking ... sometimes it went below 225
     
  24. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    Takes a lot of practice to get it right. The longer the better on the time.

    Took me a lot of efforts to get it like this. It's a process, like building the Horns back to greatness.

    :hookem2:

    UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_thumb_351b.jpg
     
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  25. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    Time is definitely key. That time at the same temp is called the stall point. That's when it's breaking down the sinue and other tough stuff. Patience is a must because it just takes time. I've heard some only cooki g for 8 hours but it's never worked for me. I plan on a total of about 14 to 15 hours from lighting the fire to making the first cut.

    I usually start at 3am and eat around 6pm half asleep. I just bought a new toy like a traeger called the Rec Tec Bull. This thing is massive, thick stainless and solid. Haven't smoked anything yet, but that's on the agenda for the next free day off. I can control it from my phone so I started it up on my way home tonight so it would be ready for my chicken leg quarters when I pulled in the driveway. I love it so far, but I'm a little worried about getting enough smoke compared to my offset smoker.
     
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  26. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    If it was eatable, it was a good experience. After a few tries you will have it down pat.
     
  27. WorsterMan

    WorsterMan SEC here we come!!

    DAYUM that looks good !!! :clap:
     
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  28. horninchicago

    horninchicago 10,000+ Posts

    Thanks. Angelo's in Fort Worth is my inspiration for barbecue.
     
  29. BurntOrangeLH

    BurntOrangeLH 2,500+ Posts

    Trimmed? Hmmmmm. Not too much. Fat up is to marinate the brisket. Google you tube for Aaron Franklin. Follow him.

    It should be smoking now on oak or mesquite wood. Long and slow is what makes it tender. Meat never goes directly over heat unless you want it dry and tough.
     
  30. BurntOrangeLH

    BurntOrangeLH 2,500+ Posts

    Phosphoric acid will break down proteins. I prefer ascorbic acid from limes or lemon with a little ascetic acid from vinegar. Balsamic if you want to get a little depth and sweetness. Never sugar of any kind. Watch out for pre-mixed rubs. Read the ingredients carefully.
     

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