Oh baby! Now that’s a hole in one! I’m impressed. I can see the bone pulled away on the leg, but not looking dry. How long? Yeah on bird breast because they are so lean the brine is important. I brine my pork shoulder for 8 hours because it is still fatty, I just like a moist pulled pork, then inject solution mix of peach nectar and apple juice. After that, we finish with apple cider vinegar and mustard spice. It’s just something different. Great looking bird though.
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Well…now you all have gone and done it. My wife heard me talking about some of this thread and next thing you know, my Fathers Day gift from her and the kid shows up yesterday and it is a new Traeger Wood Pellet Smoker. Oh boy…let the fun begin. I am truly a beginner when it comes to smoking…so I’ve got a ton to learn…quickly I hope!
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You Tube it . Purchase a wifi thermometer. Good to go! Have fun, good luck. Start with pork butt. Cheapest cut to get started with if you mess up
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Pork butt is also super forgiving. Costco sells a 2 pack for around $30!
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I’ll be seasoning the smoker this weekend and using it asap…already have pork shoulder/butt on the shopping list. I’ve been looking around, but nobody seems to have any preference for an initial seasoning on wood type. I was thinking oak since it will burn slow. Any suggestions…or does it even matter?
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I don’t think it matters with pellets. I do highly recommend lumberjack pellets from rural king.
Looks like the closest Rural King to me is in Missouri…quite a drive from Utah 
I’ll probably hit the Traeger store here or look around a bit though. thx!
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Ah, bummer. I’ve heard some weird stuff on Traeger pellets so I haven’t used them…
I’m told Costco has pellets too - every tried them?
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They sell traeger pellets as far as I know… I haven’t seen Kirkland brand pellets
The discussion inspired me for a summer smoke. Rack of ribs just went on the ole smoker.
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OK folks…this was the maiden voyage of my new Father’s Day gift and my first smoke ever. 5 .5lb pork butt…everything I read said 7-8 hours at 225. Traeger signature pellets and traeger rub (simple and good enough for my first time). Ended up being 10 hours at 225 (got meat to 150), then wrapped in foil (not sure it was a “stall”, but I was getting impatient) and turned temp to 250 for 1 hour, then got really impatient and did 1 more hour at 300…and finally got the meat to 195.
Flavor, texture, and bark was delicious! I probably could have left it until it hit 205, but was impatient and needed to get some of that damn meat in me before 8pm (intermittent fasting…different thread).
Pretty happy for my first smoke. I wonder if the higher altitude (over 4000 in Salt Lake City, UT) messed with the cooking time.
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Looks really good but, patience, patience, patience! It will be better if you wait. Stall is always inevitable, it’s basic chemistry. Even though you think nothing’s happening it is. Here’s my advice to beat stall. If you know you’re gonna be on a time crunch start the process an hour or so earlier and buy another 6pack. Or when the stall hits, take off the smoke and wrap very tight in the foil (which I don’t like to do personally) it really is antithetical to the smoking process…and drink more beer while you wait an extra 45 minutes at 225*. It is kinda blasphemy to turn up the heat.
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It looks good! I’m just a little shocked it took so long to get to temp. I usually pull and wrap at 165, then pull at 205. I did one about the same size last weekend and it took maybe 5 hours to get to 165. No idea what elevation does, but I’m sure it has an effect. Either way, if it tasted good and was juicy, great first run at it!
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St Louis and Baby back ribs tonight for smoke#2. Tried a modified 3-2-1 smoke….turned more into a 4-2-1.5 at 225.
Ribs turned out great! Beautiful smoke ring (forgot pics)…not fall of the bone, but very tender and juicy. I’ll probably go no foil and just let it go and spritz it with apple juice/cider vinegar for 6-7 hours next time to see the difference.
Ready to move on to beef….tri-tip later this week.
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I’ve become interested in a gravity fed smoker… anyone have any experience with them?
Two of my neighbors bought them and hated them. I don’t know specifically why, but they both sold them within a month of buying them.
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Thanks! That’s interesting… I’ve pretty much only read how great they are, which is why I asked.
My neighbor got a master built. First year he was on it and loved it. This year boredom sets in because you are just stuck with charcoal, so the cook is good, it is really hands on, but you gotta love the charcoal flavor. I prefer different wood, we get peach, apple, and once in a while pear. The pellet is really intriguing to me and I’m going to be trying that in a few weeks. So easy to change up the flavor profiles with pellets. Like I said earlier, a lot of competitions are being won with pellet smokers. New day technology
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We don’t wrap ribs. A great rib has tug, you don’t want fall off the bone necessarily. You want the flavor. Sounds like you nailed it!
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