> wrote:>
> "Tinman" > wrote in message
>>
>> I'm going to buy one last batch of pellets and see how it goes.
>>
>> What I find interesting is that most, if not all, Traeger's rubs contain
>> smoke flavoring. Indeed one friend who recommended Traeger uses the
>> chicken rub on most everything. It contains smoke flavoring. I don't
>> quite understand why a wood-fueled cooker, with a seemingly abundance of
>> smoke, would need the help of added smoke flavoring... unless it's to
>> cover something up <g>.
>>
>> Guess I must be the only Traeger owner not overwhelmed by the brand. Was
>> never happy with the cheapo 3-position switch either, the solution to
>> which costs $180 (a "digital" thermostat controller that *begins* at 225
>> degrees). For nearly the price of just that thermostat I can buy a WSM.
>>
>> For the record chicken seems to impart that lumber taste the most. Yea I
>> suppose chicken ain't real Q, but I have had decent chicken cooked on a
>> smoker before--and it didn't taste like a 2x4.
>>
>>
>
> The only Traeger rub that I have with Liquid Smoke is the Salmon Shake.

Yea the shakes don't seem to have much of the smoke flavoring. Even the
salmon shake I have contains no smoke. Think I bought it (salmon shake)
about 1.5 years ago.


> The Prime Rib and Pork and Poultry do not show it. Shorter cook time on
> salmon?

Of the Traeger rubs I have purchased--chicken, BBQ, sweet, and beef--only
the beef doesn't contain smoke (and I mistakenly though it did too--haven't
really used it much). Gonna avoid the "smoke added" stuff in the future.
(See below, about the ribs I cooked yesterday.)


>
> The "Smoke" setting on both the 3-position and digital is a timed feed. It
> is "set" so that the fire is not flaming when the new pellets are
> introduced - thus the smoke before ignition.

Thanks but I know what each setting does on the three-position switch. I
just don't find it offers the granularity that the grill needs. What I was
complaining about was having to fork over another $180 for the thermostat.


>
> The newer digitals start at 180 (I have had mine two years)

The photo on Traeger's Website starts at 225 degrees. When I called I
couldn't get a straight answer on exactly where it's supposed to start nor
could I get the guy to understand that "Smoke" on the thermostat thingy is
not the same as a temperature setting). If the new units do start at 180 I
might be more interested. Right now, in 100-110 degree temps, "Smoke"
setting is 225-250 degrees.

Ironically, yesterday I cooked the best spareribs I have ever made on the
Traeger (or ever, for that matter). I had been waiting on a shipment of
pellets, and I was running quite low. So I decided to cook a few racks of
ribs to burn off any remaining pellets. Didn't even think much about it.

All I did was apply a conservative amount of Pork and Poultry Shake to the
ribs--nothing else, not even S&P, were added. I wasn't sure I had enough
pellets to finish the job, so figured I'd do the best I could. Fired the
Traeger up on Medium based on a reply from Edwin, thinking it might be too
hot (I didn't care).

Turns out Medium was only around 250 degrees--and seemed to hold that temp
steadier than "Smoke." For reference, we hit 115 degrees here yesterday (the
Traeger isn't in the sun--otherwise it hits 200 without fire). When the fat
started to render the temp increased to about 275, but not much higher. Not
quite sure how the fat increased the temp as it wasn't flaring up in any
way.

Anyway, not expecting much I cooked 'em for 4 hours. Turned it down to smoke
for another 45 minutes and then wrapped 'em in foil. While removing them
from the grill I already could tell these were "done," if not a bit
overdone. I still had enough pellets to go for another two hours.

I snuck a few ribs out for tasting. For starters, they had *zero* "lumber"
flavor. Not a trace. Better yet, they didn't have even a hint of the
"bacon-like" flavor that seemed to haunt my prior ribs (my "successful"
ribs). Without a single drop of added sauce or seasoning they tasted
great--very much like the ribs I've had in decent (to me) BBQ joints. Now my
ribs were not trimmed at all and the "untrimmed" parts seemed a bit overdone
and crusty (yet tasty).

A few hours later--at dinner--they were even better. The "crusty" bits had
softened up nicely. Everything else truly and literally fell off the bone.

I think I had been over-salting ribs. Even when using nothing but S&P the
salt was just too much. I think, perhaps, this is what added some of that
bacon-like flavor.

As for the "lumber" flavor, I don't know if it was gone due to cooking over
a slightly higher heat (yet using much more fuel) or the different type of
meat. The more I think about it, the more it seems chicken has been the meat
to bring out that unwanted flavor--and I wonder how many times I'd used a
rub with smoke already in it. Regardless, I won't cook chicken (or perhaps
ribs) on Smoke as much.

Finally, the pellets that I'm getting (today) are the S&W variety. On one
hand I hope they are of better quality. On the other I fear I've changed a
variable at the *exact moment* I've gotten the best Q I have ever cooked.
Either way it does seem the Traeger is certainly capable of fantastic BBQ. I
only hope I can do it again!



--
Mike