I Bought Ken a Cool Christmas Present called a Traeger Grill.
It's something Ken (my husband) has been wanting since the barbecue festival in 2011. He just couldn't stop talking about it for weeks after the festival. He became friends with the festival participants, he was on the planning committee for the festival and he just loves a great barbecue. He is a true cook and especially loves to cook outdoors, even in the winter.
I really love the way Ken is so excited about cooking on his grill. I know that the Christmas present was the best one he ever had Of course, we both decided on it, kind of like we both decided on the special ring I got for my Christmas present. But Ken is such a good cook. In fact, he is the cook of the house. I rarely get to cook in the kitchen. He's always the first one to think of something for us to have because he knows all the best recipes. Since he's gotten the grill I never have to worry about getting any protein now and we have plenty of meat stored in our freezer!
These are a few pictures of the things Ken has done, but not nearly everything. Besides ribs and pork butts he has also done pizza, a meatloaf, chicken thighs, burgers and hot dogs.
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| Ribs |
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| Small pork butt finished |
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| Small pork butt half way |
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| Large Butt Finished |
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Pizza, not great picture, but the pizza turned out better than the oven.
Why do a pizza in it you say? Because he can.
The smoker runs on pellets so it's relatively cheap to cook on it, not like propane. |
From
TRAGERGRILLS.COM
A Smoker is different than a grill in that it runs on pellets rather than propane or charcoal.Tis one can be a grill too because it goes up to temperatures high enough to cook like a grill. A Traeger works like this.
EASY OPERATION & AUTOMATIC START
The Traeger Wood Pellet Grill is simple and safe to operate. When a Traeger is turned on, the igniter rod is activated, the auger begins to feed pellets into the firepot, and the draft induction fan feeds air into the firepot. The igniter rod glows red hot for the first four minutes of operation - just long enough to ignite the pellets in the firepot.
Traegers require standard household electric current (110 VAC), which powers the igniter rod, auger motor and draft induction fan.
ELECTRONIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL
The start-up process and operating temperature are controlled by Traeger's electronic control board. The microprocessor circuitry regulates the heat and smoke in the Traeger by stopping and starting the auger motor.
There are two types of controllers:
The Digital Thermostat Control allows you to select a specific temperature, automatically feeding pellets as needed to maintain the desired temperature. The operating temperature inside the Traeger is monitored by an RTD (resistance temperature detector) probe and displayed on a bright red LED display.
The Manual Control has three settings: smoke, medium, and high
EVEN HEATING & CONVECTION AIRFLOW
The draft induction fan and auger in the Traeger operate continuously, as long as the Traeger is turned on. Air is fed to the firepot via several small holes in the cylindrical wall. Directly above the firepot is a heat shield that acts as the primary point of heat diffusion, forcing heat from the centrally located firepot to spread to the sides. A few inches higher is the steel drip tray. Besides catching the drippings from the cook surface (we recommend lining it with foil for easy cleanup), this piece also serves as a secondary point of heat diffusion, channeling the heat into the front and rear of of the cooking chamber. This effective system of heat distribution allows you to cook evenly enough to grill or smoke the most delicate fish or even bake a large pizza - right on your Traeger.
As the hot, smoky air circulates around the cooking chamber, it surrounds your food with heat, cooking it evenly on all sides, both top and bottom. This means that Traeger Wood Pellet Grills do not need a rotisserie. In most cases, you don't even need to turn food unless you are cooking at a high temperature or want grill marks on both sides of the meat. This even heating means that you achieve perfectly cooked food every time, with no flare-ups, no burnt food and no hassles.
POWER CONSUMPTION
During the first four minutes of operation, the igniter rod is activated and the grill will draw 300 watts of power. After the first four minutes only 50 watts per hour are needed. This is equivalent to a standard household light bulb.
Advertising a friend:
Ken has a friend who is the spearhead of the Kentucky BBQ Festival in Danville,
Brad Simmons. He also owns
Lucky Dog BBQ Catering. He serves Lexington, Danville and Nicholasville, but I believe he will branch out if given enough notice. He's a great guy and his food is awesome. If you're looking for a caterer he's the one to call.
Call us to talk about the details of your next event. We can help you get your perfect BBQ rehearsal, wedding, reunion, birthday or fundraiser event – with perfect food of course. 859-319-5000 or Cindy 859-319-4000
RECIPE
Pulled pork from small butt
See Recipe below
Generously season all sides of the pork
roast with your choice of pork rub.
When ready to cook, start the Traeger
grill on Smoke with the lid open until the
fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Set the
temperature to 225 degrees F and preheat, lid
closed, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Put the roast on the grill grate, fat-side up,
and cook for 3 hours, spraying with apple
juice every hour after the first hour, if desired.
Transfer to a disposable aluminum foil pan
large enough to hold the meat, and roast for 5
or 6 additional hours, or until an instant-read
meat thermometer inserted in the thickest
part, but not touching bone, registers 190
degrees F. If the pork starts to brown too
much, cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
Carefully transfer the pork shoulder
to a cutting board and cover loosely with
aluminum foil. Let it rest for 30 minutes.
Pulled pork is a project for a lazy day. You just can’t rush it. The pork
shoulder will take about 1-1/2 to 2 hours per pound to cook to perfection
(190 degrees F), so start it early in the day if you want to serve it for dinner.
A puckery vinegar-based sauce replaces barbecue sauce in Eastern North
Carolina, where pulled pork is a religion. To make a Carolina-inspired sauce,
combine 2 cups of vinegar (white, apple cider, or a combination of both) with
1 tablespoon each of brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and hot sauce in a
canning jar. Add 2 teaspoons of crushed red pepper and let it sit for several
hours before serving. This stuff is hot, but plays off the richness of the pork.
PULLED PORK
Alternatively, you can wrap it tightly in foil and “hold” it in an insulated
cooler for up to an hour. Pour the juices from the bottom of the aluminum
foil pan into a gravy separator.
While the pork is still hot, pull it into chunks using forks or your hands
(preferably protected from the heat with lined, heavy-duty rubber gloves).
Discard the bone and any lumps of fat or connective tissue. Pull each chunk
into shreds, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Season with additional
rub, if desired, and moisten with the reserved drippings (discard any
fat that has floated to the top of the drippings). Add barbecue sauce, if
desired, and mix well. Or serve the barbecue sauce on the side.
Pile the pork mixture on the hamburger buns and serve with coleslaw, if 1 bone-in pork shoulder
roast (also called Boston
butt), about 5 pounds,
outside fat trimmed to
about 1/8-inch desired.
I have a few recipes to add to my post. One rib, one pork butt and one chicken. the pork butt is above. Ken wrote it on his Facebook but I believe he got it from somewhere else and modified it to suit himself.
This is from the Traeger Grill Website
Simple Smoked Ribs
Simple to prepare, and fall off the bone tender and delicious!
Serves: 4 to 6
Recommended Pellets: Apple, Hickory, Maple
INGREDIENTS
1-3 Racks Baby Back Ribs
1 bottle Traeger Salmon Shake
PREPARATION
Lightly sprinkle Salmon Shake on ribs, and start your Traeger on smoke with lid open for 5 minutes to get started. Place ribs on the grill for 4 to 5 hours on smoke. Remove ribs and place in aluminum foil with your choice of BBQ sauce or 1/2 cup of water. Close foil and put back on grill. Turn digital controller to 350 for 45 minutes. Take ribs off and let rest for 20 minutes & enjoy!
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| Picture courtesy of Traeger Website |
This is from the book Smokin with Myron Mixon, (click to buy on Amazon)
Apple and Bacon - Stuffed Chicken Breasts (page 42) (serves 4)
Ingredients
1 yellow apple, such as aGolden Delicious, peeled, cored and chopped
6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, at least 12 oz each
2 cups Jacks Old South Huney Muney Cluck Rub, or special recipe Basic Chicken Rub (see following recipe)
basic chicken rub
1 cup apple juice
Heat a smoker to 300 deg F
In a small bowl, combine the chopped apple and bacon
Using a sharp paring knife, cut a pocket about 3 inches deep in the thickest side of each chicken breast. Spoon the apple mixture into the pockets and secure the openings with toothpicks.
Apply the rub to the outside ot the chicken breasts. put the breasts in a large aluminum baking pan and place the pan in the smoker. Cook, spritzing the chicken with apple juice every 15 minutes for 1 hour or until the internal temperature of each breast reaches 165 deg F.
Remove the pan from the smoker and allow the chicken to rest, loosely covered, for 10 min. Serve.
Basic Chicken Rub, makes 2 cups (page 20)
Ingredients
2/3 cup chili powder
1/2 cup sugar
4 tbsp kosher salt
4 tbsp onion powder
4 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients thoroughly. You can store this rub in an airtight container indefinitely.
