INFO: Traeger Operation

If you own a Traeger Smoker you need to know how it operates. The oldest controller they used just had a Low, Med, & High setting. Then they came out with a 225 controller w/digital readout, it had a Smoke setting then a 225 deg & up in 25 deg. increments to High. It also had P settings to control the smoke mode, or run idle time. Ambient temps affect the smoker so they had the P settings to offset this. There were settings P1 thru P12, on P1 the pellet feed auger ran for 15 seconds then off for 45 seconds. Then higher P settings incremented the off time + 10 seconds, the feed time always is at 15 seconds on. Then if you go to a higher setting the pellet feed auger runs continuous until that temp. is reached, then it would fall back to the smoke, idle run time until it fell 3 deg below the set temp then continuous until set temp was reached again etc. I think with the 225 controller you could only access the P settings from the back of the controller to change them. People had a lot of trouble with high temp swings & they found when it fell back to the idle run time it started with the 15 seconds on time. So they designed a new controller to start with the programmed off time, after it reached set temp. & they added a 180 deg setting & also made access to the P settings thru a small hole on the front of the controller. I use a small allen wrench to change them.

P setting examples:
P1 auger on 15 seconds auger off 45 seconds
P2 auger on 15 seconds auger off 55 seconds
P3 auger on 15 seconds auger off 65 seconds
Each increment of the P# up or down should change the temp about + - 10 deg

A lot of owners prefer to control cooking temps below 300 deg. by leaving it in smoke mode & just using the P settings. I prefer to get mine to holding temps in the smoke mode just below the set temp I want to cook at, this way I don’t get many wild temp swings. For example if I want to cook at 225 deg I get it running about 200 deg in the smoke mode then go to 225 deg. If you use the 180 deg setting you want to make sure it is running below 180 deg in the smoke mode. I only use the 180 deg setting for long smoke cooks like a pork butt or brisket where I don’t want to have to monitor the smoker much. If you try to do it on smoke mode you stand the chance of going below 160 deg & have a flame out if ambient temps change. I know for the novice this may sound complicated but after you use your Traeger awhile it is pretty simple. Some of the newer smokers control the temps better than the Traeger without ambient temps affecting them but you will not buy them for $700, more like double that or more.
Always shutdown your smoker w/the lid open. If you don’t you stand a chance of burn back thru the auger tube, from the fire seeking oxygen to burn up what pellets are left. If the last part of your cook was over 300 deg it’s a good idea to turn down to smoke mode for awhile before shutting down. I usually wait until it’s below 250 deg.

Ham Loaf

Saturday my Cook would be a Ham loaf from Kah Meats, some little red potatoes, & yellow squash from my garden. My yellow squash is doing good so will probably be in my cooks for awhile. I just checked the Suter’s produce site & says sweet corn will be ready in 7 to 10 days. They are a local produce farm that grows corn, melons, tomatoes, & Etc for the local market around Lima, Ohio. They set up red barns, 14 of them, in 9 different cities. Their sweet corn is picked daily so it is always fresh, they bring in a pickup load daily & open at 10 am, if you’re not there before noon you may be out of luck! They have been in business for 3 generations. I like to get several doz. before the end of the season, & freeze up for the winter months.

My Mother likes Kah’s Ham loaf & the last time I took her one thought that should be good on the smoker. I was worried about drying it out if I tried too low of heat, I have had that problem with meat loaves. After cooking at 225 to 250 deg for 1 hr. 25 min. it was very moist so next time will do one on smoke setting for awhile, the ham would taste better with a little smoke flavor. I made up a glaze of ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard, & 1 tsp. butter. My red potatoes were #1, all 1” or less, cleaned, trimmed some & cut several in half for all to be uniform size. I mixed some Panko bread crumbs & parmesan cheese for on the squash.

I started up the smoker & set to 225 deg. Set the ham loaf out about 20 min, reformed into loaf & added some Panko bread crumbs, olive oil on my enameled pizza pan & placed ham loaf on it. Placed potatoes in a bowl, drizzled w/olive oil & Paula Deen’s Crazy Salt, they would be placed in a grilling basket my wife bought me from Pampered Chef. The pizza pan & basket are two of my favorites for on the grill. The pizza pan allows for easy turning or moving meats, used mostly for meat loaf & fatties. The basket will hold anything small. I should know better on the potatoes, even as small as they were they were not quite done. I find if you are cooking lower than 300 deg, potatoes need to be precooked some. I got the potatoes on at 4:45 & the ham loaf at 4:55, at 225 deg. I went inside & mixed up the glaze, I did it for 20 sec. in the microwave before adding o the ham when it got to 140 deg IT. I cut the squash in half, drizzled on some olive oil, & Paula Deen’s Crazy Salt. At 5:40 I tuned the smoker to 250 deg & was time to add the glaze on the ham loaf. When the loaf got to 150 deg IT, I added the squash cut side down on the grill for about 10 min. Then I flipped them over & added some of the Panko bread crumb mix. It was about 6:15 when the ham loaf got to 165 deg. IT. It sure made a good meal & the ham loaf will be good in sandwiches tonight for an easy meal!

Kah's Ham Loaf

Squash & Potatoes

Ready to Smoke

On the smoker

Finished

My plate

Smokin Don

California Pizza Kitchen

Still in the search of a Papa Murphy’s pizza my wife came home with 4 small California Pizza Kitchen , all different. I still prefer making my own, or from the Beer & Wine Depot, but wanted to find a good one that would be quick & no prep. For our Friday night supper I chose a Margarita & a Sicilian style. I added some extra shredded mozzarella to the Sicilian one, thought it was a little skimpy. I like doing the small ones on the Traeger, easy to handle. I cannot have pizza without beer! I had a good pale ale from the Great Lakes Brewery in Cleveland, Ohio. Copied from their site: “In the 1870s, Cleveland had 30 breweries. By the early 1980s, the last one had shuttered its doors. So when brothers Patrick and Daniel Conway opened Great Lakes Brewing Company on September 6, 1988, it not only signaled a new era in Cleveland brewing, it was also the first microbrewery in the state of Ohio.” I had their Burning River, a pale ale, named after the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland that caught fire, at least 11 times over the years until the one in 1969 brought national attention that led to a clean up. It ranks among the best pale ales I have had.

I fired up the Traeger & turned to high, after 20 min it was up to 410 deg so added the pizzas, after 7 min & rotated them since the right side runs hotter. Another 8 min. & they were just right so pulled, cut, & served along with some chips. My wife & I had half of each one. I liked the Sicilian better than the Margarita but like the DiGiorno pizzas I thought they did not have enough sauce. So I guess my search will go on for the perfect store bought pizza to have on my Traeger.
Tonight I will be having a ham loaf, baby red potatoes, & yellow squash from my garden.

Pizzas

Cheese added to Sicilian on the left

Done pizzas

My plate & Beer

Smokin Don

Weber Gourmet Cheeseburgers

Last nights cook on the Traeger was quick & simple. Awhile back I was at Sam’s Club & they had a taste booth for Weber Gourmet Burgers, I liked them so bought a bottle of the seasoning to try. I found some baby broccoli & had two yellow squash just ready in my garden. I bought 1 ¼ lb. ground chuck, 80-20, at my butchers. This is the best blend for juicy burgers. Some Sargentos baby Swiss slices & a COWB, cheap ole white bun to hold it. I had a slice of Vidalia onion, & mustard on mine, my wife had dill pickle & mustard. I mixed a little over 2 tsp of the Weber seasoning in the hamburger & divided into 3 patties, center indented, per Bobby Flay. 30 min. at 300 deg. would do for the burgers. I put some lemon juice, a little olive oil, & Penzey’s Florida seasoned pepper on the broccoli. They would go into a basket & I put them on about 10 min before I put the burgers on. I cut the yellow squash in half long way, a little olive oil & Paula Deen’s crazy salt, 15 min turning half way through cooking on the grill. I found the baby broccoli should have been steamed or boiled instead of grilled. It came out slightly charred & stems were not done enough for me. After 30 min for the burgers I topped them with cheese & buns for just over 2 min. The yellow squash were a taste treat! The burger was juicy & done just right. They did not have the pretty grill marks like so many people rave about, but I say when you get them in the bun you don’t know if there are grill marks or not!

Seasonings & burgers

On the Traeger & about ready to add the cheese

My sandwich & veggies

Smokin Don

Pork Spare Ribs

A couple of weeks ago I received 40 lbs. of BBQ Delight hickory pellets I had ordered from Big Poppa’s Smokers. I wanted to see if they were any better than the Traeger pellets I have been using. I can only find Traeger pellets locally and most other pellets are too expensive to order because of the shipping. From Big Poppa’s their BBQ Delight pellets are the same per pound, including the shipping as I pay for the Traeger pellets. I bought a rack of pork spare ribs from my butcher to try. I trimmed them up to what I think is a St. Louis cut. The trimmed pieces I did up for the cook! I cut the slab in half since I was going to do half with Sauce & half without. I wet them down w/red wine vinegar, then added the dry rub, wrapped in saran wrap & then in the fridge until ready to smoke, that was about 5 to 6 hrs. A lot of people use a coat of mustard on the ribs to hold the rub, but I prefer the red wine vinegar I have used for yrs. I used some 17th Street BBQ Rub this time, from Big Poppa’s, and would use Bone Suckin Sauce on half. I have come to prefer that sauce, their original style, over my old favorite from Kah’s Meats here in Wapakoneta. It is just a tad more sour & just a hint of heat. So I would say break from your traditional & try new things, you might like it better than your usual. I had some potato salad & marinated artichokes left over from my last cook & they would go well with the ribs. I fired up my smoker & got the ribs on at 1:30 on smoke mode that was running 170 to 180 deg. Total cook time would be 4 ½ hrs. I did them one hr. on smoke mode & then went to 225 deg. At 5:00 I went to 250 deg. then at 5:15 I slathered on some Bone Suckin Sauce on half & flipped. At 5:45 I repeated this & pulled them at 6:00. I covered them w/foil for 10 min before serving. Ribs were great, wife liked them too. I was where I was liking my ribs naked, just the rub & no sauce, but I am getting to be a big fan of that Bone Suckin Sauce. I also like the 17th Street Rub. Did I think the BBQ Delight pellets were better than the Traeger’s? To be honest I could not tell too much difference, maybe with more use I can say one way or the other.

Seasonings & Ribs

On the Traeger

Resting

My plated supper

Smokin Don

Happy 4th

Flag Day at the Armstrong Museum 2009

Happy Independence Day, 4th of July! Today usually a day of family get together’s & picnics, and firework displays. Just the wife & I here and I am not cooking. We will go out to the County fairgrounds for some fair food. Wapakoneta’s St. Joseph Church has put on a 4th of July Picnic every since we can remember. We used to take the children for the evening. They had pony rides for the children, cake raffles, ladies sold their crafts, most of the food was provided by local organizations set up in tents. They sold beer, long neck bottles, iced down in horse watering tanks, they had a Polka Tent with a wooden dance floor, several games of chance & then all would gather to watch a great fireworks display at 11:00 PM. Later they would get more fair like, more rides for the children, plenty of fair food stands, and the beer is sold in a separate enclosed area. We will go out to get our traditional whole hog sausage sandwich but first we have to get my wife a lemon shakeup then some fair fries for both of us w/malt vinegar & salt then on to the little red barn, where the FFA sells the whole hog sausage patty sandwiches, singles or doubles & you can get cheese and all the condiments. I would like the fireworks but too late for me & we will probably head home not too long after we eat!

Chicken Roll stuffed w/sausage

Yesterday I deboned a chicken after watching several how to videos, since this was my first attempt at it. It was not as easy as it looked in the videos! I just did the breast & thighs. I put the legs & wings in a bag & marinated w/Stubs chicken marinade. After deboning I cut a couple of slits in the thick part of the breasts, covered w/saran wrap & pounded to an even thickness. I put about ¾ lb seasoned sausage in a plastic bag & worked it into an even thickness to cover the chicken. I folded each side to the center & tied w/butchers twine. Put it in the fridge to dry some for a couple hours then rubbed on some olive oil, seasoned w/Lawry’s seasoning salt, no MSG, & some garlic granules. Covered w/saran wrap & back in the fridge. I melted about ¾ stick of butter, garlic granules, 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, & a tsp of white balsamic vinegar and a few twists from the pepper mill for basting. I had some locally made potato salad for a side. I also opened a can of artichoke hearts, added some olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, & a little salt & pepper. I some little red onions I had bought at the Farmers Market I planned to grill & add to the artichokes. I grilled them at 300 deg on my Traeger for about 45 min, not as done as I would have liked but I sliced them in half & added to the artichokes. I set the chicken roll out about 4:30 at room temp & got it & the legs & wings on about 5 PM in the already hot Traeger, 300 deg. I put it in my rack seam side up so the sausage would baste the chicken & brushed on some of my butter 3 times, last time just before going to high. I had figured at least 1 ½ hrs for the chicken roll. At 5:30 went to 325 deg. At 6:00 the legs & wings were done & chicken roll was up to about 148 deg IT so set the Traeger on high to finish & brown some. Another 15 min the Treager was at 419 deg. & chicken roll was up 165 so turned down to smoke & got ready to pull it. I let it set 10 min. uncovered, removed the twine & sliced to serve. Very good, chicken was tender & moist. Should be some good leftovers! My wife & I had the wings for an appetizer before the roll was done, love that Stubs marinade.

Deboned chicken & sausage

Wrapped & tied

Seasoned

Red onions

On the grill

Ready to slice

Plated supper, note the cook gets the heel!

Leftovers to freeze.

Smokin Don