Garlic Tomato Chicken Breasts

I bought these garlic, sundried tomato, marinated chicken breasts from my local butcher. He does up several flavors of chicken breasts, boneless & skinless, that are pretty darn good. I usually like to do my own but sometimes it is nice for a quick no fuss, no mess meal. I would have them with just enough new red potatoes left from another cook and some fresh tomatoes sliced. I used Paula Deen’s Crazy Salt & olive oil on the potatoes. I also had Paula’s salt on my tomatoes. I am getting to be a big fan of that salt! She must have started that business early, sure a young looking picture of her on the salt!

I got the smoker fired up & heated to 225 deg. Put my potatoes on at 5:30 & the chicken breasts right after. I started them out on my pizza pan, my idea here was they would retain more of the marinade while cooking. I checked them after 20 min turned them & upped the smoker to 300 deg. After another 10 min. I took them off the pizza pan & directly on the grate for the last 15 to 20 min of cooking. At about 6:18 I checked temps with a probe & was at 160 deg so pulled them. This was a quick cook & pretty good. The chicken was tasty & moist.

Kah's chicken breasts

Just about done

My plate

Smokin Don

Cheeseburgers & Corn on the Cob

Mid July & a day I wait for every summer, when the sweet corn is ready! About mid week I noted that Suter’s little red barn had a sign out that said, “Sweet Corn & Tomatoes Sat.” Suters is a local area produce farm that has the best sweet corn there is. Mostly bi-color but they have some white, I think comes on later. I was there shortly after 10 am & they were already busy & still unloading the pick up truck loaded with sacks of corn. I bought a half doz. enough for the wife & I and 4 of their large tomatoes.

After lunch I cleaned out the smoker and changed the foil on the drip pan. That was a must since the last cook, I walked out to check on the smoker that was cooling down with the lid open. Here was a sparrow sitting in the middle of the open lid! I said chirpy if you go on my smoker I will shoot you. With that he did a 180, left a deposit & flew away! I checked & luckily it missed the grate & landed on the foil of the drip pan.

We have been having sandwiches a lot but a hamburger is the best thing that goes with corn on the cob. I liked the Weber gourmet burgers I made recently so decided to use their seasoning again but on the outside instead of mixing in with the meat & would have my favorite cheese, Swiss, melted on top. I decided to do a Caprese salad, recipe from “For the Love of Cooking” blog. I did not roast my tomatoes though, just had them fresh.
Early I reduced some balsamic vinegar for the dressing & would use fresh basil leaves from my garden. About 3 in the afternoon I cleaned my corn, which is to remove 2 or 3 outer husks, trim off both ends & into salted water to soak for a couple of hours. Some people like to peel back the corn husks, remove the silk & add butter for grilling, but to me the silk comes off nice & clean after it is cooked, & you can add the butter & seasoning as much as you want! After I had the corn soaking I made up 4 hamburger patties from 2 lbs. of ground chuck, seasoned with Weber’s Gourmet Hamburger seasoning, covered in saran wrap & in the fridge. I was now ready to start cooking at 5 pm.

I had decided to do the corn at 225 deg for a half hr. & then put the burgers on at 300 deg for a half hr. I had the smoker preheated to 225 deg. & got the corn on at 5 pm. At 5:30 I added the burgers, flipped them after 20 min. then at 6:00 I added the Swiss cheese & topped two with the buns. Another couple of min. the cheese was melted & buns toasted a little. That first sweet corn sure tasted good, The cheeseburgers & salad was great too.

When I have corn on the cob I always remember my Dad, he would sit there with a sharp knife & cut down the center of each row of kernels before adding butter & salt. This way most of the hulls stay on the cob. He said he learned that from an old man who had no teeth & after cutting he could still eat corn on the cob.

Corn in soaking

Caprese Salad

Ready for the cheese

Cheeseburger & Corn

Smokin Don

Pulled Pork Butt

Yesterday it was an all day cook. I had a 7 lb. pork butt & smoked for pulled pork. I have a cousin coming from Texas for a family reunion she does every 2 yrs. She is coming over next week-end for lunch & wanted some pulled pork for her. The day before I put some Smoked Spanish Paprika, & Galena Street rub, from Penzey’s, on the pork & in a plastic bag to marinade overnight. I didn’t use my usual red wine vinegar to wet down this time, just the seasonings. I got up at 5 am took the pork from the fridge to set out. Fired up the Traeger & set on 180 deg. At 6 am I got the pork on & watched the smoker settle in at 180 to 190 deg. I went back to bed until 9:00 & the smoker was running at 200 deg so & upped the P# one & it settled back to 180 to 190 deg. After 5 hrs I inserted the temp probe & was up to about 130 deg IT. I let it set on the 180 deg. for 7 hours, one hr. per lb. then went to 225 deg. Usually I go to 225 after about 3 to 4 hrs. but wanted to try this one time. I upped the smoker 25 deg every half hr. & wound up at 300 deg the last half hr. When it reached 170 deg IT I double wrapped in foil & added ¼ cup liquid, half water & apple juice & 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce. Just before 4:00 pm it was at 202 deg IT so pulled & placed in a preheated 180 deg oven, turned the oven off & let rest for about an hr. Total cook time was about 10 hrs. After wrapping in foil it can be pulled & finished in an inside oven if wanted. You can save on pellets since it doesn’t take on any more smoke anyway. I was too lazy to take inside until done! After resting I opened the foil & let cool awhile before pulling. It was really moist, had at least 1 cup of liquid, I drained the fat from & added back to the pork. The bone pulled clean & it pulled easily. The bark was extra good, the wife & I could hardly stay out of it.

At noon I had come in & made up some of my friends, Billy Merril’s, $10,000 slaw. If you belong to pelletheads.com forum you can get the recipe there. It is his version of a recipe from a famous BBQ place where he lives in North Carolina. The owner said someone came in & offered him $10,000 for the recipe & he turned them down. Anyway it is delicious & goes good as a side or on the pulled pork. I cut halves from the cabbage head leaving the core & a slice about 1 inch thick. I rubbed it with a little Better than beef bullion, double wrapped in foil & poked a hole with a toothpick & on the smoker the last 2 hrs. I did up some frozen sweet potato fries in the oven, Alexia brand. They are as good as I can make myself. I served the pulled pork on a COWB, cheap ole white bun, placed a little Bone Suckin Sauce on the bun then the pork & topped with slaw. The sweet potato fries & cabbage went well with it.

I think I will stay with the lower temps an hr per lb. on my pork roasts from now on, really came out good. The smoked paprika enhanced the smoke flavor well. Some people do not foil at all but I have had better luck when I foil the roast after it hits 170 deg. IT.

Seasoned & on the smoker

After 5 hrs

Ready to pull

Bone pulled clean

About half pulled

My plate

Smokin Don

Chili Cheese Dogs

Yesterdays cook was fun, I was cooking for our neighbor’s grandson too, who is like family. He is 38 yrs. old & grew up with our children. He soon fell behind them after he started having epileptic seizures at an early age. He has had many trips to the Cleveland Clinic for treatments, & he is handicapped. He likes to come over with his Dr. Pepper & sit with me, he has trouble talking but we just enjoy each others company. He likes some of the food from the smoker so Sunday I told him Tues night we would have chili dogs. Last evening he sat with me while I fixed them & then we carried them to his grandparents, I had two for him & one each for his Mother & Grandmother too.

I had 8 old fashioned hot dogs from my butcher, Kah Meats. I got my sauce on about 3:30 & let it simmer on the stove, then went out to sit with Tony until it was time to cook. I got the smoker fired up & set to 250 deg. I took the sauce out at 5:30 & added the hot dogs. I planned to do them for ½ hour. After 10 min. I put a yellow squash on for the wife & I, & turned the smoker to 300 deg. At 6:00 all was ready, I made up the sandwiches for Tony & family & carried them over for him. That was an enjoyable cook & the chili dogs were pretty good. Shredded cheddar was added & I had mustard & chopped onion on mine. The sauce was pretty good so I will share the recipe, but I am still searching for that perfect sauce. A little like I have done with chili.

Printable Sauce Recipe

Ground Chuck

On the Smoker

My Plate

Smokin Don

Adding a Second Shelf

I got this idea from Savannah Smoker on pelletheads forum. It will be nice for added room on large cooks. Mar 18, 2011 Snows gone, took my longjohns off, birds are chirping & building nests, & a nice 60+ yesterday so decided to give my 07E a spring cleaning & add the extra shelf I had bought this winter. I was inspired by Savannahsmoker but was in a stew about how to hold the angle iron in place to drill the holes. I measured just below the stack & found 17" was good for the length. Used 1/8 X 1 1/2" angle iron, 2 allen button head 1/4" bolts, nuts & lock washers. I predrilled the angle iron 2" in from the end, centered w/7/16 bit. I notched the one to accommodate temp probe. I came up with a block of wood 4 1/4" long to support the back of angle iron above the existing shelf support, used a c clamp w/a folded piece of sandpaper to protect the paint. I drilled the front hole first w/ 1/4" drill thru the angle iron then inserted bolt while I drilled the back hole. This worked well to hold the angle even. It should only take some a couple hrs but this ole man took all afternoon to clean, cut & drill the angle, & mount, plus at least a six pack! Smokin Don
A second thought would be to use 1 3/4" or 2" angle iron. It would be easier to get the shelf to fit in past the end lips. I had to cut my shelf a little longer than the opening, so it would not slide off & takes a little finessing to get in & out. Photos below.

Note: As with any modifications on the site, do so at your own risk. Also if your Traeger is still under warranty; any modifications may void your warranty.

Heat shield Mod

After about a year of using my Traeger I found the heat shield, or deflector, had warped some & did not set level. Looking at a lot of mods for a heatdeflector, some made heavier ones, some added a cast iron griddle. You can also buy a stainless steel one as well as other parts at pelletgrill outlet.com but they are expensive. My stock heat deflector had warped some & I was thinking about adding a cast iron griddle. I could not find a griddle & then thought if Lowes has some heavy, ar least 1/4" steel large enough I will just add that. They had some 1/4X4X12" pieces so bought 3 & some bolts & locking nuts. I predrilled the plates & bolted them to the underside & the heat shield. I had thought maybe I could take the warp out before I bolted the plates in place but the warp would just spring opposite when I tried. When I bolted the first plate on the warp came right out & after all in place it sat level. One piece 1/4X12X12" would be better than my 3 pieces but that is all I could find handy. I just sprayed with pam & burnt in on Hi. Photos below.

Note: As with any modifications on the site, do so at your own risk. Also if your Traeger is still under warranty; any modifications may void your warranty.

Traeger Modification

Early I learned from forums most Traeger owners add fire bricks in the bottom. You can buy them at any brick supplier. It is best & safer to use fire bricks than any other type. These act like a heat sink and help maintain temps. This also equals less pellet burn. My Traeger 07E will hold 5 fire bricks as pictured below & I think they really help.

Note: As with any modifications on the site, do so at your own risk. Also if your Traeger is still under warranty; any modifications may void your warranty.