What's cooking today? 🔥 Pics are necessary!

[Shedd]

Do you find that your cleanup time is reduced any as opposed to just changing out the foil from the Traeger drip tray?

Absolutely it is. I haven’t changed my grease bucket in close to a year. I hardly change the foil I have covering my drip tray. I spray my grates with Pam grill spray, since my main grate is mostly covered by the sheet pan, it hardly gets messy. My aftermarket grate cleans up easily wam, other than vacuuming the pit out, hardly any work involved. I cook a lot on it too.

 

[Slimpicker]

Do you have a link to the "oven liners" you use.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TCNX64W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

Don't know what size fits the Silverton, but these also come in diff sizes. I bend the edges up at the bottom and they do a great job.

Plus, I have no problem with my drip pan getting grease on it, it blackens the pan like my pit sides and top, it also retards rust obviously. My drip pan has not suffered any compromise in my 3.5 years of ownership. Label me an old-timer but I say a smoker isn't a smoker without a good buildup inside.

 

[RayClem]

Was looking on the Walmart website for heavy gauge aluminum baking sheets & stumbled upon these 18/0 stainless steel ones

Coliware Toaster Oven Pan Tray, Stainless Steel Baking Pan Cookie Sheet, Set of 2 (12.5’’ x 9.75’’ x 1’’), Rolled Edge & Round Corner, Mirror Finished & Easy Clean - Walmart.com

Buy Coliware Toaster Oven Pan Tray, Stainless Steel Baking Pan Cookie Sheet, Set of 2 (12.5’’ x 9.75’’ x 1’’), Rolled Edge & Round Corner, Mirror Finished & Easy Clean at Walmart.com

www.walmart.com

Pros / Cons of usability in a Traeger?

The stainless pans your reference are only 12.5 x 9.75 unless you get the more expensive ones. You could always use 2 side by side. A single 13" x 18" sheet is a better option. Stainless is usually more expensive than aluminum, but for this use aluminum (or even steel) is fine. I have a cheap steel pan. That is why I cover it will aluminum foil.

 

[Parrothead1809]

Yea - I'm a big fan of my Pimp My Grill grates too. I'm looking for an easy/cheap way to keep my exterior shelf clean when I pull out a grate though. Foil is too costly, but would stay put. Maybe some pink Butcher Paper and tape/rubber bands?
-PH

Apparently my message wasn't clear. I'm looking for a way so that when I pull out the pimp-my-grill grates, my cook doesn't drip all over the outside shelf. This exterior shelf is what I don't want to keep wiping down. As for the inside, I let that take it's natural course of dripping down and out into the bucket.
-PH

 

[Don C]

THANKS to all who contributed !

 

[Timmy]

Apparently my message wasn't clear. I'm looking for a way so that when I pull out the pimp-my-grill grates, my cook doesn't drip all over the outside shelf. This exterior shelf is what I don't want to keep wiping down. As for the inside, I let that take it's natural course of dripping down and out into the bucket.
-PH

I addressed it in this post, it got a little confusing.
Post in thread 'What's cooking today? Pics are necessary!'
https://www.traegerforum.com/threads/whats-cooking-today-🔥-pics-are-necessary.3207/post-47304

 

[Slimpicker]

Apparently my message wasn't clear. I'm looking for a way so that when I pull out the pimp-my-grill grates, my cook doesn't drip all over the outside shelf.

https://www.amazon.com/Oil-Eater-Drip-Spill-Universal/dp/B09X24M4B8/ref=sr_1_9?crid=3GP8PMFMI2HVC&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.oq9EKt5p-I0J59tc2TIbql8pbvZCzUOwGEmhnQSkXh8C8d6h67domYwy99tEfpszE-vkbirbaRlY8wkhYRQpDt1Dor7CF61LKh0Uqu6EJKpIXJsICpp15wfLrwEtnheuir6uFvBShNcGKPximqGQ8QtPJEDN7Jjr7aWt4OG4bLqAlKX8Xf3DXvykJ1j5TaM78ZBHGCb0b7AQuYCJfdZyBk8TX3rTmykQQkaupbX-YqZzuQ-MjUMVXSMeemOpoKY2ca-6szW-lfm9AGX2lXmatdh1CDpL-53LkJ-5GitW5l8.Rpid62b6xRvuRGkqmFEwX_bhWd0v5DmvtYz6waDr0BU&dib_tag=se&keywords=OIL%2BSPILL%2BMAT&qid=1710389632&sprefix=oil%2Bspill%2Bmat%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-9&th=1

Use many times... throw away
After your cook, roll it up and set it aside for next cook. The grease ain't going anywhere.

 

[Shedd]

This morning I smoked two butts on my XL Big Geen Egg. It’s been over a year since I’ve even used it because I’ve been enjoying the ease of my Pro 780. However I’ve fallen in love with the egg today. Both butts was around 11 lbs each. I setup my egg with oak lump coals and put several big chunks of hickory throughout the lump. I used my new Inkbird controller that attaches to the lower vent with a hose and blows air into it maintaining the temperature at 340 degrees, yes 340. I cook in Turbo (hot and fast). After a few hours they hit 165ish and I wrapped in butcher paper and continued cooking until 203-205. Then kept in paper and put in my Yeti for a few hours. Total cook time was about 6 hours. Yes 6. Great bark as expected at 340 degrees, firm but not hard. So moist it was unbelievable. The smoke flavor is sooo good!

 

[RayClem]

This morning I smoked two butts on my XL Big Geen Egg. It’s been over a year since I’ve even used it because I’ve been enjoying the ease of my Pro 780. However I’ve fallen in love with the egg today. Both butts was around 11 lbs each. I setup my egg with oak lump coals and put several big chunks of hickory throughout the lump. I used my new Inkbird controller that attaches to the lower vent with a hose and blows air into it maintaining the temperature at 340 degrees, yes 340. I cook in Turbo (hot and fast). After a few hours they hit 165ish and I wrapped in butcher paper and continued cooking until 203-205. Then kept in paper and put in my Yeti for a few hours. Total cook time was about 6 hours. Yes 6. Great bark as expected at 340 degrees, firm but not hard. So moist it was unbelievable. The smoke flavor is sooo good!

Looks nice @Shedd. I know cooking in a BGE is a lot different than the Traeger. How did the smoke flavor with lump charcoal at 340F compare to the Traeger are a lower temp? I normally run at 225F for pulled pork. I don't have a BGE or other Kamado style grill. My son in law has a BGE, but he lives 1000 miles away. While it won't be helpful to me, your advice might be helpful to him.

 

[Hogan]

I wonder if you could cook chicken breasts to 145F on the Traeger to get some smoke flavor on them and then finish them off sous vide at 165F. I have not tried that, but it is certainly something I can try. I purchased a large family pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts at Costco. I cooked half the package on the Traeger and they were a little dry for my liking. Time to try something different.

I've always found BS chicken breasts to be dry after cooking on grill or smoker. My default now is to brine them for no more than one hour (3/4 C water, 1/4 C sunflower oil, 1T each sugar and kosher salt, pat dry, don't rinse). This is especially true for previously frozen breasts. The sunflower oil helps to emulsify the oil/water mix, and also elevates the Maillard reaction when cooking. Get the grates really hot, then cook over indirect-medium about 4 minutes per side. Cook to temp.

 

[Hogan]

Smoked up my andouille this morning. 180 with super smoke, hickory pellets plus a tube with 50/50 pellets and chips. One thing I love about the Traeger is the ability to hot smoke at a consistently low temp. Worked beautifully. By the way, if you ever want to try you hand at sausage making or curing meats, check out Ruhlman and Polcyn‘s “Charcuterie.” About the best text on the subject I’ve found.

link to book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Salting-Smoking-Revised-Updated/dp/0393240053/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2OXN1K8XBBRR5&keywords=charcuterie+book&qid=1679867177&sprefix=Charcuterie,aps,170&sr=8-7

I second the recommendation on Ruhlman and Polcyn‘s “Charcuterie.” Excellent source of background information and recipes for sausage and pâté - indeed, all things Charcuterie.

 

[Shedd]

Looks nice @Shedd. I know cooking in a BGE is a lot different than the Traeger. How did the smoke flavor with lump charcoal at 340F compare to the Traeger are a lower temp? I normally run at 225F for pulled pork. I don't have a BGE or other Kamado style grill. My son in law has a BGE, but he lives 1000 miles away. While it won't be helpful to me, your advice might be helpful to him.

I added about 6 big chunks of Hickory in with it because at that temperature it doesn’t put out nearly as much smoke flavor. I lit it in four places so once it started the chunks would get going good, but closed my top vents to the same setting as I use for low and slow. That way it let the temperature creep up allowing the chunks to get going good. I also used a Inkbird Controller so after I could smell the hickory good, I opened the top vent more so the temp could creep on up to 340. But I went ahead and put the butts on so they could start taking advantage of the smoke. So I think the majority of the smoke flavor is from the chunks but I do taste a little of the oak from the lump. I used to experiment with the Turbo cooking before and although I’ve always been able to keep my egg temperature stable at low and slow I struggled with 340 because it would climb fast. But my buddy gave me the Inkbird controller last year about the time I was really getting into my Traeger so I didn’t use it. But for a cheap controller it works better that Flame Boss that’s twice the price, easier to operate too. The pulled pork is as good as what I used to cook on offsets but 6 hours instead of 12-16.

 

[Slimpicker]

Wrapless Baby Backs, turned out fine but cooked 'uneven', some places were prime, a couple places dried out. We ate all of it anyway so wasn't bad enough I guess...

Last pic blurred on me, oh well.

 

[Hogan]

After Thanksgiving I was at Walmart Market and found some leftover frozen turkeys on sale for cheap, I got 4 of them and they all was around 6 bucks each (really) and I have a 105 lb lab that I routinely cook chicken and turkey for. So I’ve got one on the Traeger now without any seasonings of course. I’ll chop it up and mix with other goodies for him, so much better than commercial dog food and cheap. I’m using the probe for my 780 so I can continue on with my Saturday without worrying about it. I know it’ll be off a bit but not enough to hurt anything. It’s at 145 now so I got time to get this grass cut now that the sun finally came out. I got about 5 acres to cut with my awesome zero turn mower, I’ll cut the other with the tractor another day. It’s got cup holders for a couple cold beers, got my Apple ear buds and gonna rock out with some 70s classic rock! Life is great when things go well. I hope Y’all Have a great weekend everyone!

Wonder why your Lab is 105 lb?

 

[Shedd]

That what his vet keeps asking me