Outdoor cooking noob looking for smoking advice.
TSL, I've been an indoor cook for quite sometime and have gotten a lot of sous vide to SS pan steak experience. I am looking at building my first great outdoor kitchen. I used to grill relatively often. I think I can do better than I did, but I've never smoked anything before. My first question is what should I get? I was leaning toward a Traegar Texas Elite 34 as I can get it at Costco for $600, but wonder if the bug hits me if I'll want to upgrade from that before I wear it out.
The second thing I wonder is more things to use it for. Of course you have the typical ribs/brisket/pork shoulder, but what else have you guys found success with? Any good resources for those types of ideas? Third I've watched some videos where people show you their recipes, but they don't really explain why they are doing it. For example I saw two brisket videos. Both wrapped their brisket in butcher paper for the last 5 hours and lowered the temp. One left the top open. the other completely wrapped it. I'm not sure I understand why they wrapped it and the pros/cons of a complete wrap vs leaving that top. Again any tips appreciated.
** Edited by IV_Hokie12 at 4/15/2025, 10:38:27 AM
12 Replies
1y
One advantage is you can cold smoke things if you want a heavy smokey flavor without overcooking things. I used to use chunks of wood in a smoke box but that required constant tending and replenishment of the wood. With an 18" tube I can light it and it burns for 7 hours. A short video is below.
Link:
Mmm smokey
(In response to this post by IV_Hokie12)
1y
meats etc...
(In response to this post by IV_Hokie12)
I smoked some fish for fish dip around the holidays, but I had to freeze it
before I tried it because I had too much other food laying around to finish. But that has been calling my name from the freezer this week. If I get that down, I am in business. I love fish dip, and I can get plenty of fish - like jacks - that are easy to catch, but maybe not the greatest to filet up and eat.
I've got a basic electric smoker, and had no idea what I was doing when I started, but I also smoke all kinds of things pretty regularly, and no one has died yet.
(In response to this post by IV_Hokie12)
N
No Clue
1y
too quickly. Generally speaking, for something large like a brisket or pork shoulder, you are aiming for a particular time to have it ready which needs to include rest time so you may need to speed up the cook or slow it down. Cook times can vary significantly.
I generally wrap a brisket with butcher paper after it gets to the color I am looking for. This generally happens 5-6 hours into the cook. The wrap mainly helps power through the stall which happens around 150-175 degrees. I have experimented with ribs, shoulders, and butts on wrapping vs unwrapping and I came to the conclusion that it doesn't make a lot of difference with respect to the quality of the finished product.
The pellet grills are good all around grills and I used to have one I used quite a bit until the electronics gave out.. I continue to use a large ceramic grill as well as a good sized griddle. I can pretty much do anything on the combination of the two.
(In response to this post by IV_Hokie12)
It's essentially a convection oven. You can cook most anything in it
I'll grill beans, or mac and cheese or you can do pizza. I mean, really anything that doesn't require a 500 degree temperature, you can cook in it.
(In response to this post by IV_Hokie12)
You rang????
Can't beat the vertical Pit Boss Pellet Smoker.
Bacon. Once you do it the 1st time you will never go back to store bought. Smoked Mac and Cheese is wonderful! I've done smoked pumpkin pies, a smoked maple bourbon pecan pie. I've done smoked pizzas, smoked deviled eggs, turkey breast, wings, smoked cream cheese, jerky (tons of that!) - my personal fave is a Cheerwine Habanero jerky. The list is long but that Pit Boss vertical is a stud!
(In response to this post by IV_Hokie12)
E
EDGEMAN
1y
** Edited by EDGEMAN at 4/15/2025, 1:27:01 PM
(In response to this post by HokieAllMyLife)
1y
I've found that smoked salmon is great and easy. Also, we do the turkey on it at Thanksgiving and I do a whole chicken fairly often. With the poultry, slow doesn't really work b/c it makes the skin turn to leather but the smoke flavor comes through great. There is something called a "turkey cannon" you'll want to get for poultry.
I've done ribs a bunch, too, but still haven't done a brisket. That's next.
(In response to this post by IV_Hokie12)
1y
Dude's name is Matt Pittman (appropriate last name) and he simplifies everything. I have yet to make something after watching his videos that hasn't turned out great. Their rubs are also really good - you can get them quicker from Amazon for about the same price as ordering directly from their site.
(In response to this post by IV_Hokie12)
N
No Clue
1y
are worth the extra expense.
(In response to this post by vt90)