quote:

Originally posted by ruger357:
I’ve got a Traeger woodridge pellet grill. It’s great for long slow cooks like Boston butt, ribs, brisket…

It’s not that great for steaks and burgers. Can’t get a good sear.

Also, I don’t get a lot of smoke flavor from a pellet grill

They are easy and convenient though.

I have a Traeger as well. I bought a smoker box, not a smoker tube. I put wood chunks on it on top of two charcoal briskets.

I also bought a grill blazer. I use it to light the charcoal plus I use it to sear steaks after cooking the steaks to temperature on the Traeger.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

Originally posted by ruger357:
I’ve got a Traeger woodridge pellet grill. It’s great for long slow cooks like Boston butt, ribs, brisket…

It’s not that great for steaks and burgers. Can’t get a good sear.

Also, I don’t get a lot of smoke flavor from a pellet grill

They are easy and convenient though.

Try smoking your steak at 250-275 until 122-5°. Sear at 600+ on grill or screaming hot pan to add color and sear. 60-90s per side.

Ends up with a steak that doesn't have doneness gradient, nice smoke flavor, and solid crust on the sear.

This is my method, steaks go on and get a good cook to temp for doneness you like, then have a heated cast iron skillet, melt butter with garlic bits and spoon over the steak while you seat, both sides.

Make you jump up and slap you pappy...

I have a 590. Primarily I use Bear Mountain BBQ pellets and they work well.

590 works really well at low and slow but high temp cooks are a bit more challenging. The max temp my 590 hits is around 500F. This take about 30 minutes from starting the machine until it reaches temp. I use Grill Grates which helps with high temp searing.

I just ordered it! I am excited!

quote:

Originally posted by MelissaDallas:
I just ordered it! I am excited!

Which one?

I have a 590 and use Pit Boss competition blend pellets, which are always available at Walmart. For brisket, butts, and pot roasts, I'll start them late in the evening on the low setting, let them go overnight, then set the temp at 225 until done. Excellent smoke ring and smoke flavor. You're going to love your new smoker. For great smoking tips and recipes, search Youtube and check the Amazing Ribs website.

quote:

Originally posted by Erick85:

quote:

Originally posted by MelissaDallas:
I just ordered it! I am excited!

Which one?

Deck Boss 800

Just went to the Rec Tec website and looked at their current offerings. The 800 looks comparable to the older 700, you made a good choice. I would recommend a pork butt as your first cook after breaking that bad boy in.

Keep us updated and enjoy…

ooh Nice choice!

You're going to love it.

Pork butt is a solid choice, but since you mentioned needing a quick meals.

Burgers at 200° for 45 minutes and then raise temp to 325° to internal temp of 160 depending on size.

I'm excited for you! Let the grilling commence.

Cheers~

quote:

Originally posted by slyguy:
ooh Nice choice!

You're going to love it.

Pork butt is a solid choice, but since you mentioned needing a quick meals.

Burgers at 200° for 45 minutes and then raise temp to 325° to internal temp of 160 depending on size.

I'm excited for you! Let the grilling commence.

Cheers~

I’m keeping my big Weber kettle for burgers and steaks. Just can’t get a butt or brisket (or sometimes even ribs)done by 4:30 p.m., even if I start it early in the morning. Too many temp swings and running out of fuel if I try to do on the kettle overnight. Now I’ll be able to plug that sucker in at bedtime and let it do its thing. I also need a cheap source for whole chickens. I love smoked chicken. I have a big brisket and a butt and ribs in the freezer.

quote:

Originally posted by MelissaDallas:

quote:

Originally posted by slyguy:
ooh Nice choice!

You're going to love it.

Pork butt is a solid choice, but since you mentioned needing a quick meals.

Burgers at 200° for 45 minutes and then raise temp to 325° to internal temp of 160 depending on size.

I'm excited for you! Let the grilling commence.

Cheers~

I’m keeping my big Weber kettle for burgers and steaks. Just can’t get a butt or brisket (or sometimes even ribs)done by 4:30 p.m., even if I start it early in the morning. Too many temp swings and running out of fuel if I try to do on the kettle overnight. Now I’ll be able to plug that sucker in at bedtime and let it do its thing. I also need a cheap source for whole chickens. I love smoked chicken. I have a big brisket and a butt and ribs in the freezer.

This! After tending kettles, drums, and stick burners for years, I finally caved a couple years ago and bought a RecTeq 1250. I kept my 22 & 26 kettles for proper burgers and steaks, and let’s be honest; kettles are friggin chicken machines. But the ease of temp control for butts, briskets, ribs etc is amazing on a pellet cooker. Don’t get me wrong, I can run a charcoal snake or minion method on a kettle to a T; but now I can run a 12-18 hour overnight cook and not have to get up to tend the fire or monitor the temps/adjust the vents. You made a wise choice, and I’m sure you’ll love it! Congrats!

You'll love the Rectec for overnight smokes. The PID holds temps within 5 degrees forever. Just don't forget to make sure the pellet hopper's full before going to bed, not that I ever did that.

I have a RT 700 and a RT grill.i have been very happy with both.

Congrats on the new smoker, I’ve had the 590 for about 3-4 years and it’s been great. I bought the competition cart, stainless steel shelf and cover. I like Lumberjack pellets, hickory, apple, cherry.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Congrats on the smoker, it's a good unit, I still run my Traeger, it's well over 15 years old.

I've run Traeger pellets and Pitt Boss, basically get the same results. For now I use Costco's Kirkland Premium Blend. It's a blend of Oak, Hickory, Maple, and Cherry plus you get 40 pounds for the cost of Traeger or other brands 20 pound bag.

Link Kirkland Blend Pellets


Being a blend it does a great job on everything, you can always pickup a bag of a straight wood blend like Hickory if you are doing Carolina Pork, or Mesquite for foul/fish like a Turkey, Chicken.

Traeger has a premium gourmet blend and it's pretty good as well.

I’ll second the recommendation for the Kirkland pellets, I’ve bought the Traeger pellets and it was filled with a lot of dust.

I have the "Old Red" RT-680. Have had it since 2016. One of the best pieces of grill equipment I have ever purchased.

She is starting to show her age a little.

I have done some custom upgrades that I believe are now offered on the new units as standard (have not checked though to confirm). Only functional part I have replaced by choice (not by necessity) was the igniter unit. I upgraded to a ceramic ignition system just prior to an important cook (had a bunch of family in for a big Thanksgiving and I could not afford for the unit to go tits-up).

I primarily use pellets from CookinPellets, but I have heard good things about the Bear Mountain and the Kirkland Brands.

I like smoking burgers at 180° for about 45 minutes and then searing them on a flat top or cast iron pan. Best "meaty" burgers I have ever had (not the thin "smash burger" style).

Do yourself a favor and get yourself a smoke tube as well. Pellet grills just cannot compete with stick burners with the amount of smoke flavor they impart on the meat. When you want a pronounced/heavy smoke flavor, add the smoke tube to the start of your cook. Like this: Smoke Tube (Amazon Link)

When we finally purchase our retirement home, I will be getting a newer Rec Tec for myself. Not sure which, but I'll be due for an upgrade by then.