Tell me about backyard smokers

[TroutMan]

I’ll link to my post in a thread from last year on smokers. There were some other good comments in there.

@TroutMan

I have a Traeger, and while I wouldn’t say it made me forget any other food, it did make me forget any other method of grilling or roasting.

As noted, you will not get a good sear with one. The temp isn’t quite hot enough, and there’s no direct heat. So if that’s important to you, get something with a sear plate, or throw the meat on an iron skillet on the stove to start or finish.

My favorites:

• fish: nice flavor, no need to flip it
• burgers: perfectly cooked, no flare-ups
• overnight brisket or ribs
• bacon: no smelly kitchen or grease splatters
• smoked vegetables. I’ve also smoked garbonzo beans for 30 minutes and made a wonder smokey hummus
• Thanksgiving turkey: nice hickory aroma, and your oven isn’t monopolized all day

The downside is the smoke. It’s not a problem at grill temperatures, but it can be a little annoying at long smoke temperature if there’s no wind. We have to keep the windows shut or the house fills with smoke. Fortunately, my neighbor has one too so we are understanding when the other is smoking.