Time to get a smoker...

[Jmetz]

I also picked up a Traegar Jr. this winter but wanted it more for a grill. I really didn't care for it as a grill but it did do a great job at smoking a briskett this spring. Something about flames and grilling that I can't go without. Since I didn't care for it as a grill though, it's currently listed on CL so that I can finance a chainsaw that I'm looking at .

The Traeger is just a smoker and doesn't get hot enough for grilling, thus your disappointment. If you want an all around pellet, it's a GMG, or Louisiana Grill in that range.

[Gman]

I can grill on my Traeger, and it does a great job on things like chicken with the skin on it that normally is an inferno over charcoal. It also smokes really well and bakes, etc. If I really want a fire so hot that it burns the hair off my hands and arms when I have to flip the meat, I have the Weber Master Touch for that.

If you can only have 1, you'll have to figure it out.

[n8tive97]

Get a treager. That is if you re all about ease and more ainto eating good meat over the whole smoking process. They make it so an idiot can produce great smoked meat.

+1 You can use it to grill steaks and burgers as well. Love it! Best food you will ever taste.

[n8tive97]

The Traeger is just a smoker and doesn't get hot enough for grilling, thus your disappointment. If you want an all around pellet, it's a GMG, or Louisiana Grill in that range.

We just grilled steaks and burgers on the Big Tex last week? Best burgers and steaks you will ever have!

[BigDee]

I've done steaks on my Traeger and they've come out pretty good but I usually use the propane grill for steaks. A lot of the guys on the pellet forums talk about slow cooking steaks at 225 and claim they come out great, I may try that this weekend and will report back after I do.

[johngraves2]

Just listed a new one for sale: http://www.ar-15.co/threads/110743-M...lectric-Smoker

[Jmetz]

We just grilled steaks and burgers on the Big Tex last week? Best burgers and steaks you will ever have!

Hmm most of what I've read says they don't get hot enough to grill well.

[n8tive97]

Hmm most of what I've read says they don't get hot enough to grill well.

We turned the heat up all the way and kept the lid open until it stopped smoking. Put the steaks on and closed the lid. Half way through we turned down the heat, we worried they were cooking too fast.

Try it again, you will love them.

Here is a good smoking recipe.... enjoy: boneless chicken breast with the dry ranch powder on both sides, wrap it over a banana pepper, then wrap a piece of bacon around the whole thing, use a couple toothpicks to hold it all together and smoke.... damn good.

[stevew]

Went with Cookshack smoker and like it. Also made in Usa. Actually made when I ordered it.

[colorider]

I cook ribeyes on my traeger Jr all the time. Big ol thick suckers from Costco. I cook them at 160-180 till they get to about 120. Then I crank up the dial to 400 and watch closely till the center of the meat hits med rare. Then I take them off and let them sit for 10-15 min. The taste is incredible. I have also cooked prime ribs at 160-180 till med rare. Mmmmmmmmmmmm tasty.
Hamburgers cooked at the 220 temp for a while then at 350-400 till done are also really yummy. Slight wood flavor to them. If I need to do high heat searing and want the super grill marks I use my weber genesis. A great forum for the traeger is Pelletheads.com. Tons of very good information there.
One valuable thing I have learned about the traeger is the brand of pellets. The Traeger brand are actually my least favorite. Little flavor and don't burn hot. Last summer I got 3 huge bags of bear mountain pellets from costco. Burned thru them last summer and really liked them although they produce more ash. Not a big problem because I clean out my burnpot every cook. That is KEY. Really get good temp control and good smoke with a clean pot. If the pot fills up too much with ash, the smoke is very thin or non existant. Also the temps are all over the place. I just got a 50# bag of a special blend of pellets from cookingpellets.com. These are fantastic but were too expensive to buy again. Go to Pelletheads and start reading all you can. Vast information and all kind of needed to get the traeger to work its best. I go through about 100# of pellets a year on my Jr. I cook everything on it.