Hello from SoCal

[edsails]

Hi, I'm Ed from Orange County, CA. I've smoked some things before, either with my grill and a foil pack or with my Cameron Stovetop smoker, which on certain foods such as shrimp and chicken was good. A month ago, I took the plunge. I bought a Traeger Junior, added the Or-Tech TR-100 Digital Controller to it and the other day, installed a second grill to double my cooking capacity. I also use a Maverick ET-75 Wireless Digital thermometer. I cook a lot and make my own rubs. So far, I've done cornish game hens, a few pork shoulders, a few racks of both baby backs and St. Louis cut ribs, 2 Tri-tips (over seven pounds together, with beans from scratch, salsa and garlic toast for a true Santa Maria Barbecue) and a load of chicken breasts and thighs. I also did an appetizer I haven't figured out what to name yet, but it's made from Jalapenos sliced in half and stuffed with refried beans and jack cheese.I did a pastrami that IMHO turned out awesome.

2nd shelf.jpg

• edsails
• Jun 13, 2013

pastrami.jpg

• edsails
• Jun 13, 2013

Smoked jalapenos.jpg

• edsails
• Jun 13, 2013

 I'm here to learn, so all advice is appreciated. I have picked up Q-Pellets now which I will be switching to from the initial load of Traeger pellets I got. I need lots of advice on the pellets. Next step I think it extending the hopper. 

I've traveled all over for good barbecue, enjoying it at the Brick Pit in Mobile, AL, Down south barbecue in Fairhope, AL, Allman Barbecue in Fredricksburg, VA, Joel's BBQ in Flatonia Texas and a dozen places in North Carolina from Flip's to the Smokehouse. I plan on doing a lot more trips to find good barbecue.

I recently attended the Queen Mary's West Coast BBQ Classic and had some great BBQ, met some amazing teams and heard some neat stories. Plus, it gave me goals to shoot for with my smoking!

 

[s2k9k]

Hi Ed! :welcome1: to SMF!!! We're happy you found us! You've come to the right place, we have over 50,000 members who just love to share their experience and over 900,000 posts describing it!

The search bar at the top can be your best friend when you are trying to find answers to your questions but you can still ask too if you want!

We have an Articles section that is full of great information about smoking to include a lot of recipes and instructionals. Check it out there is a lot to learn in there!

Would you do us a favor and add your location to your profile, it helps others to know where you are when they offer advice, Thanks!

You might want to check out Jeff's Free 5 day E-Course, it will teach you all the basics plus a whole lot more!

 

[seenred]

Welcome to the forums, Ed!  Glad you've joined us.  You've found a great place to learn and share ideas on our favorite pastimes...grilling, smoking, and curing great food!  There are lots of friendly and knowledgeable folks here who really enjoy helping one another.  Browse the different forums, use the search bar, and when you can't find the answer you're looking for, just ask and you'll get plenty of help!

Congrats on the new Traeger!  I'm a fairly new pellet burner myself.  We've recently added a Group for pellet pit owners...stop in and join the group if you'd like:  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/groups/show/33/pellet-smokers-group

Red

 

[oldschoolbbq]

Welcome, ED. Glad to have you here with us. Hope you decide to join the Family and call this home for all your BBQ  needs.

A name for your Appetizers... how about Atomic Buffalo Turd Repeaters (ABTR's), get it , the beans...

Have fun and as always . . .

 

[kathrynn]

to SMF!  We are so glad you joined us!


If you didn't read the "Terms of Service" notes.....please do.  There are a few things that everyone should know about those pesky little rules before plunging into the forums. Off site links are not allowed here at SMF.  http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/terms-of-service

If you need any help roaming around the forums....just holler!  Happy to help out!

Kat

 

[edsails]

Welcome, ED. Glad to have you here with us. Hope you decide to join the Family and call this home for all your BBQ  needs.

A name for your Appetizers... how about Atomic Buffalo Turd Repeaters (ABTR's), get it , the beans...

Have fun and as always . . .

Well, I'm making a load of them right now to take to a party, along with my homemade ceviche. I'll trot out ABTR as a name and see what kind of reaction I get. Thanks!

 

[edsails]

oldschoolbbq, ABTR was a hit as a name. thanks!

I just went and ordered an extension for the hopper with a feeder so I won't wind up with an empty hole where the auger is and still have 3/4 of a load of pellets. Should be here in a day or two and then I think I'm done with customizing the Jr. Nothing more I can think to do with it!. 

 

[edsails]

So I found a new use for the Atomic Buffalo Turd Repeaters. Took a platter of them to a party and they were a hit. Hamburgers and sausages were grilled. My next idea was to put an ABTR on one of the hamburgers. Delicious! Within 5 minutes every one of the ABTR's was on someone's burger.  Try it, a good way to kick up a burger to something special. It makes a great chile burger. I used green jalapenos, red jalapenos and yellow chile peppers. Try it, you'll like it!