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Used to think charcoal was the only way for real smoke flavor, but then I tried a pellet smoker at a competition in Kansas City last month
I was always that guy who said pellet smokers were just set it and forget it ovens, not real BBQ. But my buddy let me try his pulled pork off a Traeger at a KC competition and man it was moist and had great bark. Meanwhile my stick burner brisket came out dry and I was up all night adjusting vents. The flavor difference was close enough that I honestly couldn't tell a huge gap. I still like charcoal for steaks but for long cooks I might grab a pellet smoker next. Has anyone else jumped ship from one method to another and regretted it or been surprised?
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gibson.morgan9d agoMost Upvoted
Wait hold on, you actually had a dry brisket from a stick burner at a competition? That is wild to me because I feel like that's the one thing offset smokers are supposed to nail if you put the time in. I've been die hard charcoal and wood chunks for years, but hearing that a pellet smoker showed up with moist meat AND bark at KC makes me question everything I thought I knew. Maybe I need to get my head out of the sand and try one of these new ones that aren't just glorified ovens.
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jamie8049d ago
My buddy Ryan brought his Traeger to a tailgate last October... I'm talking cold, windy, the whole nine yards. He threw a brisket on there and literally walked away to watch football for 6 hours. When he came back and sliced it, I swear the thing was jiggly and had this deep black bark that was actually crunchy. I've been running an offset for 8 years and I couldn't believe it either, but that one cook made me start shopping around for a pellet smoker.
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susansingh9d ago
Man, that whole story hits hard... I feel for you, @gibson.morgan. I've been there too, stuck in my own head about what "real" smoking is supposed to look like. It's like when you see someone pull off something that easy while you've been sweating over coals for hours, makes you wonder what else you've been wrong about.
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