That pellet grill I kept side-eyeing finally won me over

For years I was solidly in the stick burner camp. I figured pellets were cheating, like using training wheels on a bike. Then my buddy brought his Traeger over for a brisket cook last August. He let me run it for the cook, and I was surprised I barely had to touch it. The bark wasn't as dark as mine but it had this even smoke ring that honestly looked perfect. Has anyone else had their opinion flipped after actually using one instead of just judging from the outside?

3 comments

3 Comments

cora8633d ago

The sleep factor is what nobody ever brings up. When I run my stick burner overnight for a brisket, I'm up every hour checking fire and adding wood. That next day at work I'm dragging ass and my boss notices. With a pellet grill you can actually get a full night's rest and still pull a USDA prime packer off at 7am with good smoke penetration. My buddy who runs a BBQ food truck says he switched for this exact reason - his wife was about to leave him because he was a zombie for three days straight every time he catered a wedding. Is losing sleep really part of the "authentic" experience or just stubbornness?

mary_foster922d ago

Is it really that serious though? I mean yeah, losing sleep over a brisket is rough, but isn't part of the fun the ritual of tending the fire? I get that everyone's got different priorities, but I feel like people act like they're either running a marathon or filing for divorce over a pork shoulder. Maybe it's just me, but I think there's middle ground where you can enjoy the process without it turning into a whole life crisis. Your mileage may vary, but I don't think a sleep schedule should be the deciding factor in how you cook your meat.

reese_nelson3d ago

Did you ever think you'd be the one defending pellets to the old school guys? I was the exact same way, man. I used to talk all that smack about how real BBQ needs wood splits and constant attention. Then I borrowed my neighbor's Camp Chef for a pork shoulder, and I couldn't believe how easy it was. The flavor was there, the smoke ring was solid, and I didn't have to babysit it for twelve hours. Now I've got a Recteq sitting next to my offset, and I barely touch the stick burner anymore.