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Cooking Temperature Guide

Meat Doneness Temperature (Fahrenheit)
Beef Rare 120° - 125°
Medium-rare 130° - 135°
Medium 140° - 145°
Medium-well 150° - 155°
Well done 160° and above
Lamb Rare 135°
Medium-rare 140° - 150°
Medium 160°
Well done 165° and above
Poultry Chicken 165° - 175°
Turkey 165° - 175°
Pork 150°

Beef

Steak Thoughts

  • Never get round eye steak for grilling: https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/cuts/Detail.aspx?ckey=148
  • Tenderloins are the best but if on a budget go for filet of sirloin. https://www.certifiedangusbeef.com/cuts/Detail.aspx?ckey=135&cmkey=1&mp=

Reverse Sear Steaks

Ingredients:

  • Steak
  • Salt and pepper (for seasoning)
  • 3 dollops of butter
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme

Directions:

  1. Preparation:

    • Season the steak with salt and pepper.
    • Preheat the grill and set the Traeger to 225°F.

  2. Cooking:

    • Cook the steak on the grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 110°F, which should take about 30 minutes.
    • Remove the steak from the grill, rest it, and tent it with tinfoil.
    • Heat a cast iron skillet on the grill until it reaches 400°F.
    • Sear the steak on both sides for 2 minutes per side, then turn off the heat.
    • Add three dollops of butter to the skillet along with rosemary and thyme.
    • Once the butter has melted, spoon it onto the steak.
    • Turn the steak over and spoon the butter onto the other side.

Brisket

  • Midnight Brisket Recipe
  • Last time I did the brisket, it dried out since I had it unwrapped for too long. Go shorter time unwrapped, ~5-6 hrs, even if you have to wake up in the middle of the night.
  • Let it rest for at least an hour. Moisture will redistribute amongst the entire brisket that way. DO NOT SLICE HOT.
  • Brisket Guide
  • Refined Brisket Recipe
  • The most important part is the rest.
  • 3 parts each coarse kosher salt / coarse ground black pepper. 1 part garlic powder (ratio - more or less depending on brisket size). Clean brisket (remove hard white fat) around noon - rub all over. Put on sheet pan and cover lightly with saran wrap and put in fridge.
  • Around 11pm (give or take) put on smoker at 200°F fat side down (point facing the side the smoke is coming from). Use super smoke.
  • Around 8/9am check the bark - should be really nice and solid. Wrap in butcher paper. Put it back on fat side down again. Crank smoker up to 250-275°F depending on brisket size and when you want it done by. It'll likely be done around noon depending on size.
  • Pull off smoker when internal is at least 203°F in the middle of the flat. Sometimes wait till 205°F or higher depending on how the probe feels. Points usually around 208-210°F. Probe feel is most important. It should go in with absolutely no resistance. Like a hot probe going into softened butter.
  • Rest as long as possible. If you want to hold longer, put it in a cooler covered in towels. Keep it in the paper while it rests. Alternatively, I've been preheating my oven to its lowest temp (175°F), putting the (still wrapped) brisket in there on a sheet tray, and then turning off the oven. Monitor the temp. If it gets too low, turn the oven back on for a short bit. Aim for a 5-hour rest.
  • Ideal slice temp 145-150°F. Don't let it stay at or below 140°F for long.

Pork

Pork Belly Burnt Ends

Ingredients

  • Dry Rub
  • BBQ Sauce
  • Honey
  • Pork Belly

Directions

  • Cut into 1-inch cubes and place in a container.
  • Sprinkle with rub.
  • Transfer to a tray for cooking on the Traeger, let sit while warming for 15 min.
  • Preheat Traeger at 250°F.
  • Cook for 2 hrs.
  • Internal temp should be 190-200°F.
  • Move to a steam pan and mix with BBQ sauce, light coating.
  • Add honey, 3-1 ratio with the BBQ sauce.
  • Back to Traeger for 40 min to caramelize.

Thunder Butt Pulled Pork

  • Trim the excess fat, and bind meat with butcher twine.
  • Keep it at 225°F.
  • Super smoke, fat side down until internal temp reaches 160°F.
  • Wrap pork butt in butcher paper Guide.
  • Long, low, and slow is the goal.
  • At 198°F, take it out.
  • Rest for an hour.
  • Video
  • Recipe
  • Butcher Paper Guide

Alton Brown's Baby Back Ribs

Meat Church Baby Back Pork Ribs

  • 250°F with hickory pellets for about 4 hours.
  • Stage 1
  • Preheat grill for 15 min.
  • Lather mustard as a binder and add rub.
  • 3 hrs unwrapped, spritz every 1 hr.
  • Smoke meat side up.
  • Stage 2
  • Wrap the ribs in tinfoil double wrapped.

  • Back in smoker for about 1 hour, meat side down in butter, a little BBQ sauce, and brown sugar.

  • Stop at 203°F internal temperature.

  • Stage 3
  • Paint ribs with BBQ sauce.
  • Tack the BBQ sauce in with the smoker. Not more than 10 minutes.

Chicken

Mother's Day Chicken Drumsticks

  • Ingredients:
    • 4 lbs of chicken drumsticks
    • Pork BBQ Rub
    • Olive Oil
    • BBQ Sauce
  • Directions:
    • Baste the legs in olive oil.
    • Add the rub to both sides.
    • Cook at 350°F (about an hour) until internal temp reaches 165°F.
    • At 45 minutes, put BBQ sauce on one side and cook for 5 minutes, then flip.
    • Apply BBQ sauce on the other side and cook for another 5 minutes.

Wings

Ingredients:

  • Whole chicken wings
  • Olive oil
  • Hardcore Carnivore rub (or your preferred dry rub seasoning)
  • Baking powder
  • Sauce (e.g., Frank's hot sauce, butter, Worcestershire sauce)

Directions:

  • Preparation:

    • Split the whole wings into drumettes and flats.
    • Pat the wings dry with a paper towel.
    • In a mixing bowl, toss the wings with a bit of olive oil.
    • Add the Hardcore Carnivore rub (or your preferred dry rub) and baking powder to the wings, tossing to coat evenly.
    • Place the wings on a rack and let them sit in the fridge for about 4 hours.

  • Cooking (Using Pro Series 34 Grill):

    • Preheat the grill on the Smoke setting for 10 minutes.
    • Set the grill to 225°F and cook the wings for about 1 hour.
    • Flip the wings and increase the heat to 375°F. Cook for an additional 30 minutes.
    • Remove the wings from the grill and toss them in your sauce (e.g., a mixture of Frank's hot sauce, butter, and a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce).
    • Increase the grill temperature to 450°F and return the wings to the grill until they reach your desired crispiness.

Roasted Beer Can Chicken

The recipe from Traeger is for "Roasted Beer Can Chicken" by Sammy Moniz, which receives a 4.5-star rating from 220 reviews. This recipe is designed to brew up some major flavor using Traeger's chicken rub, a can of beer, and mesquite heat for a moist and tender poultry result. Here's a quick summary:

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Pellets: Mesquite
  • Main Ingredients:
  • 1 whole chicken (3.5 lb)
  • Traeger chicken rub (as needed)
  • 1 can of beer

Steps: 1. Season the chicken generously with Traeger chicken rub, including inside the cavity. 2. Tuck the wing tips back. 3. Preheat the Traeger to 350℉ and set the chicken on top of the open beer can, ensuring all but the bottom 1.5 inches of the can is in the cavity. 4. Cook directly on the grill grate for 60 to 75 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉ in the thickest part of the breast. 5. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before carving and enjoying.

This approach to chicken is intended for those looking to infuse their poultry with the deep, smoky flavors that only a grill and a can of beer can provide.

Lamb

Roasted Leg of Lamb Recipe

Traeger Kitchen

  • Prep Time: 30 Min
  • Cook Time: 1 Hr, 30 Min
  • Serves: 8 people

Ingredients

Main - 1 (7-8 Lb) Bone-In Leg Of Lamb - 2 Teaspoon Olive Oil - 1 Tablespoon Crushed Garlic, Plus 4 Cloves, Sliced Lengthwise, Divided - Zest Of 2 Lemons - Kosher Salt, To Taste - Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste - 4 Clove Garlic, Sliced Lengthwise - Juice Of 2 Lemons - 4 Sprigs Of Fresh Rosemary, Cut Into 1-Inch Pieces

Steps

  1. When ready to cook, set Traeger temperature to 450°F and preheat, lid closed for 15 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and crushed garlic. Rub all over the leg of lamb.
  3. With a paring knife, make about 24 small cuts all over the lamb, about 3/4 inch deep. Stuff the sliced garlic and rosemary sprigs into the slits. Spread the lemon zest and juice all over the lamb. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  4. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the lamb, avoiding the bone. Place the leg of lamb directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and cook for 30 minutes.
  5. Reduce the Traeger temperature to 350°F. Continue cooking until the internal temperature of the lamb reaches 130°F for medium-rare, 60-90 minutes, or your desired temperature.
  6. Remove the lamb from the grill and let rest for 15 minutes before carving. Enjoy this delicious leg of lamb recipe!