Cleveland bbq

I have been smoking all types of food for over 40 years. Started with a charcoal upright smoker with the water pan in the bottom. Pain in the ass trying to keep the coals going and temperature controlled, not to mention the pain of having to top off the water pan early and often.

Moved on to a barrel smoker with the fire box on the side. Much easier keeping fire going, though temperature control was still difficult. Furthermore, I found it was 100 degrees hotter on the side by the fire box as opposed to the opposite side, and 100 degrees hotter in the top of the barrel compared to the bottom.

Found out about the Traeger pellet grill and bought my first one from Costco about 15 years ago. These grills are fantastic! Automatic feed of wood pellets to maintain any temperature between 150-450F. It also has a convection fan so the temperature remains even throughout the grill.

Bought a Green Egg once to see what their cult was all about, but ended up giving it to my son as it was too much of a pain in the ass compared to the Traeger. I now own 3 Traeger grills in 3 different sizes. I take my tailgater everywhere I travel, including tailgate parties in the muni lot for Browns games.

Everyone that eats the food off one of these grills always comments that it just tastes better on a Traeger.

	Smoked Tri Tip Found this baby at my butcher, marinating in a soy/teriyaki mix. Decided to give it a try and it did not disappoint.
	Brisket There are many ways to do a beef brisket, and none of them are fast. First thing you have to decide is if you are going to cook a full Packer brisket, or just the flat. I tend to go with the full brisket, and if I can find a USDA Prime brisket, I stock up.
	Burnt Ends Burnt Ends, a super tasty nugget of cow that just melts in your mouth. And it should, after 18-24 hours of cooking!
	Prime Rib- Dry Aged & Smoked Smoked, bone-in, prime rib…a carnal thing of beauty! You can go right from the meat case to the grill, or, dry age it for a bit.
	Corned Beef Once you’ve had smoked corn beef, you will never settle for the old norm. Salty, smoky, tender and delicious!
	Smoked Ruben Sliders Delicious little morsels of love. Smoked Ruben Sliders can be a meal or just an appetizer to get the juices flowing.
	Pastrami Pastrami is nothing more than corned beef with a spicy, peppery bark.
	Smoked Tomahawk Steak Fred Flintstone would be envious! Bring out your carnal man by cooking up one of these!
	Beef Jerky A meal in every stick! You can make out of Flank Steak or Beef Brisket.
	Smoked Beef Short Ribs The meatiest and tastiest beef rib you will ever have! The only thing in common this has with it’s Pig cousin is the bone!
	Smoke Skirt Steak From Carne Asada to just a tasty cut of meet, this skirt steak was the bomb!
	Smoked Chuck Roast Why not? Inexpensive and tasty. Cooked just like a brisket.
	Smoked Flank Steak I usually make beef jerky from Flank Steak, but decided to try a marinade and fresh salsa.
	Smoked Pot Roast A very flavorful, and easy way to prepare a chuck roast. Start with a 3-4# roast and season with your favorite rub.
	Smoked Italian Beef Try this Chicago classic with a smoky twist. You can choose to have an all beef sandwich, or drop an Italian sausage on the bottom of the role and call it a combo
	Ultimate Cheeseburger Saw a version of this on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, so had to give it a shot at home.
	Pig Roast They say a pig roast is not the best way to cook pork, as you have to take the whole hog to almost 200F, but I say phooey on that! The roast pork is outstanding and the presentation is priceless!
	Pulled Pork One of the tastiest cooks you can have…it just takes a long time! Depending on the size of your pork butts, this can be an 8-12 hour cook.
	Baby Back Ribs Simple, yet delicious. And a relatively quick cook, typically finishing in 6 hours or so. Good choice for tailgate parties if you have the time.
	Fresh Ham A ham is nothing but a fresh pork leg, cured for about a week in a salt water solution, similar to what happens to bacon. If you do it right, it will be the moistest, tastiest piece of pig you have ever eaten!
	Fresh Ham- Uncured and pulled When you just need a delicious pulled pork option, start with a fresh ham (pig leg).
	Smoked Pork Belly Burnt Ends Similar to the succulent nuggets of beef love you get from a beef brisket burnt ends, these pork belly burnt ends are even more tender and juicy than it’s beef counterpart, and they don’t take 2 days to make!
	Bacon That tasty, succulent, salty goodness you can only get from a pig. Takes a bit of work, but the results are far worth the effort. If you like your bacon thick, this is the only way to do it.
	Bacon Jerky As if bacon couldn’t get any better, this recipe will turn it into a sweet and spicy or bourbon flavored bomb!
	Crispy Pork Belly Pork belly isn’t just for bacon. This piggy delight is juicy, crispy and delicious!
	Cracklins I have heard that nothing is wasted on a hog but the squeal! So what do you do with that tough skin? Turn them into crispy, salty, crunchy nuggets of love!
	Smoked Pork Chops What a beautiful and tasty cut of meat. Center cut, bone-in pork chop. About 2-3″ thick, brined overnight, smoked for 4 hours, seared, and moved back to the Traeger until the internal temperature gets to 145F.
	Smoked Pork Tenderloin Marinated pork tenderloin smoked to perfection, the ‘other white meat’ truly is delicious.
	Smoked Sausage Gravy & Biscuits Taking a southern staple to the smoker, with this rich, thick sausage gravy and homemade biscuits. Serve along side with scrambled eggs for a breakfast feast!
	Smoked Banana Peppers Traditional banana peppers stuffed with hot Italian sausage, smothered with marinara and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Simply delicious!
	BBQ Lasagna So I’m watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Guy walks into some joint where the specialty of the house is BBQ lasagna. So you know I’ve got to give this a try.
	Hard Smoked Eggs These are basically hard boiled eggs, but with a touch of smoke, and they’re not boiled. Great idea to help save the planet from unnecessary use of water!
	Stuffed Onion Bombs Big ‘ol onions stuffed with hamburger, bacon and cheese, wrapped in more bacon, and sauced to perfection. Yum yum!
	Breakfast Enchiladas A tasty breakfast dish made the night before with a nice balance of eggs, Chorizo, cheese and onion to get your day started off right!
	Smoked Beer Cheese Dip A very tasty appetizer for the big game, before a special event, or just because you are a fan of cheese. Smooth, smoky, cheesy, yum!
	Smoked Bloody Mary With bold flavors like roasted garlic and tomatoes, oregano and fresh basil, your will never go back to the bland store bought mix! The smoked flavor of this brunch favorite really makes it shine!
	Smoked Seafood Alfredo Fresh lobster tail and jumbo shrimp are seasoned and smoked to perfection, while served on top of a bed of fettuccini in a rich, homemade alfredo sauce
	Smoked Salmon Salad with homemade Honey Dijon Balsamic Dressing Traditionally, I’m not a big fan of Salmon. Too much of a fishy taste for me. However, last week a coworker of mine prepared a smoked Salmon that was out of this world, so I went on a quest to recreate the recipe.
	4 Meat Smoked Chili Nothing like a hot tasty bowl of chili on a cold winter’s day! You can use any combination of meats you want. For this one, I used ground beef, ground pork, stew beef and bacon.
	Smoked Tacos on Fry Bread Saw some program on the Food Network where the restaurant was serving tacos on fry bread rather than traditional tortilla shells. So I recreated it with a smoky twist!
	Smoked Deviled Eggs My kids love deviled eggs and these are their favorite! Traditional approach with a bit of smoke and a spicy kick.
	Philly Cheesesteaks A reasonably quick and easy sandwich with a bit of a smoked flair.
	Smoked Meatloaf An absolutely delicious spin on a dinner classic, this meatloaf combines 3 different meats with a bacon-weave so you can serve up the best meat loaf mankind has ever tasted.
	Smoked Coleslaw Don’t knock it until you try it! A crispy, classic mayo based coleslaw with a hint of smoked flavor. Even my wife that’s not a big fan of coleslaw likes this delicacy!
	Smoked Cheeze-Its So simple, yet so delicious. Bet you can’t eat just one!
	Smoked Chex Mix A smoky spin on a traditional snack. Optionally, heat it up with some Franks Red Sauce!
	Smoked Potato Chips The last in my trilogy of snacks, simple chips sprinkled with your favorite rub and smoked. Best served warm!
	Smoked Meatballs Delicious morsels of beef and pork smoked to perfection. Drop them into a sandwich or put them on top of spaghetti, all covered with cheese!
	Bacon Bombs Delicious morsels of beef and pork, wrapped around a mozzarella ball, wrapped in bacon and smothered in BBQ sauce.
	Smoked Turkey Not just for Thanksgiving, a smoked turkey is the gift that keeps on giving. The effort to cook 20# is the same as that for 10#. Get yourself a big ‘ol bird and get creative with leftovers!
	Smoked Chicken One of the easiest, and quickest, foods you can cook on your smoker. To get the skin crisp, you need to crank up the heat, but in less than 90 minutes you will be tasting some of the juiciest chicken you’ve ever tasted!
	Smoked Chicken Wings The best chicken wing you’ll ever have is the one off your own grill. I have been experimenting with different methods and recipes for smoked wings. What I describe here is now my tried and true recipe for the best wings ever!
	Twice Baked Potatoes Believe it or not, I don’t just use my smoker for meat. This twice baked potato is a great side for any of you entrées.
	Hogsbreath BBQ Sauce Though this sounds like a sauce for pork, I find the horseradish in it makes an excellent complement to beef and brisket as well. The flavor profile is most closely aligned with Sweet Baby Rays traditional sauce.
	Sweet & Smokey BBQ Sauce I love my traditional Hogsbreath BBQ sauce, but wanted to find a sweeter sauce for a lasagna I was making. This worked great!
	Mango Habanero BBQ Sauce With a nice combination of zing and sweet, this barbecue sauce is outstanding!
	Columbia Gold Spicy BBQ Sauce A most excellent, mustard based BBQ sauce. Goes particularly well with roast pig.
	Hot Garlic Buffalo Wing Sauce The most tasty and delicious wing sauce ever!
	Sneaky Heat Hot Sauce A very flavorful, smoked chipotle hot sauce where you can control the heat based on the style and amount of peppers you use. Complements all Mexican and eggs by adding flavor, with a touch of heat that grows on you after tasting.
	Pulled Pork Mop A great mop for pulled pork.
	Pulled Pork Rub Can be used on most anything, though most awesome on pork butts for pulled pork.
	KC Dry Rub This is my favorite rub to use on jerky and all things beef. Just mix everything together and store in an airtight container.
	Cheese Smoked cheese is the bomb, however, it can be tricky to do.
	Smoked Mac & Cheese I adapted this recipe from Patti Labelle for the smoker. It is the BEST mac & cheese you will ever have!
	Barbequed Corn Ribs An intriguing change from traditional corn on the cob. Vegan, too, if that’s your thing.
	Smoked Simple Syrup Who needs the store bought stuff when you can make your own and smoke it! Can’t do the next recipe without it!
	Smoked Old Fashioned I’m partial to bourbon, so this is a favorite.
	Smoked Cream Cheese Super easy to make. Just a block of cream cheese dusted with your favorite rub
	Italian Wedding Soup Traditional Italian Wedding Soup with a smoked kick.
	Smoked Breakfast Casserole A delicious dish you can either make up the night before or throw together the morning of.
	Rib Mop A very simple, but effective, mop for pork ribs when you want to let them go and get a bit of pull out of the meat.
	Smoked Cheesy Potato Casserole A great side dish for….anything! Hash brown potatoes tossed in a wonderful cheesy goodness makes this a hit every day.
	Bread Pudding Soufflé with Bourbon Sauce This is my most favorite dessert in the entire world. It is the signature dish at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. The recipe comes direct from their kitchen, with a bit of improvisation for the smoker.

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