Insert Name Brand Manufacturer Here
Three bags of Traeger Pellets I received for my Birthday I’ll never say no to free pellets!
The reason I sort of wrapped all of these into their own category has nothing to do with their quality – or to even imply they’re the same quality. Simply put, Pellet grill Manufacturers want to keep your business at all points of your grills useful life. Meaning you may spend $500 – $800 on a pellet grill up-front but they also get you on the back-end through your purchase of their pellets – which is several thousands of dollars assuming a useful life of 5 years.
Whenever I go to buy pellets, if they don’t have the brands I’m after like LumberJack, or a sale on a random brand , I opt to bite the bullet and just buy a name brand. Where I’m from, the most popular at retail are Traeger and Pit Boss. However, I have seen Louisiana Grills a few times at my local Home Depot.
Note: In almost ALL cases, these pellets cost more than the brands above at retail, that’s just my experience. Where-as online these brands tend to be cheaper as they have stock available at warehouses that are in proximity to your locale – cuts down on shipping costs.
I’ve had mixed experiences with these brands too. A number of resources and reviews will state they had a significant amount of ash production. You can actually visually see this in the bag itself as the bags will tend to have a lot of pellet dust.
Traeger Pel319 Grills Hickory 100% All
This twenty-pound bag is another great choice. When cooking with Traeger, the hardest part is usually waiting for the food to be ready the smoke rising from this hickory BBQ flavor will make you salivate.
A good feature of these pellets is that they are known to produce less ash than other wood pellets out there. Less ash also means that there is less to clean up afterward. Made from 100% hardwood, these pellets have no fillers or additives. While adding a lovely, smoky flavor, these pellets wont harm the environment or your food. They work well with most kinds of meats such as pork, poultry, beef, and even for smoking vegetables and cheeses.
Although Traeger has a variety of pellets to choose from, hickory will always be one of the best choices. If you are a newbie to pellet smokers and you cant make a decision on which type of pellet to use, it is ideal to go with this hickory flavor from Traeger.
Pros
- Produces less ash than other options
- Traeger also offers other 100% wood types like apple, cherry, and pecan
- Good variety of flavors to choose from from a quality brand
- Small pellet size fits most pellet smokers
Cons
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How To Cut A Steak
If your steak has a bone, the first step is to cut the bone out of the steak. This Kansas City cut had a bone down the one side, it is a quick and easy slice to remove the bone. A porterhouse or T bone steak is a little more complicated, but once the bone is out, the rest is the same.
When slicing a steak, cut it against the grain so that you can showcase the juicy center.
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Weber Smokefire Ex6 Best Durable For Searing Steak
There is plenty to love about the Weber SmokeFire EX6, which is the second generation of the SmokeFire pellet grill series. With a nice 1008 square inches of space to grill, cooking for the family or a large crowd is not a big issue.
Sporting a sleek design that is coated with porcelain- enamel finish, this product is made to last for many years against rust and cracks. Enjoy the best cooking experience at a temperature range of 200 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, whether it is for slow cooking, grilling, smoking or searing your food to get the best flavors. The heat stays consistent and spreads out evenly, which is a huge plus for a wood pellet barbecue grill.
On top of that, the convenient ash and grease management system also adds to the overall ease of using this best searing pellet grill.
Read More > > Best WiFi Pellet Grills
What Is The Best Wood For Smoking Ribeye
We have already established that nothing reaches the level of red oak in perfect flavoring. But of course, thats based on the general choice of steak lovers.
But is it the only best choice at hand? Probably not. There are a lot of wood varieties, each with its unique flavors. So just in case youre curious, lets go through the details about all of them!
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Bbqrs Delight Wood Smoking Pellets
If you are scouting about for a wood pellet with the common flavors, BBQrs Delight Wood Smoking Pellets are an ideal selection. The six popular flavors, in one-pound bags, include cherry, pecan, mesquite, hickory, apple, and Jack Daniels. Each and every flavor is suitable for any kind of smoker or grill you have, whether it be charcoal, gas, or electric.
Each pack can be used roughly 10 times as you use roughly 1/3 cup of pellets for each cooking session. You are free to mix two or more of the six flavors together to experience or even create your own flavor.
BBQrs Delight Wood Pellets, made of 100% applewood, provide a sweet and fruity smoke. It is ideal for grilling fish, pork, beef, poultry, or any wild game. Since they are made of 100% hickory wood, the hickory pellets are quite common and popular for barbequing.
The other flavors of wood pellets are also made of 100% of whatever their name is on the packaging. If you enjoy a stronger smoky flavor, it is better to choose the mesquite pellets. If you prefer a rosy color to the meat as well as a gentle, sweet smoke, go with the cherry pellets. Since it will ultimately come down to your own taste and preference, you just have to try out the flavors and stick with the one you want.
Pros
- Can be used with any grill
- Contains lots of flavors
- Ideal for beginner smokers who want to try different aromas
- Compatible with different smokers
- Packs offer guidance on the best meat types to use
Cons
Check Latest Price on Amazon
Can I Put Marinade On My Steak When Cooking On A Pellet Grill
Traditionally, marinades contain oils and other liquids which may cause flareups when using a pellet smoker. If you do decide to use a sauce or spray it on the meat before placing it into the grill then make sure that all your sauces are sugar free and runny. We recommend slowing basting your meat during the last few minutes of cooking time if you want to add moisture back into your steak.
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How To Cook Steak On Pellet Grill: Tips And Tricks
You probably just purchased your first pellet grill, and youre wondering how you can use it to satisfy your hunger for a lip-smacking steak. No matter what cut of beef you like, learning how to cook steak on pellet grills can yield you a delectable meal.
While were here to give you a rundown of the most basic procedures, well also throw in some tips and tricks to help you cook the steak you so desire.
What Are Smoking Wood Pellets
Now that you know some of the best wood pellets for smoking, it is time to talk more specifically about the wood pellets themselves. Where do they come from? How are they made?
These are just a few of the questions you may have.
If you were to visit a lumber mill, you would see sawdust and wood pieces scattered all throughout the mill.
This short video does a good job of showing how wood pellets are actually made.
Sawdust and wood pieces are waste from the lumber being cut. Instead of throwing this out, it gets re-purposed!
Wood pellets are created from compressed sawdust. The compression of the sawdust releases natural substances within the wood. During compression, these released substances soften then harden.
This allows the sawdust to stick together to maintain their shape and consistency. These shapes are usually small, cylindrical shapes for easy use.
These cylindrical wood pieces are called wood pellets, and they have different intended functions.
Unlike wood chips, smoking pellets are not required to be soaked prior to use. Soaking wood pellets in water will cause the pellets to disintegrate.
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What Are The Best Smoking Pellet Flavors
When people talk about pellet flavors, they’re referring to the type of wood used to make the pellets. Smoker pellets come in an array of wood flavors, from the usual BBQ suspects like mesquite, hickory, apple, and cherry to less celebrated woods like peach, pecan, alder and sugar maple. Each variety has its own unique tastefrom the mild sweetness produced by cherry to the nutty hints imparted by pecanand can be paired with specific foods to highlight and complement their natural flavors. You can also create complex layers of flavor by mixing and matching different woods.
Although mesquite is often thought of as the quintessential BBQ wood, dont stock up on it until youve tried it. While many who are new to pellet smokers and BBQ immediately choose mesquite pellets, be forewarned: it has a strong assertive flavor than can overpower food. When buying pellets for the first time, its wise to choose flavors that are versatile enough to be used on many different foods.
By far, the two most popular pellet flavors are hickory and apple. Both are classic BBQ woods, and between the two you can cook just about anything. Hickory produces a moderate smoke thats strong enough to stand up to the bold flavor of beef, but isnt so strong that it overpowers pork or poultry. Apple, on the other hand, produces a sweet and mild smoke that complements lighter foods like seafood and vegetables, but also has enough backbone to be used with poultry and pork.
Custom Blends Of Wood Pellets
At Z Grills, our competition blend is one of our most popular flavors. It pairs well with anythingand we mean anything. Whether youre cooking your favorite meats, fish, or veggies, our unique blend of the best hardwood pellets is sure to impress and delight you.
We also offer a custom blend that features only fruitwood. We recommend this blend for cooking beef, pork, poultry, and vegetables.
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Reading The Label For Wood Pellets
When you go to purchase wood pellets for smoking brisket, be sure to read the label! Here are a few things to look for on the label to help you select the best pellets.
Which Wood Pellets Are Best For Steaks
When I cook steak, I typically stick to either Hickory, Mesquite, or Pecan. Hickory and Mesquite are on the stronger end in terms of smokiness. Steaks are very beefy and strong cuts of meat though and hold up very nicely to strong smoke flavor.
If Im looking to mix things up Ill go with pecan. Pecan is an under-appreciated wood type for grilling and smoking in my opinion. Its just a tiny bit less strong on the smoke flavor compared to hickory but has a vanilla and nutty finish that adds some fantastic layering and complexity to steaks flavor profile.
I know many people who also use Oak wood pellets for steak and rave about the results. Oak is also a great choice, I just personally dont use it for steak.
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The Wood Pellets I Use
I already shared that I prefer a blend of hickory and cherry pellets, or oak pellets. Ive tried quite a few different brands of pellets to varying degrees of satisfaction, but I always come back to the Traeger brand pellets that burn very clean.
For a while, I was using Lumber Jack pellets because of the price, but I noticed I wasn’t getting consistent temperatures in my grill, so I switched back to the Traeger brand.
Storing Your Wood Pellets
One of the big things we havent mentioned is how to store pellets for your smoker. In addition to making sure you pick the right flavor profile, and brand, it is equally important that you store your pellets properly.
DONT store your pellets in the bag they came in, on the floor of your garage or back patio. The pellets will soak up moisture in the air, and they will not burn well.
DO store your pellets in an airtight container. I use a large dog food container with a lid that works perfectly.
I put a one-cup scoop in there, and anytime I need to top off my hopper I just pull a few scoops out and then seal it back up.
Camp Chef Premium Hardwood Pellets
Camp Chefs line of premium hardwood pellets is available in many different flavors including Hickory, Oak, Applewood, Mesquite, Cherry, various blended flavors, and their signature blend called the Competition Blend.
Camp Chef hardwood pellets blend cleanly and efficiently with absolutely no oils, chemicals, or binders added. These all-natural hardwood pellets are some of the best wood pellets for smoking and are available at a fair and reasonable price.
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What Are The Best Wood Pellet Flavors
Wood pellets for smoking are produced from a variety of hardwoods. Each of these have slightly different properties that can impact the flavor of your barbecue.
The most popular hardwood flavors include:
Smoking wood pellets may be from 100% the specified type of hardwood, or a blended combination of generally 30% flavor with 70% filler.
Blended smoking wood pellets which use roughly 30% of flavored pellets are more affordable. The remaining 70% of the pellet is typically comprised of oak.
Theres nothing wrong with using oak as a smoke wood. Some people take issue with how manufactures use oak because it tends to be cheaper, while still labeling the pellets as something else.
Setting Up The Gas Grill:
When using a gas grill it is important to make sure that you preheat it, and clean and season the grill before placing your steak on the grill to cook. Once it is hot, use a grill brush and clean the grates, then use either some beef fat, or a cloth saturated with oil and brush the grill surface before placing your steak on the grill. This helps with getting great grill marks and helps the meat release from the grill.
Ideally you want your grill near 400F when you place the steak on the grill and once you get the steak grill marked and flipped to the other side, you want to shut off the center burners and turn the outside burners to low. This will help to keep your steak moist and tender.
The thicker the steak, the longer it takes to cook. So if you are cooking a standard steak cut, which is between 1 and 1.5 inches thick, cooking time is about 20 minutes total.
While your grill is heating up, take your steak which should be at room temperature, season it on both sides, and take it to the grill. Once the grill is ready, time to start grilling your steak.
Equipment needed:
Steak
Seasoning
Season your steak on both sides, then take to the grill, I use my own seasoning, but you can use any one you choose.
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Think About How Long Your Food Will Be In The Smoke
As mentioned, hickory and mesquite pellets tend to be strong. But what if youâre only giving a steak a quick sear or youâre whipping up some fast veggie kebabs? In that case, your wood pellet smoke wonât take much hold.
A basic rule of thumb is that the longer your food is going to heat up in your grill, the more important your pellet of choice will be to the finished recipe.
Tips For Using Wood Smoker Pellets
Pellet grills are intended to be used with wood pellets and not wood chips or charcoal. Using wood chips or charcoal in a pellet grill can damage it.
Choose food-grade wood pellets for smoking. Wood pellets for heating are intended for use in wood stoves or pellet stoves. Heating pellets may contain additives that are harmful if eaten.
Pellets labelled 100 percent flavored wood dont contain wood filler.
Pellets labeled flavor blend typically use at least two kinds of wood, as well as some filler. They can be less costly, but also lower quality.
Check to see that the pellets you choose can be used in your pellet grill or smoker. Some pellets only go with one type of grill or smoker.
Keep an extra bag of wood smoking pellets on hand. They not as widely available as other backyard barbecue staples, like charcoal and propane tanks. You might not be able to buy a bag of wood smoker pellets at the last minute if you need more during a cookout.
Store wood smoker pellets so that they stay dry. In humid conditions, pellets can lose their flavor. They may also get moldy.
Look at pellets carefully before you use them. If the pellets look moldy or off-colored, throw them away. Cooking with moldy pellets can make you sick.
Ready to get some wood smoker pellets fired up? The Home Depot delivers online orders when and where you need them.
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