Traeger’s Woodridge Professional Is an Glorious Mid-Tier Smoker

I additionally wished to name out one oddity I observed in testing, which is that canines appear very interested in the large knob on the Woodridge’s management panel. Three totally different canines who came to visit to my home throughout smoking classes pressed it with their noses, in all probability as a result of mixture of meat scent and seeing different folks touching it. They would not be capable to activate the grill, however they’ll mess with you when you’re setting the temperature in the event that they’re mischievous or curious like mine.

The Smoke

Coming from the world of propane grills, the scale of the Woodridge Professional actually struck me. You might simply smoke two full-sized pork bellies on the identical time, and I hope to very quickly. Because it was, my common Costco pork stomach hundreds up half the smoker, which is greater than sufficient to feed some pals and have leftovers for myself.

It couldn’t be simpler. Set the temperature, maintain the hopper stuffed, and all the pieces else is managed routinely. As an alternative of worrying about vents or fan speeds or gasoline, I usually simply hand around in the yard, get some work accomplished, play with the canine, and concentrate on the meat.

I’ve discovered myself extra keen to do all the additional steps that basically make a meal nice. I’m marinating and brining forward of time, getting rub recipes from pals, making pickled onions as a substitute of shopping for them. Stuff that sounds easy however might be simple to skip in case you’re feeling lazy. Understanding I’ve a scrumptious chunk of meat on the smoker motivates me to go the additional mile.

Consequently, I’ve made or contributed to a few of my greatest meals ever over the past couple of months, and introduced my pals collectively to get pleasure from them. We have eaten tender pork stomach tacos coated in a savory and spiced rub fastidiously refined by my neighbor, juicy pork chops with a crusty exterior, coppa sandwiches on a buddy’s home made focaccia. In between, I’ve loved luxurious leftovers like fried rice, smoked egg salad, and easy sandwiches. Greater than only a grill, the Woodridge has change into part of my kitchen and cooking routine extra shortly and seamlessly than I’d’ve imagined.