Not wanting to make a trip to the supermarket, we used pantry ingredients to make a flavorful glaze for pork tenderloin. Serve with applesauce, mashed or roasted potatoes, and a vegetable.

Serves: 4
Recommended Pellets: Apple

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup apple jelly
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard or yellow mustard
• 1-1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 pork tenderloins, each about 3/4 pound (1-1/2 pounds total), trimmed of excess fat and silverskin
• Salt and pepper

Your choice of garnishes: homemade beef jerky or Slim Jim meat sticks; leafy celery sticks; pickled okra; dill pickles; pickled beans, onions, or asparagus; stuffed olives; peperoncini or other pickled peppers

PREPARATION

Make the glaze: Melt the apple jelly in a small saucepan on the stovetop over low heat or in a microwave-safe container in the microwave. Add the butter and stir until it melts. Whisk in the mustard, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and cinnamon. Set aside. Generously eason the tenderloins on all sides with salt and pepper. When ready to cook, start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Set the temperature to 400 degrees F and preheat, lid closed, for 10 to 15 minutes. Arrange the pork tenderloins directly on the grill grate and grill, turning once, for 20 minutes. With a basting brush, coat each tenderloin with the glaze. Roast for 10 minutes more, or until the internal temperature of the pork is at least 145 degrees F. (The pork will still be slightly pink in the center at that temperature. If you prefer your pork to be well-done, roast it to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.) Transfer the pork to a cutting board and apply another coat of the glaze. Let rest for 3 minutes, then cut into 3/4-inch slices for serving.

Shucking bivalves ranks as one of our least favorite culinary chores. So it was nice to discover that you can simply put scrubbed raw clams directly on your Traeger: They will open in minutes, and can then be dunked in a garlicky butter. Serve with crusty bread for sopping up the juices.

Serves: 4 as an appetizer
Recommended Pellets: Alder

INGREDIENTS

• 24 littleneck clams
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter cut into chunks
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
• A teaspoon or two of Pernod (anise-flavored liqueur: optional)
• 1 lemon cut lengthwise into 6 wedges

Your choice of garnishes: homemade beef jerky or Slim Jim meat sticks; leafy celery sticks; pickled okra; dill pickles; pickled beans, onions, or asparagus; stuffed olives; peperoncini or other pickled peppers

PREPARATION

Scrub the clams under cold running water, discarding any that don't close or that have broken shells. Put the butter, garlic, parsley, Pernod, if using, and the juice from 2 lemon wedges in a heat-proof pan or casserole large enough to hold the clams and place it on the grill. Arrange the clams directly on the grill grate and grill for 5 to 8 minutes, or until they open. Discard any that fail to open. With tongs, carefully transfer the opened clams to the pan with the butter, trying not to spill any of the clam juices enroute. Tip the clams and the butter into a shallow serving dish and serve with the remaining lemon wedges.

Perfect for dessert after a casual fall supper, but fancy enough to serve on Thanksgiving. If desired, add a bit of Madeira, port wine, or even Grand Marnier to the apple cider before soaking the dried fruit. If you want a more pronounced smoke flavor, smoke the apples for 30 minutes before finishing on higher heat.

Serves: 6
Recommended Pellets: Apple

INGREDIENTS

For the shrimp:

For the rub and Bloody Mary mix:

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, raisins, or currants
• 1 tablespoon candied ginger, finely diced (optional)
• 1-1/4 cup hot apple cider or juice
• 6 large crisp baking apples, such as Braeburn, Fugi, Gala, Granny Smith, etc.
• 6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, plus additional walnut halves for garnish

Your choice of garnishes: homemade beef jerky or Slim Jim meat sticks; leafy celery sticks; pickled okra; dill pickles; pickled beans, onions, or asparagus; stuffed olives; peperoncini or other pickled peppers

PREPARATION

Put the cranberries and ginger, if using, in a small heatproof bowl and pour the hot apple cider over them. Let the mixture steep for 30 minutes, then drain, reserving the apple cider. Set aside. Start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Set the temperature to 350 degrees F and preheat, lid closed, for 10 to 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix until smooth. Stir in the 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts and the reserved cranberries and ginger. Core the apples, from the stem end, leaving the bottom intact. (If you accidentally punch a hole in the bottom, plug it with a marshmallow.) Pare 1/2-inch of skin from the equator of the apple to keep the skin from splitting as it roasts. Spoon the filling into the apples. Arrange the apples upright in a snug baking dish. Pour the reserved apple cider in the bottom of the dish. Roast the apples until they are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour, basting occasionally with the apple cider. Serve warm garnished with walnut halves.

The Bloody Mary is a highly subjective cocktail, open to many interpretations. What we know for sure is we received a deluge of requests for this recipe when we mentioned it on Facebook recently. We like ours' with a hint of wood smoke, a beef jerky stir stick, and a variety of garnishes. If tomatoes aren't in season, freeze your favorite commercial Bloody Mary mix in ice cube trays and smoke the cubes in a colander over a bowl until they liquefy. (Thanks for the idea, Charley B.!)

Serves: 8
Recommended Pellets: Hickory, Oak, or Pecan

INGREDIENTS

For the shrimp:

For the rub and Bloody Mary mix:

• 1/2 cup kosher salt plus additional for salting the tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
• 5 to 6 pounds ripe fresh tomatoes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups good quality tomato juice, such as Sacramento brand, or more as needed
• Juice of 2 lemons, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon Louisiana-style hot sauce, such as Crystal, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, or more to taste
• 2 to 3 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 to 3 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 to 3 teaspoons celery salt

For each cocktail:

• 1 lemon or lime wedge
• 2 ounces vodka-plain or pepper- or lemon-flavored
• 1 tablespoon olive brine from a jar of olives (optional)

Your choice of garnishes: homemade beef jerky or Slim Jim meat sticks; leafy celery sticks; pickled okra; dill pickles; pickled beans, onions, or asparagus; stuffed olives; peperoncini or other pickled peppers

PREPARATION

Combine 1/2 cup of kosher salt with the Old Bay Seasoning on a pie plate and set aside. Core the tomatoes and slice each into several wedges or chunks. Lay a cooling rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the tomatoes in a single layer on the cooling rack. (If you don't own a cooling rack, simply put the tomatoes on the baking sheet.) Lightly salt and pepper the tomatoes. When ready to cook, start the Traeger grill on Smoke with the lid open until the fire is established (4 to 5 minutes). Put the baking sheet with the tomatoes on the grill grate and close the lid. Smoke the tomatoes for 1 hour. Let cool. Working in batches, liquefy the tomatoes in a blender or food processor, adding enough tomato juice to get the tomatoes moving. Transfer to a large bowl or pitcher. Strain if desired. Stir in the lemon juice, Worcestershire, horseradish, onion powder, garlic powder, and celery salt. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, lemon juice, hot sauce, horseradish, or spices as desired. The mix should be highly seasoned, but still taste of fresh tomatoes. Chill thoroughly in the refrigerator. To make a Bloody Mary cocktail, rim a tall glass with the lemon or lime wedge. Dip the rim upside down in the salt/Old Bay mixture. Add ice cubes to the glass, then the vodka and olive brine, if using. Top with the tomato mixture and stir gently, being careful not to disturb the salted rim. Finish with your favorite garnishes. (If desired, you can put the vegetable garnishes on bamboo skewers for serving.)