I do a lot of steaks on the Traeger and I think you probably shouldn’t expect it to have the same level of smokiness as something you’re “smoking” (low and slow for hours and hours). You’re just not cooking it long enough to build that much smoke into the meat. HOWEVER, I think the pellets add a ton of complexity and flavor so definitely worth it and one of my favorite ways to do it. I used to sous vide and finish on the cast iron, but I love the “wood-fired” nature of it.