Low and Slow BBQing

BBQing low and slow is many people’s favourite way to bbq. With the rise of pitmasters and BBQ inspired TV shows swamping streaming services such as Netflix, it’s no wonder we’re all going BBQ mad!

If you fancy yourself as a pitmaster, looking to barbecue the most succulent meats to cook them exactly how they should be, this guide is for you. 

Before we start on the method, you should probably know the difference between grilling and barbecuing. Grilling is cooking your food over a direct heat source, barbecuing is over an indirect heat source for a longer period of time. Grilling works well for small cuts of meat like your burgers, pork chops and steaks. Barbecuing low and slow is best for larger cuts of meat or whole animals. 

Okay so now that’s out the way, let’s get into how you can barbecue slow and low. 

 

What You Need

So, if you want to try this out you’re going to need a barbecue, not just a cheap disposable one but a fairly good quality one. You can use gas but charcoal is usually the agreed-upon choice. 

Next, and this is an important one, you need time. Lots of time. The name low and slow will have given the game away! This method will probably take up the best part of the day. You need to have a lot of time and no commitments. No TV, no lounging around. You’ll be spending the day barbecuing. 

You’re going to need to think, what will you need for the whole day? You need to be prepped. You might be able to nip away from your BBQ for a minute or two but you probably shouldn’t. Remember you’re in charge of a fire that could go up at any minute. We recommend having the following: 

• Coldwater 
• Music
• Any electronics you want with chargers
• A hat (depending on the weather)
• Sunglasses (weather permitting)
• Anything else you might find useful 

 

The most important things you’ll need though are your meat of choice and your barbecue tools. Maybe have someone else around too in case you need anything. 

 

 

Prepping you BBQ

Your BBQ needs to be clean and you need to have all the equipment you’re going to need. Also, make sure you have enough fuel, be it charcoal or gas. 

You’re going to want to prep the BBQ for indirect heat. If you are using charcoal we recommend placing a layer of unlit charcoal at the bottom with a layer of lit charcoal above it. This method, called the Jim Minion method, makes sure your heat source stays consistent without too much maintenance for longer stretchers. We also recommend having a foil drip pan half-filled with water to keep your moisture levels where they should be. 

Low and Slow Recipes

So now that everything is sorted and ready, here is a delicious recipe for you to get started with.

 

Beef Brisket

Prep Time: 1 Hour

Cook Time: 10 Hours

Temp: 100°C 

 

Ingredients

7lbs flat-cut beef brisket 

Dijon Mustard 

Worcestershire Sauce 

 

Seasoning

2-3 tbsp coarse salt 

2-3 tbsp chilli powder

2 tbsp cumin 

2-3tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp cayenne pepper

2-3 tbsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2-3 tbsp sweet paprika

2-3 tbsp coarse black pepper

 

Mop

1 cup of apple cider vinegar

1 can of Guinness 

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp red pepper flakes

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp cracked black pepper

 

Method

Mix all your seasoning in a bowl. Rub down your Brisket with mustard and Worcestershire sauce until it’s evenly coated on both sides. Then take your seasonings and massage it all over the meat.

Heat your grill using the method mentioned above. Once the grill is going and at the right temp. Take your brisket and place it fat side up over indirect heat. Close the lid and monitor the temperature, adjust when you need to. If it gets too hot, open the vents, too low and add more fuel. 

After about an hour you’re going to want to mix your mop. You need to mop your brisket every thirty minutes or so. While you’re mopping it might be a good time to check the heat. 

That’s the bulk of it. After 8 hours you’re going to want to take your brisket and wrap it up in aluminium foil. Put it back on the grill and leave it for another 2 hours. When you’ve reached the 10-hour mark remove the brisket from the grill, unwrap it and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before you slice up and enjoy.