Guest post by Danielle Bennett aka Diva Q, a certified barbeque & grilling expert, Traeger Ambassador, Pitmaster, BBQ educator and best-selling author.
During lockdown we saw a rise of creativity in the kitchen. People were opting to eat at home, so boring recipes just didn’t cut it anymore. Because of this, Australia was introduced to brand new cooking techniques and recipes from around the world, one being; the low and slow.
There is a real community of grillers in Australia, after all the nation is known for their regular weekend ‘barbies’, and I think people are looking to turn to new things to up the excitement of an already much-loved occasion. Barbecues are no longer just for steaks and sausages – there’s a whole world of possibilities of what can be made on a good grill.
I know that trying new things, especially on the grill can be intimidating but with the right tools, smoking your meat is actually not as hard as it may seem. Low and slow is exactly what it sounds like, all you have to do is fire up your grill to your desired temperature (around 100 degrees), throw on your preferred meat and then you wait (normally around 3 to 10 hours, or sometimes longer depending on your desired outcome)!
So what exactly are the benefits of low and slow cooking? This method of slowly smoking over a pellet grill not only creates the ideal soft, pull-apart-able texture of your meat, but draws out a smoky and moist flavour that is just not achievable by any other means of cooking.
I also just love the way it brings people together, when you’re sitting around the grill for a few hours with friends and family and a few cocktails, it just creates a wonderful feeling of community, especially once the food is served and everyone is able to enjoy a tasty meal together.
My top tips on cooking low and slow are simple, I highly recommend a trusted and reliable grill. I use my incredible Traeger wood-fired Grill but also a digital MEATER®, Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer. Trust me when I say using a meat thermometer is key. Everytime you open your grill to check, you’re releasing valuable hot air and increasing cooking time. By using a grill like this one, with its WiFire technology you are able to check your progress through your phone and allow your grill to do the rest of the work.
With a grill that provides woodfired consistency, ease of use & incredible versatility and a digital thermometer, you’re going to see consistent repeatable results every single time.
Ready to start low-ing and slow-ing? I recommended starting out with a bone-in pork butt. It’s a cut of the pork shoulder that is incredibly forgiving, versatile and provides a wonderful experience in the benefits of low and slow applications of woodfired food.
Happy grilling!
About Traeger Grills Australia: Traeger Grills, headquartered in Salt Lake City, has been revolutionising BBQ grilling and outdoor cooking for over 30 years with one simple, all-encompassing cooking solution. Traeger pellet grills use 100% all-natural hardwood fuel to infuse food with flavorful smoke, making food taste delicious and most of all, memorable. As the inventor of the original and world’s top selling wood-fired grill, Traeger utilizes wood-fired convection power to provide 6-in-1 versatility; grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise and BBQ meals to perfection every time. For more information about Traeger Grills’ complete product line, where to buy and to learn more about the wood-fired difference, visit www.traegergrills.com.au
