Low and slow cooking

Low and slow is one of those cooking methods that is employed to make meat tender and fall apart delicious. Low as in low temperature and slow as in slow cooking. Cooking temperatures are typically low and lasts for many hours. I sometimes wonder why it's not called long and low but hey ho! low and slow it is.

Low and slow cooking is particularly suited to cuts of meat that are tough or have lots of connective tissue like pork ribs and beef brisket. The long cooking time slowly breaks down these connective tissues making the meat tender and easy to eat. Tough meat usually has lots of collegen and sinew which is affected in a good way by heat. When collegen is heated for extended periods above 75C it will break down into gelatine which has a much softer making the meat tender and fall off the bone.


A brisket flat cured and smoked to make pastrami

One of the main fears people associate with low and slow cooking is the food drying out and becoming unpalatable. Especially true for really long cooking times used for cuts of meat like brisket.  It's no surprise then that brisket is one of the hardest meats to get right. A full brisket is made up of two parts the flat and the point. Each part of the brisket has significantly different characteristics. The point is thick and round and the flat is well, flat!

 

   
Low and slow works for chicken too




Slow roasting a chicken in a bullet smoker is a great way to impart flavour and colour. This method of cooking also makes the chicken fall apart tender, ideal for pulled chicken.


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