3 Top Secret Slow Cooking Tips

When you really want to wow your guests, though, there's really nothing like a piece of meat that's been cooking all day long and feels like biting into savory butter. If you've been at it for a while, then you already know that you want to cook your ribs around 225, and that you don't want them to hang over the fire and scorch them. You already know that you want the thicker wood chunks, not the chips, for an all-day smoke. So we're here to impart a few advanced BBQ pits and smokers tips and some more daring tricks you might want to try at your next barbecue.

Olive Wood Tastes Like a Light Mesquite

Mesquite is great in BBQ pits and smokers, but it can be a little overpowering when paired with chicken. If you've never experimented with olive wood chunks, the taste is very similar to mesquite, but a little softer and not so aggressive. This makes olive a great alternative when you need a lighter touch.

Leave a Finger of Fat on Your Brisket

Even experienced cookers who've put in their time with BBQ pits and smokers have some trouble nailing the perfect brisket, but the secret to getting it just right is surprisingly simple: Get the biggest piece of beef you can fit in your smoker (and yes, whenever possible, use a smoker, not a grill), and leave about a finger-thick layer of fat on it to melt and keep the meat moist. Use a water pan to keep it from drying out, and add some more chunks every time the smoke starts getting too thin. It can take you from morning to night to cook it through, but when it comes to the actual work involved, this is one of the simplest slow-cook meals out there.

And if You're Really Patient (and a Little Brave)...

Dry aging is easier than it looks. Stick your beef in a 35 degree fridge for a couple weeks, pull it out, cut off the moldy and desiccated bits, and you're ready to start slow-cooking it. Don't smoke it. Smoking is all about getting the wood's flavor in there. Dry-aged beef has a flavor all its own that you don't want to cover up with oak or apple.

You can slow cook all year round, but there's really nothing like doing it out in the warmth of the summer sun. So what are you waiting for? Get to All Seasons Feeders and get started! For more information contact us at 800.841.1720.