For most of us, the barbecue conjures images of seared steaks and charred sausages on a flaming grill. But in the southern states of America it’s a different story. The institution (some might say religion) of slow barbecuing has been around since before the Civil War. There, our fast cooking style is known as grilling, whereas barbecue denotes a very slow, low, indirect-heat style of cooking. And to real connoisseurs in the barbecue belt of Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, the meat is always pig. Texas and Kentucky are left out because of their predilection for barbecuing mutton and beef. In the recipes that follow I have not been so strict in my definition.

This is a wonderful way to cook cheaper cuts of meat, which need time to become tender but reward you with full-on flavour. It’s also relatively easy if you have a large, covered gas barbecue because, once you have the temperature steady, you can pretty much leave the meat to it – perfect if you are pottering around the house on a holiday or weekend.

You can also use a kettle charcoal barbecue, but you will need to replenish the fuel and it is harder to control the temperature. Or if you like the sound of these recipes but don’t have the right barbecue, you can cook them in the oven at 140°C, wrapping the meat in tinfoil halfway through cooking (you won’t get a smoky flavour, though). Cooking times are long – up to 6-7 hours – but once the meat is in, you only need to check it occasionally to ensure the temperature doesn't go above 150°C.

Modifying your barbecue
The key to slow barbecuing is to have the heat source away from the food. Traditionally, the heat source is in another chamber, but at home I find just having it at the other end of the barbecue works well, as long as you can keep the temperature down.

You need to have a barbecue with separate burners so you can use only one. Or make your charcoal fire on one side of the kettle. I put a stainless steel smoking box filled with manuka chips on the grill rack directly above the burner – as this gets hot, it smokes the food. For longer cooking I replenish it, but a lot of the smokiness is absorbed in the first hour of cooking so that is the most important time to have it smoking. I have a bought wood-chip smoker box, but you could use an old baking tray or foil tray; cover with foil and poke holes in it for the smoke to escape.

To get the wood smoking quickly, I place it directly on the gas flame for a few minutes so it catches, then place it on the grill rack directly above the flame. The food should be placed away from the heat source. Then all you have to do is shut the cover and keep the heat at a steady 140°C-150°C. If your barbecue doesn't have a thermometer, place an oven thermometer in the barbecue next to the food.

The cooking times I have given are long and it is not the end of the world if the food gets cooked a little longer than I say in the recipe. I find the best way to get the perfect texture in the meat is to use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature is 85°C-87°C, at which point the meat should easily pull apart. Traditionally, these meats would be cooked at 130°C. You can do that, but cook them for a few hours more.

Collection
Pastrami style beef & sauerkraut slaw with smoked tomato dressing
Pulled lamb with babaghanoush & parsley, egg & anchovy salad
Brined chicken with slow potato salad
Five spice & black vinegar pork sloppy joes
Beer ribs
Barbecue plum sauce
Calamari with chorizo & herb grits

If you would like to read more about barbecues, I like the 3men.com website.