Low and Slow Cooking Methods You Should Know About
The thought of cooking large cuts of meat gets me excited and giddy all around. Most of you would think that the first thing I’d use for cooking is my instapot. Yes, the instapot is love, but there’s more to low and slow cooking than that. I’m surprised that not a lot of people are aware that low and slow cooking is truly a game-changer! I’m happy to share what I know about the different kinds of low and slow cooking methods so that you can share in my joy of cooking. Once you go slow, you’ll never go back!
What Low and Slow Means
When you are talking about low and slow, you’re referring to cooking on low heat for long periods of time. You combine your ingredients and seasonings in a cooking vessel and let the heat and time do their magic. Low and slow cooking allows flavours to seep through your meat. render the fat, and make your meat fork-tender.
Where can I get meat for low and slow cooking?
If you’re interested in cooking using low and slow-cooking methods, you should first purchase your meat. It doesn’t matter if it’s chicken, pork, beef, or lamb. You can buy your meat from local butchers, like The Meat Inn Place, neighbourhood supermarkets, or wholesale markets.
Why should I purchase low n slow meat from a butcher?
Your local butcher is probably the best place you can buy the perfect cuts of meat for any low and slow cooking method. If you’re cooking a bbq beef rib or a beef brisket, local Melbourne butchers can recommend you the right cuts, brands, and alternatives that you can consider especially if you’re on a tight budget.
Why is low and slow cooking popular?
Low and slow cooking has become a popular way of creating delicious food. Its popularity doesn’t come as a surprise because low and slow cooking has many advantages compared to fast cooking methods.
- Retains Nutritional Content
- Keeps your meats moist and tender
- Maximises the flavours
- Less Acrylamide production
- One-pot cooking cuts down time
What are the different low and slow cooking methods?
-
Braising – Braising is one of the most popular low and slow cooking methods that we know. It is a cooking method that begins with pan-searing or creating a deep caramelisation by searing the meat on a hot surface then, followed by cooking it in flavoured liquid or broth (in a pot) at low temperatures.
- Steaming – Steaming is one of the easiest ways to cook without using any oil. When you steam, place a deep dish, fill it with water, bring it to a boil, and lower the heat. On top of the dish, place another layer (with holes) that will allow the hot steam and vapours to cook the meat slowly.
- Poaching – This is another cooking technique that is used for delicate proteins and meats such as fish, eggs, poultry, or even fruits. Food is submerged in butter, water, milk, stock, or wine and heated slowly until it is fully cooked.
- Sous-vide – You’ve seen celebrity chefs in cooking shows always talking about sous-vide beef, sous-vide lamb, or sous-vide chicken. Sous-vide is a recently discovered cooking method that cooks vacuum-packed food in the water at very, very low temperatures for long hours.
- Smoking – We’ve heard of smoking when we talk about BBQ. Smoking is a form of cooking that uses wood or wood chips as its source of heat. Meat is placed on a grill (above the smokey wood chips) and is covered while maintaining a certain temperature. You can use a smoker to smoke your meats or a covered BBQ grill to create a makeshift smoker.
Low and Slow Cooking FAQ
Depending on the kind of meat, there are several cuts of meat that are perfect candidates for low and slow cooking. Here are some of the tough cuts that you can buy for this cooking method:
- Beef Brisket
- Pork Ribs
- Lamb and pork shoulder
- Chuck Roast
- Short Ribs
Typically, slow cooking methods use low temperatures that range from 79°C – 93°C to cook food.
Yes. You don’t need a smoker or an instapot to cook low and slow. You can use a thick pot and just apply low heat to cook dishes.
Like all kinds of cooked food, it’s important to wait until the food reaches room temperature before storing them in air-tight containers.
Yes! You can definitely freeze low and slow cooked meats. Let it reach room temperature before packing it into air-tight containers or wrapping them in foil or plastic wrap. This can last in the freezer for a maximum of 3 months.
