Charcoal smokers can make dam good BBQ — but they can also be super frustrating.

Today, I have a yarn about why some backyard cooks are moving from charcoal smokers to pellet smokers. Temperature swings, fuel management, changing weather and those overnight cooks can make charcoal a lot of work.

But is convenience actually the point of low & slow BBQ? We look at what pellet smokers make easier, what you might lose by stepping away from the fire, and why there's something satisfying about learning to manage charcoal, wood and your smoker.

This isn't charcoal vs pellets. It's about finding the smoker that makes you actually want to cook.

Because whether you're managing a fire all day or pressing a button, we're all here for the same thing.

Delicious Low and Slow BBQ.

This episode, we're going out.

I head out to pick up a hāngī from a workmate, bringing you along for the journey before taking it home and sitting down to actually taste it.

We talk about what hāngī and low & slow BBQ have in common — patience, time, slow cooking and feeding people, while also looking at what makes hāngī its own unique Māori cooking tradition.

From the smell on the drive home to opening it up and taking that first bite, this one is about experiencing the food rather than just talking about it.

I've spent a lot of time talking about low & slow BBQ, but this episode reminded me that slow cooking has been part of Aotearoa for a bloody long time, and its an amazing example of our unique style.

You know that feeling when you smell BBQ before you can even see it?

The smoke drifting down the street, charcoal firing up, meat hitting the heat, or opening the smoker after a few hours and getting that first hit of smoke.

In this Side Dish, we talk about the smells that make BBQ what it is — wood smoke, charcoal, rubs, meat, fat hitting the fire, and that unmistakable Kiwi BBQ smell.

Because sometimes the best part of a cook starts long before the first bite, and can take you back to great moments.

Low & slow, one smell at a time.

BBQ feels different the moment you're cooking for other people?

Same smoker, same meat, same process — but suddenly you're checking temperatures more, second-guessing decisions and putting pressure on yourself to get everything just right.

Today, I talk about where that pressure comes from, how chasing the perfect cook can actually make us cook worse, and why the people we're feeding probably aren't judging our BBQ nearly as harshly as we are.

Because low & slow shouldn't feel like a performance. It's about good food, good people, and enjoying the time around the smoker.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is stop trying to prove something — and just cook.

#BBQ #NewZealand #cooking #lowandslow

Brisket and ribs get all the attention, but a whole chicken might be one of the best cooks you can do on a smoker. It's affordable, forgiving, feeds the family, and doesn't take all day.

This episode of "Side Dish" Im at the pit again, talking through how I smoke a whole chicken, the little things that make a big difference, and why it's such an easy cook when you want great smoky BBQ without committing 12 hours.

Whether you've never smoked a chicken before, or just wanna join me at the pit for a little chat, this one is for you.

Low & slow BBQ looks incredible on social media, but there's a side to it that rarely gets talked about.

I share the realities of the hobby that most people only discover after they start their journey . The long hours of waiting, the cleaning and maintenance, the cost of fuel and meat, and adapting to New Zealand's unpredictable weather.

Despite the setbacks, it's all part of what makes low & slow so rewarding. Because every failed cook teaches you something, every long day builds patience, and every great meal reminds you why you started in the first place.

Low & slow isn't always glamorous—but for those who stick with it, there's nothing quite like it.

#lowandslow #bbq #smokingmeat #Aotearoa #NewZealand #local

Welcome to the first Side Dish episode — shorter conversations and quick thoughts from the world of low & slow BBQ.

This time, we're tackling a big debate in barbecue: should great BBQ need sauce?

From ribs and pulled pork to brisket, we look at where sauce fits into a cook, when it enhances flavour, and when it might be covering up something underneath. We also talk about the saucy social media influence. Do they just do it for the photos?

So where do you sit? Is sauce a winner, or a killer?

Drop a comment, let me know your side of it.

After a few months away, Low & Slow Aotearoa is back with its first one-on-one guest interview.

In Episode 9, I sit down with Equator Whetu at The Blue Ox Babe in Pukekohe, where his humble BBQ journey first began. Starting out under experienced pitmasters, Equator learned the craft from the ground up before eventually becoming a pitmaster himself.

We talk about the lessons learned along the way, life behind a commercial smoker, the importance of patience and trusting the process, and how those experiences inspired the creation of his BBQ apparel brand, Kolchar.

Whether you're a backyard cook, a BBQ enthusiast, or someone chasing a passion project of your own, there's plenty to take away from this conversation.

Guest:

Instagram - @kolchar_official

Facebook - kolcharofficial