Low and Slow Aotearoa

From cooking Umu with his dad to building a name in New Zealand's BBQ scene, Moe's journey has taken him from a shop, to the Soul Food Festival, and beyond. In this episode, we sit down for a yarn about his journey into low & slow BBQ, the realities of running a food business, helping others with the foodpreneur club and what it takes to turn a passion for cooking into something more. We talk cook...

What is it about a Kiwi BBQ that makes everyone want to come round for a feed? Today we look at the classic Kiwi gathering — the BBQ going, food everywhere, bringing a plate, a few drinks, plenty of stories, and usually enough leftovers to feed everyone twice. From sausages and steak to brisket, pulled pork and smoked meats. Low & slow BBQ might have changed what we're cooking, but the reason...

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, wh...

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...

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 so...

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...

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 comm...

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 & slo...

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 med...

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 w...

Low & slow BBQ feels everywhere in New Zealand now — smokers in backyards, brisket on social feeds, and BBQ sections growing in hardware stores. But it wasn’t always like that. In this episode, I look at how low & slow cooking went from a niche hobby to something far more common across Aotearoa. From the influence of social media and overseas BBQ culture, to gear becoming easier to access,...

This one's a bit more personal. I share a backyard BBQ cook that nearly made me quit low & slow smoking altogether. It wasn’t about burnt meat or a failed brisket — it was about pressure. I’d built the cook up in my head as a proper thank you to my dad after he helped me out at home. Somewhere between confidence and overconfidence, things slipped, and it hit harder than it should have. We talk...

In the last episode, we stepped inside NZ BBQ competitions. This time, we break down what actually matters for backyard cooks. What do competitions get right? Planning, fire management, cooking with intention — discipline over expensive gear. But they can also overcomplicate things, chasing perfect appearance and cooking for judges instead of people. I talk through what’s worth learning from compe...

I talk with competitors at the "New Zealand Barbeque Alliance" competition in Kumeu Auckland, to get a real feel for the scene here in Aotearoa. We chat about how BBQ competitions work in NZ, what to expect stepping into your first comp, and the advice they’d give to anyone thinking about giving it a go. We also touch on cooking styles, prep work, how to score good points with the judges, competin...

This episode is about where our meat comes from, and why that matters. From local farms to trusted butchers, we talk about the paddock-to-plate journey and the role it plays in good low & slow BBQ. We cover grass-fed beef, quality over quantity, and why taking a bit of care with your meat changes how you cook it — and how you appreciate it. It’s not about being fancy or perfect, just being mor...

In this first episode of Low & Slow Aotearoa , I’m setting the tone for what this podcast is all about — slow food, real smoke, and the backyard way of doing things here in New Zealand. I’m not a pitmaster or a professional. I’m just an average backyard smoker who’s learned a lot through trial, error, and a few long cooks that didn’t go to plan. This podcast is about sharing those lessons, the...

In episode two of Low and Slow Aotearoa , I break down the core basics of low & slow BBQ: choosing the right wood, preparing the right cuts of meat, and understanding time, temperature, and patience. I talk about how different woods affect flavour, the importance of clean smoke, and how to match wood to meat — including fruit woods, nut woods, and New Zealand favourites like mānuka and pōhutuk...

We dive into what gives low & slow BBQ its New Zealand flavour — the woods we use, the way we cook, and the Kiwi style that makes it our own. I talk about native and locally available woods, how they affect smoke and flavour, and why understanding what grows around you matters just as much as following a recipe. From lighter smokes to stronger profiles, it’s about using wood thoughtfully and l...

A taste of what's to come. Launching Jan 5 2026 with 3 episodes. New episodes fortnightly.