Winter may be on its way out, but slow-cooked meats are good any time of year.
VIC
Big Boy BBQ — Caulfield South, Richmond & CBD
More than just bangin' bangers on the barbie, this BBQ joint is all about 'low and slow' meat made to hit your taste buds ... fast. These guys smoke their meats — pastrami, pulled lamb shoulder, Kansas City style beef brisket, chicken wings — for up to 22 hours over hickory wood before you've even walked in the door.
Le Bon Ton — 51 Gipps St, Collingwood
Not only does this bar have a name that's fun to say, it's also an ace place to go if you're a meat-eating, absinthe-drinking larrikin. Or a rockabilly cowboy who can down half a kilo of subtly smoked beef at dawn. Let the good times roll, baby.
Meatmaiden — The Basement, 195 Little Collins St, CBD
Man, do these dudes take their meat seriously. Max flavour. Mass time in the cooker. Major melt in the mouth. Try their signature Rangers Valley Wagyu brisket-it takes almost 20 hours of smokin' time. And man, will you thank us later.
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The people of Peru know a thing or two about taking you on a meat bender like no other. This modern Peruvian grill, cevicheria and pisco bar will jolt you into a jungle of slow-cooked, mouth-watering wonder. What's on the menu? Thirty-day dry aged alpaca loin with tartare, black garlic and Peruvian caper berries. You heard us: alpaca.
Little Bertie BBQ & Cafe — 218 Swan St, Richmond
Think top-shelf meat dishes only come out of swanky kitchens? Think again, my friend. Little Bertie Café & BBQ is the humble hippie serving local and ethically produced slow-cooked delights. They do it the natural way: butcher it themselves (Little Bertie is an extension of Berties Butcher after all) and braise it to perfection.
NSW
LP'S Quality Meats — 1/16 Chippen St, Chippendale
These guys know their way around a six-hour smoked lamb belly with merguez sausage, that's for sure! Maybe it's because their kitchen is home to the only Southern Pride Smoker in the country. Or maybe because the cordon bleu chefs here know that Tennessee cooking is where it's at.
4Fourteen — 72a Fitzroy St, Surry Hills
Like your meat full of flavour, fun and, well, a bit fancy? You'll love 4Fourteen where you can order lamb shoulder that falls apart simply by looking at it — and you can do it while checking out the quasi-hipster crowd that's there too. If you're super daring order the double-crumbed pig's tail.
Surly's — 182 Campbell St, Surry Hills
Old school cheesesteak. Juicy deep-fried chicken. Slow-smoked pork shoulder. Please, say no more - this Southern American dive bar had us at 'down-and-dirty comfort food'. It surly did. Yum!
Papi Chulo — 22-23 Manly Wharf, Manly
Oh, grease. Sticky, sweet, sweet grease. It soothes the soul, turns the taste buds on and touches us like a hug from mum. Bless Papi Chulo for giving us what we need — The BBQ Platter. It consists of heavenly things like slow-smoked pork belly, half a rack of ribs, chopped pork, Wagyu brisket and curly fries. Did we say you get a warmed chocolate chip cookie too? Stop it.
Hurricane's Grill Darling Harbour — 433-436 Darling Drive, Sydney
Pork ribs. Beef ribs. Lamb ribs. Full rack. Half a rack if you can't commit. But you'll want to — they're basted and then tenderly, tantalisingly grilled. Don't get ribbed off fighting over the last one. Bam!
