Cooler evenings, heavier cuts, and more time to cook. Here's why September and October are when the best BBQ happens and how make to make the most of it.
There's a common assumption that BBQ season peaks in summer and winds down as the temperatures drop. At Importeco, we'd gently push back on that. For low and slow BBQ cooking — the kind that produces proper smoked brisket, fall-apart pork shoulder, and ribs that barely need pulling — autumn is quietly the best season of the year.
Cooler ambient temperatures mean more comfortable cooking sessions, more stable smoker temps, and cuts of meat that are genuinely suited to long, slow heat. The evenings get earlier, there's more reason to gather around something warm, and the food that comes off a smoker in October is some of the most satisfying cooking you'll do all year.
Here's why — and what you'll need to do it properly. Browse the full range of smokers and BBQs at Importeco →
01. Beef Brisket - The Benchmark
Brisket is the cut that separates a good smoker from a great one. A whole packer brisket — flat and point together — cooked low and slow over oak or hickory at 110°C for 12 to 14 hours produces a result that simply cannot be replicated any other way. The collagen breaks down into gelatine, the fat renders through the meat, and the bark that forms on the outside is one of the great things you can eat outdoors.
Start it early in the morning on an autumn day, leave it to rest well wrapped for two hours before carving, and serve it in the early evening to a table of people who've been smelling it all day. There is no better way to use an October Saturday. Weber hickory or oak smoking wood is the classic pairing. Browse Weber smoking wood at Importeco →
10 - 14 hrs at 110 °C - Oak or Hickory wood
02. Pork shoulder — the crowd-pleaser
If brisket is demanding, pork shoulder is forgiving — and that makes it the perfect starting point for anyone new to low and slow BBQ smoking. A bone-in pork shoulder (also called pork butt, despite the name) has enough fat marbling to sustain a long cook without drying out, and the result — pulled pork that comes apart with two forks — feeds a crowd with very little effort once it's on the smoker.
Apple or cherry wood adds a gentle sweetness that complements pork beautifully without overpowering it. Aim for an internal temperature of 95°C, then rest it well before pulling. Serve with a simple coleslaw and good bread and you have one of the easiest, most satisfying autumn lunches possible.
8 - 10 hrs at 110 °C - Apple or Cherry wood
03. Beef short ribs — the showstopper
Beef short ribs have become one of the great cult cuts of the BBQ world — and with good reason. Each rib is a thick slab of well-marbled beef on the bone, and after five to six hours over oak or hickory they become something extraordinary: deeply savoury, with a bark on the outside and meat that pulls cleanly from the bone. They look spectacular on a board and taste even better.
Shorter cook time than brisket, but no less impressive. A rack of beef short ribs on the table on an autumn evening is a proper centrepiece moment. Season simply — salt, pepper, garlic powder — and let the smoke do the work.
5-6 hrs at 110 °C - Oak or Hickory wood
04. Lamb shoulder — the Algarve favourite
Lamb is part of the fabric of Portuguese cooking, and a smoked lamb shoulder is a brilliant way to bridge traditional Algarve flavours with the low and slow BBQ method. The fat content in a bone-in lamb shoulder keeps it moist over a long cook, and cherry or applewood adds a mild sweetness that pairs perfectly with the natural richness of the meat.
Marinate overnight with garlic, rosemary, and lemon — classic Portuguese flavours — then smoke at 130°C until the meat pulls from the bone. This is autumn cooking in the Algarve at its very best: unhurried, flavourful, and built for sharing.
4-5 hrs at 110 °C - Apple or Cherry wood
Weber's full range of smoking wood — chunks, chips, and pellets across all of the above species — is available at Importeco. Browse Weber smoking wood →
This autumn, slow down and smoke something
The best BBQ doesn't happen in a hurry. It happens on a cool October morning when you light the fire early, pour a coffee, and spend the day doing something properly. Low and slow smoking in autumn is one of the most rewarding things you can do with an outdoor kitchen — and the Algarve's mild season means you can do it comfortably well into November.
Importeco stocks everything you need — from Char-Griller smokers and Kamado Joe ceramic grills to Weber smoking wood across every species. Visit us in our Algarve showroom or browse the full range online.
