Smokin!
Smoking food is far from a new thing - cavemen not only hung chunks of woolly mammoth over embers to dry it out and preserve it, but also to make it flavoursome. It’s a shame the internet wasn’t around - they could have been Instagramming their foodie snaps to their jealous cavemen buddies.
It’s a method still used across the globe, and is responsible for deli classics including pastrami, jerky, kabanos and Black Forest ham. And let’s not forget our fishy friends - if you’ve never tried an Arbroath smokie for breakfast, do it. But don’t plan on kissing anyone for a while afterwards.
Jim’s Smokehouse is the new addition to the Hockley restaurant scene and specialises in that smoked meat taste. They had a rocky start on their opening night after advertising free food on Facebook - imagine a kid who invites thousands of people to a house party while his folks are away. Yeah... As you can guess, carnage ensued. Everything’s settled down now, so I headed down to chat to the owner and manager PJ about marinades, slow cooking and his swanky new smoker, shipped all the way from Texas.
Shooting the breeze with someone who’s passionate about food over a cold beer, what could be better? Life further improved when the food arrived: the full rack of St Louis ribs was formidable, low and slow in the smoker and finished under the grill to yield some precious crispy bits. These sat alongside huge chicken wings with a herby marinade and Carolina pulled pork. The ribs were my favourite; sticky, smoky and full of BBQ flavour. The coleslaw looked fresh and homemade and PJ assures me that it is. He also claims that all the sauces are also made in-house. I asked him to prove it, which in retrospect was a little leery of me. We went through to the kitchen and, sure enough, he wasn’t lying. I wound my neck in.
While in the kitchen he proudly showed me the smoker - it’s smaller than I expected but very cool and it boasts several racks of those lovely ribs, looking like they’ve not been in long. Another few hours to go, boys.
In a world where every restaurateur is trying to do something unique, Jim’s Smokehouse is delivering. My advice, in case it’s not already obvious, is to order the ribs.
38 Goose Gate, Hockley, NG1 1FF. 0115 9241742
twitter.com/jimsmokehouse
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