Going Big On BBQ At Smok’d London

I am fortunate enough to have just visited the USA, and as the old cliché goes, everything is bigger on the other side of the Atlantic.

And that is certainly true when it comes to the food. Travelling with two hungry and very carnivorous teenage boys, we went in search of BBQ ribs, juicy steaks, burgers, hot dogs…the works.

Needless to say, we found everything we were looking for, and more. We were served vast portions everywhere we went, and some of it was pretty good. But on the whole, those great hunks of meat lacked that really evocative, hickory smoky tanginess we had been dreaming about on the long flight over there.

What I now know is that we could have saved the airfare as the exact thing we were looking for is less than a mile from our front door.

Smok’d Serves US Portions on UK Soil

The Candlemaker Smok’d in Battersea is one of a trio of London pubs run by former comedian Leigh White who specialises in cooking on the barbecue with an intriguing mixture of techniques from around the world, including smoking, roasting, charring and grilling.

Although the place looks like a fairly ordinary old-school neighbourhood boozer from the outside, culinary wizardry is taking place in the kitchen.

All their cuts of meat are smoked in-house by Leigh’s dad who slowly tends to them for twelve hours each, after they have been brined and coated in the secret Smok’d recipe rub.

Leigh has spent the past 23 years travelling the globe, mostly working on cruise ships and in five-star hotels, gathering up all these very useful and very delicious tricks and tips to tempt us with.

Returning to London, he passed on the skills to his father, who carefully mastered the art of creating exceptional flavours, and then in turn shared his secrets with a team of passionate pit masters in every pub.

Catering for all

We started, on our waiter’s enthusiastic recommendation with a basket of Smok’d chicken wings, which weren’t quite as spicy as I would have usually liked but the sauce was good and the meat was tender. The star of the show was the brisket and Jacob’s Ladder Beef Ribs, which both breathed new life into American classics, with hickory and mesquite-infused smoky yumminess.

There’s not a lot of greens on the menu but try and squeeze in a side of the buffalo cauliflower coated in garlic, celery, and sesame (try saying that quickly after a couple of cocktails)

There are also seven burgers available at any time – yes even a vegan option – and an ever-changing Burger of the Month which has so far included an Irish-influenced one topped with thick strew, and a German burger topped with, erm, currywurst.

Whiskey is also a big thing here, a very big thing. There is a massive and ever-growing list of over a hundred specially selected tipples from Japan, America, and Scotland of course. I’m afraid I can’t stand the stuff, but can reliably inform you that a bottle of the more than decent Italian house red wine goes perfectly with huge plates of deliciously tender, melt in the mouth ribs and brisket.

Oh, and they also host regular live music, poker and quiz nights. Which is an excellent excuse for a return visit.