The Bib Gourmand award is our way of recognising restaurants that offer good food at a great price. While all Bib Gourmands are unique in style and approach, they share the same spirit of generosity and a commitment to quality cooking. That’s why, in this series, we’re highlighting the MICHELIN Guide Inspectors' Bib of the Month. These restaurants are the bedrock of our selection, providing an affordable dining option that doesn’t skimp on precision, skill or flavour. From cosy pubs to buzzing counters, we’ve got a Bib for you.
The latest entry in our Bib of the Month series is Shoreditch-based barbecue restaurant Smokestak. A fantastic practitioner of live-fire cooking, there’s a lot to love about the place – as one of our Inspectors details below:
“Some people out there might think that barbecue food is simple, but it certainly isn’t easy! Doing it well is a real skill and the chefs here have it nailed. The ingredients are excellent, treated with care so that their natural flavours are utterly delicious. True to the spirit of the Bib Gourmand, the portions are generous and, for meat of such quality, the pricing is brilliantly affordable. What’s more, the restaurant is a joy to visit beyond the cooking, with a service team who are infectiously enthusiastic and terrifically efficient in equal measure.”
To learn more about how to do brilliant barbecue food at a great price, we spoke to chef and Smokestak founder David Carter.
What was the idea behind Smokestak? How would you describe your approach to food and cooking?
I grew up in Barbados so outdoor living and open-fire cooking was a very natural gravitation for me. Smokestak combines my Barbadian heritage with an affinity for live fire plus the magnitude/lure of massive off-set smokers which helped establish the brand to what it is today. Our approach is very simple, 80% of the menu is cooked over fire, no pretence, no shortcuts, salt and pepper for seasoning, up to 16 hours in the smoker. That’s it.
What price range can customers expect and how are you able to keep your prices affordable?
‘Barbecue’ historically takes non-prime cuts of meat, unsuitable for grilling/fast cooking as [they would be] way too tough when cooked this way, and through the process of slow smoking turns them into something tender and incredibly delicious if done well. These non-prime cuts come at a slightly lesser price, but because you lose 50% of the weight during cooking (fat and water loss), I’d argue it’s not the most financially sound business model, but we do this for the love of it above all else after all! I’d say you can eat well here for £40/head, £65 if you’re showing off/really going for it.
What’s the secret to cooking really good barbecue food?
Patience. The idea with smoking is you’re gently trying to break down the collagens, while rendering the fat to the point the meat is unctuous, almost gelatinous in nature. This takes very gentle heat over a long period of time. Also, balance. You need lots of acidity, crunch and bite to counteract the richness of smoked meats hence why we focus so heavily on citrus, pickles, light and bright salads to counteract.
For first-time diners, what is the dish to order at Smokestak?
I still think the brisket bun is the most balanced/accomplished dish on the menu. It’s a hell of a good milk bun, soft and pillowy in all the right places, credit to Chew and Siew Ling, our bakers.
Why do you go for a sharing plates menu concept? Do you prefer cooking this way or is it about encouraging communal dining?
I think it’s how we all like to eat or at least this generation certainly does. As a punter, it’s how I like to eat/share, so we merely work backways from there. Serving smoked meats on trays is also synonymous with barbecue so it’s staying true to our roots equally.
With the kind of food that you serve, how important is sourcing quality ingredients?
We only use salt and pepper on our meat so there is very little [place] to hide if the meat isn’t stand-out. It really is paramount to what we do. It’s also nice to support/buy from like-minded butchers/farmers who share the same values of excellence/integrity.
Hero Image: © Smokestak/Gilles Draps
