Monstrous barbecue smokers with a giant bearded pit master at its helm? Seems like a scene right out of a country western shindig. Believe it or not, you can see this daily at Tropicana Avenue, Petaling Jaya! Here, Nazri Jameson, Afifter and Saif Ismail, the bearded trio behind Beard Brother’s BBQ, have taken a passion for Texan barbecues, added their own Malaysian touch and got to smoking.
A 14 Hour Labour of Love
It really is quite impressive watching the big black 1.2-ton smoker do its magic turning out meat so tender you could literally cut it with a spoon. It’s a carnivore’s dream come true.
So, how does the meat become so soft? After a good rub down of spices, the meat is put into the smoker for 14 hours. Yes. 14 hours! Talk about a labour of love. When do these guys get any rest?!
Make Mash Like a Bearded Brother
Their menu includes beef brisket, beef ribs, lamb and chicken. Interestingly, they make their own sausages from scratch. Sides include coleslaw, mashed potatoes and cornbread. We were curious about how they season their meat but that was a top secret recipe locked in the mind of the pit master himself, Nazri. We did manage to get him to tell us his recipe for their yummy skin-on mashed potatoes.
To make his mash, he uses Holland potatoes because they have a thin skin which, he says, is key to making a good skin-on mash. Submerge the potatoes in salted water and boil until it’s cooked (this should take about 15 minutes). Once it’s soft enough, take the potatoes out, add butter and get smashing! For every 5kg of potatoes you add 1 stick of salted butter.
The key to his recipe is the addition of brisket fat for that added oomph of flavour. If you’re at home, you can experiment with adding juices from your whatever meat is roasting in your oven. Finally season with salt and pepper.
Support the Obsession
Nazri is very proud of how far they have come, as he should be. The Beard Brother’s BBQ’s newly set up residence at Tropicana Avenue is a long way from their humble beginnings as a barbeque delivery service. How do you even go from a delivery service to having your very own restaurant featuring a 1.2-ton smoker?
“I was obsessed,” said Nazri.
There was a lot of trial and error in the early years. Nazri, who runs the bbq smoker, recalls what he terms as “dark times” and going through at least 120kg of meat trying to get the recipe just right. Perseverance and family support through it all were key.
It’s not an easy business to go into but his advice to anyone wanting to give it a shot is, “Don’t skimp on quality.” He feels strongly about never compromising on the quality of the ingredients.
“Everything is top notch quality. If you downplay quality, customers can taste it,” says Nazri.
Taste of Malaysian Wood
While quality is key, another tidbit about Beard Brother’s BBQ is that they have incorporated Malaysian elements into a very western menu. Naturally, well known ingredients like lemongrass make an appearance, but more interestingly, it’s the type of wood they use to smoke the meat. Unlike other barbecue smokehouses that use imported wood such as Hickory or Mesquite, Beard Brother’s BBQ uses wood native to Malaysia.
There are two types of wood they use including Rubberwood and Mangrove wood. Rubberwood lends a smokey bitterness to the meat while Mangrove wood infuses the meat with the saltiness of the sea. We learn something new every day.
Finally, What’s with the Beard?
Must be a manly barbecue thing. If you’re keen to try smokehouse BBQ made by these cool bearded cooks, head over to Tropicana Avenue, Petaling Jaya or check them out on their Facebook.
