Reds True BBQ (Nottingham) Review

REDS TRUE BBQ (Nottingham)

My wife chose Reds following recommendations from her work mates and I'm glad she did. When I walked in the smoke house smell hit me and I was salivating.

We went at lunch time and it was fairly busy. We had our youngest with us (about 2 months old then). This post is about food, but I have to mention the service. As soon as one of the staff saw me trying to get in with the push chair he rushed to the door to help. The place was busy, he apologised for seating us in the side room. We did not mind as we had more room for the pushchair. He popped back in about five minutes later saying there was space in the main room but we stayed where we were. They also turned the music down in the side room as the baby was sleeping. Great service.

The place smelt amazing with the smoky aroma form the meat cooking over the "pits". I looked at all the tables as I walked in trying to decide what to eat.

After much deliberation I went for "The pitmaster s’wich"

The pitmaster s'wich

Black Angus brisket, cheese & jalapeño smoked sausage, Red’s pulled pork with tangy slaw, South Carolina BBQ sauce, sliced fresh jalapeño, and a fried pickle in a brioche bun.Served with two "Humble" sides. I had fries and onion rings.

My wife was not that hungry so went for the "Swine fries".

Swine Fries

Which is a mixture of sweet potato and skin-on fries topped with Red’s pulled pork, grilled cheese, chipotle sour cream, spring onions, sliced jalapeños, and coriander and lime salsa. The portion was so big I had to help out.

They have an amazing selection of sauces and I tried them all.

I need to go back to tackle the "Feast" it's for a minimum of four people so will grab a few mates and head on down.

Mountains of St Louis and baby backs ribs, rib tips, BBQ chicken, cheese and jalapeño sausage, pulled pork and beef brisket. Served with cornbread, slaw, skin-on fries, mustard ‘caviar’,1x Humble side each, a slug of Wild Turkey bourbon per person or a jug of Sweet Iced Tea.

What they say:

"Dearly beloved, the end of bad BBQ is upon you…The Church of True Barbecue is here to save your hungry souls. Come forth to Queen Street to feast at the altar of meat. Hide away in the mezzanine, spread out in the tattoo studio, or sidle up to our Pitmasters at the chef’s table, and look out for morsels of meat to nibble on, straight from the smoker. Rejoice! You’re home. You’re saved."

Queens Street, Nottingham

Reds True BBQ website

PULLED PORK BURGER

Pulled Pork Burgers

I had friends coming around to see my new baby and I wanted to do something really good as I knew they like, me love good food. The pressure was on so I jumped on the pulled pork burger bandwagon with a thatfatfoodguy style

 

SERVES 4

 

INGREDIENTS

Pulled pork

3lb pork shoulder

Dijon mustard

40g Demerara sugar

1.5 teaspoon salt

1.5 teaspoon smoked paprika

4 cloves garlic crushed

1 teaspoon chilli flakes

1 teaspoon mixed

Freshly ground black pepper

Good quality BBQ sauce (I use Stokes)

METHOD
1.The day before, rub the pork with mustard and crushed garlic, then mix together all the dry ingredients to make the rub and use this to coat the meat. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge

2.Preheat the oven to 220C. Line a roasting tray with sheets of foil big enough to fold over the top of the pork and make a tent.

3.Put the pork into the hot oven for about 40 minutes until browned, then take out and turn down the heat to 125C. Add 1 cup of water and fold the foil over the top to make a tightly sealed tent. Put back in the oven and cook for about 5 to 6 hours, until the internal temperature of the pork measures 90C. Pour off the juices and reserve.

4. Skim some fat off the pork juices and mix the rest with a 3/4 cup of bbq sauce.

5. Use two forks, or your fingers to pull into shreds.

6. Pour the sauce over the shredded pork, cook uncovered, for 10 minutes at 200. Take out, cover with foil, and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

I served with a mix of sweet potato and potato wedges coated with oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, paprika and chilli powder. I used brioche buns toasted on their cut side. I served when pots of coleslaw, bbq sauce, tortilla crisps and a token side salad. There is always a good selection of chilli sauces when  thatfatfoodguy is around.

The meal was a success.

 

HIDE THE BURGER

Review - Hide the Burger

This place is like a superhero with duel identity, cafe by day and burger bar by night.

My wife booked this restaurant based on Trip Advisor reviews and because of my love for burgers. It was on our wedding anniversary so my expectations were set high! I was not disappointed.

The decor is interesting and quirky. The staff were really helpful and friendly. The menu is small (not a criticism) but varied. The are 8 burgers, salads, sides and puddings.

There is a good selection of beers and drinks. I loved the ginger beer which had real feisty kick and is loaded with spices, this would make a great mixer with a rum.  The homemade lemonade which is served with a scoop of lemon sorbet, in a  mason jar is very refreshing.

I went for the Chilli Burger (6oz beef patty, iceberg, sweet firey peppers, crispy onions, pickled cucumber, chorizo & chilli relish, smoky mayo in a brioche bun). The burger was one of the best I have had, and believe me I eat plenty.

Chilli Burger

My wife had the Chicken Burger (Chicken breast, Iceberg, Packington pig streaky bacon, avocado, red pepper & mango relish, smoky moo mayo, pickled cucumber in a brioche bun). That was really good too (I had to have a bite for research purposes of course). Both burgers came with a generous portion of rosemary fries.

They also use a local Derbyshire butcher for the beef and local baker for the brioche buns. thatfatfoodguy hat-tip to that! I highly recommend this place.

What they say:

"A GREAT BURGER

We appreciate at first bite the melt in the mouth beef, the cut, the age and the grind of the meat, the flat top grill cooking method that achieves that well rested medium rare burger. It’s about the correct characteristics of the bun, the flavorsome twang of the relish on the burger, the perfectly melted cheese, the intense smoky flavor of the bacon, the freshness of salad ingredients and the crunch of the homemade pickle.

Then what completes the experience is the marriage of the burger to those perfectly seasoned hand cut salted chips that finally fashions what we consider to be a GREAT burger".

hideburgerbar website

• Derwent Street, Riverside Chambers, Derby DE1 2EQ

Torka Beans

Torka Beans

Serving Suggestion 

 Serves 2.

These beans give a whole new dimension to a full English breakfast, bang to beans on toast and add real kick to chips, cheese and beans. 

In my family we grew up on these, I never had "plain" beans until I went to school. This is a really simple recipe and is one of my favourite comfort foods.

1 tin of baked beans

1/2 a medium onion either diced or sliced

2 green chillies (sliced finely)

1 pinch salt

1 pinch black pepper 

1/2 tea spoon garam masala

1 tea spoon vegetable oil

Method

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions and cook for a couple of minutes on a medium heat. Add all of the ingredients except the beans. Cook out the spices until the onions have browned. 
2. Add the beans and heat through as normal.

Serve as you would normally serve baked beans.

As I write this, I am thinking of new ways to vary this recipe. Ideas that come to mind, replacing the green chillies and garam masala with:

1. Chinese five spice and szechuan pepper
2. 1/2 a habanero chilli pepper and Jerk seasoning

BREADED FAJITA CHICKEN BURGER

Breaded Fajita Seasoned Burger

This is a basic, simple recipe but definitely a crowd-pleaser. Try this trust me, it's good.

Serves 4 

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts
plain flour
2 eggs
125g panko breadcrumbs
1 packet fajita seasoning
salt
pepper
paprika
1 tea spoon chilli powder
1 tea spoon mixed herbs
4 slices monterey jack cheese
8 slices streaky bacon
1 avocado
juice of half a lime
1 table spoon vegetable oil plus extra

6 medium sized potatoes
2 baguettes of sour dough bread

Serve with side salad, sour cream, salsa, BBQ sauce, Chilli Sauce, beers and cold coke

Method

1. Cut the potatoes into wedges and place in salted boiling water for five minutes (this speeds up cooking). Meanwhile preheat the oven to 200 C
2. Lay out three separate bowls. In one place the flour,salt, pepper, 1 tea spoon of the fajita seasoning, a pinch of the chilli and mixed herbs and mix.   Beat two eggs, in the  second bowl. Place the panko, paprika, the rest of the chilli, herbs and fajita seasoning in the third bowl and mix well.
3. Place the potatoes in bowl with the oil and season with salt and pepper. place in a lightly oiled baking tray and place in the oven for ten minutes. 
4. Meanwhile dip the chicken into the flour to coat, then into the beaten eggs and then finally pat down in the panko mix. Place the chicken in the oven after 10 minutes and bake with the potatoes for a further 20 minutes.
5. Whilst waiting for the chicken and wedges to bake, pan fry the bacon, cut the avocado into wedges and mix with lime juice to prevent them going brown. Bake the bread as per instructions.
6. Place the cheese over the chicken for the final minute or so until it melts.

to serve assemble the burger, chicken and cheese, bacon and sliced avocado and wedges garnish with the salad Serve with sour cream, salsa, BBQ sauce, Chilli Sauce, beers and cold coke.

enjoy!

Zan Fish

My favourite brown bag
This Plaice quite simply batters the opposition!

A real Derby institution. Dotted around various locations around the City 

There is nothing quite like Fish & Chips and Zan Fish does not disappoint. Make this your one stop shop for everything battered and fried. 

Fish, Chips, Donner Kebab, Tikka
Chicken, Curry Sauce,
Chilli and Mint

The Fish is crispy and comforting in a light batter and not at all greasy. The Chips always hit the spot. The portion size is enough to make a fatfoodguy smile.The small bag of chips will easily feed two to three.

A must have is their "Zan Fried Chicken"  if this went national KFC would become extinct.


As for kebabs there is Donner, Mediterranean and Tikka Chicken. I taken one for the team and tried and loved them all (sometimes all in one naan).

Zan Fried Chicken, Chips & Gravy

What they say:
"We serve up great tasting fish and chips in Derby. Everyone loves fish and chips, and with over 45 year's experience, the Zan Fish team know how to cook and serve delicious, freshly cooked restaurant and takeaway food that will keep you coming back again... and again."

Zan Fish Website

Fish, Chips & Curry Sauce