Smoke ’em if you got ’em
Tristin Anderson is up at 5am most days getting his smoker going – he tells Jake Kenny how to create the perfectly barbecued brisket.
Tristin Anderson’s favourite memories are of cooking in his backyard and staying up all night around the fire. ‘‘It really turned into an obsession and addiction for me,’’ the Christchurch chef says. ‘‘Freshness and consistency are key and it’s important to not take any shortcuts. In barbecue, a 12-hour cook is a 12-hour cook. My favourite parts of barbecue are the flavours – you just can’t beat it.’’
On Cashel St, near the heart of Christchurch’s central city, Anderson’s barbecue joint Smokey T’s is quite possibly the most popular food venue in the city.
It’s fully booked most nights and on the Wednesday night when the Sunday Star-Times visited, it had 200 bookings.
Anderson is Christchurch’s reigning hospitality hero and most popular cook of the year. He has been trailblazing the city’s food scene ever since opening Smokey T’s in 2016. He’s since won multiple honours at the Canterbury Hospitality Awards, including the best casual dining venue as well as back-to-back people’s choice awards.
Anderson is well known in the Garden City, previously helping run the Dux chain of bars and restaurants. This year he was awarded the region’s hospitality hero of the year thanks to his efforts in helping his peers and colleagues succeed.
The rise has been impressive, especially considering he launched the business from a food truck in late 2016. He didn’t advertise, relying on word-of-mouth and social media posts featuring succulent cuts of meat.
‘‘I’ve always fed large quantities of people. People trust me and my food, which is obviously the reaction you’re after. There’s been a lot of hard graft to build that trust and some tough pushes – 16, 17, 18-hour days and the likes.’’
Anderson’s hospitality career started off washing pots at age 15. He slowly moved through the ranks and up the kitchen pecking order and has since trained a lot of people in the Christchurch scene.
‘‘I played a lot of sport as a kid and instantly fell in love with the team aspect of working in a kitchen. I started giving up my weekends just to go and work in the kitchen with my mates.’’
Anderson is a personable man. He makes a point to acknowledge each customer and ask how their meal was – commendable for someone awake from 5am to get his smoker going.
Anderson’s barbecue advice is simple: you need the highest quality meat possible, handselected ingredients to go with it, time, and an understanding that it’s each to their own when it comes to flavour – just make sure you use enough seasoning and taste as you go.
Not everyone has access to the same meat smokers Anderson uses for cooking, but a barbecue would get you most of the way there, he says.
Now 38, Anderson has fulfilled many of his personal career goals, and is focussed on helping others around him learn and improve their trade.
‘‘I’m hoping I can play to my staff’s strengths to help them fulfil their own desires and encourage them to be the best they can be.’’
He was ‘‘blown away’’ by the recent rise in popularity and awards recognising his success.
‘‘When you’ve got your head down and you just keep working away, you don’t expect anything back. You’re just doing what you do. I am really grateful, though. The people’s choice is a huge one because it comes from the public and it feels very real.’’
His brother, Nathan Anderson, plays professional rugby in Japan and was a constant source of inspiration and motivation.
‘‘He has really driven me to bring out my all, take risks and be mentally strong. I probably wouldn’t be where I am today without him.’’ With Smokey T’s closing from December 23 to January 6 to give staff a good break, Anderson said his summer could be summed up in a few words.
‘‘Shorts, singlet, sunglasses and sunburn.’’
SMOKEY T’S SLOW-COOKED BEEF BRISKET Ingredients
7-8 kg point end brisket (Grainfed beef for the marble content recommended)
1⁄4cup sea salt
1⁄4cup cracked black pepper 1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup water
Method
Light the fire in the smoker and get the heat sitting at 250F (121C).
Trim off all hard fat from the brisket.
Mix the salt and pepper and sprinkle until the whole brisket is covered.
Mix the vinegar and water in a spray bottle (for spritzing).
Place brisket in the smoker and start spritzing after the first three hours, and then every 45 minutes. When the brisket has good colour and reaches an internal temperature of 165F (75C), place in tin foil and wrap tight around the edges leaving the top exposed (boating).
Make sure your fire management is sitting as close as possible to 250F.
Brisket is a timely process, but very rewarding (aim for between eight and 12 hours).
The brisket is ready when it probes like butter and will have an internal temperature reading of 205F (96C). Bench-rest for 45 minutes – and then it’s ready to slice.