Smoke on the rib-rack (the flavour doesn’t lie)
Nothing represents the very soul of stateside cooking than smokehouse BBQ, and slow-smoked ribs are as traditional as it gets. The cooking process is time-consuming, the seasoning meticulous and the technique not forgiving of amateurs. There are but a few places where true carni-noisseurs can be assured of finding that real-deal combination of smoke-infused flavor and melt-in-the-mouth bite—they include Atlanta, Chicago and… Thonglor Soi 17, home to Thai-run rib joint Meat & Bones.
Founding partner and chief smoke-meister Peerawat ‘Por’ Ruangroenkulkrit is a digital design studio owner whose passion for smoked meats led to him to launch this true-to-the-heritage BBQ dining experience in late 2015. Snugly ensconced in the funky food stall cash-court at community mall The Commons, this compact, aptly named eatery has an equally compact menu built around their supremely delectable smoked ribs. Racks are sloooooow-smoked daily off-site for up to eight hours—the traditional process that gives the meat its unmistakably rustic taste and succulent texture.
The pork baby-back ribs arrive with a deep red-brown crust that can be achieved only through hours-long immersion in the fumes of smoldering lamyai wood. There’s also a two-fistful boneless pork rib burger on offer, while the beef rib tips are smoked for an extra two hours for that juicy, impossibly tender BBQ goodness. And true to its name, M&B also offers beefy-tasting, buttery-smooth bone marrow, grill-roasted and served with toast squares.
Given the shop’s name and casual venue atmosphere, knives and forks are optional. Using the thoughtfully provided plastic glove, diners are encouraged to just grab a rib and gnaw it clean, or give it a couple of gentle shakes and watch the pork fall right off the bone.
Whereas most locally-found BBQ uses a sweet, wet-marinate preparation, the meat here is not cooked in a sauce per se, and therein lies the rub… literally. Using a “dry rub” method to massage-in the powdered seasonings allows the meat, spices and wood smoke to comingle and interact to form that flavorful, tantalizingly roasted crust. Such are the culinary complexities that occur within the smoker-oven, and which cannot be simply poured out of a bottle.
There’s also a choice of authentic sides like classic coleslaw, mashed potatoes, corn salad, tangy winter slaw, and some of the best cornbread ever served outside the continental US. The only items not locally sourced are the sharply spicy Ginger Fizz soda and actual moonshine liquor that comes served—wait for it—in a spout-lidded mason jar.
Meat & Bones
The Commons, Thong Lor 17 | 08 1933 7143
facebook.com/meatandbonesbangkok
Mon-Thu 11.30am-2.30 pm, 5.30pm-10pm,
Fri-Sun 11.30am-10.30pm
