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2kg Braai’d Lamb Ribs to share, or not

Farringdon restaurant Hammer & Tongs invites diners to experience outdoor eating indoors with dishes focussed around their huge wood-fired braai that glows day and night with imported Sickle Bush wood (from South Africa).

Rather than using a sauce the single piece of Braai’d Lamb Ribs go through a 3-day process using spices and ingredients to intensify the flavour of the lamb. Head Chef Richard Lloyd uses classic braising techniques and then leaves the Sickle Bush wood do the rest of the work.

The process is as follows:

Day 1: Smoking (24 hours)

Using the smoke from the Sickle Wood the lamb is put in the cold area of the braai chimney flue absorbing smoke throughout the day.

Day 2: Braising (6 hours)

The lamb then is braised at a low temperature in a liquid made with muscovado sugar and molasses flavoured with liquorice, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, spiced with scotch bonnets and the traditional thyme, rosemary and black pepper.

Day 3: Spice Rub & Braai’ed & Rested

15 different spices are used in a dry rub before the lamb is hit on the braai at a high temperature. As the lamb cooks the fat caramelises helped by tmuscovado sugar and then the wood does the rest of the work. Once ready the meat is left inside the braising liqueur to cool down naturally and the liqueur is absorbed into the meat.

Serving: The lamb is accompanied with a beer can onions and pink peppercorn pickled silver skinned onions
Price: £32

About Hammer & Tongs

On the ground floor the huge braai burns all day and is visible to diners. An interior palette of orange, blue, crimson, leather and copper reflects the warmth of South Africa on the ground and lower floors. In the basement is the PDR, (The Wine Cellar) and the bar.

The entire menu (aside from salads and desserts) is cooked over wood. The food is reflective of all the colonists that have moved through South Africa and left their mark with unusual spices and flavours. Mostly, it is inspired by a braai back in South Africa in which you’ll find sosaties (skewers), steaks, potjies (traditional dishes cooked in cast iron pot), fresh fish, chops and ribs. And yes, you’ll even find the occasional veggies on a braai as you will at Hammer & Tongs.

Cocktail at Hammer & Tongs

Pete Kendall has designed the cocktail menu using similar influences including the Saffa Mule made with Santa Teresa Claro, Haycock’s No.9, Rooibos, Ginger, Bitters and Lime and the Veld Smash made with H&T Veld Grog, Sage, Thyme and Lemon. While a huge fire dominates the first floor dining room the basement bar basement will feature a huge block of ice cut during the night with a bespoke heated copper-pipe cutter.

The team behind Hammer & Tongs are a collective of stars in the hospitality industry who the owner has sourced throughout his career in the industry as a drink buyer. The architects, designers, bar, kitchen, Front of House and PR team are all great friends and past colleagues. This sentiment is reflected in the philosophy of the braai; primal elements of smoke, fire, food and good company is an everyday celebration of life. Hammer & Tongs is designed on the premise that these moments are to be savoured, surrounded by great company and great food.

Address
171 Farringdon Road
EC1R 3AL

Covers
Ground Floor: 40
Basement : 40 / 20 PDR

Opening Hours
Monday – Saturday
12pm – 12am

Owner
Etienne Pansegrauw

Head Chef
Richard Lloyd

General Manager
Pete Kendall

About Head Chef Richard Lloyd
Head Chef Richard Lloyd has been traditional trained, starting an apprenticeship in a Michelin starred kitchen and staying on that pathway for the rest of his career, working with renowned establishments & chefs such as David Cavallier, Angela Hartnett, Luke Holder and John Campbell. After working 16 years in these places learning basic techniques and science in food Richard has reached a point in his career where he wants to look at a classic South African braai method. This primal way of cooking is new to Richard and is both a challenge as well as an enormous pleasure.

Example Dishes:

Meat
Boerewors with Blatjang Relish
700g T-Bone Steak with Black Pepper & Thyme Oil, Monkey Gland Sauce
Salt-Rubbed Venison Haunch with Smoked Juniper & Rosemary
Potije: Oxtail Red Wine, Garlic, Onion & Root Vegetables

Fish / Shellfish
Whole Sea Bream with Kaffir Lime, Spiced Pimiento & Lemon Oil
Potjie : Mussels with Buttermilk, Marjoram & Garlic
Sosaties: Salted Monkfish with Fennel, Aji Panca Pepper, Grapes & Lemongrass

Vegetarian
Sweet Potato Curry (v) with Coriander, Burnt Onion, Curry Leaves, Cumin & Bread
Cucumber Pickle Salad (v) Blackened Cucumber, Marjoram, Basil & Muscovado Sugar Pickle
Sosaties: Herb-Rubbed Vegetables (v) with Mealies, Green Figs, Aubergine, Vine Tomato, Capsicum & Pesto Verdi

Desserts
Malva Pudding with Apricot & Caramel & Amarula Cream
Dark Chocolate Mousse with Blackberry Compote, Yogurt & Pumpkin Seed Crumble

Example Cocktails
Aperitif
H&T Martini: Black Cow Vodka, Aquavit, Martini Ambrato Vermouth & Lemon Oil. Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese and Dill Canapé
Cape Bellini: Peach, Passionfruit and Sparkling Wine

Long
Caperitif, Pink Grapefruit Juice, Sparkling Wine and Wild Jasmine Syrup
Saffa Mule: Santa Teresa Claro, Haycock’s No.9, Rooibos, Ginger, Bitters and Lime

Short
Veld Smash: H&T Veld Grog, Sage, Thyme and Lemon
Great White Sour: Herradura Plata Tequila, Lemon, Framboise Liqueur, Mint, Raspberry and Cape Gooseberry

Digestif
Barker Treacle: Santa Teresa Linaje, Bitters, Apple Foam and Cinnamon
Drift Wood Old Fashioned: Oak Smoke, Woodford Reserve Bourbon, Bitters and Orange Oil