Fuego Smokehouse brings Southern American barbecue to Miraflores by TV personality, Chef Christian Bravo, who trained with pitmasters in Texas to be able to bring those southern flavors to Peru.
Arriving at Fuego Smokehouse
When you arrive at Fuego you can find two different hosts, the golden maquette of Mr. Johnnie Walker himself who tips his hat next to Tania, the lovely hostess that, after following the required COVID-19 protocols, welcomes you and places you at your table.
Texas trained Chef Christian Bravo
Chef Christian Bravo is a jack of all trades, executive chef, instructor, tv personality, voice-over actor, podcaster, designer, entrepreneur, and a very kind human being.
The formula is simple yet complex, this is a southern barbecue place where Christian Bravo has designed to be open and inviting to enjoy some common and many uncommon (for Peruvians) beef cuts. He brought the brisket to Lima and has been working with this for seven years. This is not going to be grandma Yetta’s Passover brisket stew, instead, this is the crown jewel of Texas barbecue, and this is where it comes from, Christian went to learn with the pitmasters to make the perfect barbecue and the love for the pit.
Smoke Bar
The bar upstairs has its own identity, Smoke Bar produces all the drinks that are a part of the Fuego experience having their drinks fully integrated with the menu you can sit at the bar and watch the magic of their head mixologist Yovanny Bruno happening.
The drinks are perfectly designed and executed, and their bar has many options all intertwined with the smokehouse concept, their Negroni has the Vermouth and the Campari smoked while cooking their brisket over hickory wood then they infuse it with thyme and strawberry and later he added the gin before serving it. There’s an array of beers like Becks® or Pacifico®, and non-alcoholic drinks like their lemonade with lemons, lemongrass, ginger, and spearmint.
Fuego’s concept
The formula is simple: Great meat + Great sides + Great drinks = Fantastic experience!
I have visited this location on different occasions and I always find it with people talking over their meal, so there’s not a definitive playlist and the mood is always inviting to stay; actually, time goes by and you don’t even realize it.
Imported meats
Most of the cuts are sourced by Christian, he finds American prime cuts and imports them so some of the cuts are on and off depending on how fast the supply chain works, there’s a little of local beef, only the tenderloin for Bravo’s lomo saltado.
PAUSE, —Nerd alert— let’s talk beef
I realized he uses some cuts commonly known as Flat steaks, in this category you may find flank, skirt, flat iron, and hanger. So let’s focus on the last two.
The flat iron steak: It’s an uncommon yet upcoming cut of beef, it’s nearly as tender as a tenderloin, it comes cut from the shoulder of the cow (called the chuck) and is nicely marbled with lots of beefy flavors.
The hanger steak: this cut hangs (hence the name) between the rib and the loin, it supports the diaphragm. Originally was called “butcher’s steak” since the butchers kept it and enjoyed it for themselves. It’s popular in Europe and named in various forms like Onglet (French), Skirt (UK), Lombatello (Italy), Solomillo de Pulmón (Spain). The flavor is very close to Skirt Steak, however, there’s a line in the middle that has a strong fiber in the fascia of the muscles. What Christian does is remove it prior to cooking and make two smaller portions without the fiber.
Let’s keep going!
The array of beef is extensive, ribeye, brisket, Denver steak, skirt steak, pork ribs, and a bit of chicken.
Technology and artistry
There’s also a specific piece of technology applied to his artistry, Bravo is using the Kamado Smoker Grill, a Japanese Barbecue that cooks faster and infuses with a great smoke flavor of the wood you cook with like hickory or apple. The brisket and the ribs are slow-cooked, while the steaks are done at the moment.
Food recommendations
If you just want to have a beer with friends you can go with small entrances like their shrimp with a noisette butter aioli and Christian’s coffee rub. It is creamy and the shrimp was well done however the texture of the sauce was a bit grainy for the coffee rub yet had pleasant flavors. Or have the mollejas (sweetbreads) that are well executed or the chicken wings with Appelton State® glaze.
If your meal idea instead is to go to have a Barbecue, pass the entrances because you will need space for the beef. I always suggest starting with the beef and then move to the sides. The beef is amazing and you should go for it.
The main course is usually served by Christian bravo himself, it’s impressive the way he works the room, he has a mic inside his mask and explains everything as it goes. The hanger steak and the flat iron are a MUST, also the brisket, that is smoked for 14 hours on their olé smoker and has one of Christian Bravo’s Grill rub, which is available to buy at his website.
All of this comes together with some extra companions like his Mac & Cheese, which feels like a warm hug of love, or grated cauliflower which is cheesy with a hint of basil, or the Kamado Vegetables if you want a grilled veggies option; there’s also the wedge salad. At first, I was not convinced on a quarter of iceberg lettuce with sauce on top, but now I’m a believer, this is a wedge of lettuce that has croutons, grana padano, bacon, and… not Caesar! but a brisket dressing and this makes the whole difference.
To finish your meal, you should always have room for dessert, don’t hesitate into getting the cheesecake a recipe that is gracefully referenced to be from Richard Camarena (a 2 Michelin star restaurant in Spain) or the skillet chocolate chip cookie with (or without) ice cream.
Where to find Fuego Smokehouse
Fuego Smokehouse is located on Coronel Inclan 221, Miraflores is open from Monday to Saturday from 12:30 pm to 11:00 pm. The best way to go is making a reservation over their Whatsapp number +51 942 488 707
All photos taken by Daniel Quintero
