Driving to Maradu in peak hour traffic is not exactly ideal, especially when a thunderstorm is brewing and your GPS is goading you to take incredibly narrow bylanes. But Erracci, the newest smokehouse in town, is worth it. Set behind Crowne Plaza, beside the Vembanad lake, this space is warmly lit and inviting.
The no-frills menu spotlights smoked, slow-cooked brisket and succulent steak. Erracci is for those who take their meat seriously – for those who are committed to the process as much as the meat.
A smoked brisket is made by seasoning a boneless piece of meat with salt and pepper and slow-cooked over indirect heat – from 18 to 24 hours. The prolonged cooking helps break down the connective tissue in the meat. A cut from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal, the brisket is one of the nine primal cuts of beef, also known to be one of the toughest.
Smoked brisket at Erracci | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The cooking process involves dedication and patience, as the meat has to be monitored every few hours so as to ensure it is cooked to the T.
The passion project of a bunch of friends — Jayesh Joy and Chinthu Antony, who own Tender4Sure, a Kochi-based company selling meat and meat products, Titu, who owns Mexican grill Titu’s Taqueria, and Sharik KS and Ebin Bastian of Cafe Moon by Sol Kitchen — who used to bond over meat, Erracci opened to the public in March.
“We get people who are familiar with this kind of cuisine and also those who are new to it; there is curiosity. The response has been great and we are fully booked on the weekends,” says Ekta Nair, the CEO of Erracci. A friend of the founders, Ekta, who was managing a restaurant in Goa and is equally passionate about the art of smoked meat, joined in. “This is a space that celebrates the Texan way of cooking brisket,” she says.
Brisket for beginners can be a revelation. It is juicy, bursting with flavour and light. Served with pickled onions, gherkin, bbq sauce and bread (to complement the smoke), Erracci’s signature smoked brisket is sure to impress.
Slow-cooked beef is entirely different from the way beef is traditionally made in Kerala – fried dry or curried, says Ekta.
With just the basic seasoning of salt and pepper, the meat cooks in its own juices and reacts with the flavour of the smoke, forming a crusty bark on the surface. “This is then wrapped in foil and left to rest for four to five hours,” explains Ekta. This way of cooking lets one taste meat in its truest form, without additives or oil. “Unlike a traditional offset smoker, which uses only wood and charcoal, here at Erracci, we use a combination of gas and Indian mesquite wood for cooking,” says Ekta.
The big B sando | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Erracci’s menu includes brisket sandwiches, too. The plantain brisket sando, for instance, is a nod to Kerala’s unique pazhampori-beef pairing. A substantial sandwich, it comes with smoked brisket, caramelised plantain and pickled paprika — a bouquet of salt, spice and sweet flavours all at once. The Big B Sando and Honey B Sando also come with smoked brisket, honeyed toast, cheese and crisps.
For those who want to try the steak, the signature chateaubriand steak with chimichurri is blow torched on the table, the texture and flavour hit all the right spots.
If you want to go simple, try the smoked pulled beef, served in 200 grams.
Roast chicken leg | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
If there is a chicken lover amongst you, who is feeling left out, there’s a spicy shredded chicken sando and a roast chicken leg on the menu. All the meat dishes are served with a salad of pickled gherkins and onions.
The sides include fries (larger than what you see around here) with chilli, nachos and a mayo-based coleslaw.
The bread here is baked in-house (Ekta bakes the breads), the meat is sourced from Jayesh and Chinthu’s Tender4Sure and the desserts are made in-house too. The menu will have new additions from June, too, says Ekta, including tea and broths for the rainy season. “We want people to spend time at Erracci during the rains and enjoy the ambience and the waterfront view while digging into piping hot food,” says Ekta.
The 11-table restaurant can currently accommodate 44 to 50 people. And since the food is cooked in controlled portions, it would be best to make a reservation a day ahead.
1200 for two.
The 11-table restaurant can currently accommodate 44 to 50 people. And since the food is cooked in controlled portions, it would be best to make a reservation a day ahead.
₹1200 for two.
For reservations, contact 8891216975.