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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 17 JULY 2016 34 Food Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, Birkirkara T: 2144 4400 Ribolla Gialla 2015 Attems, Italy TASTING NOTES: A striking straw-yellow colour, with subtle gold highlights, this Ribolla Gialla is elegant and deliciously fl oral, with lovely scents of acacia blossom and birch wood, followed by sweet tropical fruit. Full-bodied on the palate, it is bright and full- flavoured, with a finish hinting of yellow peach. SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Superb as an aperitif wine with finger foods such as vegetable flans and savoury pastries, as well as the perfect partner to baked first courses. Rachel Zammit Cutajar takes a look at a restaurant and brings a recipe, wine and delicacy of the week. Write to us with your comments on restaurants or submit your own recipes to rzammitcutajar@mediatoday.com.mt OH Valletta, what a beauty to behold! This little gem we proudly call our capital city just got ten times better thanks to the dedi- cated meat lovers at Meat Gang smoke- house, quietly tucked away in South Street. I made my way to Valletta to meet Christian Cardona, head chef at Meat Gang, to sample a couple of their mouth watering dishes, and boy was I in for a treat! We started off with one of the best chicken burgers I have ever eaten. A 24-hour buttermilk marinated chicken thigh burger, smothered in a coating of flour, lemon pepper, garlic and onion to create a crispy fried crust and served in a brioche bun with a cheese, carrot and onion slaw. I'm not generally a big fan of thigh burg- ers but this was absolutely sensational. The sweetness of the brioche bun com- plemented the tender spicy chicken per- fectly. After this, I was eager to try out what else chefs Christian and Robert had prepared for me. The beef brisket bun with 150g of tender beef, resulting from 48 hours of brining, was so tasty, with the onion gravy and cheese complet- ing this bun. My colleague and I then moved on to the Scotch egg that can be ordered as a side at Meat Gang. The spicy blend of meat was the perfect vehicle for the soft-boiled egg on the inside. As I cut it in half the egg yolk came oozing out, and who doesn't love a runny egg yolk? Up next was one of Meat Gang's belov- ed best sellers, the Phat Pig, a burger very aptly named. Picture this: layers of pulled pork, a juicy patty, and home cured ba- con. It can be argued that this bacon is the best tasting bacon on the island; cured for six days and air-dried for seven weeks. Meat Gang's Texan roots shine through in this burger, as potent chilli and fennel hints are savoured in every bite. The pulled pork bun followed, with an infusion of cheese, chilli and vinegar slaw, offering a musky yet refreshing fla- vour, a real treat for your palate. Redeemer, the ever so friendly and helpful member of staff, then brought out the Meat Gang platter, a real carni- vore's heaven on a plate, consisting of two smoked sausag- es, fried and smoked chicken wings with glistening sauce, smoked brisket and pulled pork, served with the house bar- becue sauce. Luck- ily, the sides of the day were pulled meat and cheese croquettes, crunchy on the outside and flavoursome tender meat on the inside. The smokiness of the sausage and chicken really came through, with the fried chicken hitting all the right spots once again. At Meat Gang in South Street, Val- letta, everything is made with pure and utter dedication and passion, with all the dishes exuding a deep flavour. Therefore, it goes without saying that I profoundly recommend this joint to anyone (well, except for vegetarians of course) looking to enjoy a quick lunch and devour a fla- voursome meaty dish. MEAT GANG SOUTH STREET VALLETTA TEL: 21222002 FACEBOOK: MEATGANG Resto of the week WINE OF THE WEEK In search of that smokey flavour PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD In the US some of the best meats sold at restaurants are smoked. In Malta this is not a form of cooking we tend to find, until now. Meat Gang in Valletta is bringing slow smoked meats to the island and FRAN FARRUGIA approves!