Flavour Report with Derek Goforth: Trip to the Burnt Barrel in Nanson won’t leave you disappointed

School holidays are special events for all of us but for teachers it’s even more of a reason to slow down, take stock and treat ourselves. What better way for a couple of hardworking, meat-loving teachers to treat themselves than a trip to the Mid West’s premier barbecue and smoking joint, the Burnt Barrel in Nanson? For the uninitiated, the Burnt Barrel is about 30 minutes east of Geraldton, with a half-hour drive taking you through some of the region’s best views and countryside. After arriving and taking a few moments to breathe in the fantastic wood smoked aroma from the restaurant’s own smokehouse, you are greeted by ample parking and bubbly and very knowledgeable wait and bar staff. Since we visited many years ago, the Burnt Barrel have vastly expanded their menu, which now includes wood fired pizzas, salads and an extensive range of desserts. However, what people continue to rave non-stop about is the selection of classic and interesting takes on smoked pork, beef, and chicken. So, not wanting to miss out on anything, we opted for a meat combo, ribs combo and some jalapeno poppers. The whole meal came to just over $100, including a couple of drinks. For what are essentially three dishes, this looks on the surface to be an expensive meal, but we patiently waited for the food to arrive to see if the quality and portion sizes warranted the price tag. I will not leave you in suspense — the meal was worth every single cent. It’s difficult to pick one or even two highlights; everything was just so good. The meat combo included burnt beef ends, southern fried chicken, pulled pork with a generous portion of fries and homemade pickles. The burnt ends were certainly my favourite. As an amateur smoker myself, I know just how hard they are to pull off. The Barrel nailed them, and the sauce was simply delicious. The chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender and the coating was as good as I have had anywhere in the world. Likewise, the ribs combo came laden with different meaty options. The ribs were smoked all the way to the bone, and the extra burnt ends were just as good as the ones on the other plate. For me, it was the extra little touches that sent the dish to the next level. The pickles were phenomenal, just the right counterpoint for the meat and went perfectly with the rich sauce. The fries were also a nice treat and the chipotle sauce on the table was great to dip into. It’s not just the food that makes the visit so special. Adam Westbrook was a nice touch playing music in the background, a very talented young man with just the right level to his music. The whole atmosphere around the place is quite special, the smoky smells, the view and the staff make the experience very memorable indeed. But it is the food that we went for and the jalapeno poppers did exactly what we wanted: blew our socks off. The crispy coating combined with the creaminess of the cheese and the heat of the pepper was just perfection. We would absolutely recommend Burnt Barrel. You are going to pay more than you would in town at one of our chain outlets, but just because something is expensive doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying. You simply get what you pay for, which is a great meal, cooked with fresh, high-quality ingredients by people who clearly know what they are doing. For a special occasion, it doesn’t get much more special than this smoky gem in our own Mid West.