SUBANG JAYA, Jan 11 — US graduate Ku Azharul Nizar bin Ku Abdul Rahman was looking for the American-style barbeque wings he enjoyed in Dallas, Texas after he returned from his studies.
“I couldn’t find good barbeque restaurants. People always assumed Korean barbeque when I tell them I miss good barbeque. Also, I didn’t like the sauces here — I preferred homemade sauces. The choices for sauces here are limited,” said Nizar.
The barbeque geek, as he calls himself, was working as a financial consultant for two years when he had an idea to start Cowboys Food Truck, a food truck that serves authentic American-style barbeque food.
His former college mate Christopher Tang was also interested and he had experience as a store manager for an F&B chain in Australia. Tang worked in the F&B line for five years while studying in Melbourne.
It also happened that Nizar’s former primary school mate Chong Rhu Jan enjoyed the barbeque that Nizar makes and wanted to be part of the start-up too. Nizar is in charge of the cooking while Tang is more of the operations guy. Chong currently still works full-time so she helps out with the marketing and promotion of Cowboys Food Truck through social media.
Cowboys Food Truck officially started operating on December 7, 2014 after months of preparation such as settling on a menu, procuring a truck, getting sufficient ingredients from the suppliers as well as other behind-the-scenes tasks. “I started with trying out different sauces, making them from scratch. We don’t use preservatives or bottled sauces. Everything is made in our kitchen fresh,” said Nizar.
Nizar came up with two types of wings, the Garlic Parmesan and Spicy BBQ. The Garlic Parmesan is aromatic and delicious with a crispy yet juicy texture. The garlic goes well with the Parmesan, complementing each other so it is not overly cheesy or garlicky. It is definitely something that you can keep eating without feeling that it’s too much.
The Spicy BBQ is more for those who like an extra kick in their wings. Nizar’s tolerance for spiciness is quite high so he doesn’t find it too spicy. Tang on the other hand does not eat spicy food so it is spicy for him.
The awesome thing about Cowboys Food Truck’s Spicy BBQ wings is that it is spicy but not to the point that all it does is burn your tongue and you can’t taste anything else. You can still taste the flavours of the marinade in the wings.
Nizar’s not-so-secret ingredient for his wings is buttermilk which makes it crunchier. One thing you can expect from Cowboys Food Truck is that they are generous with their ingredients, even though some of the ingredients are costly.
Another thing you can expect from Cowboys Food Truck is their dedication to details. Nizar and Tang usually take up to four hours to prep in the kitchen before going out with the truck. Their beef brisket takes seven hours to smoke. “I really want to get the perfect smoke ring,” said Nizar. According to Nizar, barbeque geeks always aspire to create the perfect smoke ring when they barbeque.
The pink discolouration of meat just under the surface crust is called a smoke ring. It is either a thin line of pink or a thicker layer. Nizar is so enthusiastic about smoke rings and barbeque that he bought a smoker from the US. “I’m trying to replicate the experience I had in Dallas. We even use woodchips when we do our barbeque,” said Nizar.
Another signature dish is the Chuck Norris platter which consists of sliced smoked beef brisket, crispy buttermilk fried chicken chop and Chuck Norris certified delish wings. The dish is of course a nod to Chuck Norris of Walker, Texas Ranger fame.
If you prefer something with more carbs, you can choose one of the Po’ Boy sandwiches: The Big Texan Brisket or The Hot Chic. Po’ Boy sandwiches actually means poor boy sandwiches where every ingredient available is put in the sandwich.
In the US, it was originally meant for the poor. Cowboys Food Truck source their homemade French loaf from a home bakery. If you want sides, you can order Mom’s Salad (which is actually made by Nizar’s mother) or seasoned fries.
Although Cowboys Food Truck is new to the scene, Nizar, Tang and Chong are really grateful for the support from other food trucks. “In Malaysia, we don’t have many food trucks but I was surprised that other food trucks are not competitive at all.
“They are very helpful, giving us tips when we started our business. We need more food trucks in Malaysia so that we can gain acceptance especially with the authorities.
“During our first week, we got our first fine for selling food at a parking lot! I think with more food trucks, we have a bigger voice to get permits and such. We’re glad to be part of the food truck community where everyone looks out for each other,” said Nizar.
Check out https://www.facebook.com/cowboysfoodtruck to find out their next location and opening times.
