What makes Texas BBQ so special???

It's not a slam on Texas BBQ, I've not had it yet, I will when I go visit in-laws, but I always hear that Texas BBQ is THE best BBQ on Earth...

So, is there something unique about the prep techniques as opposed to Memphis or Carolina BBQ?

Texas barbeque is beef brisket. Not pork. Just slow smoked for hours. Served sliced, not pulled or chopped, it melts in your mouth. No sauce necessary.

Where are you headed?

My brother-in-law lives near Rockwall, but no definite date is set, I just know we'll be down there eventually.

Honestly, it's east Texas, I'm more interested in trying the Hot Links I heard about.

The center of Hot Links territory is Elgin.

I have eaten BBQ across this great land -- a lot. I will seek out BBQ wherever I travel, even if it is not necessarily "known" in that area. Such discoveries have included the famed Dinosaur BBQ in, of all places, Syracuse, NY.

I have eaten BBQ in Memphis, North Carolina, Georgia, New York, Texas, and many more places....and the best, overall, in broadly general terms, that I have found is Texas BBQ. They are known for beef brisket, but there are places that specialize in ribs, too.

It's one of those things that you will discover when you hit TX. It will seem like walking into the light. There will be a nice warmth that comes over you when you dip into your first bite of TX BBQ. All kidding aside, you will likely think "ohhh...this is what they were talking about!"

Steve

I'm partial, being a native Texan, and I'd expect anyone who grew up in the south, KC, or wherever to be partial to their native BBQ. What I love about Texas BBQ is that the best stuff is truly slow, slow cooked. I'm not really up on what's available in East Texas-- my old stomping grounds were between Houston and Austin, where there are several small towns with a German and Czech tradition of fine meats. BBQ joints in these places usually started as adjuncts to grocery stores or meat markets, where they tossed in the meat that they'd otherwise throw out and let it cook for a day or two, until it's cooked so tender you can it eat it teeth-optional. While I love places in Elgin and Lockhart, the classic place for me is City Market in Luling (which has a good branch in Houston as well).

quote:

Originally posted by fdoosey

My brother-in-law lives near Rockwall, but no definite date is set, I just know we'll be down there eventually.

Honestly, it's east Texas, I'm more interested in trying the Hot Links I heard about.

You're probably referring to the Pittsburg or sometimes called the East Texas hot link. While I don't carry them you can find them in Greenville, which is not too far to the east of Rockwall. Look for the BBQ joint across from the Sheriff's department just south of downtown.

Well..I don't think it IS that special. Just sayin'. It can be done well, it can be done poorly, it can be done with care or with indifference. Face it, people, good quality raw materials can be had anywhere in the country, and there's been so much evangelizing that it's not like there are major secrets specific to a region, ya know? I'm unwilling to believe that everyone in the state of Texas making something they call barbecue is as scrupulous, attentive to detail and spare-no-expense as would be required to produce truly amazing results. Some people are doing that, and others are cutting corners, and so some of it's great and some of it isn't...just like pizza in New York, ya know?

(btw, I had a fabulous pulled pork sandwich for lunch today...in Massachusetts, so there )

quote:

Originally posted by lbb

Well..I don't think it IS that special. Just sayin'. It can be done well, it can be done poorly, it can be done with care or with indifference. Face it, people, good quality raw materials can be had anywhere in the country, and there's been so much evangelizing that it's not like there are major secrets specific to a region, ya know? I'm unwilling to believe that everyone in the state of Texas making something they call barbecue is as scrupulous, attentive to detail and spare-no-expense as would be required to produce truly amazing results. Some people are doing that, and others are cutting corners, and so some of it's great and some of it isn't...just like pizza in New York, ya know?

(btw, I had a fabulous pulled pork sandwich for lunch today...in Massachusetts, so there )

A good point, my friend. Welcome to RF.

quote:

Originally posted by lbb

I'm unwilling to believe that everyone in the state of Texas making something they call barbecue is as scrupulous, attentive to detail and spare-no-expense as would be required to produce truly amazing results. Some people are doing that, and others are cutting corners, and so some of it's great and some of it isn't...just like pizza in New York, ya know?

(btw, I had a fabulous pulled pork sandwich for lunch today...in Massachusetts, so there )

Actually, the point is that there are rules and there exceptions to these rules. For most people, their first bite of authentic New York pizza would likely be better than what they had eaten previously. A discerning New Yorker can identify good pizza and bad pizza -- and, there are surely arguments among New Yorkers as to what is good and what is not -- but, to someone who has had nothing but Dominos and Pizza Hut their whole lives, grabbing a slice and a coke near Times Square would be a life affirming experience. Yes, there is good pizza outside NY - it is just harder to find. Yes, there is good BBQ outside of TX - it is just harder to find. This is true for other regional specialties, as well. The fact that you say that you ate a great BBQ sandwich, and were particular about it being in MA, only affirms this -- the notion that one would not expect to find great BBQ in Mass.

I stand by my original claim, and while TX BBQ may not be perfect - or every place have the highest quality product -- accross the board, I find TX BBQ to be better than other regional varieties of BBQ.

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by Slick

quote:

Originally posted by fdoosey

My brother-in-law lives near Rockwall, but no definite date is set, I just know we'll be down there eventually.

Honestly, it's east Texas, I'm more interested in trying the Hot Links I heard about.

You're probably referring to the Pittsburg or sometimes called the East Texas hot link. While I don't carry them you can find them in Greenville, which is not too far to the east of Rockwall. Look for the BBQ joint across from the Sheriff's department just south of downtown.

Slick is right. If you want east TX hotlinks, Pittsburg is the center.

If you want to experience central TX BBQ, you'll be close enough to Taylor, Elgin, and Lockhart.

To address your original question, the reason that the bbq is wonderful around here is solely due to the pitmasters. Slow-smoking with oak wood is the method around these parts, and it's an art. There are some true talents, and there are MANY "wannabees". The great pitmasters here are revered above anyone except football coaches and Willie Nelson.

Why the central TX Hill Country has the best bbq is a real mystery. One would think that any person wanting to smoke a brisket would be able to, but ALL the best places in Texas are within a 100 mile radius of Austin. Go figure.

BTW, the best looking women in the world are in El Paso. The second best are in Austin. Don't know why, just a fact.

I personally prefer Hickory-smoked meat, so my favorite bbq is in KC. (Don't tell anyone that I'm a traitor.)

Bushies comment on Pitmasters is true--good que takes time and patience----and smoke of course!...and if there's one thing living there will teach you--its patience! Its true---theres miles and miles of Texas thats mostly empty! Theres alot folks down there in Baja Oklahoma with more time on their hands then things to do so they just just make wonderful pitmaster gene pools! ....and btw...the brisket is really good...but the CABRITO is even better! Oh---and he's wrong about the women too---the BEST looking women in the world come from Italy!

I always thought the best looking women were in Lewisville, Tx., that is, if you don't count Hollywood. Of course, those are all imported. It's like saying the best cheese is in a great cheese shop.

Barbecue in TX and barbecue in NC or Memphis are entirely different things. The only exception are pork ribs which are produced in TX and Memphis, but not NC. Beef vs pork, apples vs oranges... The only similarities are the real things are cooked with wood coals, not gas or electricity and both are called barbecue.

quote:

Actually, the point is that there are rules and there exceptions to these rules. For most people, their first bite of authentic New York pizza would likely be better than what they had eaten previously. A discerning New Yorker can identify good pizza and bad pizza -- and, there are surely arguments among New Yorkers as to what is good and what is not -- but, to someone who has had nothing but Dominos and Pizza Hut their whole lives, grabbing a slice and a coke near Times Square would be a life affirming experience. Yes, there is good pizza outside NY - it is just harder to find. Yes, there is good BBQ outside of TX - it is just harder to find.

Steve, I agree with you up to a point, and that point is where Texas gets to own the definition of BBQ or New York gets to own the definition of pizza. Someone from Memphis would disagree with the former, someone from Chicago would disagree with the latter. As a friend of mine remarked once in a what-is-good-pizza religious war on another forum, good pizza is largely defined by what you knew and loved as a kid...and while you can get some mileage with historical who-was-there-first arguments, they don't have any bearing over what is good food in the here and now.

Also, consider that owning the definition of [insert food type] or being known as the homeland of [insert food type] isn't always a good thing. Consider bagels. You know what they say, you can't get 'em like they make 'em in New York? Guess what, it's gotten hard to find a good bagel like they used to be in New York anymore. Go figure!

Jim in NC....exactly. You hit the nail on the head.

Having eaten a lot of brisket outside of TX, I was really looking forward to eating it while in TX. However I was disappointed. The brisket in TX didn't taste any different or any better than all the brisket I had on the east coast.

pork is better.

I always thought of barbeque in Texas as a verb and barbeque in the Carolinas, etc., as a noun.

On Saturday, had the good fortune to try Kreuz, Smitty's, and Blacks 1-2-3 in the afternoon. Only regret was that I didn't get a chance to try the Prime Rib at Kreuz. Hey, I only got 1 colon...

Needless to say, we don't have barbecue like that in Houston. The hot links at all 3 were stunning. Closest thing in H-town is Luling or Houston Barbecue way out on Eldridge. Think here the wood of choice is mesquite. Interesting that it's oak in central texas...

The thing to remember about Texas barbecue is that it's NOT a monolithic thing. Texas barbecue is not solely beef brisket. It's pork in East Texas, smoked sausage and, yes, brisket, in the German and Czech meat markets below Austin, lamb ribs in Gonzales, barbacoa (cow head) among Hispanic peoples--in short, like barbecue in a lot of other places, it varies by region and by ethnic background. For a detailed portrait of Texas barbecue culture, read Robb Walsh's excellent book, Legends of Texas Barbecue.

Fred Sauceman
Johnson City, Tennessee

What makes Texas BBQ so special?

Diversity.

Texas barbecue isn't defined by a single animal. One can go to barbecue joints in Texas and get pig, cow, lamb (and sheep), chicken, turkey, goat, quail, shrimp, trout, deer, etc.



Texas barbecue isn't defined by a single cut of meat. Legs, ribs, shoulders, briskets, heads...you name it, we smoke it.



Texas barbecue isn't defined by a single choice of wood. Oak, mesquite, hickory, pecan are used in different regions. (Gas and charcoal have no place in the best joints.)



Texas barbecue isn't defined by a single style of pit. We've got jury-rigged oil barrels, metal boxes, brick chutes, and sometimes just a hole in the ground.



Texas barbecue isn't defined by a single type of heat. Some places use indirect heat entirely. Others use direct heat entirely. Others use a combination.



Texas barbecue isn't defined by a single culinary tradition. It grows out of the diverse styles of its immigrants--Germans, Czechs, black freemen and slaves, frontier cowboys and speculators, Mexicans.



Texas barbecue is also special because, at its best, it is spectacular eating.

Scott

Scott -- That Prime Rib is absolutely stunning. I assume it's Kreuz.

Great post. I wish you would visit more often.

We smoke prime rib all the time, but don't call it BBQ.

quote:

Originally posted by lbb
(btw, I had a fabulous pulled pork sandwich for lunch today...in Massachusetts, so there )

Blue Ribbon?

"but I always hear that Texas BBQ is THE best BBQ on Earth..."

It ain't. Brisket that would be put to better use as corned beef at Manny's and Oscar Meyer type smoked sausage. Big deal.

I got sick as a dog at a place in Kerrville that was touted as the best in Texas, Big Earl's.

One thing I learned about Texians is that they think everything from Texas is the best; even their apples, potatos and wine.

Fact is that in almost 2 weeks in Texas I didn't have a single first-rate meal: not in Dallas, San Antonio, Victoria, Kerrville, Port Isabel or Brownsville. And I ate in lots of BBQ and Tex-Mex places. I had to wait until I was back to Memphis for good BBQ and home to Chicago for good Mexican.

The best BBQ IMO is that with roots in the lower Mississippi valley, from Cape Girardeau on south. My opinion ya understand.

quote:

Originally posted by westsidetommy


One thing I learned about Texians is that they think everything from Texas is the best; even their apples, potatos and wine.

Fact is that in almost 2 weeks in Texas I didn't have a single first-rate meal: not in Dallas, San Antonio, Victoria, Kerrville, Port Isabel or Brownsville. And I ate in lots of BBQ and Tex-Mex places. I had to wait until I was back to Memphis for good BBQ and home to Chicago for good Mexican.

The best BBQ IMO is that with roots in the lower Mississippi valley, from Cape Girardeau on south. My opinion ya understand.

So long as you don't think the best BBQ you can find is at Famous Dave's, you'll probably be OK. It is a personal preference, for sure, but as someone who has had 'que in a number of this country's greatest locales for such, my humble opinion is that TX style (overall -- and yes, in a broad generalization), if there is such a thing, is the best.

I assure you -- I am about the furthest thing from a Texan -- a bona fide New Yorker -- who happens to think that all things great come from MY home state. However, I do get to travel quite a bit and have found that the more you travel, the more objective you become. I generally do not lament not being able to find a good bagel where I live -- I just wait until I get to NY and buy some to brijng home and freeze -- and in the mean time, either do without, or enjoy something that I can get in Florida and nowhere else. There are some things about NY food that I do miss, but I have developed an appreciation for other regional specialties, as well. The problem is - most NYers don't travel beyond a five hour driving radius of home too often, so they never really get to appreciate how the other half lives. Same is true for Texans.

That said, if you haven't had a good meal anywhere in TX for two weeks, you either aren't trying very hard or have a pallette too far gone for help around these boards. I am going to a friend's wedding in Fort Worth this summer, and I have yet to book my flight because I am trying to figure out how many extra meals I want to get in Texas while I am there.

Steve

Hi there. I have just returned from a short trip to the Dallas area, and I tried Angelo's in Ft. Worth for the first time. It was superior to all other bbq in the Dallas area. I just ordered the meats by the pound, and didn't have the full plate, as I don't care for their sides. The brisket was flavorful and moist, and the ribs were out of this world.

My other faves in Dallas are Holy Smokes, and Bone Daddy's. The original Sonny Bryan's is still ok, though the other local outlets pale by comparison.

A note to Westside Tommy- Texas has some incredible barbeque, especially down in Lockhart and Taylor. Too bad you missed them both.

We here in NY are still deprived of great bbq. Paul Kirk has just opened a place here in NY called RUB (Righteous, Urban, Barbeque.) Hopefully I will get there on Sunday night. We New Yorkers can hope, can't we?

Nadine

My nieghbor---originally from Dallas---was sitting here as were read this and said---"What makes Texas barbeque so good????---because its cooked by TEXANS, you eat it with Texans and your IN Texas when you do!!!!!!!!" Of course--he MAY be just a bit predjudicial on this topic.

I'll be back in the San Antonio area for a week this summer. Lat year I went to the Salt Lick in Driftwood (about a hour or so north of San Antonio; maybe 40 to 45 minutes west of Austin) for the first time. I saw it on the FoodNetwork. It was very large but very good. It was worth seeking out.

The 'que is all-you-can-eat family style. Lots of brisket, ribs and links. The one surprise was the mustard based sauce, as opposed to the ubiquitous tomato based sauces. It was very good with just the right blend of sweet and tangy bite.

For a small chain in San Antonio, Tom's Ribs is very good.

The one thing about Texas 'que which, to my taste, is not up to par with some of the other 'que capitals, is the side dishes. In Texas, many places will serve cumin spiced beans. I prefer more traditional baked beans, with some of the 'que drippings baked in. Also, the mac and cheese found in many places in the deep south is more to my liking as a side dish along with the bar-be-que.

But, I'll take the Texas bar-be-que meats, and live with the sides that come along.

Texas pitmasters and good beef.

A few of you are getting warmer on the reasons for the superiority of Texas BBQ, but you're not quite there yet. First, everyone is concentrating on commercial establishments. OK, but the best is done by hand, slowly, and in the backyard of an experienced cook. Yes, the best pitmasters, never open restaurants....you just have to be lucky enough to know one (and be invited). They cook in competitions, for local charities, for...fun!
Second, it's more than technique or raw materials...it's enculturation. Only in Texas do high school metal shop students make smokers for their semester projects in such great numbers! In my hometown, there are as many great BEEF bbq stands on the landscape as there are taquilleras. And that's in NORTH Texas! I'm not against pork, it's just that beef has more character.