Barbecue in Texas facts for kids
Texas barbecue is a special way of cooking barbecue that is unique to Texan cuisine. Popular dishes include beef brisket, pork ribs, and sausage. The term "Texas barbecue" also includes the tasty side dishes that are often served with these smoked meats.
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A Taste of History
People in North America, including Native Americans, were slow-cooking meat long before Europeans arrived in the 1500s. Later, in the mid-1800s, settlers from Germany and the Czech Republic brought their own meat-smoking traditions to Central Texas.
Before refrigerators were common, butchers would smoke any meat they hadn't sold. This helped the meat last longer without spoiling. As these smoked meats became popular, many meat markets started to specialize in them.
Did you know that Southside Market & Barbeque, which opened in 1886, is the oldest barbecue restaurant still operating in Texas?
In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson hosted a special barbecue dinner for the president-elect of Mexico. This was the first barbecue state dinner in U.S. history!
More recently, in 2019, pulled pork barbecue, which started in other places, became very popular in Texas too.
Four Flavors of Texas Barbecue
Texas barbecue has different traditions depending on where you are in the state. There are four main styles: East Texas, Central Texas, South Texas, and West Texas. The Central and East Texas styles are the most famous.
Here's how the different kinds of Texas barbecue are usually made:
East Texas Style: Saucy and Slow
In East Texas, the meat is cooked very slowly until it's super tender, almost "falling off the bone." It's often cooked over hickory wood. This style usually features a sweet, tomato-based sauce that the meat is marinated in. East Texas barbecue is often chopped instead of sliced and served on a bun.
Historically, African American communities in East Texas developed unique barbecue traditions. These traditions often involved heavily smoked meats and flavorful sauces. Over time, these styles became very popular. In the early 1900s, some African American restaurant owners faced challenges with new food safety rules. However, they found ways to continue serving delicious barbecue, often using new cooking methods like cinder block pits.
Central Texas Style: All About the Meat
Central Texas barbecue is known for its simple approach. The meat is usually rubbed with just salt and black pepper. Then, it's cooked over indirect heat from woods like pecan, post oak, or mesquite. Many people in Central Texas believe the meat is so good that sauce isn't needed. If sauce is offered, it's usually on the side for dipping.
This style began in the 1800s in towns like Lockhart, Luling, and Taylor. European immigrants who owned meat markets started selling cooked meats wrapped in red butcher paper. This tradition is still alive today!
At a typical Central Texas barbecue restaurant, you might grab a tray and choose your meat, which is carved by a butcher. You pay by weight. Side dishes like white bread, pickle chips, sliced onion, jalapeño, and corn bread are also available. The main focus is always on the amazing flavor of the perfectly cooked meat.
The sauces in Central Texas are often thinner and less sweet compared to styles from other places like Kansas City or Memphis. This is because the flavor of the meat itself is the star! There's even a "Texas Barbecue Trail" east of Austin, connecting famous barbecue towns like Elgin, Lockhart, Luling, and Taylor.
West Texas Style: Cowboy Grilling
West Texas barbecue is sometimes called "cowboy style." It uses a more direct heat method, similar to grilling. The meat is cooked right over a fire, often using mesquite wood. This gives the meat a distinct, smoky flavor that's different from other styles.
South Texas Style: Moist and Flavorful
In South Texas, the meat is often marinated in thick, molasses-like sauces. These sauces help keep the meat super moist and flavorful after it's cooked.
Barbacoa: A Special Tradition
Another special style in South Texas, especially near the Mexico–United States border, is called barbacoa. This is a traditional Mexican way of cooking barbecue. It often uses goat, lamb, or sheep meat, but beef is also common.
In its most traditional form, barbacoa is made in a hole dug in the ground. The meat is wrapped in maguey (a type of Agave americana) leaves and cooked over hot coals for many hours. The tender meat is then pulled apart, often to make delicious barbacoa tacos. Today, barbacoa is often cooked in an oven using a special water bath.
See also
Images for kids
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A plate of brisket, BBQ ribs, pulled pork, South Texas beans and pickled jalapeños from Pinkerton's BBQ in San Antonio.
