Texas smoked brisket facts for kids
Texas smoked brisket is a super popular American dish. It's made from a cut of beef called brisket and is especially famous in Texas. People often call it barbecue brisket too!
Contents
History of Texas Brisket
How Brisket Came to Texas
In the late 1800s, many families moved to Texas from other parts of the world. These included Ashkenazi Jews, Czechs, and Germans. They brought their favorite foods with them, and one of those was brisket.
Brisket was a very important food in Jewish culture and cooking for a long time, even since the 1700s. It was a good choice because it was affordable. Also, it fit with their special food rules, called dietary laws. When these families arrived in Texas, they found it much easier to get beef. Texas had lots of cattle, so brisket became even more popular!
Early Smoked Brisket in the U.S.
Jewish immigrants were the first to smoke brisket in the United States. By the early 1900s, you could find smoked brisket on menus at Jewish delis (special food shops) all over Texas.
The first time smoked brisket was mentioned in newspapers was in 1910. Ads for places like Watson's Grocery in El Paso and Naud Burnett grocery store in Greenville showed they sold smoked brisket. They sold it at their deli counters, along with other foods like smoked fish salad. In 1916, Alex and Moise Weil also advertised smoked brisket at their grocery store in Corpus Christi.
Brisket Becomes a Texas BBQ Star
In the late 1950s, a restaurant called Black's BBQ in Lockhart started serving smoked brisket. They were one of the first barbecue restaurants outside the Jewish community to focus on it.
It wasn't until the 1960s that most barbecue restaurants in Texas started adding brisket to their menus. Today, smoked brisket is one of the most loved dishes you can find at barbecue places all across Texas!
Serving Texas Smoked Brisket
Smoked brisket is usually served with pickles and onions. Sometimes, people also eat it with Texas toast, which is thick, buttery bread.
