Guest Author - Catherine Bridges
When visiting Northern and Central Texas, beef, and in particular, the beef brisket is the meat of choice for Texas barbecuing. This does not mean that Texans don’t enjoy barbecuing other meats - sausage, pork shoulder, ribs and turkey are other popular meats you might find at a Texan barbecue. In fact, in the central part of Texas, you will almost always find sliced brisket, sausages and pork ribs - these are often referred to as the “holy trinity” of a good Texan spread.
In the southern portions of the state, beef fajitas and even, goat are popular in the smoker. A main point to consider when learning about Texan barbecue, the contests here judge the meat - without the sauce or with the sauce served to the side. Texans are true believers in the purity of the cooked barbecue itself, that is, the meat, its colors, flavors and particularly, the smoky accents.
In Texas, barbecue cooking mostly refers to cooking over low heat for hours (sometimes as long as 18 - 24 hours) over smoke produced from such woods as mesquite, oak or even pecan. Cooking a meat over direct heat is considered “grilling” to a Texan and not barbecuing.
Most Texan barbecue sandwiches are slices of the slow-cooked brisket served up on an inexpensive, coarser white bread and topped with a spicy hot, tomato-based sauce or even just plain hot sauce. Tomato, corn syrup and vinegar are the most common bases and ingredients of a good Texan barbecue sauce. The most common side dishes for Texan barbecue sandwiches are potato salad, a mustard or vinegar-base coleslaw (rather than mayonnaise based), and/or spicy pinto beans (towards the southern portion of Texas). The best desserts (this is a direct Texan quote!) to accompany a barbecue plate is banana pudding or a fresh fruit cobbler topped with fresh, homemade ice cream.
In barbecuing as in most anything else - opinions, methods and preferences are a very personal thing, even which word and which spelling used! This is a wholehearted, genuine attempt at explaining some very basic barbecue differences. Enjoy!
