Comments on BarBQue

To Quote from the Texas Monthly, May 1997

Technically speaking, barbecuing is the simple process of cooking meat using the heat and smoke of wood coals. But the many variables involved invite endless dispute and contention, especially here in Texas, where the only thing agreed upon is that what passes for barbecue in Kansas City (see "Gone to Kansas City," page 93), Memphis, North Carolina, or anywhere else is inferior to our own well-smoked delicacies. Time and temperature are hotly debated. When it comes to beef brisket, preferred times run from 6 to 24 hours (one smoke-crazed zealot thinks 72 hours is about right), and temperatures range from 250 to 450 degrees. The choice of wood turns friends and family against one another. An old-school pitmaster utilizes whatever slow-burning, sweet-smelling wood is available locally, such as hickory in the eastern part of the state and pecan and oak in the central environs. In West Texas mesquite is often the wood of choice, although it burns hot and can leave a strong oily aftertaste, causing many pit bosses to import hickory despite the expense.

Texas Monthly: Smokin'!

BarBQ is a topic that is treaded with the same interest as religion.

Being from Texas, I believe that the only real BarBQ is from Texas.

• Texas BarBQ is smoked for hours. The BBQ sauce is definitely secondary and may not really be necessary
• A BarBQ place must have Beef Brisket, Ribs, and Sausage. Usually the ribs are pork ribs. Beef ribs are much harder to cook, requires at least 12 hours of smoking.
• BarBQ must be served with Pinto Beans, Potatoe Salad, Cole Slaw, white bread, and fresh Brewed Ice tea and/or beer.

If a restaurant does not service these key ingredients, it may be food but it is not BarBQ. If it adds to these, it needs to be careful.

Special restaurants like the County Line Restaurant chain starts with the basics and adds the beef ribs that virtually no other places add. It is also upsacale with fresh loaves of hot bread, chicken, etc. But it still has the basics. Oh yeh, Upscale is a huge plate of Beef Ribs for about $12.00.

Some of the best or most unique are the County Line (various places) and places in Elgin, Pearsall, and every other small town. Places like the one in Elgin, Tx service the meat on butcher paper. Not upscale but very good.

East of Texas, one can get food that is boiled and might be charred but usually is not smoked. This is southern BBQ. It is usually just Pulled-pork and ribs. Do not be deceived. There is no similarity between real BarBQ and Southern BBQ. One has flavor and the other tastes like sauce.

Kansas City is somehwere in between. The BarBQ is smoked but it has sauce that tastes mostly like celery.