Recently, TastingTable.com tried to explain the 4 different styles of Texas BBQ, but I'm calling BS.

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Photo by Enrique Macias on Unsplash
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Being a born and bred Texan I'm genetically predisposed to love barbecue of all types, I'm looking at YOU Korean barbecue.

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I'm going to assume most people reading this are Texans as well, so I don't have to go into the long and storied history of barbecue in Texas, although I could.

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Photo by Emerson Vieira on Unsplash
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For a brief recap, Texas barbecue involves smoking meat, such as beef brisket, pork ribs, and sausage, over low heat for several hours using wood fires or smoke.

Photo by Israel Albornoz on Unsplash
Photo by Israel Albornoz on Unsplash
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The meat is then typically seasoned with a dry rub or marinade and served with sides such as coleslaw, potato salad, and baked beans.

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Photo by Daniel Lloyd Blunk-Fernández on Unsplash
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Texas barbecue also tends to have a heavy emphasis on beef, whereas other states have a stronger emphasis on pork

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Photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash
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But this isn't the story of Texas BBQ, it's a story about other people's judgment and whether they've judged correctly or not.

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Photo by Vivian Arcidiacono on Unsplash
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The website tastingtable.com attempted to explain the four regional styles of Texas BBQ, and I say "attempted" because I'm not sure they're entirely right.

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Photo by Alexandru-Bogdan Ghita on Unsplash
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I'll acknowledge that Texas has MANY regional and cultural differences throughout its vast land, but I'm not sure it's big enough to have completely different barbecue styles.

The BEST barbecue joints I've been to, in this great state, all service items listed in each of the regions they described.

Like I said before, I'm a big fan of cooked meats, so, either way, we all win.

But let me know if you agree with tastingtable.com or not.


1. CENTRAL TEXAS

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Photo by MJ Tangonan on Unsplash
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"Central Texas Style is all about slow-smoked brisket and sausage"

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Photo by Tiare Balbi on Unsplash
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I'm sorry but every good Texas BBQ restaurant should have amazing smoked brisket AND sausage. NO EXCEPTIONS. North, South, West, OR East.


2. EAST TEXAS

Photo by Roberta Guillen on Unsplash
Photo by Roberta Guillen on Unsplash
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"East Texas Style serves slow-cooked meats in sandwiches with numerous sides"

When they say "slow-cooked" meats they usually mean slow-cooked brisket, which is exactly the same thing they said about Central Texas BBQ.

Photo by Israel Albornoz on Unsplash
Photo by Israel Albornoz on Unsplash
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What's the point of making delicious slow-cooked brisket if you don't eventually put it on a sandwich?


3. SOUTH TEXAS

Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash
Photo by Jeswin Thomas on Unsplash
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"South Texas barbecue takes on Mexican influences"

Just because South Texas BORDERS Mexico doesn't mean they're adding jalapenos chips to their smoker.

If you want to call it Mexican-influenced just because you can cut up some meat and put it between a tortilla then sure, whatever, it's still BBQ b****.


4. WEST TEXAS

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Photo by J. Amill Santiago on Unsplash
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"West Texas barbecue cooks many various types of meat over an open flame"

Photo by Emerson Vieira on Unsplash
Photo by Emerson Vieira on Unsplash
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... I don't even know where to start with this description of regional food.

All barbecue that is good is cooked near or ON an open flame. Even if it's smoked, you needed a flame to light the wood chips.

What are they even talking about?! Steak?

Barbecue historically comes from outdoor cooking where, guess what, all they had was the fire.

I believe this entire exercise was just somebody trying to hit their daily word count and decided to come up with this b*** s***.

Let me know what you think nico@klaq.com

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