During the 19th century in what is now known as Texas, German and other European immigrants settling in the area smoked their meat. This preservation method prompted meat markets to follow suit, paving the way to the first barbecue restaurants. Barbecue in the Lone Star State is unlike any other in the world, with the east, west, central, and southern portions of Texas featuring their own take on the favorite comfort food. Learn what makes Texas barbecue so different before biting into your next mouthful of savory meat.

Why Is Texas Barbecue So Different?

Preparation Style

How barbecue gets prepared in Texas depends on where you are; however, it typically includes direct grilling instead of indirect smoking. Central Texas barbecue is perhaps the best-known and requires rubbing the meat with salt and pepper before cooking it over a wood fire. Some establishments use other spices, and the type of wood can vary, such as pecan or oak. In West Texas, the meat is cooked over mesquite wood fires, while meats in the Eastern portion of the state undergo slow cooking. The meat practically slides off the bone in Eastern Texas restaurants, many of which use sweet tomato sauce for marination.

Southern Texas barbecue is all moisture retention with thick sauces and preparing the meat either over an open fire or a dug pit covered with maguey leaves. This is known as the barbacoa style, and it has roots in the Caribbean.

The Sides

What your Texas barbecue comes with also makes dining in the Lone State State unique. Almost every plate of barbecue within its borders includes a side of brisket, the chest muscle portion of the cow that is either lean or fatty depending on where it is cut. Fatty brisket offers greater moisture and is the more popular of the two. Free sides at Texas barbecue restaurants typically include white bread, white onions, and pickles.
 

Savor the barbecue at Dickey’s Barbecue Pit in Amelia, OH, to experience the Texas difference. The third-generation restaurant and catering service offers authentic Lone Star barbecue and caters events of any size. Call (513) 802-2700 today to place an order or review the catering menu online for your next big event. Like the establishment on Facebook for the latest deals and contests.