4 Styles of Texas Barbecue

Any BBQ pitmaster will tell you that there isn't one single style of Texas barbecue. Texans from all over the state have their own distinctive preferences, which is why a barbecue joint or smokehouse might serve something very different from a BBQ stand. As a general rule, there are four main styles of Texas barbecue:

Central Texas barbecue

The meat is smoked for many hours at low temperatures, typically over mesquite, pecan, or oak wood. The meat rarely comes on sandwiches—it's usually presented on a plate or on a piece of butcher paper—although white bread may be served as a side dish.

East Texas barbecue

Like Central Texas BBQ, East Texas BBQ involves slow smoking via indirect heat. However, East Texas BBQ is known for its "falling off the bone" quality, which means very long cooking times, almost always over hickory wood, which grows readily in the state. It tends to come marinated in a sweet tomato-based sauce. Beef and Lamb are equally popular in East Texas—which is not a Texas original but has taken hold in the state.

South Texas barbecue

This style features a sweet sauce, but unlike the tomato-based sauce of East Texas, it favors a molasses-based barbecue sauce that locks in moisture from the meat. South Texas barbecue is heavily intertwined with Mexican cuisine, and it is regionally known as barbacoa. It often features cuts of meat such as tongue and cow's head.

West Texas barbecue

Unlike other varieties of Texas barbecue, the West Texas style is traditionally cooked over the direct heat of an open flame. This makes it most like traditional grilling as opposed to smoking. West Texas barbecue is specifically associated with mesquite wood, as mesquite is one of the few tree species that thrive in the arid West Texas climate.

Common Texas Barbecue Side Dishes?

The Texas barbecue experience goes beyond grilled and smoked meats. Nearly all of the best BBQ joints in the state offer a wide array of side dishes to complete the meal, which include:

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• White bread
• Coleslaw
• Pickles
• Jalapeños
• Potato salad
• Cornbread
• Sliced onion

These dishes complement the smoky flavors of beef ribs and brisket, lamb, sausage, and chicken. Together—with perhaps a cold lemonade and a little live music in the background—they comprise the full Lone Star BBQ experience.