destination: texas
October 3rd, 2009 - by Jen
ribs from Wright’s BBQ in Vidor, TX
Aaah, Texas. Known for ten gallon hats, texas longhorns, cowboys n’ cowgirls, bluebell, the Alamo and melt in your mouth Bar-b-que. Even in Utah restaurants boast that they serve Texas Bar-b-que but nothing beats the orginal. Texas has four types of BBQ, one for each quadrant of the state. There’s East Texas, an “extension of traditional southern BBQ” where they slow smoke pork over hickory wood and pair it with a thick and sweet tomato based sauce. Central Texas where beef brisket is smoking over native oak and pecan woods, and served sans sauce but alongside saltines, pickles, and onions. Lockhart, the BBQ capital of Texas, is found in this region. West Texas is where they do “cowboy style” BBQ; beef, goat, and mutton smoked over mesquite wood. The last region is Southern Texas and I’m sure you can guess what style they herald, side by side to the Mexican border. Barbacoa reigns king here along with true Tex-Mex cuisine.
Craving some authentic Texan Bar-b-que now? You can order genuine Texas bar-b-que to enjoy west of the Rockies thanks to Fed Ex. Here are a few websites and lists of various places that ship Texas BBQ all over the country from deep in the heart of Texas.
David Rosengarten’s list of favorite mail order bbq
Want to try Texas BBQ in its native climate? You can venture the Texas bbq trail visiting restaurants that serve nothing but “the best slow smoked over wood coals BBQ in the state”. Be sure to ask if they vacuum pack your favorite smoked meats, most BBQ places will do so if you call in advance so you can bring a little bit of Texas home to Utah.
