How Houston’s Frenchtown gave rise to the ‘Barbecue Ward’
How Houston’s Frenchtown gave rise to the ‘Barbecue Ward’. Driving through Fifth Ward — the area northeast of downtown that’s known by its residents as “The Nickel” — you can’t avoid the railroad tracks. Today, the Union Pacific tracks slash diagonally though the neighborhood exactly as they did in the 1862, when they were laid […]
Cornbread’s connection to barbecue
Cornbread’s connection to barbecue. On a recent visit to the Memorial-area location of The Brisket House, I found an unusual item on the menu: cornbread. Cornbread is surprisingly hard to find on Texas barbecue-joint menus. For anyone who grew up in Texas or the southern U.S., cornbread was a constant presence on the family dining […]
In Houston barbecue, there’s more than one way to make fried pork ribs
In Houston barbecue, there’s more than one way to make fried pork ribs. Fried pork chops are a staple of Southern cuisine and soul food. At its most basic, a rib cut (bone-in) pork chop is seasoned, dredged in all-purpose flour and deep fried until crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. There […]
How the two-meat plate became the workhorse of Texas barbecue
Ask any Texas barbecue joint owner what their most popular menu item is and they will probably say the two-meat plate. Those big, Instagram-friendly trays piled high with every type of smoked meat may get all the publicity, but a modest plate with two meats, two sides, pickles, onions and a slice of white bread […]
When it comes to cuts of beef in barbecue, there are winners and losers
Over the past two years, Texas barbecue joints have continued to evolve and innovate in response to changing market conditions. For example, pitmasters have experimented with different cuts of beef to supplement the old standbys of Texas barbecue: brisket and beef ribs. Texas barbecue is still very much a meritocracy, and consumers have voted with […]
How ‘low and slow’ became the standard in cooking Texas barbecue
Texas barbecue has many unique characteristics, mainly related to how it is cooked — low and slow — and how it tastes (salty and smoky). Central Texas-style barbecue is further characterized by the method used to cook the meat low and slow. Specifically, it uses a technique in which the heat source is separated (“offset”) […]
Is it ‘barbecuing’ or is it ‘grilling’? The debate rages on
Barbecuing vs. grilling. This fall, many of us will host a traditional backyard barbecue for friends and family. Part of this ritual is for guests to circle around the coal-fired kettle grill, beer in hand, and act as armchair-quarterbacks providing advice to the host tasked with cooking the burgers, steaks and hot dogs. Inevitably, a […]
The king of custom cooking
You may never have set foot in Lenox Bar-B-Q on Harrisburg, but there’s a good chance you’ve eaten barbecue that was cooked there. That’s because Lenox is one of the few joints in Houston that has become known for a niche service in the barbecue business referred to as “custom cooking.” As the demand for […]
Texas barbecue is starting a new era. Here’s what the ‘fourth wave’ will bring.
A new era of “fourth wave” barbecue. The barbecue joint of the future will look a lot like — and a lot different from — contemporary establishments. First and foremost, the soul and foundation of Texas barbecue — the trinity of smoked brisket, pork ribs and sausage — will continue to be the focus of menus. And […]
Why more Texas barbecue joints are making their own sausage
Why more Texas barbecue joints are making their own sausage. One reason why barbecue is such a tough business is because the process of smoking meat can be wildly uneconomical. Take brisket, for example. A pitmaster receives a raw brisket that weighs 14 pounds. The brisket first needs to be trimmed of any extra fat […]
