Barbecue, like love, is a many-splendored thing. And, like love, it manifests itself in many forms. Memphis barbecue is distinct from Carolina barbecue, which differs from the Kansas City style.
Nevertheless, barbecue is strictly a Southern phenomenon. There is no such thing as Boston-style barbecue, and if you order barbecue in a New England restaurant, you will likely be served Yankee pot roast smothered with a sauce made from a catsup base.
I've eaten barbecue all over the South, and it is all pretty good. However, Texas barbecue stands alone; when it's made right, Texas barbecue is the food of the gods.
What makes Texas barbecue unique from other regional varieties? What gives the Texas variety its almost mystical aura?
Texas barbecue is different because the Texans know what to do with beef, and by beef, I mean brisket. The Texans prepare brisket by cooking it with indirect heat and hardwood smoke at a low temperature for a long time--up to 12 hours. When brisket is cooked correctly, the end product is a moist, fat-infused meat with a thin, crispy crust.
Yes, you may be saying, but brisket can be prepared the Texas way anywhere on the planet. Theoretically, a Texas-style barbecue restaurant could operate in Greenland.
That may be true. But if the Texas barbecue style can be made anywhere, why can't we eat Texas barbecue in New England?
There are three reasons.
First, it's hard to get the right wood for smoking meat outside of Texas. The ideal wood for smoking barbecue is mesquite, which doesn't grow in the United States outside the Southwest. It could be imported, but what New Englander wants to spend money shipping mesquite chips to Boston?
Second, it's tough for a non-Texan to accept that a good brisket can take eight, ten, or even 12 hours to prepare.
Third, most non-Texans are under a delusion that barbecue requires a lot of sauce. And that's simply not true. Indeed, Texas purists insist that putting sauce on a brisket is akin to smothering a filet in catsup.
I've sampled barbecue in Louisiana for years and finally despaired of eating Texas-style barbecue anywhere east of the Sabine River. Recently, however, I found two Louisiana barbecue joints that smoke beef briskets worthy of being labeled Texas style.
Offset Barbecue on Government Street in Baton Rouge is the real deal. Offset proclaims it serves Texas barbecue, "where Southern smoke 'meats' Lone Star flavor." As its name implies, this joint smokes barbecue with an offset firebox that slow-smokes brisket through indirect heat. Offset's brisket is as good as the premier barbecue joints in Texas--and that's saying something.
Francis Smokehouse and Specialty Meats in St. Francisville, Louisiana, also serves Texas-style brisket. I've eaten this restaurant's sliced brisket sandwich several times and always request a fatty cut of meat. The brisket is perfect.
A couple of more comments about these Louisiana barbecue emporiums. First. I like the dining atmosphere at both outlets. Offset serves its food from a takeout window, and customers eat their meals at sun-shaded picnic tables in an atmosphere of understated elegance.
Francis Smokehouse has decorated its dining area with deer mounts, a minimalist approach to interior decoration that I find appealing. The serving staff is as cheerful and friendly as they can possibly be.
A final word. Offset and Francis Smokehouse both serve good sides, which is also essential. It's not easy making Texas-style potato salad or coleslaw, but both restaurants got it right.