The Style Smoking itself, BBQ, the two styles and concepts are often combined and confused, especially in today's public consciousness and language. Don't worry, here in Europe, but in the USA it's the same. So smoking as a cooking style started somewhere in the 1800s, mainly through settlers, with African American influence, and taking into account the customs and traditions of peoples who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe. The goal was initially preservation, rather than a weekend social party. Lockhart, Elgin, these two Central Texas cities were where, from the combination of all these influences, in the 1900s, the first butcher shops began to be established, where not only fresh meat, but often leftovers were smoked, that is, preserved, using closed smokehouses, which is a slightly different method of processing meat than BBQ, that is, the method of cooking food over an open fire and smoke. This is also the period when the tradition of smoking and roasting Brisket (beef) began its conquest, which of course was connected to the increasingly large number of cattle available at that time. The Texas pastures at this time already provided a fairly large number of settlers and, through them, the population's meat and protein needs. Slowly but surely, alongside and surpassing pork, chicken and other meats, beef took over the role of the main protein source. This marked the beginning of the modern Texas BBQ tradition with beef at the center, most notably the preparation of Brisket. All this did not mean that traditional pork was ousted from the world of BBQ and smoking, no, it was just that the emphasis shifted, which suddenly created The Trinity phenomenon, a tradition that to this day is the basis and central role of Texas Style BBQ smoking traditions. And what is The Trinity really, well, nothing more than a trio of beef, pork ribs and strictly homemade fried sausage. This sausage has as many houses, as many flavors and traditions, which is for sure, hand-cured, seasoned, in traditional and modern style, made from pure pork or beef ground meat, but it can also be authentic from a hundred different mixtures of the two, the point is, you grind it, you season it and you fry it. Despite all this, if you could name only one thing that ends up on your plate in Central Texas, then it would be Brisket without a doubt, in Trinity this is the central figure, which does not mean at all that the others are second or third rate, it is made with the same care and attention, as it is an integral part of centuries-old traditions. If we want to get a little bit of a picture in historical and geographical terms, the following major styles and trends are the most typical: Central Texas, East Texas, West and South Texas style. All four actually started from the same roots but have followed and continue to follow different paths and styles. Let's start with the central figure in every sense, Central Texas BBQ. Well, only the basic and essential spices are added to the meat. The Rub is just black pepper and salt. Of course, many Pit masters and BBQ kitchens now offer more, broader spectrum, more powerful seasonings, but if we are looking for the original, Central Texas style, there are two basic spices here, the aforementioned black pepper and salt. There is no and no need for such and such BBQ Rub spice mix, such and such irresistible, all-encompassing and covering mixture, no, just pepper and salt. And the meat, yes, here is the meat: Beef. This is the primary, from the aforementioned Eastern European immigrants and of course the East Texas influence, Lochart, Luling, Taylor, mostly Shoulder clod, Chuck, shoulder and yes, of course the beef brisket, but not sliced, but rather and typically torn. Ezzle is somewhat different, in the Central Texas region the main attraction, the beef brisket is almost always served to you in a precise, rustic sliced form. The pit Master slices and cuts the meat in front of you, before you choose, of course there is a taster so you can decide if this is the texture and flavor you are looking for. The wood: oak, pecan or mosquito wood, not because these are some kind of mystical materials, not at all, but rather because these are the plants that are available in large quantities, everywhere. Of course, it is true, yes, pecan, mosquito wood, oak to a lesser extent, have a characteristic, characteristic aroma, taste, which appears in the taste and texture of the meats. The smoke: indirect fire, not grill, clean smoke, from oak, pecan, or hickory, off set smoker, not reverse, the direct smoke and unhindered heat flow of the off set smoker gives the most authentic, powerful Texas taste and texture. In some cases, some incense wood is added to the firebox, for extravagance or a unique taste and aroma, but this is not the characteristic. It is not surprising that this style is what appears in today's New York, Southern California, and outside the USA, Australia and England's BBQ customs. In addition to the minimalist traditions of the past, the Trinity is cardinal, beef shank, sliced, pork ribs, preferably the lower, less meaty part of it, and homemade sausage. In addition to these three basic meats, your plate will be served with a few slices of white bread, baked beans in a light tomato and onion sauce, sour peppers, and less often cornbread next to or instead of white bread. You will rarely find Mac & Cheese on your plate. However, the main aspect and above all, the quality and type of meat, the result of the smoking and, of course, the presence and texture of the sauces. The sauces are not present in a very limited form, the point is the meats and their flavor and texture. If you do encounter a simple sauce, it's more likely to be on the plate to highlight the main attraction, the flavor and message of the meat. This is the opposite of the Kansas and Memphis styles, where sweet, spicy, full-bodied sauces are the norm. East Texas style. Symbolically and actually, the second thing to mention when we talk about the traditions, history and contemporary reality of Texas BBQ is the East Texas style. Well, this style is at least as deeply and strongly rooted in the world and present of today's Texas BBQ as the previous one, the Central Texas style. Although both trends and traditions have significantly influenced and guided the current, broader Texas BBQ traditions, the two trends are fundamentally different, and there is a marked shift in emphasis between the two styles. The wood: mainly and almost exclusively Hickory wood, which is actually a type of nut. The meat: beef dominates here too, but not sliced, but mainly torn, and, which is a marked difference compared to the Central style, pork ribs. The meat is smoked for a long time until it separates or falls off the bone, then it is torn into pieces, stuffed into buns, and served and consumed, mainly with warm and sweeter tomato-based sauces. It should be noted that the sauces are not only added to the finished meat, but also used to marinate the meat during frying and smoking, using this tomato-based, spicy, but rather sweet-tasting sauce. What's new in the South? Well, the story and the method are similar to the Eastern traditions and procedures. The meat is smoked over a slow fire for a long time, 18-20 hours, in pure smoke, and thanks to the molasses-based sweet, spicy, tomato-based sauces used, it is steamed in the thick-walled, Big Iron. It is natural that to achieve the perfect result, the use of a really thick 5, 6, 8mm wall thickness of Big Iron is essential, due to heat conduction, heat retention and proper smoke formation. The greatest influence here is Mexican cuisine and baking habits. Also in terms of spices, flavors, sauces. Its specialty is beef head, beef tongue prepared over an open fire, which is still one of the most popular forms of baking in this region. Typical Southern BBQ dish: beef brisket, Pulled pork, mac @ cheese, grilled corn, Texas Toast, in thick slices, with butter, toasted until crispy. What you get in Kansas City style: beef, lamb, pork, a rich tomato base sauce, which is also used to spread the meat during baking, and fried krupli instead of bread. It is important that several types of wood are used during smoking, which gives the meat an indefinable, but at least very Kansas flavor. Among the spices typical of this region are cumin, romaine and celery salt, i.e. a mixture of celery leaves and salt. Memphis: pork ribs, in torn form, in a bun, with sauce, but preferably with coleslaw. Western trend. This style carries on the traditions of grilling rather than smoking in the classic sense. Open fire, shorter time, mainly mesquite wood, goat, beef, pork, no really typical meat. The point is the open fire, more grilling than smoking. Finally, some other, but significant regions that still play a prominent role in BBQ traditions today. Alabama BBQ: Mainly chicken, which is prepared on a slow fire, clean smoke, supplemented with the characteristic Alabama White sauce, which is based on mayonnaise and black pepper. California BBQ: Santa Maria style BBQ, often called so. Its characteristic is the Tri Trip, beef rump, which in itself means California or Santa Maria steak in the world of steaks. It has a fairly intense beef flavor, which is prepared in slices, steak form, on an open fire, over glowing charcoal, more in a grill, rather than a smoking style. Salt, pepper, and garlic are the most common spices. Minnesota BBQ: A relatively new trend, largely inspired by Northern European, especially Scandinavian influences and immigrants. One of its characteristics is maple syrup, which is not used or used to a lesser extent in other flavors. It is also characterized by the frequent, basic ingredients, primarily horseradish, instead of chili, and BBQ sauce made from native cranberries, as well as the Scandinavian origin Lefse, potatoes, flour-based pie, and bread. It is characterized by its diversity of meats, beef brisket, pork shoulder, ribs, pulled, and sliced, moose sausage, but fish is also not uncommon, especially salmon. Hmong style BBQ is truly distinctive and unique, and is popular in the area, with spices such as lemongrass, ginger, and garlic, especially used to flavor poultry. St Louis BBQ: Basically, the pork shoulder is the centerpiece. In steak form, sliced, the sauces are more tomato-based, medium-seasoned, and slightly sweet, often using a canning sauce. And finally, about the styles: don't be surprised if you get Carolina style pulled pork, Texas style brisket, beef jerky on a bed of fries, baked beans, pickled peppers, and grilled corn, in the embrace of some mac & cheese, in a variation of homemade fried sausage. In other words, the styles that created the entire American BBQ feeling and tradition, and maintain them to this day, are naturally capable of sometimes artistic fusion solutions, but in all cases they do so without forgetting the roots, the customs, the written and unwritten rules of the way, and not least the masculine manifestation that can always be discovered in the traces of proud craftsmanship.