TEXAS
Texas’ most essential meats are the holy trinity of Texas BBQ, Brisket, beef rib, and sausage. Many will argue that it should be pork rib, but beef is king in the Lone Star State as far as most Texans are concerned. A colossal Flintstones-style bone-in beef rib is the essence of BBQ and reinforces the unofficial state motto that everything is bigger in Texas.
You can find the best brisket at Freedmen’s in Austin. A thick crust of black bark yet somehow not burnt gives way to the juicy and tender meat. There’s a small window for brisket where it goes from undercooked to a falsely delicate state of overcooked mush. When a pitmaster lands it in the magic zone, as Evan LeRoy does, it becomes the stuff of legend.
Meanwhile, in Taylor, there’s a place called Louie Mueller Barbecue and is known for its best beef rib. Initially offering short ribs, they’ve switched it up and now offer up enormous plates of ribs cut from the midsection of the rib cage, which give strands of tender beef that pull away from the bone just with a mere push of a fork. Red meat heaven!
