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Old June 2, 2018   #71
Worth1
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Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Den of Drunken Fools
Posts: 38,539
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First let me remove Real Texas BBQ and insert Traditional Texas BBQ.
Heck it was Traditional everywhere not just Texas.

Reason being they didn't have big black pipes and thick sheet metal just laying around to make a slow hot smoker out of.
Nor did they have welders or even a good drill bit and readily available bolts.
A good black smith would have had to make the thing and it would be over the top expensive.

They did it in pits and that is why they called them Pit Masters.
Most guys today are Pipe Masters not Pit Masters.
There are always exceptions and I am not taking away from their skill.

I will say it was and is a lot harder to get tender cooked meat on a pit.
Well maybe not even (was) because the meat they had back then would melt in your mouth and loaded with fat.
Unlike the super lean factory meat we have today.

My personable history of BBQ is rather short,
While growing up we had it about once maybe twice a year and that was it.
My mother did it because my father couldn't boil water but he did make good popcorn.
I was not raised around BBQ even though we had a ton of meat to eat.
My knowledge came from old timers after I was in my 20's.
Then I learned the ways of the descendants of the Atlantic African slave trade how to BBQ their way.
Because that is who I lived around and hung out with for 10 years.
There was a community off set BBQ trailer we all borrowed and used.
My friend Fred owned it but you had to ask where it was last to go get it.
You normally knew because you were at the BBQ anyway.
It migrated from house to house about every other weekend.
We all brought beer and food ans shared with each other.
There was always a fish fryer going too.
Raccoon was Fred's specialty.
It was simmered till tender then put in the slow smoker and moped with sauce.
Pork ribs pork butt deer and homemade sausage were also there as well.
Hardly ever brisket.
But just about any other wild critter you could think of.

People that say it isn't real Texas BBQ because it is mopped with sauce are lacking in any knowledge of Texas BBQ.
It is as varied as the people are.

As for open pit I prefer to simmer the ribs till almost tender then slow cook on the pit.
Or I can do it the other way too.
Just a matter of choice.
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