A Guide to
America’s BBQ
One country, many BBQs
You’ll find great BBQ all across the USA. It’s woven into our history. Food over open fire pits inspires visions of pioneers and cowboys cooking while they explore this great country. As settlers dispersed throughout the nation, their distinct cultures and local wood flavors grew the country’s BBQ roots. Because of this, BBQ styles are very regional, and it’s these differences that make BBQ so special.
East TEXAS BBQ—
The SADLER’S SMOKEHOUSE® Style
In Texas, there are two distinct BBQ styles: East Texas and Central Texas. If you didn’t know they’re different, don’t worry — we’re here to help.
The SADLER’S SMOKEHOUSE® brand is quintessential East Texas BBQ. East Texas has the benefit of being at the crossroads of 3 great regions: Texas, the Midwest, and the South. This creates a style that combines the smoke and beef of Texas, the pork focus of the South, and the flavors and variety of the Midwest. The end result is a delicious BBQ marriage of the best parts, taking cues from settlers who hailed from Eastern Europe and developed its meat-market style.
What we do every day is authentic, Texas style BBQ. This cooking method is a process of smoking the meat slowly over various hardwoods to create unique flavors, like hickory, oak, mesquite, and applewood. By cooking with smoke, we’re able to break down the connective tissue and render fat over a long period of time, producing a tender cut of meat.
Other brands will use artificial smoke flavorings or funnel smoke from outside machinery into their pits. This creates an easily identifiable, inauthentic eating experience. Here in Texas, smoke is the star of the show. When you want honest-to-goodness Texas BBQ, just remember our promise:
WE DON’T BLOW SMOKE™.
You’ll find great BBQ all across the USA. It’s woven into our history. Food over open fire pits inspires visions of pioneers and cowboys cooking while they explore this great country. As settlers dispersed throughout the nation, their distinct cultures and local wood flavors grew the country’s BBQ roots. Because of this, BBQ styles are very regional, and it’s these differences that make BBQ so special.
East TEXAS BBQ— The SADLER’S SMOKEHOUSE® Style
In Texas, there is a distinct BBQ style: Texas Style. If you didn’t know they’re different, don’t worry — we’re here
to help.
The SADLER’S SMOKEHOUSE® brand is quintessential East Texas BBQ. East Texas has the benefit of being at the crossroads of 3 great regions: Texas, the Midwest, and the South. This creates a style that combines the smoke and beef of Texas, the pork focus of the South, and the flavors and variety of the Midwest. The end result is a delicious BBQ marriage of the best parts, taking cues from settlers who hailed from Eastern Europe and developed its meat-market style.
What we do every day is authentic, Texas style BBQ. This cooking method is a process of smoking the meat slowly over various hardwoods to create unique flavors, like hickory, oak, mesquite, and applewood. By cooking with smoke, we’re able to break down the connective tissue and render fat over a long period of time, producing a tender cut of meat.
Other brands will use artificial smoke flavorings or funnel smoke from outside machinery into their pits. This creates an easily identifiable, inauthentic eating experience. Here in Texas, smoke is the star of the show. When you want honest-to-goodness Texas BBQ, just remember our promise:
WE DON’T BLOW SMOKE™.
MORE TRADITIONAL BBQ STYLES
TEXAS
The best BBQ in the country!
The best BBQ in the country!
EAST CAROLINA
Pork BBQ is what the Carolina’s are most known for. Pit smoking is the cooking method of choice but in Eastern Carolina the specialty is Whole Hog BBQ.
Whole hog BBQ is exactly what it sounds like. This process can take as little as 12 hours and up to 24 to be done right. A pitmaster needs to evenly cook the pork shoulder, belly, and neck to create an incredible plate of whole hog BBQ.
Pork BBQ is what the Carolina’s are most known for. Pit smoking is the cooking method of choice but in Eastern Carolina the specialty is Whole Hog BBQ.
Whole hog BBQ is exactly what it sounds like. This process can take as little as 12 hours and up to 24 to be done right. A pitmaster needs to evenly cook the pork shoulder, belly, and neck to create an incredible plate of whole hog BBQ.
Central Carolina
Carolina BBQ is generally known for its pork forward pit cooked BBQ. They lean on a lot of the same principles as other regional BBQ styles but pork is the meat of choice. The two big regional staples that divide the Carolinas even further are whole hog and dip.
Dip is a red sauce that is popular in Central North Carolina near Charlotte. A vinegar based sauce, used to baste pork shoulder and then pulled to make a unique but delicious meal.
Carolina BBQ is generally known for its pork forward pit cooked BBQ. They lean on a lot of the same principles as other regional BBQ styles but pork is the meat of choice. The two big regional staples that divide the Carolinas even further are whole hog and dip.
Dip is a red sauce that is popular in Central North Carolina near Charlotte. A vinegar based sauce, used to baste pork shoulder and then pulled to make a unique but delicious meal.
KANSAS CITY
Kansas City barbecue is characterized by its use of just about any type of barbecued meat served in the country’s other barbecue capitals. Something Kansas City has become famous for is burnt ends. Burnt ends are the crusty, fatty, flavorful meat cut from the point of a smoked beef brisket are much in demand. The burnt ends a small cut off the brisket so they tend to be in very high demand.
Kansas City barbecue is also rooted in the regional sauce style they have developed. It’s a tomato-based barbecue sauce that tends to be thick, heavy on molasses, and immensely flavorful.
Kansas City barbecue is characterized by its use of just about any type of barbecued meat served in the country’s other barbecue capitals. Something Kansas City has become famous for is burnt ends. Burnt ends are the crusty, fatty, flavorful meat cut from the point of a smoked beef brisket are much in demand. The burnt ends a small cut off the brisket so they tend to be in very high demand.
Kansas City barbecue is also rooted in the regional sauce style they have developed. It’s a tomato-based barbecue sauce that tends to be thick, heavy on molasses, and immensely flavorful.
MEMPHIS
Memphis BBQ focuses on using pork, specifically ribs and pulled pork shoulder. The meat is pit smoked, and ribs can be prepared either dry or wet. Wet ribs have sauce put on them throughout the cooking process, dry ribs tend to be more heavily seasoned with no sauce. In Memphis the pitmasters in that region are experts at cooking pork.
Memphis-style barbecue has become well known due to the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest held each May. Many Memphis restaurants have been started by teams that move from competing in the contest to developing brick and mortar businesses.
Memphis BBQ focuses on using pork, specifically ribs and pulled pork shoulder. The meat is pit smoked, and ribs can be prepared either dry or wet. Wet ribs have sauce put on them throughout the cooking process, dry ribs tend to be more heavily seasoned with no sauce. In Memphis the pitmasters in that region are experts at cooking pork.
Memphis-style barbecue has become well known due to the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest held each May. Many Memphis restaurants have been started by teams that move from competing in the contest to developing brick and mortar businesses.