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The history of the Texas barbecue, like most complex topics today, has been shortened and simplified to allow easy understanding for consumers conditioned by soundbites and tweets.
As for the two most famous Texas types of barbecues, the Central Texas style originated in meat markets opened in the Austin area by Czech, German, and Polish immigrants in the mid-19th century. The East Texas style originated in the southern United States in the mid-18th century by enslaved Africans who adopted techniques learned from indigenous peoples of America.
For condensed stories, these narratives give a solid account of Texas barbecue history. But what happens when you scratch beneath the surface?
Much has been written about the history of central Texas style barbecuing. So much so, that Texas Barbecue is most often associated with this style today.
The East Texas style and its South American origins are often missed in barbecue history, although that changed this year with the publication of Adrian Miller’s educational book, Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue.
East Texas style is still alive and well in Houston, reflecting the evolution it has gone through over the decades, ironically adopting the Central Texas style brisket as the main menu item.
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But what if you actually want to try the origins of barbecue as it existed in states like Virginia and North Carolina in the 18th century? Until recently, this wasn’t possible in Texas, where brisket and beef ribs dominate the grill menu.
That all changed in February when Chef Damien Brockway opened the Distant Relatives grill trailer in East Austin, which features ingredients and techniques drawn from genealogical and historical research of his own African American heritage.
Brockway is a classically trained chef with positions in upscale restaurants in San Francisco, New York and Boston. He landed in Austin in 2012 and was most recently Executive Chef at Jester King Brewery.
Like many hospitality workers, the 2020 COVID lockdown allowed time for more personal pursuits, and Brockway’s research into his own genealogy revealed that his mother’s family came from enslaved people in Virginia who ultimately came from West Africa.
This led to a deep insight into the kitchens of countries like Nigeria, Cameroon and Mali.
“This area of West Africa is known as the ‘Pepper Coast’,” says Brockway. “We decided on a variety of paprika called ‘Grains of Paradise’.”
It’s a clever transformation of the traditional black pepper-coated Central Texas style with a more fragrant, floral spice with a flavor profile closer to cardamom and ginger.
As for the meat, Brockway only recently added brisket based on customer demand – this is Austin, after all – but the real magic happens in its other proteins, such as pulled pork. The pork shoulder was moist and excellently cooked, with a more fragrant and complex rub than the typical salt-and-pepper version found in many Texas grilled joints. It’s paired with a molasses-based sauce.
Side dishes are also a focus here, based on the staple foods of the southern United States, including beans, rice, and corn. The “burnt ends and black-eyed peas” is one of the best grilled side dishes I’ve tried year-round – it could be almost an entire meal. Black-eyed peas cooked in fragrant spices (think allspice and nutmeg) are paired with smoky ends of lean brisket.
Together with Junior Sous Chef Wesley Robinson and Assistant Pitmaster Omari Mackey, Brockway has created something unique in the Texas barbecue that goes beyond the classic triad of brisket, pork ribs and sausage. They offer a delicious glimpse into the African American origins of the Lone Star State’s favorite cuisine.
jcreid@jcreidtx.com
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