Expert: Steve Hanagan - 1/2/2006

Question
I have eaten beef in restaraunts where the beef was so tender I didn't need a knife. It was a Texan BBQ type place. The meat was served in a large hunk - not sliced - and it just fell apart. Not to mention it tasted wonderful!  How can I make this at home?

Answer
It is impossible to tell for sure, but given it was in Texas and in a BBQ restuarant, it is likely you were eating Beef brisket.  Beef brisket is a very inexpensive piece of meat that, if prepared correctly, becomes tender and flavorful as you have described.

Typically, brisket is smoked and slow cooked for hours to cause the connective tissues to break down, which makes it tender.  

I am frequently asked questions about how to smoke meat and to BBQ.  It is way too complex of a process to answer in this  type of question and answer format.  If you really want to learn about BBQ take a look at the following site.  I highly recommend it!

http://www.eaglequest.com/~bbq/faq2/toc.html