Texas A&M University offers a class on Texas Barbecue that teaches the history of BBQ, cooking methodology, flavorings and seasonings, and different types of BBQ.
Here are the topics covered in ANSC 117 each semester:
- Introduction, expectations, brief history of barbecue, food safety overview
- Cooking methodology: pits, kettles, water smokers, barrel smokers
- Types of fuel (charcoal brickettes, charcoal chunks, wood coals) and smoke (hickory, oak, pecan, mesquite)
- Adding flavoring: seasonings, marinades, rubs, sauces
- Pork: Southeastern-style pulled pork, Hawaiian-inspired pork loin
- Ribs, ribs, ribs: baby back versus St. Louis-style; Memphis-style (dry) versus Kansas City-style (wet); Asian-inspired rubs and sauces
- Chicken: smoking, cooking by rotisserie; whole or pieces
- Barbecuing lamb and goat
- Briskets: To wrap or not to wrap, that is the question!
- Smoking other cuts of beef: shoulder clods, sirloins, ribeyes, and tenderloins
- Cooking beef South American style: Brazil and Argentina
- Thanksgiving Turkey: brining recipes; smoking, frying, cooking by rotisserie
- Cooking whole pigs: Hawaiian, Cuban, Cajun
- Course wrap up