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The United States is home to a number of regions defined by their distinct approach to BBQ. That includes Texas, which has seen some once-popular spots shut down due to skyrocketing meat prices that have made it difficult to peddle the state’s signature cut.
It’s believed humans and their taxonomic predecessors have harnessed fire to cook various types of meat for hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of years, and that method tends to be a staple of virtually every type of cuisine on the planet.
However, you’d be hard-pressed to find an approach capable of producing a more mouth-watering result than the low-and-slow barbecue that has managed to become distinctly American thanks to the many pitmasters in the United States who’ve mastered the art of smoking meat.
Most experts would tell you there are four primary regions that define American BBQ, which can be broken down into subcategories and are supplemented by less-heralded areas that can still hold their own. That “Big Four” consists of Kansas City, Memphis, Carolina, and Texas, which are differentiated by the meats and sauces that reign supreme in each place.
Brisket is the main attraction at BBQ joints in The Lone Star State, but some of them have been forced to shut down as the price of beef gets increasingly out of hand.
The cost of brisket has led to some longtime BBQ restaurants in Texas closing for good
I think most people who consume some form of beef on a regular basis are painfully aware of how much the price has surged in recent years. The exact increase varies depending on the cut in question, but last month, ground beef prices hit an all-time high of $9.64 per pound while rising 13% from the previous year.
Brisket was experiencing a price hike well before the most recent spike, and has certainly not been immune. According to The Washington Post, those hunks of beef, which are the standard upon which BBQ restaurants in Texas are judged, have gotten 28% more expensive since this time last year, and some of those outposts have been unable to survive.
The price of brisket has risen due to factors including inflation, tariffs, and America’s shrinking cattle supply, and the owner of Roegels Barbecue Co. in Houston says he’s forking over $5.56 a pound to purchase it at wholesale from meatpackers (who have also been blamed for attempting to increase their profits as the middlemen between ranchers and BBQ proprietors).
However, the cost of operating a BBQ spot means they have to charge customers significantly more to turn a profit, and once unfathomable prices of around $35 per pound (and even more) have started to pop up on menus around the state.
The outlet listed around half a dozen BBQ restaurants that have recently been forced to shut down for good thanks in no small part to prices that contributed to a downturn in business, including Kirby’s BBQ in the Houston suburb of New Caney and Brett’s BBQ Shop in Katy.
Others are grappling with what has become an existential crisis, including Brotherton’s Black Iron Barbecue outside of Austin (Roegels’ sister restaurant), which issued an appeal to customers who flocked to the business after they learned it was on the verge of shuttering in January.
Here’s to hoping the state is able to weather the storm.