Pulled Pork: Why It’s a Southern Tradition, Not a Texas One.
Pulled pork is a barbecue favorite, known for its tender, smoky, slow-cooked goodness. While you’ll find it on menus in some Texas BBQ joints, the truth is—pulled pork isn’t a Texas creation.
A Carolina Classic – Pulled pork traces back to the Carolinas, where early settlers and enslaved African cooks perfected the technique of slow-smoking whole hogs over pits. They shredded the meat by hand, mixing it with vinegar-based or mustard-based sauces.
Spanish & Indigenous Influence – Spanish explorers in the 1500s observed the Taino people of the Caribbean cooking pork slowly over wood fires, a method known as "barbacoa"—which later spread to the American South.
Why Texas Barbecue Focused on Beef – In the 1800s, Texas had more cattle than hogs, thanks to Spanish and Mexican ranching traditions.
While Southern pitmasters were smoking pork, Texas cowboys and German butchers were perfecting brisket and beef ribs.
Southern Pulled Pork – Cooked low and slow (12+ hours) over hickory or oak, then shredded and mixed with tangy barbecue sauce.
Texas BBQ – Focuses on brisket and beef ribs, seasoned simply with salt and pepper, then smoked over post oak or mesquite.
While Texas is famous for beef barbecue, pulled pork remains a true Southern tradition. If you want the best pulled pork, head to North Carolina, Tennessee, or Georgia—but if you’re craving brisket, Texas is king!