Atlanta food writer says Texas-style brisket isn't barbecue

Now this is feast, San Antonio style: (clockwise, from left) pork belly street tacos, brisket torta, borracho beans and a plate of brisket and ribs. Now this is feast, San Antonio style: (clockwise, from left) pork belly street tacos, brisket torta, borracho beans and a plate of brisket and ribs. Photo: William Luther /San Antonio Express-News Photo: William Luther /San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close Atlanta food writer says Texas-style brisket isn't barbecue 1 / 33 Back to Gallery

A foreign food critic took to his publication, Eater, to denounce a Lone Star staple: barbecue brisket.

Chris Fuhrmeister, a writer and editor based in Atlanta, wrote that while brisket is many things − including tasty − it isn't barbecue, at least to him. The self-proclaimed barbecue fanatic said that while he's open minded on many things, he knows that "pork that's slow-cooked with smoke" is the only accepted definition of barbecue.

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"Before I become Public Enemy No. 1 in the state of Texas, I will admit that smoked brisket, when done well, is phenomenal eating," Fuhrmeister wrote.

But, that's all the food critic would say about the brisket served up in Texas barbecue joints before going on to chastise those that have promoted the evolution of the definition of "barbecue" through their incorrect usage of the word.

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"'Barbecue these hamburgers' is a phrase that never should be uttered,'" Fuhrmeister said. "One does not really 'barbecue' anything. If you're preparing barbecue — a noun — you're smoking a whole hog or ribs or pork shoulder. Even many brisket-loving Texans who are about ready to ring my neck would agree barbecue comes from indirect heat and long cooking times."

While the Atlanta writer included numerous insights from award-winning chefs, he failed to include commentary from the world renowned pit masters that lead various classes, solely dedicated to barbecue, at Texas A&M's BBQ Science camps that concluded Sunday.

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One of the classes, devoted to perfecting "the centerpiece of Texas Barbecue, the beef brisket," dispels Fuhrmeister's notion that brisket is not barbecue.

While Fuhrmeister considers himself a barbecue fanatic, the professionals at TAMU are scholars of the Texas trade, teaching that brisket does, indeed, fall under the barbecue umbrella.

MMedina@mySA.com

Twitter: @MariahMedinaaa