West Texas barbecue (a.k.a. cowboy-style) is a type of American regional barbecue style in which the meat is not smoked, but cooked directly over mesquite coals instead. Goat, mutton, chicken, and beef are the most typical types of meat used in this barbecue-style.

The cooking time is fast, so thinner meat such as sausage, ribs, and chops are typically more successful with this barbecue method.

South Carolina barbecue is mostly based on pork. Sometimes it’s pulled from a whole hog and sometimes the meat is chopped from a shoulder or ham. The meat is traditionally cooked and smoked over hardwood such as oak or hickory. What sets apart South Carolina barbecue from North Carolina-style barbecue is the yellow Carolina Gold sauce in the Midlands, consisting of cider vinegar, yellow mustard, spices, honey, and brown sugar, while the Pee Dee region uses a fiery sauce based on vinegar and pepper.

East Texas-style barbecue is an American barbecue style characterized by the acceptance of pork (along with the ever-popular Texas beef) and an emphasis on barbecue sauce. Pork ribs and smoked boudin are staples of East Texas-style barbecue, typically served on a bun, while the sides include some interesting things such as greens, fried okra, and banana pudding.

North Carolina barbecue can be split into two halves – in the east, they use the whole hog, while in the west, also known as Lexington-style barbecue, smokes only the pork shoulder. Eastern barbecue is usually chopped with a vinegar-and-spices-based sauce, while Lexington-style is typically used for sandwiches with a tomato-based sauce.

This is probably the oldest type of American barbecue, and the wood used for it is often hickory or oak.

Memphis is also known as the Pork Barbecue Capital of the World. This barbecue style usually employs pork ribs and shoulders, although some restaurants still use chicken or beef. Dry rub ribs are typically seasoned with paprika and salt, giving them a rich red color, while wet ribs are usually brushed with a barbecue sauce.

Combined with smoke and heat, the ribs develop a range of complex flavors during the barbecue process. When consumed on its own, the meat is often accompanied by a sauce consisting of slightly sweet vinegar and tomatoes, but pork can also sometimes get chopped and inserted into buns with mustard, vinegar, and coleslaw.

Central Texas-style barbecue originated in the Czech and German meat markets in the late 19th century. This barbecue style is typically associated with cooking brisket (the fattier portion is called point, while the leaner portion is called flat) low and slow, usually over post oak fire.

The meat is seasoned with salt, pepper, and maybe a bit of cayenne or garlic powder. It is then cooked in offset smokers, while the heat and smoke from the fire go across the meat, adding an irresistible smoky flavor to the brisket (although shoulder clod, chuck short ribs, and larger short ribs are also popular).

Texas-style barbecue is an American barbecue style that can be divided into 4 separate subcategories: Central Texas, East Texas, South Texas, and West Texas barbecue.

The best-known variety is the Central Texas-style that originated in the Czech and German meat markets in the late 19th century.

This barbecue style is typically associated with cooking brisket (the fattier portion is called point, while the leaner portion is called flat) low and slow, usually over post oak fire. The meat is seasoned with salt, pepper, and maybe a bit of cayenne or garlic powder.