There are plenty of ways to build a great BBQ plate, and the meat usually gets the most attention. For some people, BBQ means a pile of smoky pork with sauce on the side. Others go straight for ribs, brisket, chicken, sausage, or a little bit of everything.
That variety is a big part of American barbecue. Different regions have their favorites, and different cuts of meat bring something completely different to the smoker. Some need hours of low and slow cooking to become tender. Others are all about getting the right balance of smoke, seasoning, and char.
So, what are the most popular types of BBQ meat? From pulled pork and ribs to brisket, chicken, sausage, and turkey, there’s a lot of BBQ food worth talking about.
Pork Has a Long History with Southern BBQ
Pork and Southern barbecue have been tied together for generations. Depending on where you order it, you might find pork pulled into long strands, chopped into smaller pieces, served on a sandwich, or piled onto a plate with sauce and sides.
Pulled pork typically starts with pork shoulder, a cut that benefits from a long cooking time. As it cooks, the meat becomes tender enough to separate easily while picking up plenty of smoky flavor.
So, what’s the difference between pulled pork and chopped pork? Mostly, it’s right there in the names. Pulled pork is separated into strands, while chopped pork is cut into smaller pieces after cooking. Both approaches give you tender BBQ pork with a slightly different texture.
Regional traditions play a role too. Memphis-style BBQ, for example, puts a major emphasis on pork, particularly ribs and pulled pork shoulder.
At Shane’s, we do things chopped. Our slow-smoked, hand-chopped BBQ pork shows up throughout the Shane’s Rib Shack menu, from the BBQ Pork Plate to the Big Dad Sandwich and Smothered Pork Sandwich.
Baby Back Ribs vs. Spare Ribs: What’s the Difference?
Ribs deserve their own place in any conversation about BBQ meats, but not every rack is the same.
Baby back ribs come from the upper portion of the rib cage near the backbone. They’re generally smaller and more curved than spare ribs. Spare ribs are cut farther down the rib cage and tend to be larger and flatter.
Both cuts take well to smoke and seasoning, but what happens next depends on the BBQ tradition. Some ribs get a generous coating of sauce, while others rely more heavily on a dry rub. Memphis-style BBQ, for example, is famous for both wet and dry pork ribs.
At Shane’s, it’s all about Baby Back Ribs. Make them the main event with a Rib Plate, Half Rack, or Full Rack, grab a Rib Sandwich, or pair them with another meat when choosing just one isn’t going to happen.
However you order them, smoked ribs come with one piece of practical advice: keep the napkins nearby.
Brisket and Beef Ribs Bring Beef to the Smoker
Head toward Texas and beef starts getting a lot more attention.
Beef brisket comes from the breast of the cow and starts out as a relatively tough cut. Give it plenty of time over low heat and the connective tissue begins to break down, resulting in the tender slices BBQ fans are looking for.
Then there’s the bark. That dark, seasoned exterior is one of the signatures of smoked brisket, and plenty of brisket fans are perfectly happy letting the beef, smoke, and seasoning do the talking.
Beef ribs bring another experience entirely. They’re big, rich, and hard to miss when they hit the table. Like brisket, smoked beef ribs benefit from low heat and plenty of patience.
Brisket and beef ribs aren’t currently on Shane’s core menu, but they’re too important to the different types of meat for BBQ to leave out. Texas has a long history with brisket, beef ribs, and sausage, and Travel Texas offers a closer look at those BBQ traditions.
Chicken Can Go in Just About Any Direction
Chicken might be the most flexible meat at the BBQ.
A whole or half smoked chicken can pick up plenty of flavor while pairing easily with different sauces and sides. Chop the meat and it works just as well on a plate as it does piled onto a sandwich.
Then there are chicken wings, where the possibilities really open up. Smoked chicken wings can stay firmly in BBQ territory with a sweet or spicy sauce or go in another direction with Buffalo, lemon pepper, teriyaki, or another seasoning.
That’s one reason BBQ chicken can mean something completely different depending on who’s serving it.
At Shane’s, you’ve got plenty of choices. There’s hand-chopped BBQ chicken, a slow-smoked Half Chicken, Smoked Wings, Traditional Wings, Boneless Wings, and fried or grilled tenders. The BBQ Chicken Plate and Chopped BBQ Chicken Sandwich put the chopped chicken front and center, while wings and tenders give you plenty of ways to change up the flavor with different sauces.
Don’t Forget the Smoked Sausage
Sausage doesn’t always get top billing, but it has earned its place alongside better-known smoked meats.
Smoked sausage has particularly strong ties to Texas BBQ. Depending on the recipe, a link might bring plenty of black pepper, garlic, spice, smoke, or a combination of flavors to the plate. Elgin, Texas, is even known as the “Sausage Capital of Texas,” and sausage has a long history alongside brisket and ribs in the state’s BBQ tradition.
It also makes sense on a BBQ platter. Add sausage alongside brisket or ribs and you’ve got another flavor and texture without needing another large cut of meat.
Turkey Isn’t Just for Thanksgiving
Turkey and smoke get along pretty well too.
Smoked turkey gives BBQ fans something different from the richer pork and beef cuts. Turkey breast can be sliced for a plate, piled onto a sandwich, or served alongside other BBQ favorites. Smoking is also a cooking method that can be used for whole poultry and turkey breast, adding smoke flavor while cooking the meat slowly.
Turkey is another good example of how broad the world of smoked meat really is, and the list doesn’t stop there. Depending on where you’re eating BBQ, you might come across mutton, pork belly, ham, smoked bologna, or other local specialties. There isn’t one list of meats that defines barbecue everywhere.
So, What BBQ Meats Will You Find at Shane’s?
We’ve covered everything from pulled pork and brisket to smoked sausage and turkey, but what’s actually on the menu at Shane’s Rib Shack?
Around here, hand-chopped BBQ pork, hand-chopped BBQ chicken, and Baby Back Ribs are at the heart of the BBQ menu.
Our pork is slow-smoked and hand chopped, and you can get it by the pound, on a BBQ Pork Plate, or piled onto favorites like the Big Dad Sandwich, Smothered Pork Sandwich, and Pork Melt. You’ll even find it joining fresh ground beef on the BBQ Burger and Shaniac Burger.
Chicken gives you a different set of choices, from chopped BBQ chicken and the slow-smoked Half Chicken to wings and tenders. And when ribs are calling your name, Shane’s serves Baby Back Ribs by the rack, on plates, in a sandwich, or alongside other meats.
When One Meat Isn’t Enough
Choosing the best meat for BBQ gets a lot easier when you decide not to choose. That’s where a good BBQ platter or combination plate comes in. Shane’s Rib & Pork Plate brings together Baby Back Ribs and hand-chopped BBQ pork. The Rib & Chicken Plate pairs ribs with chopped BBQ chicken, while the Two Meat Plate lets you make the call yourself.
Still can’t decide? The Shack Sampler combines Baby Back Ribs with your choice of BBQ pork or chicken and fried or grilled tenders.
It’s also a pretty good way to settle the ribs vs. pork debate at your own table.
BBQ Meats for a Crowd
Picking what you want for dinner is one thing. Picking something that makes a whole group happy can be a little tougher.
That’s one reason BBQ works so well for office lunches, family gatherings, parties, weddings, and other events. Instead of asking everyone to agree on one entrée, you can put a few different meats and sides on the table and let people build their own plate.
Shane’s Rib Shack catering makes that easy with packages built around chopped pork, chopped chicken, ribs, or a combination of meats. Choose a One Meat package, pair ribs with pork or chicken, or go with Two Meat or Three Meat options when you want more variety. Boxed lunches with a Big Dad Pork Sandwich or BBQ Chicken Sandwich are also available for smaller gatherings and work lunches.
Add your sides, bread, BBQ sauce, and the rest of the fixings, and the food is handled.
What’s the Best Meat for BBQ?
That’s the kind of debate BBQ fans could have all day, and we’re not going to try to settle it here.
Maybe you want smoky pork piled onto a sandwich. Maybe you’re reaching for a rack of ribs before anyone else gets to them. Brisket fans will make their case, chicken gives you plenty of ways to switch things up, and sometimes the right answer is simply putting two meats on the same plate.
At Shane’s Rib Shack, you can put several favorites to the test with hand-chopped BBQ pork and chicken, slow-smoked Half Chicken, Baby Back Ribs, wings, tenders, and combination plates.
Once you’ve picked the meat, there’s still the sauce to think about. Check out our Types of BBQ Sauce: A Guide to Regional Flavors and Styles for help finding the right match, then add your sides and call it a BBQ plate.
Or get two meats. We won’t judge.
