Shop BBQ and Smoked Meats by Style

Smoked meats and barbecue cuts sorted the way pitmasters think about them: by regional style. Pick the style you love, read what makes it special, and follow the product links to order.

American barbecue is not one thing. A slice of Kansas City brisket, a pile of chopped Carolina pork and a peppery Texas brisket are cousins, not twins. Each comes from a place with its own woods, rubs, sauces and habits. Rather than a long list of products, our shop is organized into four styles, each with its own page explaining the tradition and how to enjoy it at home.

The four styles

Kansas City Style Brisket

Hickory smoked brisket in the Kansas City tradition: tender slices, a dark bark, and a thick, sweet and tangy tomato-based sauce on the side. The brisket point is the source of the city's famous burnt ends.

Kansas City brisket

Carolina Style Pulled Pork

North Carolina smoked pork, pulled or chopped, served the pig pickin' way with a thin vinegar and pepper sauce and a scoop of slaw.

Carolina pulled pork

Nebraska Angus Brisket

A whole raw Angus brisket, point and flat together, for cooks who want to trim, season and smoke their own brisket from scratch.

Angus brisket

Nebraska Angus Tenderloin

Steakhouse-quality beef tenderloin, the cut behind chateaubriand and filet mignon, for special dinners, roasting and reverse searing.

Angus tenderloin

Ready to eat or ready to cook?

Smoked meats you can order online come in two broad kinds, and it pays to know which one you are buying.

Fully cooked smoked meats

These have already been smoked and cooked. They usually arrive chilled or frozen, and you simply thaw and reheat. Kansas City style brisket and Carolina pulled pork are typically sold this way. Read the package instructions, and when you reheat leftovers or previously cooked meat, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) advises bringing it to 165 °F, measured with a food thermometer. For more, see our temperatures guide.

Raw cuts for your own smoker

Whole briskets and tenderloins are usually sold raw, for you to cook. That is where the fun is for a lot of backyard pitmasters: you choose the rub, the wood and the fire, and the result is entirely yours. FSIS lists 145 °F with a rest of at least three minutes as the safe minimum internal temperature for whole cuts of beef such as roasts and steaks. Brisket is normally cooked far beyond that until it is tender; tenderloin is often served much closer to it.

How to choose

  • Feeding a crowd with no cooking? Carolina pulled pork reheats easily, stretches across lots of sandwiches, and pairs with slaw and simple sides.
  • Want a sliced platter with sauce? Kansas City style brisket is made for it.
  • Want to cook your first (or fiftieth) brisket? Start with a whole Angus brisket and our brisket guide.
  • Planning a celebration dinner? A beef tenderloin roasts quickly, slices beautifully and takes smoke well.

Handling meat that ships

Most meat that is shipped arrives frozen or chilled with cold packs. A few habits keep it at its best:

  • Open and check the box as soon as it arrives, and get it into the refrigerator or freezer right away.
  • Thaw in the refrigerator, not on the counter. FSIS also allows thawing in cold water (in a leak-proof package, changing the water every 30 minutes) or in the microwave, but meat thawed those ways should be cooked right away.
  • Keep raw beef apart from ready-to-eat foods, and wash hands, boards and knives after handling raw meat.
  • Refrigerate leftovers within two hours, or within one hour on a day above 90 °F, in shallow containers.

Sauces and sides

The right sauce makes the style. Carolina pork wants a vinegar sauce; Kansas City brisket wants a thick tomato sauce. Classic sides vary by region too: coleslaw and hushpuppies in North Carolina, baked beans and fries in Kansas City, pickles, onions and white bread with Texas brisket. Our regional styles guide covers the details.

Why these four?

These four styles carry forward the original Hog Pit lineup: Kansas City Style Brisket, Carolina Style Smoked Pork, Nebraska Beef Brisket and Steak House Quality Tenderloin. Together they cover the two great barbecue meats, beef and pork, in both ready-to-eat and cook-it-yourself form. Specific products change over time as items sell out and new ones arrive, so each style page features a small, current selection.

Keep exploring

New to smoking? Our smokers guide explains offset, pellet and kamado cookers. Planning something big? See whole hog barbecue. And if a term trips you up, the glossary has you covered.

Sources

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