Texas barbecue aficionados are a finicky, narrow-minded bunch. Any touch of sauce on brisket, any hint of Carolina, Kansas City, Memphis, or other foreign influences will likely send them into a full-blown tizzy. Yet the Dallas-Fort Worth region has never been known for barbecue, despite the trail of out-of-towners streaming to places like Sonny Bryan’s for a taste of Lone Star grilling.

Long-time residents instead trek to storied small towns, such as Lockhart. While conceding that Dallas and Fort Worth are not certified smoked meat destinations, many local barbecue snobs rate Meshack’s as one of the best examples in the area. Their brisket can indeed be meaty and forcefully acrid—deep, rich fingers of pecan smoke unraveling on the palate, underscored by melted fat and the husky taste of beef. Of course, at times the brisket dries out. But such is the nature of wood-fired cooking.

On the other hand, travel time between Meshack’s screen window (it’s a take-away joint) and your kitchen may also affect texture. The ribs are secondary, but worth an occasional departure from sliced brisket.