Does not have to be a 2-3 day process, although it surely can be.  Anybody that has a smoker (or a tight-lidded bbq pit, like a weber kettle) can really impersonate a Texas bbq spread.

This is the no-sop version, although 'sopped' is the default.

1, 1a, 1b & 1c

... start with good meat.  if you are serious about 'company-grade' barbacoa, start with a big, corn-fed, heavy beef rump roast or english cut, or (my favourite) a whole rib-eye or new york strip.  these are about 15-20 pounds, and your market can get them for you.  we do steaks with half, then the other half goes to bbq.  cut as much fat off as you can.  any wild venison works *very* well, too, just separate whole muscles and de-white.  whole packer briskets are the default meat, but make sure you can bend them double (if they don't bend, there is too much fat for the $$).

prep.  2-3 days ... up to a week before the 'q', coat the cow with 'brisket rub'  [recipe follows].  dry the meat off first.  this is a hand-operation.  coat till crusty, then press more in.  leave no corner, fold or vug untouched.  squeeze-wrap in plastic, as airless as you can get it.  refrigerate.

cook.  this is two-part process.  let the meat come up to room temp.

• throw on a smoker with mesquite or pecan or hickory chips.  (i prefer a mixture)  and a venison haunch smoked over apple is mighty toothsome.  smoke on *heavy* smoke at less than 300º as long as you want, but the meat will quit absorbing smoke after a couple of hours.
• pull off the pit or smoker and wrap *tight* in two ply of aluminum foil.  put into a pan that can catch drippings & boil-over and stick in a 200º oven for as long as you want.  in 8-10 hours, they will be fork tender, but some people don't think 'q' is any good unless it cooks for >24 hrs.

let set, still wrapped, for at least 30 minutes before you slice it.  save the buillon/pot likker, and either use it in the bbq sauce, or defat it and cook with it, or drink it straight up.

5

serve sauce on the side.

[i use wal-mart or k-mart or store-brand house spices - read cheap.]
measurements are in cups, but can be fractionated or multiplied.

1    chili powder blend
1.5    paprika
.5+    garlic powder
.5    onion powder
.25    brown sugar
.25    powdered coffee
.25+    fine grind black pepper
.25+    cayenne
.25+    ground comino (cumin)
.125    dry mustard powder
tsp    each rosemary, thyme, sage (and any other ground spice that looks attractive)

store the remainder in the freezer.  it keeps forever.

i make my own bbq sauce, but i don't use a std recipe, so it is different each time.  this is a basic one, however.

1 bottle any commercial 'hickory' bbq sause
same amount cheap catsup
.5 amount drippings from the roast (or a couple of beef buillon cubes)
.25 amount honey a/o orange juice a/o brown sugar
.25 amount black coffee
tsp to tbsp of brisket rub
same measure worchestershire a/o soy

add enough water to get fully sloshy, pour-y, liquid, and cook over low-medium until the consistency is about that of karo syrup.

the *single* spice i have found that affects the eventual flavour the most is the chili powder blend.  most people (including down here) prefer a lighter chili flavour, which is why there is so much paprika - to cut very strong chili powders, which is what is mostly found in the bulk store-brand spices.

when i can get a real mild new mexico ground chilis with no fillers, i'll rarely use nearly that much paprika (which is mostly an expander and colouring agent, anyhow.)

add the chili powder next-to-last, a tablespoon at a time, and mix after each tbsp.  when it 'smells right' - which means you can smell both chili *and* other stuff - add one more tbsp of chili powder, then 1.5 x paprika.

i use different amounts of rub for different meats, but the recipe is pretty much the same.  the most i use is for heavy beef and boar; deer or javelina, turkey or chicken or goose i 'dust' more than cake.  the 'lighter' meats, can be cooked a lot less, too, and usually are.

I deviated from Bob's directions only slightly:

Went with "full-sopped", and soaked the smoked eye roasts in the pre-cook bbq sauce before the slow cooking (east coast thing).

Substituted Dr. Pepper for orange juice in the sauce (trust me, this works)
Semi-liberal use of my "secret ingredient" (ok I'll talk, its hickory-smoked-salt)

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