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Everybody claims to have the best barbecue. Kansas City has its sauce. Memphis has its ribs. The Carolinas have their pork.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But ask Texans, and they\u2019ll tell you the Lone Star State sits at the top of the barbecue mountain.<\/p>\n
To learn what separates average backyard grilling from championship-caliber barbecue, the Defender turned to two Houston-area pitmasters whose reputations have spread largely through word-of-mouth: Russell Fennell of Just Grilling (IG: @justgrilling.htx) and Zarak Peters of Big Z\u2019s Que (IG: @bigzsque), whose motto is \u201cThe best BBQ this side of heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fennell, originally from Seguin, has spent nearly four decades behind the pit and has earned awards for his ribs and brisket. Peters, who grew up in Missouri City and recently moved to Rosharon, has accumulated rooms full of trophies and award banners. After about 15 years of catering while working for Fort Bend ISD, Peters recently retired and is preparing to open a barbecue spot in Houston\u2019s Third Ward.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-108.jpeg\")
Russell Fennell (l) serves us some of his food during a catered graduation affair. Credit: Courtesy Russell Fennell.<\/p>\n
Both men credit their families for sparking their passion.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy grandfather, Herman Fennell,\u201d Russell Fennell said when asked who inspired his barbecue journey.<\/p>\n
For Peters, it was his late uncle, James Robertson of La Marque.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did most of the barbecuing in our family when I was younger,\u201d Peters said. \u201cI really didn\u2019t take an interest in it until he passed away\u2026 But I think that\u2019s where I got my motivation from.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here are some of their biggest barbecue secrets.<\/p>\n
Patience is the secret ingredient<\/strong><\/p>\n If there is one lesson both pitmasters stress, it\u2019s that great barbecue simply cannot be rushed.<\/p>\n \u201cThe secret is patience and slow cooking,\u201d Fennell said.<\/p>\n That\u2019s especially true for brisket.<\/p>\n \u201cThe secret is patience and slow cooking\u2026 You can\u2019t rush barbecue. Not good barbecue, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n Russell Fennell<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cYou have to cook a brisket really slow, about between 250 and 275,\u201d he said. \u201cA 10- to 12-pound brisket is probably going to take 10 to 12, maybe 14 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n Trying to speed things up with higher temperatures usually backfires because the fat doesn\u2019t have time to render properly, leaving tougher meat behind.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t rush barbecue,\u201d Fennell said. \u201cNot good barbecue, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n Preparation begins before the fire<\/strong><\/p>\n Long before meat reaches the smoker, preparation determines much of the final result.<\/p>\n \u201cPrepping, being prepared, knowing what you want to do,\u201d Peters said. \u201cIf you\u2019re doing brisket, it\u2019s how you trim your brisket, how you prep it. Are you going to brine? Same thing with ribs.\u201d<\/p>\n Seasoning also requires intention rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t put the same type of seasoning on all meats,\u201d Fennell said.<\/p>\n For brisket, he believes simple often wins.<\/p>\n \u201cThe main two ingredients are salt and pepper,\u201d he said. \u201cYou never go wrong by just rubbing it down real good with salt and pepper.\u201d<\/p>\n His ribs get extra attention. After removing the membrane, he coats them with mustard, then applies three seasonings and lets the meat rest until the surface becomes moist, giving the seasoning time to penetrate before hitting the pit.<\/p>\n Master the fire<\/strong><\/p>\n Both pitmasters agree that controlling the fire is just as important as seasoning the meat.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the most important things is getting your fire right,\u201d Fennell said.<\/p>\n He warns against placing meat over charcoal until the lighter fluid has completely burned away, saying the residual chemicals can affect flavor and even upset stomachs.<\/p>\n He also cautions against adding too much wood too early.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you add too much wood too soon, then you\u2019ll get a lot of the dirty smoke that you don\u2019t want to go into your meat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Instead, he looks for a clean, light smoke before adding meat.<\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t want a lot of smoke,\u201d Fennell said. \u201cJust enough to go through the pit and circulate.\u201d<\/p>\n Keep learning\u2014and stay woke<\/strong><\/p>\n Despite their success, both pitmasters say they are still students of barbecue.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d say for me, not thinking that I know everything,\u201d Peters said when asked what the key is to his grilling success. \u201cI\u2019m always willing to learn something new\u2026 trying different seasonings, trying different techniques, and just being humble and open.\u201d<\/p>\n He constantly studies YouTube videos, podcasts, and articles to improve his craft.<\/p>\n Another lesson: don\u2019t leave the pit unattended.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t fall asleep,\u201d Peters said. \u201cKeep an alarm set\u2026 the temperature outside or in your pit may drop or rise. You have to be there to make adjustments.\u201d<\/p>\n Fennell agrees.<\/p>\n \u201cOnce you commit to it, you\u2019re going to have to stay up with it till it\u2019s done,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Pitmaster favorites<\/strong><\/p>\n Fennell doesn\u2019t hesitate when asked about his signature barbecue dish.<\/p>\n \u201cRibs. That\u2019s my specialty,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Peters says his ribs remain crowd favorites, surpassing chicken, which was his initial award-winner. But here recently, Peters says brisket is the most rewarding.<\/p>\n \u201cIt takes a lot to get a good brisket,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen you\u2019ve got your technique down\u2026 You feel good about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Where the pros eat<\/strong><\/p>\n When Fennell wants barbecue made by someone else, he\u2019ll happily make the drive to City Market in Luling.<\/p>\n Peters has sampled barbecue across Texas, including Goldee\u2019s in Fort Worth and Franklin Barbecue in Austin. Around Houston, he gives high marks to The Pit Room, Killen\u2019s Barbecue, and Truth BBQ.<\/p>\n Still, Peters believes consistency separates the great barbecue businesses from everyone else.<\/p>\n \u201cIf your barbecue is good, I will say it,\u201d he said. \u201cYou have to be consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget the sides<\/strong><\/p>\n Outstanding barbecue deserves equally satisfying side dishes.<\/p>\n Fennell\u2019s go-to spread includes beans, corn on the cob, and foil packets filled with cabbage, sausage, and potatoes.<\/p>\n Peters builds meals around what he calls \u201cloaded beans,\u201d featuring smoked turkey, bacon, and ground beef, along with greens or green beans, potato salad, and mac and cheese.<\/p>\n Giving back through barbecue<\/strong><\/p>\n For Peters, barbecue is also about serving the community.<\/p>\n Each fall, he organizes a barbecue cook-off fundraiser to benefit the athletic program at his alma mater, Willowridge High School. All proceeds support the program, reflecting his commitment to helping future generations. Though a date has not yet been set, this year\u2019s event is expected to take place in the fall. Those interested in supporting the fundraiser can connect with Peters through Instagram (@BigZsQue), Facebook (Zarak Peters), or by email at Bigzsque99@gmail.com.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tMORE FROM THE DEFENDER<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Everybody claims to have the best barbecue. Kansas City has its sauce. Memphis has its ribs. The Carolinas…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":968993,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5130],"tags":[389103,93775,4345,389104,7947,125057,389105,69351,358,3187,389106],"class_list":["post-968992","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-big-zs-que","tag-fort-bend-isd","tag-houston","tag-just-grilling","tag-lone-star-state","tag-missouri-city","tag-russell-fennell","tag-seguin","tag-texas","tag-tx","tag-zarak-peters"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/117008874096701197","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/968992","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=968992"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/968992\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/968993"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=968992"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=968992"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=968992"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Zarak-P.jpg\")
Zarak Peters emphasizes the importance of prepping if you want barbecue done right. Credit: Courtesy Zarak Peters<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/RF-4.jpeg\")
Russell Fennell says grilling is a labor of love. Credit: Courtesy Russell Fennell<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-107.jpeg\")
Zarak Peters (upper right), seen here during his playing days at Willowridge High School, organizes an annual barbecue fundraiser with all proceeds going towards the school\u2019s athletic program. Credit: Courtesy Zarak Peters.<\/p>\n