Refrigeration, or the lack thereof, was one of the most important factors in the establishment of the techniques and traditions of Texas barbecue.

The birth of Texas barbecue in the late 1800s is attributed to German butchers who would cook leftover meat at the end of the week to prevent spoilage in the days before refrigeration. On Sundays, any meat they had butchered earlier in the week would be cooked and sold to locals and itinerant laborers as a prepared meal.

Starting in the 1920s, as commercial refrigeration became more commonplace, the transition from meat market to barbecue restaurant began. Meat could be preserved through refrigeration and served on a daily basis.

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GUIDE: The best barbecue joints in Houston

In Houston in the 1940s, the Pappas family established the Pappas Refrigeration Company to provide commercial refrigeration equipment to restaurants. They also got........

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