There are usually three ingredients to barbecue—meat and wood smoke are essential. The use of a sauce or seasoning varies widely between regional traditions. The first ingredient in the barbecue tradition is the meat. The most widely used meat in most barbecues is pork, particularly pork ribs, and also the pork shoulder for pulled pork. In Texas, beef is more common, especially brisket. The techniques used to cook the meat are hot smoking and smoke cooking, distinct from cold smoking.

Source: Wikipedia