Watson’s BBQ – Tucumcari, New Mexico
The Wikipedia article on Eastern New Mexico describes the region as “mostly characterized by flat featureless terrain,” even likening it to West Texas: “Like much of the Llano Estacado region, Eastern New Mexico is largely agricultural and resembles West Texas in geography, culture, economy, and demographics.” While Eastern New Mexico may not be back-dropped by spectacular mountain ranges or bisected by the murky Rio Grande, it’s got an enchantment all its own even if the Wikipedia writer can’t see it. It’s also got something else the Rio Grande Corridor, for all its population centers and cultural diversity, can’t match. It’s got long-standing barbecue traditions that, not surprisingly, have their roots in Texas. By comparison, barbecue along the Rio Grande Corridor…