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Generally Texas BBQ is cooked by the offset method. That is you build the fire in one end of the pit..or in a separate firebox if you want to get fancy..and you put the meat on the other end letting the meat cook itself slowly in the smoke and heat. Now if you happen to find yourself among a group of Texas folks who are of German or Checz ancestry..you might find they prefer cooking direct over coals. That is they build a big fire..often on the ground..and when the wood has turned to coals they shovel the lit coals directly under the meat. The direct cooking method makes some great bbq..but the drawback is it uses up a bunch of wood. The offset method makes some great bbq too...and is a little more feasible for folks who don't have access to vast expanses of free or cheap wood. Which way is best will start an argument quick. The direct cooking gives the meat a special "fat in the fire" flavor which you don't get cooking offset..but the offest cooking makes the meat taste "smokier". The way Fred is built we can cook either offset or direct..or both ways at once..which is a pretty good trick.
Wood
Babecuing wood in Texas is somewhat dependent on where you live and what you were raised up using. Down in the Hill Country...Oak is the wood of choice because they have a bunch of Oak in that area. In North Texas and South Texas Mesquite is the wood most often used. Think East Texas may have some Hickory but have never used it or even seen it growing wild myself. Then of course Pecan and just about any type of fruit wood is great for barbecuing. At the cookoffs and for catering we try to use a mix of wood. Usually our mix includes Pecan, Oak, and Mesquite to give it some flavor...plus whatever fruit wood if any...we may have on hand.
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