Lone Star Menu: Tastes of Texas

Surf and Turf: Beef

From the surf of the gulf to the turf of the cattle ranches, beef emerged as a standard protein selection in Texas cooking. Beef may be ground and stirred into a hearty chili, folded into a tortilla, or sliced into long strands of smoked brisket for a true taste of Texas. A style of barbecue commonly associated with the Lone Star State began in the Hill Country of Central Texas. German immigrants settled there in the 1800s and employed their style of slowly smoking meats to make them last. Pitmasters became like celebrity chefs of barbecue restaurants, creating their own mix for the dry-rub and tinkering with their approaches, putting their own stamp on the tradition.

Salt Lick BBQ, about 1985. Texas Tourist Development Agency photographs and audiovisual materials, 2012/193-29-02-076. Click or tap on image to view larger version.

The Mexican women cooking and serving meals of enchiladas, tamales, menudo, and, especially, chili con carne in the plazas of Texas and Mexico from about the 1870s to the 1930s became known as “chili queens.”

“The Chili Queens of San Antonio,” Frontier Times, vol. 4, 1927. TSLAC main collection.
Click or tap on image to view larger version.

“Military Plaza-Chili-Con-Carne, or Mexican Supper,” undated. Prints and photographs collection,1/103-628.
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“State Dish of Texas: Chili,” undated. Color slides and transparencies, Texas Tourist Development Agency photographs and
audiovisual materials, 2012/193-70_02_036. Click or tap on image to view larger version.

In 1977, chili became the official Texas state dish (House Concurrent Resolution No. 18, 65th Legislature). The dish originated in Texas, and early twentieth century chili parlor restaurants cemented chili as a national favorite.

“Ground Beef & Stew Beef Recipes” brochure, undated. Texas Department of Agriculture press releases and brochures, 2011/226. Click or tap on links and images to view larger versions.

Grilled, braised, or baked, beef has long been a staple of the Texas table. Homecooked meals featuring beef have ranged from the humble meatloaf to the decadent crown rib roast.

“Texas Beef Cook-Off,” May 1972. Texas Department of Agriculture photograph collection, 2001/078-22. Click or tap on image to view larger version.

Thanks to a long-established and thriving cattle industry, Texans have a delicious history of consuming beef. From backyard grilling to fine dining, beef products are commonplace on the Texan table.

“The Eating Out Survey: Beef #1 Among Texans” brochure, about 1985. Texas Department of Agriculture press releases and brochures, 2011/226. Click or tap on links and images to view larger versions.

Texans love a good steakhouse. A 1984 study conducted by the Texas Beef Advisory Council revealed that when dining out, Texans preferred beef to other meat options when it came time to order off the menu.

Salt Lick BBQ, undated. Color slides and transparencies, Texas Tourist Development Agency, 2012/193-29. Click or tap on image to view larger version.

Founded in Driftwood, Texas, in 1967, the Salt Lick BBQ is an open barbecue pit restaurant chain that prides itself on continuing this Texas tradition. This Texas institution has gained national recognition in the twenty-first century through appearances on popular television shows Man v. Food, Adam Richman’s Best Sandwich in America, and Top Chef. Despite the fame, the Salt Lick retains its family legacy and family-style service.

The Salt Lick Cookbook: A Story of Land, Family, and Love, 2012. TX Documents Collection, Z UA380.8 R544sa. Click or tap on links and images to view larger versions.

Famous barbecue restaurants and word-of-mouth have established Texas-style brisket as unique category of American barbecue. The Texan approach to this protein has been adopted by pitmasters, smokers, and grillers around the nation.

Walker’s Austex Chili Company, undated. Alfred E. Menn Scrapbook, 1951/003. Click or tap on links and images to view larger versions.

Founded in 1900 by T.B. Walker, Walker’s Austex Chili Company sold canned chili and tamales nationwide. The Austin-based company was one of the first producers of ready-made chili con carne. The company was eventually sold, but Austex chili and Austex Mexene chili powder can still be found on supermarket shelves. The Alfred E. Menn Scrapbook includes this page featuring a booklet, “History of Walker’s Austex Chili Co.,” a photograph of the company’s building, and a newspaper clipping of a photograph of Executive Vice President W.F. Gohlke.

With or Without Beans: Being a Compendium to Perpetuate the Internationally-famous Bowl of Chili (Texas Style) Which Occupies Such an Important Place in Modern Civilization, Main Collection, 641.5 C786w. Click or tap on links and images to view larger versions.

Published the same year that the first chili cook-off occurred at the State Fair of Texas in 1952, Joe E. Cooper’s With or Without Beans is considered the definitive book on the history and lore of chili. The book features various recipes and stories of Texas’s favorite dish, including Walker’s Austex’s with its Mexene chili powder.

"Chili Cookoff,” undated. Color slides and transparencies, Texas Tourist Development Agency photographs and audiovisual
materials, 1991077_211_002. Click or tap on image to view larger version.

Since the first chili cook-offs took place at the State Fair of Texas in 1952 and at Terlingua in 1967, chili making competitions have been a point of pride for Texans. Whether at a neighborhood cook-off or an internationally recognized competition, every Texan has a strong opinion on what makes their bowl of red the best.

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