The Taste of Texas

by Mark R. Vogel

Because of its size, the gastronomy of Texas is analogous to a country, namely, a myriad of culinary influences that vary from region to region. Western Texans are best known for their love of beef and barbecuing.

"Tex-Mex" cooking, most prominent in the south, is an Americanization of Mexican influences. Many of the "classic" Mexican favorites, such as enchiladas and tacos, are American inventions with a Mexican twist.

Northern Texas is more akin to the southern US. Farming, chicken, pork and homegrown vegetables dominate. Central Texas reflects the food of the early German immigrants to that area.

Sausage making, meat smoking, and wiener schnitzel highlight their contributions. Finally, the gulf region has a New Orleans style. Gumbos, shrimp, crawfish, and general Creole and Cajun influences are evident.

Obviously, these lines of demarcation are not etched in stone. They are merely general culinary trends existing within certain sections.

Moreover, Texas is a melting pot within a melting pot. The influx of Asian immigrants and the concomitant injection of their culinary persuasions is just one example.

In its early days, Texas food, or should I say "grub," was a functional outgrowth of the cattle ranches and cattle drives that Texas was so famous for.

Work on vast cattle ranches made it impractical for cowboys to return to the homestead every night. Moving the cattle from these ranches to rail stations hundreds of miles away necessitated long journeys away from home.

For efficient sustenance, the chuck wagon was created. Basically, it was a supply wagon/kitchen on wheels. Meals often consisted of one-pot stews of meat, beans and sometimes tomatoes.

And that delivers us to Texas' signature dish: Chili con carne, or a "bowl of red' as Texans would say. Traditional Texas chili has no beans. If you want to add them, just throw in a can near the end of the cooking time.

MARK'S CHILI CON CARNE

This recipe will produce a notably hot chili. But there are plenty of points where you can modify the heat level. You can substitute a bell or poblano pepper for the fresh hot peppers, substitute olive oil for the chile oil, and adjust or eliminate the hot sauce and/or cayenne pepper.