Native foods dominate menus in Texas as in no other American region. They are a true cuisine and probably are the last and most enduring of the regional American dishes that developed out of the land and environment. These three major food groups are not just gimmicky dishes trotted out to feed the tourists, like Hawaiian poi and Alabama grits. They are served daily in every town in Texas. We live and die by the chicken-fried steak.
Barbecue is a product of the Texas prairies.
It was the only way that they could make the beef edible. Sauces came later. Chili, the fame of which has spread around the world, is the wellspring of our Mexican food, specifically a cooking style that is known as Tex-Mex. Basically, a Tex-Mex meal consists of enchiladas, tamales, tacos, guacamole, refried beans, spicy rice and hot corn tortillas. As with all dishes of Texas cuisine, chicken-fried steak is presented with graceful simplicity.