If you love tacos as much as we do, you’ll want to stay tuned to our Tacos of Texas Video Series. We’ll be publishing new videos that highlight the culture, history, and flavor that make tacos in Texas so great.
THE TACOS OF TEXAS TRAILER
Last year we started the “taco research,” yeah we went to 10 cities in Texas to uncover the best tacos in the Lonestar State which is basically like half of America. We traveled over 7,000 miles, covered 10 cities, interviewed over 100 people and ate around 500 tacos (give or take a few tortillas). Oh yeah and we filmed it too thanks to Dennis Burnett aka El Flaco Rojo. Check out the Tacos of Texas book trailer and look for the upcoming video series featuring the taco vibe and culture in 10 cities in Texas.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Cowboys & Vaqueros, these are The Tacos of Texas!
TEXAS TRADITIONS: Barbacoa
Barbacoa Sundays – It’s a way of life in South Texas. Rooted in family traditions of backyard cooking, barbacoa is a cultural taste that grew out of farms and ranches and is enjoyed by many families across Texas. Slow-cooked or steamed to beef cheek perfection, barbacoa is prepared traditionally in a pozo, also known as an in-ground pit or outdoor oven.
Today, we invite you to meet Rufel Serna – rancher, oil man and barbacoa pitmaster. Rufel, with his wife, Tommie Ann and his three grown children, lead the ranch life in Seven Sisters, Texas. More than four generations of the Serna family have shared their love of food and South Texas traditions with each other at their home.
If there is one thing that brings the Sernas together it’s Rufel and his expertise in making barbacoa. In Texas, where smoked beef reigns king, you can’t have well prepared beef cheek without a pitmaster. Rufel grew up learning to cook from his mother, later becoming an oil man out of necessity. He continued doing what a lot of South Texas people do, ranch work and cooking barbecue.
For Rufel, cooking barbacoa is a tradition that has been passed down from his Mexican roots to new generations. That’s what he’s doing now with his grandson, Kevin, who is taking his turn at learning how to cook barbacoa.
While barbacoa owns the spotlight in the Serna household, it’s mainly an opportunity for family to come together. While the tortillas are made, onions chopped and the pit prepped, the Sernas are having fun while telling stories, agreeing, disagreeing and being a big Texas family. They are part of the Texas and Mexican cultures that have been making barbacoa the same way for more than 100 years.
TEXAS TRADITIONS: TACOS – Tex-Mex, beef and tacos.
That’s the daily meal for people across Texas, especially from Brownsville to San Antonio and Austin to El Paso. Fajitas, brisket, cookouts and bringing familia together is part of Texas culture. The boast-worthy flavors prove there’s no better way to celebrate it than with tortillas, salsas and beef.
A testament of that Texas culture can be found in restaurants, food trailers and backyards all across the state. You see, in these parts, Tex-Mex is it’s own food group and tacos are ingrained in the history and fabric of Texan families. Family tradition is rich and it’s reflected in the people who make the food. The desire to share the story of their favorite comfort food comes from making memories and sharing experiences. Oh, and a little bit of that signature Texan pride, too.