Despite Our Diversity, Texans Agree on Beef

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Cooking TipsGrilling & Barbecue

According to WalletHub, Texas is the second-most diverse state in five key categories: socioeconomic, cultural, economic, household and religious. Beef Loving Texans conducted a survey with Texas Department of Agriculture to test our theories on Texans’ passion for beef. What we learned is that while we are all different, we’re in agreement that beef is always present in our favorite Texan meals–with a few key regional differences.

Chili is our state dish and favorite thing to argue about. You can’t even mention beans and chili in the same sentence without stirring up a fight! That’s why we were surprised to find that despite chili being the official state dish, Texans think steak is more iconic (although we’re not too surprised).

Take a look at more beef preferences across the state!

Austin

  • Austin, one of the state’s barbecue capitals, names brisket the state dish of Texas.
  • Austin boasts the highest rate of rare steak eaters (13.9%) and the lowest rate of well-done steak-eaters (10.1%).
  • When it comes to beef tacos, people from Austin (14%) and San Antonio (13%) love them more than the other cities. Same with breakfast tacos with beef — Austin (6%) and San Antonio (5%) say breakfast tacos are their favorite way to enjoy beef.

Dallas-Fort Worth

  • Dallas-Fort Worth leads in calling steak the state dish of Texas (27%).
  • Dallas-Fort Worth has the highest rate of well-done steak eaters (16.3%)
  • Tea is the favorite beverage to pair with steaks and chili in Dallas-Fort Worth, according to 28 percent of respondents.

Houston

  • More than half (53%) prefer charcoal over gas and wood for grilling — just second behind San Antonio.
  • Hamburgers are more popular to grill in Houston (33.8%) than in any other city.
  • A third (33%) of Houstonites pair their steaks with wine, falling just behind Austin at 37% percent. When it comes to chili, almost a third (31%) choose water.

San Antonio

  • San Antonio has the lowest rate of rare steak eaters (2.1%).
  • Fajitas are more popular to grill in San Antonio (11%) than in any other city.
  • More than a third (34%) pair tea with their steaks in San Antonio; tea is also the preferred pairing with chili (28%).

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