July 21, 2025 • 6 mins
Is brisket really the king of Texas cuisine—or is queso the true MVP?In this laugh-out-loud episode of The Ben and Skin Show, hosts Ben Rogers, Jeff “Skin” Wade, Kevin “KT” Turner, and Krystina Ray dive fork-first into a sizzling bracket challenge from Axios to determine the most iconic Texas food. From smoked brisket to pecan pie, the crew debates, reminisces, and roasts each other over their favorite Lone Star State dishes.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
It's time. The publication Axios is doing a thing trying
to find out the most iconic Texas food. So they
asked their readers in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio
to vote on this bracket. So I have it and
can run through this. I'm actually going to vote along.
(00:27):
So our submissions go through and we'll pick it up
tomorrow and see if we matched up with what the
rest of the state did.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Can we talk it out? Absolutely, because immediately I think
about a lot of different things. I'm thinking about text Max.
I'm thinking about keeso tacos. Also could be barbecue or burgers.
To me, it's like barbecue or Mexican food, one of
those two.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Brisket, immedia, Yeah, brisket for show. You got to think
about the whole state, though, you know you think about
that in Horn Dog Boy is match up one and
there are no no seatings here. Smoked brisket versus chicken
fried steak.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
For me, I think about how I would feel an
hour later, and it's got to be smoked brisket for me.
But man, I'm not if you tell me it's chicken
fried steak, I'm mad at you.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Ben. Chicken fried steak is one of my favorite things ever. Man,
at my fattest, I would crush Grandies. God, it was
so good.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
I love Grandies.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Was so good.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Let's get Grandies up here.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Uh. I'm gonna go with chicken fried steak.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
I mean they're both delicious, especially when they're done right.
But I have to agree with skin and like you
just think about how you're gonna feel maybe thirty minutes
after the meal, a nice good brisket. You guys know
my theory on steaks. I vote for brisket as well,
just because I think steak's a little bit overrated.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah, you think old steaks are overrated, not all of them.
But I don't even consider chicken fried steak to be
steakd right, Really, chicken fried chicken is legit too. Yeah,
it's just fried.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Fajitas versus Texas chili.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I'll go fas.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Chili is like either really good or man, what happened?
Chili can go south on you so fast.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Yeah, wetting. If you're making bad chili, that's on you, yep.
But no one ever makes bad fatas Kevin. If you're
trying some of doctor Ted's award winning Texas chili, then
you'd be voting Texas Chili. You guys don't know, Dennis
ass I like.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
That Rangers commercial for that chili company, Texas Chili Company
so good. I named a state after it.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
That's good, very cocky. Yeah, okay, now this one's one
the first time I got thrown for a loop looking
at this bracket. Golf shrimp versus King Ranch cast role,
which is allegedly famous. It is, but I don't know.
I don't really mess around with that King Ranch cast role.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
So I believe it has it's crispy on top, right
mm hm, And I believe it usually has beef meat
in it chicken.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
It does have chicken, beef meat beef Is it dead cal?
There's actually a ranch called King Ranch, and it's one
of the largest ranches in the United States.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
They've got some of the best beef meat.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Uh. So I guess I'll vote for golf shrimp, even
though I don't like eating foods from the golf Is
it is golf shrimp fried? Or like, how how is
it prepared? It just says golf shrimp. Probably just just
imagine it on a plate.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Or whatever you want on it your own imagination. I
don't ever see golf shrimp. I don't ever see somebody
go out of their way to tell you it's golf shrimp.
I just see jumbo shrimp or whatever.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
They're smart. They don't mention golf, and I don't. It's healthy.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
I don't know what that cast role is. I've never
heard of it. So give me the shrimp.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Yeah, I'll take shrimp. I love shrimp shrimping out all right.
Caso versus freedo pie, Oh yeah, that's nothing's going to be.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Caso freedo pie is also kind of in the chili
category where it could go south on your real fast.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Yeah, so have some quaso migas versus breakfast tacos. That's
so hard for me. That is very tough. You get
out of here with your eggs. All vote breakfast tacos
with no eggs? What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Like migas, I know it means eggs, but what is
it some certain way.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
It's like it's usually it's eggs and like a lot
of people put sausage in it. It's like Mexican egg
breakfast tortilla strips. Yeah, when you're hungover, it's super dope.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
It's somewhere but not ringing a bell. It's really good.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Y're voting megas are I'm going to breakfast taco.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Breakfast taco for me. It sounds like they're similar when
what you're saying, But breakfast taco.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Barbicella versus Tamalai's barbicla me too.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I'm gonna take Tomali's. Tamali's are legit.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
I I in general, I can both.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
You can get massa can get bad, like when when
Tamali's are over massed.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
I'm out.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
I just had some bad tomalies. So barbaricola cobbler versus
a Texas sheet cake cobbler.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
What is a Texas sheet cake?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Just chocolate? What? Just like a chocolate cake with chocolate
icingy brownie type thing? I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
I've I love cobbler. Neither's good for me. Peach cobbler
really revs my engine gross.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
I don't know what the other thing is. I'll take cobbler. Lastly,
a pecan pie versus Colachi's. Oh, I'm gonna sit this
one out.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Colachi's meaning like like from West those from West Texas.
I like Colachies. I'm not as crazy about those. Everyone's
raves about those I'm not as big of a fan
of those. They're a little overrated off, but I do
like Colachi's in general. CON's the super nut, and I
(05:50):
love pecan pie. Give me a pecan pie.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
An honor of my grandpa. Pecan pie. That's a Texas thing,
though I didn't know that. I think we have a
lot of pecanans down here. The super not dude, of course,
were okay, it says I've submitted to this. Thank you
for participating in our Texas Iconic Food Bracket. We'll see
you tomorrow with more. All right, there he goes, we're
all participating.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Coming up next in just over three minutes, a crazy
robbery happened in Grapevine. We'll give you the details next
It's time. The publication Axios is doing a thing trying
to find out the most iconic Texas food. So they
asked their readers in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio
to vote on this bracket. So I have it and
can run through this. I'm actually going to vote along.
(00:27):
So our submissions go through and we'll pick it up
tomorrow and see if we matched up with what the
rest of the state did.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Can we talk it out? Absolutely, because immediately I think
about a lot of different things. I'm thinking about text Max.
I'm thinking about keeso tacos. Also could be barbecue or burgers.
To me, it's like barbecue or Mexican food, one of
those two.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
Brisket, immedia, Yeah, brisket for show. You got to think
about the whole state, though, you know you think about
that in Horn Dog Boy is match up one and
there are no no seatings here. Smoked brisket versus chicken
fried steak.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
For me, I think about how I would feel an
hour later, and it's got to be smoked brisket for me.
But man, I'm not if you tell me it's chicken
fried steak, I'm mad at you.
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Ben. Chicken fried steak is one of my favorite things ever. Man,
at my fattest, I would crush Grandies. God, it was
so good.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
I love Grandies.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Was so good.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Let's get Grandies up here.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Uh. I'm gonna go with chicken fried steak.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
I mean they're both delicious, especially when they're done right.
But I have to agree with skin and like you
just think about how you're gonna feel maybe thirty minutes
after the meal, a nice good brisket. You guys know
my theory on steaks. I vote for brisket as well,
just because I think steak's a little bit overrated.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Yeah, you think old steaks are overrated, not all of them.
But I don't even consider chicken fried steak to be
steakd right, Really, chicken fried chicken is legit too. Yeah,
it's just fried.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
Fajitas versus Texas chili.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
I'll go fas.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Chili is like either really good or man, what happened?
Chili can go south on you so fast.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Yeah, wetting. If you're making bad chili, that's on you, yep.
But no one ever makes bad fatas Kevin. If you're
trying some of doctor Ted's award winning Texas chili, then
you'd be voting Texas Chili. You guys don't know, Dennis
ass I like.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
That Rangers commercial for that chili company, Texas Chili Company
so good. I named a state after it.
Speaker 1 (02:28):
That's good, very cocky. Yeah, okay, now this one's one
the first time I got thrown for a loop looking
at this bracket. Golf shrimp versus King Ranch cast role,
which is allegedly famous. It is, but I don't know.
I don't really mess around with that King Ranch cast role.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
So I believe it has it's crispy on top, right
mm hm, And I believe it usually has beef meat
in it chicken.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
It does have chicken, beef meat beef Is it dead cal?
There's actually a ranch called King Ranch, and it's one
of the largest ranches in the United States.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
They've got some of the best beef meat.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Uh. So I guess I'll vote for golf shrimp, even
though I don't like eating foods from the golf Is
it is golf shrimp fried? Or like, how how is
it prepared? It just says golf shrimp. Probably just just
imagine it on a plate.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
Or whatever you want on it your own imagination. I
don't ever see golf shrimp. I don't ever see somebody
go out of their way to tell you it's golf shrimp.
I just see jumbo shrimp or whatever.
Speaker 1 (03:41):
They're smart. They don't mention golf, and I don't. It's healthy.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
I don't know what that cast role is. I've never
heard of it. So give me the shrimp.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Yeah, I'll take shrimp. I love shrimp shrimping out all right.
Caso versus freedo pie, Oh yeah, that's nothing's going to be.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Caso freedo pie is also kind of in the chili
category where it could go south on your real fast.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Yeah, so have some quaso migas versus breakfast tacos. That's
so hard for me. That is very tough. You get
out of here with your eggs. All vote breakfast tacos
with no eggs? What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Like migas, I know it means eggs, but what is
it some certain way.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
It's like it's usually it's eggs and like a lot
of people put sausage in it. It's like Mexican egg
breakfast tortilla strips. Yeah, when you're hungover, it's super dope.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
It's somewhere but not ringing a bell. It's really good.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
Y're voting megas are I'm going to breakfast taco.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Breakfast taco for me. It sounds like they're similar when
what you're saying, But breakfast taco.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Barbicella versus Tamalai's barbicla me too.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
I'm gonna take Tomali's. Tamali's are legit.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
I I in general, I can both.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
You can get massa can get bad, like when when
Tamali's are over massed.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
I'm out.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
I just had some bad tomalies. So barbaricola cobbler versus
a Texas sheet cake cobbler.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
What is a Texas sheet cake?
Speaker 1 (05:07):
Just chocolate? What? Just like a chocolate cake with chocolate
icingy brownie type thing? I don't know.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
I've I love cobbler. Neither's good for me. Peach cobbler
really revs my engine gross.
Speaker 1 (05:22):
I don't know what the other thing is. I'll take cobbler. Lastly,
a pecan pie versus Colachi's. Oh, I'm gonna sit this
one out.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
Colachi's meaning like like from West those from West Texas.
I like Colachies. I'm not as crazy about those. Everyone's
raves about those I'm not as big of a fan
of those. They're a little overrated off, but I do
like Colachi's in general. CON's the super nut, and I
(05:50):
love pecan pie. Give me a pecan pie.
Speaker 1 (05:53):
An honor of my grandpa. Pecan pie. That's a Texas thing,
though I didn't know that. I think we have a
lot of pecanans down here. The super not dude, of course,
were okay, it says I've submitted to this. Thank you
for participating in our Texas Iconic Food Bracket. We'll see
you tomorrow with more. All right, there he goes, we're
all participating.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
Coming up next in just over three minutes, a crazy
robbery happened in Grapevine. We'll give you the details next
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