KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts
KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond
From cauliflower to nopales, swap in some different fillings – but make sure you keep the seasonings.
The interview featured in this bonus episode of Tacos of Texas originally aired on the Texas Standard in February 2025.
Tacos of Texas is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org
Control of Artemis II has been handed over to Houston: we’ll hear about the launch and what appears to be a big boost in interest in the space program. But it’s getting a little tight up there above the air: concerns about orbital traffic jams after a second Starlink satellite breaks apart. Texas prisons without air conditioning: a test case over cruel and unusual punishment. Also, a new documentary turns a spotlight on the role of Jewish Women in the story of Texas.
Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas. You can help make this podcast happen by donating at supportthispodcast.org.
The Michelin Guide ranking top places to eat was announced in October, 2025.
In this bonus episode, Mando Rayo sits down with the Texas Standard to discuss the new Michelin luminaries, as well as details on how he plans to celebrate the podcast’s fifth season.
The interview featured in this bonus episode of Tacos of Texas originally aired on the Texas Standard in November, 2025.
Some of the nominees mentioned in this episode have been featured guests on earlier episodes of the Tacos of Texas podcast. You can listen to all those episodes and more by heading over to the Tacos of Texas show page or wherever you get your podcasts!
Tacos of Texas is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org
The interview featured on this bonus episode of Tacos of Texas originally aired on the Texas Standard in March, 2026.
The interview featured on this bonus episode of Tacos of Texas originally aired on the Texas Standard in March, 2026.
“They are doing it by selling what they know. They know their food. They know their culture.”
If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KUT.org. Thanks for donating today.
Tacos of Texas is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org
Taco journalist Mando Rayo shares how he feels diners can be more intentional with how they engage with the cuisine we all love.
The interview in this bonus episode of Tacos of Texas was originally aired on the Texas Standard in January, 2026.
Tacos of Texas is made possible by listeners like you. You can support our work by making a donation at supportthispodcast.org
If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and KUT.org. Thanks for donating today.
South Texas lawmaker, Rep. Tony Gonzales, is facing a runoff and has now admitted to carrying out an affair with an aide who later died by suicide. Now a House committee is investigating the scandal.
How the primary election turned Tejano music star Bobby Pulido into a Democratic political contender in the general election.
The taco truck: A staple of life in Texas. Taco journalist Mando Rayo on why many working in those trucks are feeling more anxious right now.
A preview of the Texas Film Awards happening tonight.
And commentator W.F. Strong on a love of Texas authors and what may be untapped wealth on your shelf.
The application window opens for Texas education savings accounts, often called school vouchers. But demand may outstrip available funds. We’ll talk with two reporters for the Houston Chronicle closely following the application process, hear about the application experience of one Texas mom, and learn more about what’s included, what isn’t, and what happens if there’s not enough taxpayer money to go around.
SpaceX and xAI could be poised for the largest IPO in history. We’ll dig into what this merger means for Texas, and perhaps the future of space exploration.
And Mando Rayo, host of Tacos of Texas, on a new trend: less is more?
Over three years later, the first criminal trial over the police response to the Uvalde school shooting is underway. We’ll have a live report with the latest in the trial of one of the first police officers to arrive at the scene of the deadly school shooting at Robb Elementary.
With a big meeting set at the White House on Friday, we’ll review the stakes for Texas’ oil industry after the capture and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
We’ll hear why a Texas teachers union is suing the Texas Education Agency over social media posts related to the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Plus, social media’s struggles to keep a lid on AI deepfakes.
Millions of student loan borrowers are bracing themselves for big changes. We’ll have details on the end of the so-called SAVE program and why experts worry millions of student loan borrowers may be forced into default.
As some Texas cities cut funding for homeless services, a look at one approach from nonprofits: giving cash directly to people who need it.
With Netflix in the news this week, tech expert Omar Gallaga notes some users are already spotting a change in how they stream the service at home as mobile casting is discontinued.
Plus, the great tamale debate: Corn husk or banana leaf? Sweet or savory?
Today we’re live at Paprika ATX for the Tacos of Texas Wrap Party in Austin. In this bonus episode of Tacos of Texas, we talk to Margarito “Mago” Perez, owner of the Paprika on what it takes to go from a taco truck to a full on brick and mortar taquería. We’ll also dig into what it means to stand up for your own community because of the ICE and immigration raids.
If you’d like to support the Tacos of Texas podcast and other podcasts like it from KUT & KUTX in Austin, please visit supportthispodcast.org. Thank you for your support!
Mando Rayo, host of the Tacos of Texas podcast talks to Daniela & Rosa De Lima Hernandez from La Santa Barbacha about how they started one of the best barbacoa places in Austin, what it felt like to get a nod from the Michelin guide and what’s involved in bringing tacos to the people at ACLfest.
In this episode, Mando Rayo, host of the Tacos of Texas Podcast talks with award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa as they discuss the intersection of tacos, culture, and community resilience. Together, they’ll dig into how food tells our stories, how taquerias serve as cultural anchors, and the harsh realities immigrant communities face when ICE raids threaten not just businesses, but livelihoods and traditions. From the flavor of carne asada to the fight for dignity, this conversation will go beyond the plate—exploring how tacos connect us, sustain us, and reflect the struggles and triumphs of the people who make them.
The deal to reopen the federal government included a ban on intoxicating hemp – potentially undoing measures taken by the Texas Legislature last session.
Houston’s 9th congressional district is among those most affected by redrawn political maps. We’ll take a trip there to explore the impact.
Corpus Christi is trying to shore up water supplies. What city leaders are considering.
Apple wants to keep you connected, even on a hike in a remote place. How they might accomplish that.
Plus, both Ken Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott made their campaign bids official this week.
Get in on the barbacoa craze that hit Grandpa’s Barbacoa. Find out how that slow cooked lamb barbacoa hits differently in an outdoor, above-ground Pozo.
If you’d like to support the Tacos of Texas podcast and other podcasts like it from KUT & KUTX in Austin, please visit supportthispodcast.org. Thank you for your support!
Let’s take a class on whole hog butchering with Chef Jesse Griffiths, co-owner of Dai Due and learn the essentials of cutting a wild hog to prep for your favorite dish, from the shoulder to the tenderloin. From cabeza to colita, we’re getting real hands-on con estos maranitos. This is a two part episode, the first part is a one-on-one interview with Jesse Griffiths and in this 2nd episode, we’re gonna let Jesse get to butchering in the whole hog class. Let’s dig in.
If you’d like to support the Tacos of Texas podcast and other podcasts like it from KUT & KUTX in Austin, please visit supportthispodcast.org. Thank you for your support!
Whole Hog Butchering with Chef Jesse Griffiths (Part 1)
Let’s take a class on whole hog butchering with Chef Jesse Griffiths, co-owner of Dai Due and learn the essentials of cutting a wild hog to prep for your favorite dish, from the shoulder to the tenderloin. From cabeza to colita, we’re getting real hands-on con estos maranitos. This is a two part episode, in part 1, we are doing a one-on-one interview with Jesse Griffiths and in part 2, we’re gonna let Jesse get to butchering in the whole hog class.
If you’d like to support the Tacos of Texas podcast and other podcasts like it from KUT & KUTX in Austin, please visit supportthispodcast.org. Thank you for your support!
Let’s take a deep dive into the history of tacos and Mexican restaurants in Austin, from the early 1900s to the effects of the 1928 Master Plan and the Tejano establishments still standing to the next generation of taqueros and taqueras. Guest is Alan Garcia, the creator of the instagram page ATX Barrio Archive.
If you’d like to support the Tacos of Texas podcast and other podcasts like it from KUT & KUTX in Austin, please visit supportthispodcast.org. Thank you for your support!
Some local law enforcement offices in Texas get a heads-up when ICE is coming to town, but others don’t. We’ll dig into why.
There’s new evidence that, no surprise, the online world isn’t always so great for today’s teens. Advice from tech expert Omar Gallaga on making it safer.
Gov. Greg Abbott has a new challenger for the 2026 election. What we expect out of a campaign from Austin Democrat Gina Hinojosa.
Taco journalist Mando Rayo shares what he’s learned from a few women in the culinary world.
A conversation with author Bryan Washington about his new novel, “Palaver,” about a man living in Tokyo, estranged from his family in Houston.
Let’s get a pulse of the community and how tacos play a role in identity and politics in 2025; how taquerías are being impacted by ICE raids and explore how some Latinos or people of Mexican heritage can feel deeply connected to their culture – through food, traditions, or family – while also supporting political views that might seem at odds with their identity; and ultimately ask a Maga Latino, how he feels about undocumented immigrants picking and making his food. Guests include Chef Victoria Elizondo, DACA recipient and owner of Cochinita & Co. in Houston and Daniel Estrada, a self-described MAGA Latino and Trump supporter.
If you’d like to support the Tacos of Texas podcast and other podcasts like it from KUT & KUTX in Austin, please visit supportthispodcast.org. Thank you for your support!
Join us for a conversation with Esme Tejeda from El Dorado Cafe and what it takes to run the back of the kitchen as well as how cocineras play a major role in a restaurant’s success.
If you’d like to support the Tacos of Texas podcast and other podcasts like it from KUT & KUTX in Austin, please visit supportthispodcast.org. Thank you for your support!