KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts

KUT and KUTX news and music podcasts for Austin, Texas and beyond

Tacos of Texas

Tamales in Texas: A holiday debate with deep roots

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?

Bonus: Los Tacos de ACL Fest with Rosa and Daniela from La Santa Barbacha

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.


Bonus: Tacos of Texas Podcast live taping with Journalist Maria Hinojosa

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.

Deal to end shutdown could impose THC ban

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.

Lamb Barbacoa at El Grandpa’s Mexican BBQ

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!

Whole Hog Butchering with Chef Jesse Griffiths (Part 1)

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!

Austin Taco History

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!

Uncertain Times: Dreamers, MAGA Latinos & Taco Politics

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!

Cocineras: The Backbone of Mexican restaurants

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!

Women in BBQ

Standing out in Texas BBQ is not easy. Let’s find out how Pitmaster Chuck Charnichart and the team from Barbs-B-Que are making a name for themselves in the Barbecue Capital of the World.”

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!

Tex-Mex vs Mexican

Join Chef Kirk (Jesse Kuykendall) and Mando as they break down the major components of Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine.
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!

A history of the Texas Civil Rights Project

Remember the Democratic walkout this summer over Texas redistricting? Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit accusing Beto O’Rourke of bribery and other charges for supporting the walkout continues – but O’Rourke appears to have the upper hand.

Recovery funds are finally on the way for many in Houston who suffered damage during Hurricane Beryl and last year’s derecho. But the need for assistance continues to outweigh available resources.

For decades, the Texas Civil Rights Project has been a force in battles for voter rights, disability access and racial and economic justice. We’ll hear from founder Jim Harrington, who’s released a new book tracing the organization’s history.

A new episode of the “Tacos of Texas” podcast delves into tequila’s deeper meaning, including personal connections and heritage.

Tacos y El Michelin Guide

A primer into the Michelin guide and how tacos took over the list in Texas with Chef Edgar Rico from Nixta Taqueria.

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!

Salsa Daddy: Chef Rick Martinez 

Let’s dip our way into Mexican Cooking and salsas with Chef Rick Martinez, author of Salsa Daddy: Dip your way into Mexican cooking. 

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!

The Texas House passes new district map designed to give Republicans an edge in Congress

President Trump claims a big win in Texas as the state House passes new congressional maps giving the GOP an edge in 2026. Blaise Gainey of The Texas Newsroom and Andrew Schneider of Houston Public Media share what it means for the political landscape going forward.
Are Americans falling out of love with their credit cards? Not quite, but a new trend suggests a certain spending binge is over.
Texas’ top taco journalist, Mando Rayo, previews the new season of the Tacos of Texas podcast.
In the U.S., peyote – important to Indigenous religion – is only naturally grown in Texas. But the supply is drying up.

Texas Standard is a listener-supported production of KUT & KUTX Studios in Austin, Texas.

You can support this podcast at supportthispodcast.org

Ojeda Middle School Salsa Club

Let’s talk salsa with the Ojeda Middle School Salsa Club and learn how these young entrepreneurs are making and selling their own salsas. Guests include instructor Efrain Garza and his students.

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!

Trailer: Tacos of Texas Season Cinco Coming Soon

The fifth season of The Tacos of Texas podcast premieres on August 19. In Season Cinco, taco journalist Mando Rayo explores whole-hog butchering, the difference between Mexican food and Tex-Mex, how ICE raids are affecting taquerias, Texas’ Latinx Michelin-star honorees, women in BBQ, and kids making their own salsas.

Find it on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts!

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!

For Los Topos, borders and other dividing lines don’t matter in the wake of tragedy

The programming in this bonus episode of the Tacos of Texas podcast was originally aired live on the Texas Standard in July, 2025.

Tacos of Texas host Mando Ray discusses the search and rescue group who came from Mexico to help find victims of the July 4th floods.

In the weeks since the Fourth of July floods hit Central Texas, help has come in many forms. From relief concerts to restaurants donating profits, volunteers have been a huge part of relief efforts – including one trained rescue group from Mexico, which made it a priority to search for flood victims despite current rocky U.S. relations with Mexico.

The group is known as Los Topos Azteca and formed after Mexico City’s devastating 1985 earthquake. Tacos of Texas podcast host Mando Rayo discusses their involvement and the magnitude behind it in this political climate.

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!

The ADA turns 35: What true inclusion looks like

Texas lawmakers hear 12 hours of testimony as they take up what happened before during and after the devastating Hill Country floods.
Repeated plans to improve flood warning systems were repeatedly scuttled in the years leading up to the July 4th weekend. Neena Satija of the Houston Chronicle with what she’s learning about why.
As the Americans with Disabilities Act marks 35 years, advocates say we need to go beyond “accessibility” to build truly inclusive spaces – especially in disaster planning.
Will you soon be watching AI content on Netflix? Why it may not be a question of whether – but when?

You can support our work by becoming a sustaining member at supportthispodcast.org.

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