The MeatEater Podcast — Ep. 812: The Best Grub in Texas

Release Date: December 25, 2025
Host: Steven Rinella
Guest: Jesse Griffiths (Chef/Owner of Dai Due, Austin, TX)
Location: Dai Due Restaurant, Austin, Texas

Episode Overview

In this special live episode from the Dai Due restaurant in Austin, Texas, Steven Rinella and co-hosts join chef Jesse Griffiths for an in-depth exploration of Texas cuisine rooted in wild game, hyper-local sourcing, and a radical commitment to authenticity. The group shares an on-air meal while discussing the challenges, philosophies, and culinary joys of serving truly local food. The episode is both a love letter to Texas foodways and an inspiring argument for transparency and integrity in sourcing and cooking.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Dai Due Ethos: Radical Locality

• Opening Theme: Jesse’s distinctive motto is “everything is from around here.” As Steven points out, it’s a rare and bold claim even among farm-to-table restaurants ([02:23]).
  • Quote: "The premise at Dai Due is that when you come here, you're eating Texas food from Texas." — Steven Rinella (03:14)
• What Can't Be Local: Some things will never be on Dai Due’s menu, like pineapples, purely because they don’t grow in Texas ([03:54]).
  • Jesse: "I love pineapple... but since you can't get a pineapple from Texas, you're never going to get a pineapple. You'll never see a pineapple in here." (03:54)

2. How Local Sourcing Actually Works

• Logistical Challenges: Jesse details the logistical (sometimes “sketchy”) process of sourcing wild game and local produce, insisting suppliers meet both geographical and ethical standards ([04:41], [06:47], [07:36]).
• Example: Tortillas are sourced from a specific San Antonio producer—but only if their corn is confirmed local ([06:47]).
• Eggs: Preference is for pasture-raised, close-proximity eggs, but stewardship practices can override strict geography ([08:07]).

3. The True Cost of Real Food

• Local food is expensive not due to “artisanship,” but because it reflects actual labor and the absence of agribusiness subsidies ([09:03]).
  • Jesse: "It's the cost of real food. It's how much it really costs when there's not a subsidized, you know, agribusiness standard that's producing these things." (09:16)

4. The Tasting Menu Tour

Wild Boar Flautas ([05:32])

• Wild boar (feral hogs) locally trapped and brought in whole for butchering.
• True Wild Meat:
  • "Wild pig carcasses come in [the back door]...every day get eaten by people who then say that's the best wild pig they ever ate." —Steven Rinella (10:43)

Audad (Barbary Sheep) Meatballs ([11:03])

• Often dismissed as “inedible,” Audad is rendered delicious via grinding and aggregation.
  • Jesse: "I love Audad. I think Audad is objectively good. I think that it's oftentimes cooked improperly...needs to be aggregated." (11:10)
• French fry inclusion is a nod to European/Middle-Eastern street food ([14:05]).

Flatbread, Pastrami Sandwich, and Housemade Paprika ([13:53], [16:06])

• Everything from the flour (Barton Springs Mill) to the housemade paprika is sourced as locally as possible.
• Handmade sauerkraut and preserves: Production is seasonal, staff process hundreds of pounds at peak harvest ([16:53]).
• Sauerkraut can run out for months if not enough is fermented during season ([16:06]).

Fat Rendering and Cooking Over Texas Wood ([18:00], [34:16])

• All beef tallow and lard is rendered in-house; firewood is local post oak — reflecting Central Texas barbecue tradition.
• Jesse: "Our sourdough starter to this day is from a grape starter across the road...a hyper local yeast." (33:45)
• Techniques are granular and resourceful, e.g., skimming out bits of meat for neutral fat, watching bubbles not just cracklings for doneness ([35:35], [47:07]).

5. Creative Substitutions and Economic Realities

• Tomato Ketchup vs. Beet Ketchup: Making true local tomato ketchup is “exorbitantly expensive”—beets provide a practical and economical alternative ([30:04]).
  • "In a real system that, that, that, you know, everybody wins from the farmer on down, tomatoes, they're not cheap."—Jesse Griffiths (31:10)
• Dry goods (like vinegar and sugar) are sourced responsibly but not always locally; some exceptions are necessary ([31:52]).

6. Sourcing and Meat Processing Details

• Wagyu and Longhorn Beef: Partnership with Mariana Peeler near San Antonio—cattle live on pasture with some grain for balance ([25:08], [26:16]).
• Hamburgers are primarily grass-fed longhorn, with older animals providing richer flavor ([27:03]).
• Game meats (like nilgai) are harvested under strict USDA oversight and unique field processing protocols—headshots from helicopters, shock treatment for quick processing ([58:09]).
  • "They have this shocking technique where they hook them up and they zap...to speed them through rigor mortis." —Jesse Griffiths (59:37)

7. Technical and Philosophical Cooking Insights

• Potato sourcing is a “cheat,” sometimes coming from Colorado or New Mexico but always organic (15:35]).
• Dairy (yogurt, cream cheese, sour cream) is made in-house, often using culturally significant starters (e.g., 200-year-old yogurt starter from an employee’s family; [21:05]).
• Rendering animal fats: Watch for small, straw-colored bubbles (like a light beer) as doneness indicator, not just crackling behavior ([47:07]).
  • Jesse: "As soon as it looks like a really light beer...as you get a straw color and tiny bubbles, you're done. At that point, you need to strain." (47:07)

On Animal Fats and Wild Diets ([49:54])

• Wild hogs eating pecans produce soft, unsaturated fat unsuitable for some purposes.
  • "The fat that we render off these hogs does not solidify in the refrigerator...it's polyunsaturated fats from eating a diet of probably only pecans."—Jesse (49:57)

8. Venison Hot Dogs and Future Projects ([41:02])

• Steven and Jesse brainstorm the perfect “gas station style” venison hot dog for a future video—emphasizing accessibility, flavor, and authentic emulsification ([42:28]).
• "If we can...publish a recipe and have an instructional video of how to make a gas station hot dog that your kid would be excited to eat and have it be 50 venison, that is success." — Steven Rinella (43:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Commitment to Local Sourcing:
  "If it comes in the back door and we see that it is not from Texas...we ship it right back." — Jesse Griffiths ([07:36])

• On True Food Costs:
  "It's the cost of real food...if we want to ensure that we keep farmers that are doing the right things, you know, in these smaller...family farm[s]...then we have to buy from them." — Jesse Griffiths ([09:16])

• On Rendering Fats:
  "As soon as it looks like a really light beer...as you get a straw color and tiny bubbles, you're done." — Jesse Griffiths ([47:07])

• On the Philosophy of Dai Due:
  "You've created something of a lot of beauty. And also, you just play by your own rules...when someone's like, oh, it doesn't work that way. You can't do it that way. You're just like, I'll figure it out." — Steven Rinella ([65:13])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:23] — Introduction to Dai Due and foundational philosophy
• [05:32] — The meal begins: flautas, wild boar sourcing explained
• [11:03] — Cooking with Audad; overcoming perceptions of “inedibility”
• [13:53] — Flatbread and the story behind Texas-grown flour and rice
• [16:06] — Importance and logistics of housemade sauerkraut and paprika
• [18:00] — On barbecue woods: post oak, cooking fires, and tradition
• [21:05] — Housemade yogurt from a 200-year-old starter
• [25:08] — Wagyu & longhorn supply; burger and steak decisions
• [30:04] — The economics behind beet ketchup vs tomato ketchup
• [34:16] — Sourdough starter origin and breadmaking methods
• [35:35] — In-house tallow and lard rendering
• [41:02] — Gas station-style venison hot dog brainstorming
• [47:07] — How to judge rendering fat by the bubble (light beer test)
• [49:54] — The effect of wild animal diets on rendered fat
• [58:09] — Nilgai harvesting: helicopters, field dressing, and USDA regulations
• [61:05] — Egg sourcing and supporting local sustainable farmers
• [62:05] — Reflections on what makes Dai Due a unique, values-driven restaurant

Tone & Atmosphere

The conversation is candid, humorous, and filled with camaraderie, but always returns to a deep respect for food, land, and ethical practices. Jesse’s humble expertise and Steven’s enthusiastic curiosity keep the tone lively and informative. There is frequent laughter and friendly ribbing, but the underlying themes are sincerity, regional pride, and reverence for the natural world and its bounty.

Final Reflections & Takeaways

• Inspiration: Diners and listeners are inspired to try harder at home and to respect the true cost and value of honest food ([64:24] Emily's closing concluder).
• Authenticity: Dai Due’s philosophy is about genuine creativity, sustainability, and building community around meaningful, delicious food.
  • "It's a community and it's really good." — Brent ([67:02])
• Invitation: Steven urges listeners to visit Dai Due whenever in Austin ([65:16]).

Summary Table of Key Dishes

| Dish | Sourcing Method | Notable Points | |---------------------------|---------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------| | Flautas (Wild Boar) | Trapped, inspected wild feral hogs | Hyperlocal tortilla sourcing, seasonal cabbage | | Audad Meatballs | Aggregated Audad harvest | Grinding for tenderness, challenge of invasive species | | Flatbread Kebab | Texas flour & rice, house yogurt | French fry inclusion, historical flavor inspirations | | Pastrami Sandwich | Wagyu brisket, house sauerkraut | Fermentation logistics, true rye bread | | Burger | Grass-fed Longhorn, bit of wagyu | House bun from grape-based sourdough, beet ketchup | | Lettuce Wrap (Nilgai) | Headshot-harvested wild nilgai | Hydroponic local lettuce, field-processed game |

Best Quote, Summing Up the Episode:
"You've created something of a lot of beauty. And also, you just play by your own rules...when someone's like, oh, it doesn't work that way. You can't do it that way. You're just like, I'll figure it out." — Steven Rinella ([65:13])

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in wild food, regional sourcing, culinary craftsmanship, or the everyday heroics behind real, honest cooking.