Bill Text: TX HCR134 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Declaring Lamesa the Legendary Home of the Chicken-fried Steak.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 2)
Status: (Passed) 2011-05-09 - Signed by the Governor [HCR134 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HCR134-Enrolled.html
| H.C.R. No. 134 | ||
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| WHEREAS, Texas is renowned for its innovative cuisine, and | ||
| certain beloved dishes have become integral elements of the state's | ||
| culture and folklore; one such food is chicken-fried steak, and the | ||
| epic deliciousness of this specialty has inspired not only | ||
| countless satisfied diners but also an enduring Lone Star legend; | ||
| and | ||
| WHEREAS, For generations, Texans pondered the seemingly | ||
| eternal mystery of who invented the chicken-fried steak; then, in | ||
| 1976, came an answer: Larry BeSaw published an article in the Austin | ||
| American-Statesman explaining that this wondrous combination of | ||
| beef, batter, and breading had first been dropped onto a well-oiled | ||
| skillet in 1911 by Jimmy Don Perkins, a short-order cook at Ethel's | ||
| Home Cooking in Lamesa, Texas; according to the published story, | ||
| Mr. Perkins had mistakenly combined two separate orders for chicken | ||
| and fried steak into a single culinary creation whose savory | ||
| goodness became famous far beyond West Texas; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The account received wider attention after being | ||
| picked up by a syndicated columnist and was later repeated in | ||
| publications that ranged from the Washington Post to Texas Monthly | ||
| to trivia books; cited again and again through the years and given a | ||
| further boost through Internet postings, the anecdote about Jimmy | ||
| Don's handiwork earned Lamesa the enviable status of being the home | ||
| of the chicken-fried steak; there was just one small problem: it was | ||
| not true; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Mr. BeSaw had created his article as a spoof, never | ||
| intending it to be taken as fact, but the story quickly took on a | ||
| life of its own; though the journalist has tried numerous times to | ||
| set the record straight, the yarn continues to be widely told, | ||
| having attained the status of a Texas tall tale; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Not wishing to spoil a good legend, the city of | ||
| Lamesa has embraced its role as an epicenter of epicurean | ||
| invention; it celebrates the lore of its mythical short-order cook | ||
| with its Chicken-fried Steak Festival, which includes a cook-off | ||
| competition for its namesake dish in addition to live music, a | ||
| classic car show, and numerous other activities; and | ||
| WHEREAS, While everybody knows that honesty truly is the best | ||
| policy, residents of the Lone Star State have long demonstrated | ||
| their appreciation for harmless exaggeration and some good | ||
| old-fashioned leg-pulling; in that same spirit, and because the | ||
| Jimmy Don Perkins tale is just a darn good story, it is indeed | ||
| appropriate that the city of Lamesa be recognized for its role in | ||
| this imaginative and imaginary incident in Texas history; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas | ||
| hereby declare Lamesa the Legendary Home of the Chicken-fried | ||
| Steak. | ||
| Craddick | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.C.R. No. 134 was adopted by the House on | ||
| April 13, 2011, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.C.R. No. 134 was adopted by the Senate on | ||
| April 19, 2011, by a viva-voce vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: __________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| __________________ | ||
| Governor | ||
