I should have noted that the Mexican version doesn't have gravy on it. It is a sort of batter, it's fried like fried chicken that has more than just flour, there is probably an egg in that operation somewhere.

Texas has some interesting zones where cultures overlap. This may well be one of the eddies in the culinary zone. The gravy came from folks in the Southeast U.S. who use it for numerous applications (biscuits and gravy is another combination that never graces the plate of this Northwesterner). Perhaps it met the Mexican dish and they merged?

SRS