Here is the thing. Hydraulic brakes work just fine until they don’t. And usually there is no forgiveness. Maybe if you are lucky, you start outgassing the brake linings first, which puts the gasses between the linings and rotors/drums, just significantly reducing the braking ability. (And seriously damaging the linings and their life) But if you get the fluid in the pistons hot enough to boil, your done. It doesn’t happen often, but sadly most people who do it once on long mountain descents don’t get a second chance to do it differently.
And generally a lightly loaded passenger vehicle is fine. But a loaded pickup truck or tow vehicle is at risk. A passenger car in Texas isn’t going to make any meaningful difference at all. But when it counts, it counts.
You can add Idaho and Washington to the states that post signs on decent asking you to engine brake, and train engine braking for hill decent in drivers ed. There is one stretch of interstate in Idaho that is 6% grade for so long that they have 3 runaway vehicle ramps on the way down. (It seems like several miles, and the runaway ramps don’t look like they are remotely often enough) Even in a passenger car with a 3 speed auto, I usually shifted to second at the top, and comfortably stayed around 60 on the way down with reasonable engine RPM and occasionally applying the brakes.
You can also add GMC 2500 pickups to the list of vehicles that aggressively engine brake through the automatic transmission, entirely on their own, when in tow mode.
And you can add high performance driving to the list of things that will overheat brakes in Texas. I have an Audi TT, and there are many reports that if you take them to a track day with factory brake pads, expect to limp back to the pits before the day is over, usually from severe brake fade, or flat out wearing them out in one day. Unless you have one oafish clutch manner, you won’t wear out the clutch, transmission or engine in many days of track driving, much less one day.