Hungry for more Food Network? Check out an episode of Food Network's new podcast, The Best Thing I Ever Ate where you'll hear about America's best dishes that just might burst your buttons.
Hear from your favorite Food Network stars about America's best dishes that just might burst your buttons.
Episode content:
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Find episode transcript here: https://food-network-obsessed.simplecast.com/episodes/the-best-thing-i-ever-ate-stretchy-pants-required
JAYMEE SIRE: Hello, hello, Jaymee Sire here. Food Network Obsessed is going to be off for the next couple of weeks. But we wanted to leave you with a little treat to listen to while we're gone. You're about to hear an episode from The Best Thing I Ever Ate podcast based on the hit Food Network TV series.
On The Best Thing I Ever Ate podcast, you'll hear direct audio from the TV show with Food Network stars from city to city eating and chatting with chefs about the best things they've ever eaten. In this episode, stretchy pants required. You'll recognize some of your favorite voices from Food Network Obsessed like Anne Burrell, Kardea Brown and Antonia Lofaso talking about their favorite dishes that just might burst your buttons.
Can't wait to hear what they say. Fried chicken is definitely on my list. And if you like this episode, you can listen to even more of The Best Thing I Ever Ate on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. So without further ado, here's The Best Thing I Ever Ate.
SPEAKER 1: Who doesn't love great food?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
SPEAKER 2: It's more than just eating. It's an experience.
SPEAKER 3: Do we have any more?
SPEAKER 4: This is The Best Thing I Ever Ate. OK, if someone said to me stretchy pants required, I think of a huge portion of really fatty food. Sometimes, that might mean helping me recover from a big fat night out.
[LAUGHS]
The fat club from the Little Goat in Chicago by my good friend Stephanie Izard fixes what's ailing me.
[LAUGHS]
I've never had too much fun in Chicago, but I've definitely had a lot. I go there, and I like, mm. Everything involved in the sandwich is delicious. And all I know is that my stretchy pants are feeling a little tight.
SPEAKER 5: So first step, we're going to make the fat bread. We're going to start with our yeast. Then we're going to add in our two different liquids. We've got milk.
SPEAKER 4: Beer, hello.
SPEAKER 5: These are both going to add the moisture that's going to make the bread get nice and crunchy on the outside and also help it toast really well later. And then we're going to add in high gluten flour. We're going to mix this together and let it sit for about two hours. Now, we're going to add our next phase of ingredients. Some more flour as well as our fat.
SPEAKER 4: Either duck or goat fat.
SPEAKER 5: So the fat is going to bring just a really nice sort of spongy texture to the bread, make it really springy.
SPEAKER 4: And then it has pickled mustard seeds in it as well.
SPEAKER 5: And then, we're going to let this sit again for another couple of hours until it rises, and it's all ready to go into the oven.
SPEAKER 4: They take this fat bread butter that like it needs it. And they toast it so you get the crunch of the bread. Brown food, again, taste good.
SPEAKER 5: Get it all ready for the sauces. First, we're going to start off with some mayonnaise.
SPEAKER 4: And then, you have this special sauce, which is ketchup and mayonnaise. You have the havarti. Here we go. Yum. You have turkey. Yes, delicious. Then you have crispy crunchy bacon.
SPEAKER 5: Thin sliced tomatoes.
SPEAKER 4: Cabbage, another crunch. Smoky ham, crunchy cucumbers.
SPEAKER 5: Avocado that's been smashed with a little bit of salt and some lemon juice.
SPEAKER 4: I mean, hello. It's meaty. It's crunchy. It's creamy. It's salty. It's a little bit sweet. Yum! This is delicious, and the bread has great flavor. That beautifully fermented tang to it, and I have a big mouth. It's hard to open my mouth big enough to get this in there. But believe me, I do it. Afterwards I'm like, ugh! Like, take my stretchy pants off, or maybe I just need bigger stretchy pants. I don't know.
[LAUGHS]
SPEAKER 6: My favorite thing is to just look at everyone's reaction when they place that plate on. Everyone's like, this can't be real! No! No! They call it a sandwich. But can you call it a sandwich if it feeds six to eight people? When I put on my stretchy pants, that means I'm headed to Edison, New Jersey to Harold's for that XL corned beef and pastrami sandwich. It's so massive, but it's so delicious. Then pastrami sandwich is-- I don't even know how many pounds of meat it is.
SPEAKER 7: Three pounds of meat.
SPEAKER 6: It's three pounds of meat?
SPEAKER 7: It's 1.5 pounds of corned beef, 1.5 pounds of pastrami.
SPEAKER 6: I mean, it's just so ridiculous. Now that I know, I can't tell if that makes me more excited or horrified at myself because I've eaten it so much. It's like a giant like meat mountain like it's a (SINGING) meat mountain, mountain of meat.
[LAUGHS]
First, they get high grade, high quality, super flavorful brisket.
SPEAKER 8: We pumped it full of brine. Now, we put it in brine, and it goes into the refrigerator for three days so it has that corned beef flavor.
SPEAKER 6: Then after that, they boil it for 3 and 1/2 hours. Then, time and hook it up with the pastrami.
SPEAKER 8: We cured with the same solution that we did the corned beef. And then we put coriander, [INAUDIBLE] and garlic.
SPEAKER 6: But instead of boiling it like the corned beef, they smoke it. Now comes the time where you need to get your stretchy pants ready because they stack that mountain of meat between two pieces of Jewish rye bread. And then, they give you the extra rye bread so you can build your own sandwiches off of this mother load of a sandwich that is placed down in front of you. It's so big, and then there's a little piece of bread on the top and like a flag.
[LAUGHS]
What makes it so delicious is that corned beef in that pastrami. The corned beef has got like a very nice, super juicy, super flavorful, a little bit peppery, mustardy New York staple flavor. The pastrami has got all those beautiful factors going on as well. But you get a nice smokiness that's awesome with that acidity and that beefiness. You don't need stretchy pants to eat here. But, it'll help you.
SPEAKER 9: The first time I had this pizza, I made the mistake of wearing overalls, and they just felt shorter and shorter when I stood up. Rookie mistake. There's certain meals where I have to wear my stretchy pants. One of those, the cacio e pepe pizza at Pizzana in Brentwood, Los Angeles. It's like give me the stretch. It has so much cheese. It's fabulous.
Cacio e pepe is usually Pecorino Romano cheese and pepper tossed with a pasta. But this is a pizza. It's perfection. Watch out pasta because there's a new sheriff in town. First things first. You have to have really good dough.
SPEAKER 10: My dough is really simple. It's just flour, water, and I started-- there was made from my family 64 years ago.
SPEAKER 9: That's the heart of a good pizza.
SPEAKER 10: This dough has been sitting and fermenting for 24 hours. Right now, I'm about to portion it and let it ferment for another 24 hours.
SPEAKER 9: So it'll be rising and doubling in size, and that's where all the flavor starts to develop and really good texture. Now it's time for the parmigiano crem.
SPEAKER 10: In a good cacio e pepe pasta, there is always a cream that is made out of Pecorino and a little bit of pasta water. But I don't have the pasta water. So what I did is to blend a little bit of ricotta, parmigiano cheese, and a bit of heavy cream.
SPEAKER 9: Hence the need for an adjustable waistband.
SPEAKER 10: We're going to spread it all over the crust and then we're going to add [INAUDIBLE] which is a young provolone. And then fior di latte, which is a drier version of mozzarella. I sprinkle Parmigiano Reggiano, and then in the oven.
SPEAKER 9: Pizza comes out of the oven, it gets cut. Parmigiano [? cremo ?] is getting drizzled all over every piece and then a little sprinkling of cracked black pepper. I've got my stretchy pants on. I'm there for a reason. I like to eat with abandon. A mass quantities, please.
And the crust itself is so good. It's this wonderfully stretchy dough, just little bits of char on there. The parmesan has this really nice nuttiness to it. The fior di latte, it's mild and creamy. And then the kick of cracked black pepper. I'm eating it, and I'm on a complete high. And then it's finished, and I'm so sad that it's gone. But I will go back again and again. I've even been known to maybe go two days in a row.
SPEAKER 11: These are the award winning ribs. They fall off the bone. They've been smoked for hours. You got to wear your stretchy pants if you go to a place like The Pig and Pint in Jackson, Mississippi. I get the cola glazed baby back ribs with two sides and a slice of toast. At the end of the meal, I feel good. Then I also feel like, ooh. Yeah, I might have overdone it a little bit.
[LAUGHS]
It was so good when I tried it. It was like an out-of-body experience. I just heard like angels singing. It's like heaven. They have perfected the smoke rib.
SPEAKER 12: We're looking for a sweet and savory flavor to come through in our rub. So we mix together chili powder, salt, brown sugar, pepper, white pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder, and paprika.
SPEAKER 11: There is a really nice cut of baby back rib. And then the rub just really seeps down into that meat so you're getting layers of flavor. I mean, all the way down to the bone.
SPEAKER 12: These are ready to go on the smoker.
SPEAKER 11: At 250 degrees for 2 and 1/2 hours over hickory and hickory lump charcoal.
SPEAKER 12: It's a cleaner, sweeter smoke than you would find from other hardwoods, and it really complements the glaze and the rub that we use on the ribs.
SPEAKER 11: While the meat is smoking, they make this glaze. Starts off as a simple syrup with the cola.
SPEAKER 12: Then we add vinegar, Worcestershire, soy sauce, and chipotle peppers. Then we add our brown sugar and fruit preserves to balance out the heat a little bit. Then to finish it up, we had a little of our Pick and Pint sweet sauce.
SPEAKER 11: Once the ribs are smoked, they brush it on there so you get that nice, smoky flavor, and then you get that sugary glaze on the back end. Heaven sent. And I don't want just the ribs. I want the whole thing. I want the whole shebang. I get a side of their melt in your mouth collard greens, macaroni and cheese, and this piece of buttery toast.
Get that first piece of rib, and it's so flavorful. I'm tasting the smokiness. I'm tasting the sugary glaze of the cola. I'm tasting all of the spices that go into the rub. And then the meat just melts. It's like, what happened? It just disappear. And then you get that salty, brininess of their collard greens. You get the creaminess of the mac and cheese. It's a perfect recipe for good barbecue. Just to make sure that you have adequate stretchy pants to do it.
SPEAKER 13: I mean, this thing is ginormous. Bring your stretchy pants because if you eat this whole thing, you're going to need them. It's going to be like Thanksgiving dinner right to sleep afterwards.
[LAUGHS]
I live in Denver, Colorado. We have a lot of great Mexican restaurants there. Adelitas, these guys do it right. The earth, sea, and sky, molcajete is the bomb. It's kind of like in between fajitas and stew, almost like fajita soup. It's delicious. Me and my business partner, KC, and Johnny, my corporate chef, probably eat this every 10 days.
I mean, it's got shrimp, steak, and these giant chunks of cheese floating around in there. It's so hot. You'll burn everything in your mouth and face. But it tastes so good. So when they make this thing, they actually make the broth.
SPEAKER 14: In the broth, we have tomatoes, jalapenos, and garlic. We're going to boil with water and then we're going to blend.
SPEAKER 13: It's like a spicy tomato sauce.
SPEAKER 14: And the jalapenos, we never know. Sometimes it's spicy, sometimes, no. So you can add little by little.
SPEAKER 13: The next thing they do, they take the molcajete, which is this big earthenware bowl, and they flip it upside down on a burner. They're getting this thing absolutely ripping hot. Put this delicious broth in there, and it starts bubbling and going crazy. Then they add Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, this delicious carne asada marinated in lime juice, garlic, black pepper, perfectly cooked chicken, green onions, some nopales, which is cactus, then shrimp.
SPEAKER 14: And in the end, the [INAUDIBLE].
SPEAKER 13: It's very similar to like a mozzarella string cheese. There's giant chunks in there that comes out with a big old side of flour or corn tortillas. I like flour because I'm from the Midwest, and that's how we roll. So you take your first bite. Bow! Flavor city. You get the steak. It's all beefy, and irony, delicious. And the chicken's cooked perfectly. And the shrimps, they taste like the ocean.
And the nopales is this beautiful, very like green flavor to it, and it's all coated in this awesome tomato chili sauce. You get the cheesy, gooey, cheesy piece. Oh, and all those beautiful juices running down your arm, onto your stretchy pants. It doesn't matter because you got your stretch pants on. Stretchy pants don't care. Your stretchy your pants is dirty as you want.
SPEAKER 15: This is what I'm talking about.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
12 layers of red velvet cake. Need I say more?
[LAUGHS]
Stretchy pants, this is one of those dishes where you're eating it, and you're eating it, and you feel so good. But you know, hey, I just increase myself by a waist size or two. I'm talking about the 12-layer red velvet cake at Southern Art and Bourbon Bar.
This cake cures every craving that you can possibly have when it comes to sweet and delicious. This cake is definitely big. It'll hold you over for at least 30 days. Perfect amount of moistness. They cream cheese icing over it. Oh, man. It's beyond words.
SPEAKER 16: It's just layers and layers and layers of love. You say the higher the cake, the closer to heaven. So what's in it? Of course, sugar, eggs and oil,
SPEAKER 15: All purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa.
SPEAKER 16: But we make it special by coffee. Coffee gives it that richness, deliciousness, that robustness.
SPEAKER 15: And it enhances that chocolate flavor.
SPEAKER 16: Now, we don't use that in that red dye stuff. We use beet juice to give it that beautiful rosy color.
SPEAKER 15: They fold in the buttermilk.
SPEAKER 16: Gives it wonderful tangy flavor.
SPEAKER 15: And they mix in the vanilla.
SPEAKER 16: Scraped from the beans. It's a piece of cake, honey.
SPEAKER 15: They layer everything on baking sheets, and they do this 12 times. Place it in the oven 325 degrees for six minutes.
SPEAKER 16: The next thing I'll do, I'm going to ice the cake.
SPEAKER 15: You have cake. You have the cream cheese icing. Cake, cream cheese icing, cake. 12 layers over and over and over, and it's floated on the top of this raspberry sauce with the strawberry garnish. As you bite into the cake, you taste subtle notes of that coffee that was blended in along with the cocoa. Perfect amount of moistness.
The cream cheese sweetness just softens it up, and oh. You just want to savor every bit of it, and all you're doing is making something, uh. Ah. Oh. Yes. Now the scary part is, I've told the world about it. So make sure you guys over Southern Art and Bourbon Bar, you keep one of those stash for me.
SPEAKER 17: Korean barbecue is an experience. You go there with no apologies. You show up in stretchy pants, and you're like, this is what we're about to do. The beef bulgogi at Park's BBQ in Los Angeles, perfectly sized ribeye, just marinated, and all the banchan that goes along with it, I call them Korean snacks. I eat all of it.
You guys at home, stretchy pants, all day long for this. Korean barbecue is so, so, so good. There's only one person on the planet who may love this place more than I do, and that would be my daughter, Xea. You want to see her reaction to Korean barbecue?
[PHONE RINGING]
She has no idea that I'm--
XEA: Hello?
SPEAKER 17: Hi.
XEA: Hey.
SPEAKER 17: How do you feel about Korean barbecue? Park's BBQ like, specifically, how do you feel about it?
XEA: It's the best. Why?
[LAUGHS]
SPEAKER 17: Do you want to go there right now? If I came to pick you up right now, could we go get Korean barbecue?
XEA: Are we everywhere going?
[LAUGHS]
SPEAKER 17: No, I'm so sorry. It was a joke.
XEA: Are you serious? We're not going?
[LAUGHS]
I'm hanging up on you.
SPEAKER 17: Oh.
[LAUGHS]
So to make this dish, they're using ribeye. Ribeye is wonderfully marbled of meat and fat.
SPEAKER 18: We're going to slice it in the slice machine.
SPEAKER 17: So perfectly thin. And then it is perfectly marinated.
SPEAKER 18: I'm going to put some sugar, black pepper, sesame seed, garlic, chopped green onion, puree onion, puree pear, soy sauce, Korean cooking sake, sesame oil. The last one is honey. Mix everything together, and then put the meat in here to marinate it.
SPEAKER 17: And then just with tongs, they just start putting it on this very hot grill. And you have banchan for days in front of you. The beef bulgogi caramelizes. Chopstick. Mouth. Tasting the meat, it's gingery. It's beautifully peppery and salty. I'm like salivating right now and just thinking of soy sauce and ginger. Seriously. And then, another serving of meat goes down as they're bringing kimchi stew, as the seafood pancake comes in this way.
Can I get more kimchi? Can I get more spicy cucumbers? Like, it so much, and it just goes on for hours until you're basically popping out of your stretchy pants. And you're like, if I don't get home soon enough, I'm going to fall asleep here. For safety, you have to make it stop, and then you go home.
[LAUGHS]
[MUSIC PLAYING]