[cheering]
I'm at Backdraft Barbeque in Roswell, New Mexico,
taking on the undefeated 10-98 challenge.
- When you face a challenge... - Oh...
Break down and cry.
Fetal position, floor, stat.
- That's all of it, right? - We have to put all of it on there.
I thought we were friends.
If I can finish this four-pound barbecue bonanza in less than 30 minutes...
[woman] Basically everything we make here in the restaurant just put it onto one plate.
Family of four or five could eat it.
Maybe have some leftovers to take home.
I got a T-shirt and my photo on the wall of fame.
- [crowd cheering] - So much sausage.
Ahh!
10-98, you're getting 86'd!
[all cheering]
[narrator] For years, food's army has grown unchecked...
Oh, my God.
- bigger... - Wow.
spicier...
Whoo!
bolder...
What is that?
But a hero rises...
That's tremendous.
ready to taste the nation's most epic eats.
Uh...
[cheering]
I'm Casey Webb...
Yes!
holding the banner of man,
and armed with years of experience in the restaurant industry.
[all chanting] Casey!
I go into battle.
Bring on the steak!
Food, your days are numbered.
It's gonna be a wild ride.
The mighty Casey has a taste for victory.
Whoo!
This is Man v. Food.
[bell dings]
[upbeat music playing]
My wandering taste buds take me to Roswell, New Mexico
for alien-themed sandos,
out-of-this-world Mexican,
and a mountain of meat challenge.
Greetings, Roswell.
I come in peace.
[eerie music playing]
In 1947, a mysterious find is crashed near the city of Roswell,
leading many to believe there's evidence of alien contact.
Science or fiction, this Southwestern space haven is home to UFO research,
conspiracy and delicious desert eats.
[music playing]
When Roswell locals want a wicked good sandwich, they come here to Bwiches.
This ode to everything supernatural
has mouthwatering munchies that'll launch you into the stratosphere.
[music playing]
At Bwiches, Chef Kerry Moore is the master of her craft,
witchcraft,
taking the taste of New Mexico and putting it between bread.
So you could come here and get the flavors of New Mexico in a sandwich.
Authentic. Very authentic.
[man] Because the way she brings her creative aspects
to the sandwiches, I think just takes it up a notch.
[Casey] They've got spellbound sandos like the Wiccan Chicken
or the Roswalien.
But folks who want the true Roswell experience order the 1947.
Stacked with turkey and gravy, New Mexican Hatch green chili jam,
cream cheese and homemade cornbread dressing.
Traditionally, cornbread dressing is something of the Southwest.
Every Thanksgiving, so having the cornbread dressing on the sandwich is a win.
Happy Thanksgiving.
[all laughing]
- Your state food is actually chilies, yeah? - Mmm-hmm.
- You can put them on anything. - And you do.
[laughs]
You know it's fall in the air, when you can smell the green chili roasting.
[Casey] I'm officially enchanted by this chili.
[in robotic voice] Take me to your sandwich leader.
[in normal voice] Kerry! How are you?
- I'm good. How are you? - I'm doing great.
Tell me about Bwiches.
So, we'll take anything that's traditional and then we New Mexico-fy it.
We're gonna make the 1947. It's kind of a "day after Thanksgiving" sandwich.
That's when our visitors first came to Roswell. [laughing]
It's weird. It's getting weird here.
-I believe. I want to be a believer. -Be a believer.
All right. So the first thing we gotta do is we gotta make some dressing.
[Casey] Dressing is a Southern version of stuffing cooked outside the bird.
And Kerry uses New Mexican Hatch chilies as the shining star.
So I love autumn, our harvest blend.
Um, it's the end of the season on the chilies, so the chilies are starting to turn red.
So they actually... They're changing with the season
like the leaves change on the tree--
So, New Mexico doesn't have tree leaves changes.
- We have chili changes. - I love the chili change.
- Alien and green chili, right? - Right, that's why we have green blood.
- What? - What?
These are Hatch chilies, so these are grown in Hatch Valley.
[Casey] The self-proclaimed chili capital of the world,
Hatch chilies are considered premium.
Virtually identical to their Anaheim relatives, but much hotter.
[dishes clattering]
So these are considered extra hot.
That's great. Tons of flavor.
- Tons of flavor. - Endless heat.
Little smoky, little sweet.
We sweat some celery and onion in a pot
and combine our harvest blend with dried cornbread.
Kerry and I mix in salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, chicken stock
and maybe more chilies.
When we do Thanksgiving, it's got chili in everything.
- It's better the second day. - It's way better the second day.
We take our dressing out of the oven.
This is not done yet. I fry it.
- Oh. - On the flat top.
It needs more texture, it needs that crispy...
[Casey] Sure does.
fried goodness.
[Casey] A 1947 invades the flat top with sliced sourdough
and we spread on cream cheese and Dijon aioli.
We need a little bit of the chili goodness.
[Casey] And finally...
So we're gonna add some turkey,
a little more turkey, and for some good measure...
[both] More turkey.
[Casey] We bewitch this wich with gravy and dressing.
Can't get this in my fridge the day after Thanksgiving.
[both laughing]
- [Kerry] There it is. - [Casey] That's a thing of beauty.
The crash of 1947 sandwich.
- [Casey] It's very reminiscent of Thanksgiving. - [Kerry] Thanksgiving to go.
[Casey] But with that Southwestern New Mexican twist.
It's super creamy, and it softens the heat of the Hatch chilies.
The cornbread dressing just adds a whole other layer
'cause it is like stuffing but it's cornbread and it has that heat to it.
- [laughing] - You know what to ask for Thanksgiving?
I'm going with that for Thanksgiving.
This sandwich has sent me over the moon,
but a meat mountain is looming large.
[man] That plate is so huge,
it would take a large firefighter to put that fire out.
[Casey] So much sausage, such little time.
10-98 challenge, your number's up.
- Right. - Right.
[bell dings]
[ethereal music playing]
I'm in Roswell, New Mexico to do battle with
a mountain of barbecue, but before I alien "eat" the 10-98,
I'm stepping into old world Mexico without leaving New Mexico.
About four hours from the border,
Roswell has no shortage of great Mexican eats.
But when you want the very best, there's only one place to go.
Welcome to Antigua Cocina Mexicana.
[music playing]
Honoring the authentic culture and nostalgic flavor,
Antigua Cocina brings Mexican home cooking to life
using only the best ingredients
and the freshest tortillas.
Hot!
[man 1] When you walk in here, you feel like you're somewhere else.
- [woman 1] Yes. - You feel like you've traveled somewhere else.
And you feel like you're family.
[woman 1] And I've traveled around the world,
and this is as close to old world Mexican food that you can get.
[woman 2] It's rich, it's cozy, you just feel like you're eating something that
somebody's grandma taught them how to cook.
It just fills this whole different void
than traditional New Mexican or Tex-Mex food does.
[Casey] With time-honored plates like the enmoladas de pollo...
'Cause it has the mole.
It's got an earthiness to it, but it's got a sweetness to it too.
-I'm just keeping... I can't even stop. -You're mad.
[all laughing]
[Casey]... to the cheesy chiles rellenos de panela.
It is perfectly cooked inside. The cheese is nice and melty.
[Casey] This is not your run-of-the-mill Mexican,
and for folks who seek top-tier texture and kick,
they take on the chicken tinga.
Originated in Puebla, Mexico, tinga is stewed with tomato, onions and chipotle peppers.
And here it's on crunchy tostadas,
topped with queso fresco, avocado and crema Mexicana.
I like it spicy. Yes, sir.
[all laughing]
Sounds like you are writing a profile for a dating app.
I like it spicy.
[man 1] The chicken's very fresh, very tender.
Now, the avocado is really, really just soft and it just melts in your mouth.
[crunching]
Mmm.
- Delicious. - [man 2] Messy but good.
I think the messier the better, right?
Yes.
[laughing]
I make my way to the kitchen to take on tradition.
- Saul. - Hey, Casey.
So, talk to me about Antigua. I know you have a history in the restaurant business.
Yeah.
Nine years old, Dad opened a restaurant,
and standing on milk crates to wash dishes, reaching over.
- You said Antigua, so antique, right? - Right.
- It's like maybe "old way" or-- - Antique recipes, old recipes.
So today, we're gonna work on tinga.
It's a traditional plate. This particular dish originated with onions only.
As a lot of people may know or may not know, some dishes just come out of heart.
As it evolved, people started adding chicken, which is the most popular.
Other variations include shredded beef and different other meats.
- Saul, so where do we start? - Tinga goes on tostadas.
[Casey] They're gonna be nice and really crunchy and have to eat with my hands.
- Right, you like to eat with your hands? - Oh, yeah.
[Saul] That's, uh... that's the whole idea.
Nature's forks.
We're born with forks.
[laughing]
First thing we're gonna do is we're gonna grab some onions.
Yep. Those are onions.
For our first layer of flavor,
we let all the sliced onions cook down until they start to brown.
Then we bring in the chorizo.
Chorizo. Dad's old recipe, we have pork butts.
Grind them down.
Chorizo is highly spiced pork sausage that's commonly used in Mexico.
Oh, yeah.
[Casey] Once the chorizo is incorporated,
we season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and chicken bouillon.
[Saul] Yeah.
You can see those chilies. I mean, the chorizo is fiery red, like my face.
My hair.
You guys are getting hungry, aren't you? I can tell.
I've been hungry.
- Yeah. - I'm always hungry.
What is that? Why am I always hungry?
[laughing]
[Saul] Now we're gonna add our chicken.
[Casey] What part of the chicken we're using?
We use dark meat. Dark meat,
the chicken fry is gonna be a lot juicier than the chicken breast.
The all-natural chicken makes the big difference. There's a big difference in flavor.
[Casey] Lastly, we top off our tinga with their specialty chipotle salsa.
Saul and I start the multi-level stacking process.
The nice thing about the rest of the toppings is it's gonna balance out that spice.
[Casey] We layer on fresh crema Mexicana, queso fresco, and sliced avocado.
Plus a side of their hot sauce for the heat seekers like me.
Thank you.
[crunching]
Man, the heat is on.
But the flavor, the chicken is so moist,
and the crema and the queso fresco add to the richness of the actual tinga,
so it's really creamy and rich,
and the avocado just softens everything, and the tostada is so crispy.
Man, that tinga really sings.
This tinga is king-a, but I still have a titan to tackle.
He's gonna have to dig deep. He's just gonna have to find it within himself.
[chanting] We believe!
10-98 challenge, I'm coming for you.
[bell dings]
[high-pitched scream]
I'm in Roswell, New Mexico, at Backdraft Barbeque for the 10-98 challenge.
If I become the first ever to take down the four-pound barbecue behemoth,
I get a free T-shirt and my photo on the wall of fame.
This meat mountain better prepare to meet its maker.
[music playing]
The brainchild of a retired firefighter,
Backdraft has transformed an old train station
into a Roswell's barbecue headquarters.
Serving up central Texas-style barbecue with a New Mexican twist.
For me, I think they kinda keep it simple,
just good pulled pork, good brisket.
- Several things done really, really well. - Yes.
It's the best in Roswell. Flavorful, always tender.
[Casey] With specialties like the Hazmat sandwich smothered in spicy queso,
or the green chili apple pie.
But I didn't just come for one thing. I came for all of it.
[siren blaring]
Meet the 10-98 challenge.
Four pounds of Backdraft's best,
with golden potatoes, jalapeño cheddar sausages,
baked beans, creamed corn, green chile queso, brisket pulled pork, barbecue sauce,
more queso and smoked jalapeño poppers.
[beeping]
And there's no calling for backup.
Could you ever imagine having four pounds of the barbecue here?
[man] Problem is, you don't have time to think about it.
- When you face a challenge... - Um...
- [woman] Break down and cry. - Cry, yeah.
Fetal position, floor, stat.
I mean, yeah, one step at a time. [laughs]
Take a deep breath before you eat it because you might not get another breath.
[laughing]
[Casey] I head to the kitchen to smoke the competition.
- Hey, Bailey. - Hi.
[Casey] Thanks for having me here. All right, the challenge.
This is a 10-98...
[Bailey] So 10-98 in firefighter terms is the end of the call.
- [Casey] So 10-98 is when I'm done. - [Bailey] Yes.
10-98 challenge is basically everything we make here in the restaurant.
Just put it on the one plate. It's four pounds and it's massive.
Family of four or five could eat it.
- Maybe have some leftovers to take home. - Okay.
Now that puts it in perspective.
How many people have actually taken the challenge?
Only one person.
- Oh. - And they failed, miserably.
Nobody has defeated the challenge yet.
- [Casey] Tell me-- Oh. - I have one more thing.
- If you had to wear this, will you do it? - [Casey] Like Colombo.
- I gotta wear this? - You gotta wear the helmet.
[bell ringing]
[Casey] We start by adding a binder of mustard to our pork shoulder.
Bailey adds garlic salt, chili powder, salt and pepper mix,
and paprika to a bowl and we whisk together.
Feel like a, it's a cauldron, like a little male witch.
We coat the pork completely and wrap it to secure the juices.
Time to head across the street to the smoker.
[music playing]
It is massive.
We let the pork go low and slow for 16 hours and lay on the rest.
Jalapeno poppers, brisket, sausage, baked beans, cream corn and golden potatoes.
This is actually a double smoker, so we smoke meats on both sides of it,
every night.
Yeah, looks like it.
I'll be here watching this smoker, make sure everything is smoked.
Smells amazing out here.
And when it's ready to come out...
In order to get the meat across the street, we gotta use a special tool.
- All right. - I'm gonna go grab that.
- [Bailey] All right. - [Casey] Oh, hey.
We load the 10-98 fixings into the cart.
Ooh, I feel like we're shopping.
Shopping for my demise.
And head back across the street.
And now we gotta put together the challenge.
[Casey] We lay down a base of golden potatoes,
three jalapeño cheddar sausages, baked beans,
spicy creamed corn, pulled pork and the brisket.
- Oh, that's all of it, right? - We have to put all of it on there.
I thought we were friends.
[Bailey] It's like it never ends.
Yeah, tell me about it.
[Casey] And last but not least, barbecue sauce, lots of green chile queso,
and our four smoked jalapeño poppers.
Beat the 10-98 challenge? That's a big 10-4.
[crowd cheering]
[Larry] Are you ready to take on the challenge?
Yes, Larry. I'm ready.
Okay, when I ring the bell, you have 30 minutes to complete the challenge.
[cheering]
[chanting] Eat!
Roswell! Roswell!
[Casey] I push through this cue like it's nobody's business.
This is really, really heavy.
[Casey] And nothing can stop this fire of flavor.
Jalapeno popper!
[Casey] ...a nd I'm doing my best to extinguish it.
[chanting] Put that fire out!
This plate is just absolutely massive.
I think the hardest part's gonna be probably the sausage
because it's quesed, and he's gonna have to put a little chew on it.
[Casey] Time is ticking and all this chewing is holding me back.
Will this bounty of barbecue leave me stumped?
So much sausage.
[cheering]
Ahh!
[bell dings]
[cheering]
[chanting] Casey!
[Casey] I'm in Roswell at Backdraft Barbeque,
going toe-to-toe with my four-pound foe,
the undefeated 10-98 challenge.
That plate is so huge.
It would take a large firefighter to put that fire out.
There's no way any normal person could eat that whole thing.
Casey's struggling, but I think he can do it. I think he can.
[all chanting]
Hey, so 15 minutes down, we got 15 minutes to go, you're halfway there.
Let's go! Let's go!
[Casey] With half the platter gone, I'm on pace,
but this smoked meat is slowing me down.
[distorted chanting] Halfway!
[Casey] I tried to stay focused
and remember that barbecue has never let me down.
Barbecue is my friend.
You kidding me?
That's gorgeous.
It's so tender.
You're a nice bunch.
I believe in you, Casey. Let's go!
[Casey] Every bite's smoky, sweet, spicy.
I fork my way forward and finish the brisket.
[chanting] Bye-bye, brisket!
He's gonna have to dig deep. He's just gonna have to find it within himself.
Whoo. Let's go...
Whoo.
Hey, Casey, we're down to 25 minutes, five to go.
Hey, we can do this. Let's go, let's go!
[chanting] We believe!
[Casey] With Roswell behind me, I know the truth is still out there.
[chanting] Casey!
So much sausage, such little time!
[Casey] I patiently wait for the aliens to abduct my plate and call 10-98.
- Five, four, three, two, one! - [Casey] But they must all be at Area 51.
[all] Aw...
Okay, Casey. Great job. 30 minutes is up. You didn't quite make it.
Unfortunately, in the battle of man versus food, food won.
Aw!
But I love you, Roswell, New Mexico. Whoo!
- [all cheering] - I'll be back.
But hold the sausage.