Surviving Yucatan Mexico!! Extreme Meats and Heat!!

thank you [Music] [Applause] [Music] okay to say that I don't know what the hell just happened would be an understatement [Music] conic food these days it's influence and food can be found all over the world Mexican Cuisine includes the masterful use of chilies in salsa sauces and moles and the salsa is not very spicy yeah it's not that spicy I thought it was spicy I have heartburn right now several varieties of corn can be transformed into tamales or tortillas look how gorgeous these are then there are the tacos as Limitless as your own imagination containing anything from Cactus all the way to cow head this is not what I was expecting when I woke up this morning to have for breakfast last time we went to Mexico we eat everything possible in Mexico City this time we're trading the central Region's cool air and high elevation for the tropical heat of the Yucatan Peninsula as we head to Yucatan State everything's cool turns out it's actually illegal to drink beers outside but we don't [Music] here you'll find a regional culinary identity unlike any other in Mexico a deliciously unique style of cooking that plants Mayan Spanish and Caribbean flavors into one big beautiful Melting Pot I've had a lot of Mexican food in Mexico I haven't seen turkey anywhere we have more turkeys than the rest of Mexico and that's why we eat a lot of turkey food here is about heat and meat that's a big front shoulder this pig almost has shoulders like you with spicy eye watering face melting habanero Salsas that'll make you wonder if you stumbled into a volcano I've literally put two teardrops it's because you never know it's like Roshan Rolex but hey who needs taste buds anyway well let's talk about the meat here the Pig Reigns King from snout to tail they transform pork into a dazzling barbecue top display for a dish known as poke the smell is coming off here it's incredible grilled pork marinated in sour orange juice and served the side of pickled onions I don't know how you eat a meal like this and go back and do literally anything while you're at it order up a side of blood tacos have you ever had that before no no thank you well guess what we're trying it today come on then there's the cochinita you're going to see in just a moment all this meat is going to disappear underneath some Earth an entire Pig cooked in a steel box underground for hours the toughest part is when you dig it up because you never know the result but the meat selection here doesn't end with pork it's just getting started there's Mexico's biggest ostrich Farm fancy growing Birds up to hundreds of pounds and selling them for their meat included this is something you would see on The Flintstones they're record-breaking drummings weighing in at over 40 pounds when they're eight months they weigh almost 100 kilos holy cow that's me this morning deeper in Yucatan State's Countryside you can find Black Market hunting for species you'd never have considered to be food I didn't know what the animal was and I saw everybody looking up the dogs chased this into a tree this is going to be a first for me Badger meat [Music] in the coastal city of compete Seafood rain Supreme and shark meat is piled high into a tortilla lasagna they put a load of sauce on here but shopping for seafood in the city's largest market it is disconcertingly slimy isn't always so straightforward today at the market I bought something I didn't know was potentially illegal but it turns out it is illegal and you cannot sell it at restaurants I'm wondering if we can take it to your house to cook it [Music] joining me on this Mayan food Journey came enough take a look why'd you back on she's a 25 year old singer songwriter born and raised in yucatan's capital Marina even though she's mine he broke and it wasn't my fault she hasn't tried many of the incredible Foods this region has to offer that was until now you can see those wrinkles here those wrinkles are I know where they are and like it or not yeah we're trying it all each region in Mexico proudly boasts its own culinary personality and we're gonna intimately get to know the flavors of Yucatan first I'm on a mission to experience Mexican street food Yucatan style and street food here is completely different from what you'll find in the rest of the country it all starts here this Market is incredible is this the biggest Market in Marina it's one of the biggest yeah welcome to Mercado Lucas de Galvez an economic Hub bustling with energy it's like the Super Bowl of markets but instead of touchdowns we've got tacos tamales and cochinitas flying out left and right whatever you want to find they have here the key to navigating this place is to keep your eyes peeled for anything and everything that looks delicious to be fair that's not hard to do from juicy beef to succulent pork to Seafood plucked fresh from the Gulf of Mexico this is the heartbeat of Merida this is a completely different region of Mexico and it has its own culinary identity including our first taste of Yucatan State their beloved salute start by flattening a bowl of fresh corn flour dough then give it a little bit of a dip in hot oil add succulent shreds of pulled tender turkey I've had a lot of Mexican food in Mexico I haven't seen turkey anywhere we have more turkeys than the rest of Mexico pour over a generous dose of yucatan's Infamous black sauce crafted from one of the dozens of Mexico's most treasured roasted chilies as a Finishing Touch egg with its roots dating back to the Mayan era salbutus offer a tantalizing glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of the Yucatan Peninsula the tortilla has a wonderful texture it's a little bit crispy frying it made it fatten up a little bit like me in my 20s when I was depressed same yeah you are in your 20s well when I was in my my in 18 years and you got that and depressed yeah we all go through Drive happens meet K A Local 25 year old singer with Mayan Roots she will be guiding me through the Yucatan as I guide her through the cuisine of her home state what is this you know what it is you'll see what I mean soon then the turkey I don't think the turkey offers that much flavor no it's the seasoning right the black sauce I find to be super Savory it has a very deep delicious salty flavor to it and then over here we have habanero juice well it's like pop dinner milk not milk how do you milk a habanero you don't so then what is this it's that seems like you're milking something no it stinks [Music] literally put two teardrops it's because you never know it's like Russian Roulette a bit spicy very sour do they mix Citrus in with it I love that all over Marita I see people mixing Citrus with these different foods to kind of keep it fresh and preserved but it adds some nice sourness too Marita did you grow up here what would you say is like the personality of this city it's the safest city in Mexico I've been in Mexico City and other cities I think people are stressed the people here seem like relaxed all the time maybe it's the hit they don't want to even move D I seem really happy and kind I love that I would say that's my experience so far so our mission today is to kind of see how food in the Yucatan state is different from the rest of Mexico we have some delicious I'm ready for more food in Yucatan has strong Mayan Roots Mayan culture here is ancient dating back thousands of years the same Mayans who erected Chichen Itza also worked with the land developing a deep understanding for local ingredients and genius cooking techniques so to truly understand the essence of Yucatan Cuisine you must try this hey what's going on here we are making pogchuk is an edible time machine that takes you back to the days of the ancient Mayans where did you learn this recipe what did your mom learn how to bake this Grandma Grandma's Mom and Legend has it that the Mayans would marinate and smoke their meat as a preservation method what's special about this pork compared to other pork sellers that are obviously not as good as you it's marinated with naranga so this is the orange I've been hearing about this is the yucatagan orange or sour orange is a bright acidic oven in marinades and Salsas pork chop here starts with fresh pork raised very nearby the restaurant its seasoned with salt garlic black pepper and then Tangy Naranja juice really important is to leave some fat in the meat because that gives it the flavor that is Flavor that's what I try to tell my wife every morning when she looks at the scale as I step on she does not agree with me anyways once the seasoning permeates the pork it hits the charcoal grill it looks fantastic the smell is coming off here I wish people could experience what I'm experiencing right now but wait there's more our poke tube comes with their signature salsa A Perfect Blend of smoky grilled tomatoes and fresh cilantro ground up with a pinch of salt the pork is grilled to Perfection and served with a bed of fresh lettuce diced onion fragrant salsa and a Big Slice of Naranja because in Yucatan there's no such thing as too much sourness fantastic on the side we have tortillas of course to try some of this meat right here I gotta try it before I even put it in the taco oh my God still warm for the grill and juicy it's fresh the seasonings really pop so we have to mix this with other stuff all together we have habanero with a beautiful thick viscous bean sauce it's the best and then we have some onions with red chili [Music] having it's Carby it's delicious it's succulent grilled Meats aren't enough for you how about something a bit more bloody bad liver with onions this is It's Pig's blood have you ever had that before no no thank you well guess what thin slices of pork liver are seasoned just like the pork then tossed in a pan of hot oil add Red Onion pour a touch of sweetness and crunch get both sides nicely caramelized then serve with a scoop of salsa and narangha so you've never had liver before never ever show me your piece of liver Evan microscopic that's fair for me at least it's something you saw this lady cooked she knows what she's doing just go for it um you're acting like it's a shot of mezcal this is our first episode in this whole series it's gonna get way more intense than this let's go [Music] it's delicious but the final texture I don't know you don't know if you like it I know I like it I wasn't expecting that it's hard to compare liver to anything else liver kind of tastes like liver but see this is why you gotta try new things here it's cut super thin it's marinated she puts it on the grill it's stunning it's delicious it's tender and it's a perfect base if you want to add this to a taco or combine it with anything it's very good that leads me to our last food right here they have blood tacos oh amazing this unlikely Taco is filled with a combination of pork Blood and Guts fried together with tomato and chopped onion let's see how K fares with her first foray into the world of blood tacos hmm it's not as bad as I thought potentially even good yeah I mean it tastes just like meat have you tried it before everything you can think of I've tried try to think of something insane iguanas we're gonna have that later and you're also gonna try that vegans always say that you should eat a portobello mushroom inside your burger because it's like meaty they say but you know what else is meaty blood so if you are vegan cook blood it has Mayan Cuisine kind of just become part of Mexican Cuisine of course some people say it must be the best today the impact of Mayan Cuisine extends far beyond their own borders influencing modern Mexican food as we know it the next time you're chowing down on a plate of delicious Mexican food remember that you have the Mayans to think for some of those mouth-watering flavors this is only meal too we have three more to go let's go there's still more liver you wanna try some more liver I'm fine to explore the depths of Yucatan cuisine we must tread Uncharted Territory if I know you my guess is you've never had this before no our next culinary Endeavor is a dish introduced by the Spanish during the colonial period it's known as mondongo if you're squeamish with unusual textures or if you're gay you don't even need those knives they cut it up for you already see no no it's too big this dish promises to take your taste buds on a wild ride with a list of unsettling offcuts water cow feet and cow tribe join a pot liven it up with oregano pepper garlic salt and achiote an addictive staple Yucatan spice derived from a natto seeds this concoction simmers for hours until it transforms into a vibrant and mouth-watering Crimson blend I gotta ask you something is the whole country of Mexico sponsored by Coca-Cola yeah basically it's everywhere it's on every chair in here even in the van area are people addicted to the sweetness they are when you're eating something like this something super salty Savory Rich you need that mix that back and forth although I am not suggesting people drink Coke although I do drink Coke Zero this is try it's kind of fuzzy on one side kind of like a carpet the other side nice and smooth I think first you should get a big Shaggy piece at least this big and we're gonna try it out I totally agree it is incredibly soft it kind of falls apart as you're biting into it the flavor it's very nice there's a very deep Savory flavor with a little bit of gaminess to it but not off-putting and then this right here I'm going to show you about the wonderful world of tendon oh my God [Music] it's gooey gelatinous Rich these are some of the most delicious organs and offcuts I've tried ever if you don't like him what's wrong with it I don't know the flavor I like it but the texture feels weird I don't like gelatinous stuff you know that's full of collagen I know women love collagen I know something like this and cow foot it has to be made with love they have to take off the outer part of the hoof and then they have to boil it for hours and hours residually all that yummy flavor in there is going to be right here in the broth fantastic Rich flavorful they come for food I love this it's like Chicken Soup for the Soul except made with cow feet I got no how are you feeling I'm good you ready to give up yeah no okay you started with yes I don't give up we're gearing up to tackle an absolutely thrilling mind-bending dish one that I know that Kate will love and yes I'm saying that sarcastically but first to locate into a false sense of security the torta de lechon it starts with toasted bread overloaded with Juicy succulent the tone or roasted pork sandwich without sandwich because sandwich you use sandwich bread this special one is called pan Frances we only have it in Yucatan they are in chicharon for texture then top it off with a dollop of aromatic pico de gallo you gotta be careful because the bread is actually quite delicate and soft [Music] it's so bad it is the perfect amount of that crunchy chicharron it's like when you're young poor and white trash and you put chips inside your sandwich and you're like it's different I love that have you ever been young poor in white trash no it's white But Trash Mexican trash sour and it's habaneroy I'm gonna put some of that on there oh my gosh oh man the meat inside is tender it's juicy I am addicted to the habanero flavor I love it I think it's the best chili there's something bold and intense and like they put 30 toxic masculinity into it [Music] I want to ask you about your music career is your full-time gig to be a musician right now I would say full-time content creator how did you get started I started when my mom con forced me to join singing lessons because she heard me [Music] I was super like stage fright I couldn't do anything not even talk and she forced me into it and thanks to her I'm here now like I started five years ago and I started to sing in Instagram Tick Tock and people really liked it I have been recording my own music these past few months so when those are released I'm going to be a full-time musician and what is the end goal for you what would you hope comes out of this I want to be a full-time musician concerts touring music every you think you could handle that life yeah it's a wild life food can you write a song about it I might what key was that whenever you find protein in Yucatan if it's not in a torta it's generally tucked into a corn tortilla and eaten Taco style the taco possibilities are only limited by your imagination and maybe also your access to cow heads look into it where it sunken eyes kind of used to be and does it make you hungry yeah yeah kinda to the Mayans the cow head was a symbol Prosperity a Revere delicacy enjoyed by Generations here in this 30 year old family Taco wagon the cow head shows up ready to eat after hours of braising what's magical about Head meat is there's a variety of textures what are the different cuts that are available the roof of the mouth that's its own category love it is the tongue okay thank you for the visual reference you heard every different cut that he has here yeah which one kind of scares you the most the cheeks yeah cool what I've learned from that answer is that she understands me now and so she actually told me something that she would like to eat I'm pretty smart but I know actually to say so is what freaks you out the most you told me in a phone call previously that you knew we were not going to eat brain in this whole series turns out we have a perfect opportunity right here to eat brain isn't that fantastic fantastic we're going for the ultimate Taco experience with three varieties first up the Undisputed local favorite cheekbeat [Music] mince down into nearly unrecognizable shreds [Music] and topped with onion and cilantro right here we have the cheek tacos but before we get into that I want to recognize right here Pepsi in a country sponsored by Coke they're giving it all they got hit it with a little bit of citrus a lot we're gonna slowly work our way up to the more unique cuts of head cheers hmm oh this is spicy the meat I find to be soft sticky and fatty but I like it I like it I wasn't expecting this see you've had so many new experiences today I'm learning a lot it's hilarious that I came to Mexico and I met somebody and I'm like let me show you tacos it's Fresh Off The Grill delicious I love it tortilla is nice hot and soft that's coarse one let's do the next one next up a taco variety that K has shockingly never tried before tacos filled with gooey warm cow brains you can see those wrinkles you know what those wrinkles are I know where they are so far are you enjoying the tacos more than I thought I would and this could just be a continuation of that step one lemon I'm gonna hit it with a little bit of sauce you've tried a lot of new foods today I'm proud of you I want you to bite into this with confidence and assume it's going to be delicious [Music] feel as lean as I like to but it's not like them on Bongo it's unexpectingly good the only person who would have a lean brain would be maybe a mummy um did you can we get a close-up here hey was there a bite taken okay I need you to take a nice piece of bread and just eat the brain all night yeah it's a cowboy you know what it is like octopus so not bad huh no it's kind of gooey it's got a fatty texture it swallows perfectly I love it well done that said we have one taco remaining our final variety was recommended by the chef personally Tong meat tacos from that Mammoth bovine tongue to minced meaty bits this is Art on a little corn disc but you've never had tongue before never tongue is one of the most delicious off cuts of meat have you ever had like chicken hearts never what though do you eat cereal is my favorite oh my god let's try out some tongue tacos [Music] um perfect lean not fatty not jiggly not like me when I brush my teeth and I look down and I'm like oh dear God wanted to mints like this it probably just tastes kind of like a steak it's a bit more of like a dense meat super satisfying delicious great texture and even better flavor 100. [Music] the Mayan culture goes back thousands of years well before Mexico was even a country we're in the state of Yucatan about one hour outside its capital Marina this area has the largest Mayan population in Mexico hey doing a monologue yeah that's right when it comes to Food Lion people have a unique culinary identity deeply rooted in the Yucatan region you ladies how often are you making tortillas by hand the right word to use is there's a verb that means to make tortillas of course today I've come to experience this Mayan food for myself made by a local family in Yucatan state from their rather extreme pork sausage it broke to one of the most iconic dishes in my in Cuisine okay so right now they're digging up is that the head those are good teeth this pig has better teeth than me [Music] lime banana leaves the Nano seeds and dirt these are the foundational elements of today's main course good morning from Mexico today we're going to be cooking meat underground can you guess what kind of meat you're probably correct not many foods in this world are worth digging up your backyard but this one is an entire Pig slow roasted underground for hours I've seen a similar meat preparation when I was in Mexico City there they made Barbacoa but today the meat is going to be prepared in a slightly different way they're digging a hole and soon this is gonna go into that [Applause] [Music] under a dozen Nimble hands the carcass is doused with boiling water and scraped clean [Music] now butchering can begin typically with pigs like this what I've seen in the past is cooking a whole pig underground like we saw in Jamaica but I've also seen like what they do in the Philippines taking the whole lechon and rotisserizing it above ground here it's kind of like Barbacoa in that different body parts different sections will be cut up and placed in a big metal pan and put underground today the pig's Mission goes well beyond cochinita its intestines and blood are handed over to the ladies who will prepare another Yucatan delicacy will soon try meanwhile the pigskin will be reserved for chicharron [Music] in contrast a typical Mexican Cuisine Mayan dishes embrace the flavors of herbs and acid with the extensive use of sour orange habanero chilies and leafy herbs but the star of the show here is achiote paste this mixture of a natto seeds cumin pepper coriander oregano Clover and garlic adds an earthy sweet spicy slightly Smoky touch to the flavor profile rub or rather submerge the pork into this garlic deliciousness then stack the meat into a giant steel treasure chest now comes the most crucial cochinita making step the burial right here we have all the meat is filling up the pan it's completely full and now they're going to cover it with banana leaves the food we're making today is the love child of Spanish and Mayan cultures from here we have the steel lid following colonization by the Spaniards pigs were introduced to the Mexican region in the 16th century he wants to seal it extra tight he's got a steel cord he's going to wrap it around and then twist it tight the Mayans took no time to marry this new protein to their existing Earth oven cooking technique to the right of me we have a bed of extremely hot charcoal place it down from here they cover the whole thing with more leaves the biggest thing we want is for the heat to not escape this it's almost like we're creating a sauna for the meat to graze and steam at the same time I wouldn't say this part is exactly traditional but here they're putting on some tarps some old bags so that when they put the dirt on none of the dirt is going to come in contact with the meat um as far as Traditions go I'm okay with this updated version I don't really want dirt on my food my experience with underground cooking tells me that many things can go wrong here what if we dig it up too early we're gonna have to leave the meat inside of there for three or four hours so it Cooks all the way through or what if there's not enough heat you never know you never know the results you think you know because this is a food show like it should work out but remember Pakistan like half an inch roughly is probably cooked and then under that pretty raw let's hope that doesn't happen today [Music] [Applause] in the meantime breakfast well good day I don't know what that means remember okay this 25 year old singer is my travel partner on this journey through her home state how do you milk a habanero despite her pride and her Mighty Mayan ancestry Kay's veins are filled with more Starbucks than Mayan blood have you ever had like chicken hearts never intended oh my God I love tacos what the [ __ ] do you eat cereal is my favorite it's part of my mission to reconnect this young lady to her roots and what better way to do that than by getting really Hands-On you'll see what I mean soon I am so incredibly excited to be here is this the place where you grew up I can't home this is your mother and you are see all right I'm just checking today's exciting because we're cooking an entire pig underground it's gonna take some time for the pig to cook all the way through in the meantime we have the [Music] us [Music] Tia is another gift from our Spanish Amigos that's taking root in Mexican Cuisine this is the first task for K so right now we're making more Sia which is a dish basically made from blood lime juice peppermint leaves scallions chopped pork and blood this unlikely combination is the filling for a breakfast sausage for the casing how about a natural option it's also organic right now we have some intestines which have been previously cleaned with lemon and now we are stuffing them oh you should make one [Music] okay step one we take a good intestine we open and we grab some meat with the blood I'm gonna want my shirt to get in the blood we're getting it all in there and now we have to squeeze it so it can go all the way down to there more see as many versions can be found around the country using different types of protein but in Yucatan it's all about the pork it feels kinda like gelatin it stinks a little in my fingers because of the lemon it broke ah oh just made it easier for me gotta be honest I was very scared for doing this but now that I'm doing it I feel kind of nice and connected to these ladies and she's helping me so my shirt doesn't get all blood so it feels nice connecting to my roots we're finished the bloody marcias are delivered to a bubbling pot of water and boiled until they become firm then these plump sausages make their final transformation in the frying pan but in Mexico it's still not a complete meal without the tortilla what's on face when the Mayans invented this Maize flower flat bread thousands of years ago little did they know it would one day become the most prominent pillar of Mexican Gastronomy no matter where you go in Mexico you're going to find tacos in some variation whether it's made corn or flour and many different types of corn too I mean there's yellow there's red there's blue tacos tell me about the maze or the dough that's being used here in Yucatan we use white corn once it's grinded we have something like this we're making it by hand is this mandatory like in kindergarten do you have to take a class on this here in Mexico your average ombre consumes 2 000 tortillas a year that's 135 pounds worth of food so popular even Kate has mastered the ability to make it this is the hard part all right I take that back that is hard so you really have to slap it on there yes oh this is a complete debacle it's sticky that's why one out of three is not bad in baseball each tortilla is grilled for one minute on each side you know your tortilla is perfect when it Puffs like a blowfish you want to try one yeah but you need to put some salt you know what that's called a salt burrito salt Taco ah that would have been my second guess Cheers Cheers Cheers [Music] oh this is outstanding why is this so good because it's made with love and maybe the ingredients and the temperature and the way they press it for me sometimes a corn tortilla can be a bit gritty or even dry and here it has like a doughiness to it the dry ones are the ones from the machine and usually the ones that are handmade taste like this I don't care that much it's tortillas so it turns out this type of cooking it takes time A lot can we try it out yeah there's some there's some bad pieces in here that is gigantic I know you're supposed to put it in a taco but I really just want to experience the full flavor of this blood sausage go for it oh wow it's a lot of different things at once it's big chunks it's not like a uniform texture at all you can taste the different types of meat it's really crispy super crunchy slightly gamey overall fun but I think it would go better with a tortilla sorry tortilla tortillas so I'm gonna break this up a little bit and put it inside and then I'm gonna throw some onion on top now would this usually be eaten with some kind of a salsa oh habanero oh I got a lot of seeds in that one really spicy I think it's good it's better than the last one we tried yesterday the blood tacos the habanero is the best part it's like a spice that kind of creeps up on you but it feels like my throat is glowing with spice plus the tortilla soft doughy pillowy warm the best tortillas a big part of our mission in coming here to Yucatan state is to understand more about the Mayan people and the Mayan Cuisine [Music] everyone has Mayan ancestors but the Mayan culture could have been a little lost with the burying of the pig these days at least it's done in a steel container before that how did people cook the pig underground ceramic pots you could fit a whole pig in one pot let's see is this something that you witnessed in the past see it's clearly a difficult tradition to keep doing because it is very labor intensive nowadays people tend to take like shortcuts by doing it in the oven but thanks to these beautiful ladies we still get to live it in just two more hours cochinita will be revealed you get that one I'll get this one and we'll discover whether we have a feast or a flock have you ever dug out the cochinita and it was still raw in the meantime we'll see raw pig skin transform into this country's most iconic snack chichoron and it starts with a sharp knife so right here he has the skin on top of that there's a huge layer of fat the skin is thick and tough and then he can kind of just slide the knife through passing underneath all this fat and cutting it off in one fail Swope it's kind of like skinning a shark have you guys done that before okay bad example oh that is the final raw skin there's no fat on the outside actually right here it's a little bit hairy still should we get a razor shaving cream yeah we're gonna make sure all the hairs are off of there then this is gonna hit some super hot oil and you're gonna see it transform and change completely into something else prepare to be amazed you can see this pan I love this pan because it's basically an oil drum that's been cut in half and they welded a couple handles onto it inside we have a bunch of the fat from the pig this fat is gonna render down once this becomes a liquid we're going to be able to put the pork skin in here and it's gonna fry up like crazy last time in Mexico City eyewitness skin touching hot oil and immediately exponentially puffing up in seconds I expect to see the same gear right here we have the fan it's rendered it's hot it's actually boiling and he's got a whole pile of skin right here he's gonna dump it in are you ready listo let's go in the past I've only seen one chicharome being made at a time at this point he's putting all of it in at one time and nothing well it turns out that what I witnessed in Mexico City was the end of a long journey the key to achieving perfectly crispy skin is to pre-fry it so it can be double fried later now we're putting in the pure rendered fat from the pig now this is our chicharron it's about to get fried again and hopefully it's going to expand into the chicharron that you've seen before all right put it in uh [Music] oh it's happening yes slowly it's starting to get bigger and bigger you can see the individual pores are popping exploding creating this crispy texture originating in Spain chicharron has taken over the taste buds of regions worldwide so right here we have the final product this is a bit smaller piece I mean these can get huge they can be as tall as me really this one finished cooling down you can see it's golden brown it's crispy and it has this wonderful kind of bubbly coarse texture on the outside let me give it a little bit of a crack yes that crack is music to it to it gentlemen Armando you comfortable There's no practical reason for us to be sitting on logs I just thought it looked cool joining us here Armando and Eduardo so how long does this stay good so we have a mine word it's called sat soggy because we live in Yucatan right humidity is on top so it's that already because you leave it like uncovered these guys have the highest standards I've seen for chicharon anywhere in the world well that being said let's eat this subpar soggy teacher foreign crunchy it would literally cut my teeth that's delicious I love the chicharrone and it goes in several different dishes in fact sometimes it even goes in the torta to give it a little bit of a crunch but it's good to get a taste of the pure product once in a while to know what it tastes like because once you mix all these different things together it's a different type of experience but there's one more food here that I haven't seen what is this [Music] consists of offcuts used to render fat for frying chicharron the most beloved cut here is this stomach looks like I know some Spanish too huh oh it's like leather is good there's still some oils coming out of them and I don't mind it being chewy it reminds me of a drinking food I hear him saying it and I can just like feel the passion he's like where is the cerveza cerveza donde I want to ask you're both from Yucatan and are you both Mayan what does it mean to you to be Maya they feel proud and they feel prouder even to speak the language what do Mayans do better than anyone else lions were not only renowned for their art and architecture their uses of many indigenous plants like corn beans cacao and squash remain crucial to modern Mexican Cuisine meanwhile hunting further complemented their diet do you guys hunt deer turkey wild pigs how is deer chicharron okay [Music] almost four hours we're gonna dig it up and see the result gentlemen [Music] through this tarp here it's already very very hot it's starting to come out they're taking off all the dirt now they gently peel back the tarps carefully trying to make sure there's no dirt getting on anything the leaves have changed completely like the leaves have also baked as well thank you foreign okay let's do it there's a wire on here you get that one I'll get this one oh I think I'm making it tighter [Music] it's warm the heat is radiating off here and that my friends is a true treasure all this meat that's the liver that's a ham that's a knuckle that's it oh a crotch fever oh he said liver sorry I'm still working on my Spanish we don't even need a knife right here he's brought some tongs he can just rip right into it and it's so incredibly soft but you know a knife can never hurt so right here we have the foot the hoof the cartilage okay Perfecto this is so delicious that is just the first bite but my gosh it is bursting with piggy juices puerco Perfection I love it from here we're gonna put it on the table cut it up and let everybody enjoy [Music] guys we've done it you've done it it's been a magnificent day and it's built up to this moment right here my understanding is that people will let it cool down a bit they would string it then they would put it in a taco maybe put some onions and salsa on and enjoy it like that that sounds great but you know what sounds even better pulling out huge pieces of pig parts and just seeing them for ourselves and trying it out with some cerveza she just translated one part of that and everyone agrees foreign I want to try just a bunch of different parts could we start with the liver oh so he cuts it but then he dips it in the pork oil which has been seasoned and dyed right from the achiote seasoning all right cheers liver [Music] oh wow way better when it's seasoned with achiote for you what does at your day taste like good description it tastes delicious you know there's just like that thick oily tomatoey but chili e precisely e meanwhile the liver is so crumbly it's not dry it's not moist there's something in between crunchy on the outside a wonderful texture I love it are there folks in other part of Mexico trying to replicate this dish is the most famous yucatani dish so they all try to make it in but it's never like so right now they're digging up is that the head yeah and that's the ear it is incredibly soft it's so soft it might even break just holding it like this like the cartilage on the inside is ready to just break and rip and tear under the gravity of its own weight in the U.S we usually throw this type of stuff away oh they fight for it my man huge piece of ear for you oh yeah please she's afraid of the air oh my God that is one of the most delicious ears I've ever had in my life is incredibly soft tender Savory usually the cartilage bit in the center can be kind of Snappy crunchy here it just kind of melts in your mouth completely what'd you think I think that like fish it's like texture you're a real foodie huh like fish finally right here we have the head those are good teeth this pig has better teeth than me oh yes that is the cheek this is no joke can I tell you something this is like the best bite on the whole pig so that is what's doing all the chewing and there's something about it it's like kind of sticky fatty soft and just completely beautiful can I give this to you sure I'm gonna try lack of enthusiasm I'm telling you it's the best part eat it eat the whole thing what do you think I like it all right well that was anticlimactic it would be a tragedy to leave here without eating one of these we got some of that pork tenderloin in there we're gonna put some onions oh some of the Grease [Music] all the flavors together you need the onion you need some salsa the tortilla helps with some of that heaviness the meat is so soft and tender it's gorgeous I love it for you what is the secret behind the perfect cochinita seasoning use banana leaves and bury it that's it some people can jump steps but if you don't jump any step it's perfect what about microwaving it because that's kind of my style set it for four hours [Music] For Me Mine culture is fascinating here in the Yucatan even the other day I went to Chichen Itza it's just this huge man-made and probably Woman made pyramid that there's no explanation for it's been there forever and it still stands today and so obviously the roots of the Mayan people go back people don't even know homo hundreds probably thousands of years do you ever worry about some of the Traditions the Mayan Traditions going away yeah yeah he's worried because it's Our Roots our identity from Yucatan so if we don't have it we don't have anything and do you think you joining me on this series is a way for you to connect with those groups totally and do you think you're doing it wholeheartedly I've tried everything you asked me to do I'm just teasing you you did fantastic senoras you're going to have a big part of us with you absolutely and let's drink some beer to him clink clink clink clink clink clink [Music] we're straying far from tradition as we head to a farm where they're raising the world's largest birds birds that will be used for the amazing food they provide some giant eggs that is really thick 24 times bigger than a chicken egg all right here we go foreign to some of the best animal protein I've ever tasted this looks stuck I don't have enough words right now really I'm on a mission to learn how this Farm Works we're gonna be eating this part and to try out some of Mexico's most far out feathered foul have you ever been curious to try ostrich it all starts here at a nearby Morning Market do you know what this Market's famous for that's right and that's why today this morning we're eating yes these little pockets of goodness are a staple of Latin American Cuisine and for good reason the Dome is straightforward corn flour salt butter and water have you ever had this from breakfast before I don't know what they're feeling it I'm gonna fill you in about this filming stuff it with the local favorite pork fold it in half and let the dough hug its fillings completely before jumping into the oil what do you usually eat for breakfast I'm making myself or cereal I don't eat Cheerios I eat depression oats top it with cabbage pickled red onion and salsa this is habanero but it's red orange okay sir with case arch nemesis spicy orange habanero sauce this is what you would do I just didn't like taking yeah what if it burns right through your vocal cords and your singing career is over right that's what I'm saying well I don't have a singing career and I used to have a rapping career and it really didn't go that good really yeah here's a clip from them it used to be you with something to prove so break a sweat there's work to do now baby move see not that good set yourself free [Music] [Applause] I like that the corn around it it's not too thick the ratio you need a good ratio between Dome and meats and then nailed it but it's really all about the toppings it's almost like a little Mexican salad a little Yucatan Yucatan it's kind of like a little you can sell it on top of there with the cabbage with the onion with the salsa very delicious oh that's spicy I took a risk but I like it I feel emboldened empowered I want to take more risks in the future I want to put all my money into Bitcoin you do you thank you Moto is a small town located in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico this is where the iconic breakfast dish known as huevos motolenos originated what does that mean if you translate it folks from surrounding cities make the pilgrimage here just to try this famous dish this dish is so popular here at this Market almost every place is selling it and it's hard to find almost anything else I want to try this dish with you today but in a different way we have arrived here at dickbaw ostrich Farm here I have an ostrich egg 20 times the weight of a normal chicken egg this was just laid born pooped out yesterday the original juevos motolenos looks like this black bean paste smeared over fried tortillas then fried chicken eggs more tortillas and fried plantains smother it all with spicy salsa now that looks fantastic but what if this local classic was reimagined using the world largest egg we're about to find out so here's the thing I've had ostrich eggs in the past and what's annoying about it is they always like drill in a hole and then they slowly let it come out oozing like Snot one time I went to India I had an emu egg this guy was blowing into the egg to get the yolk to come out the other side why because they wanted to save the egg for decorative purposes they wanted to repurpose it and sell it but we're not doing that today I want to see how hard it is to crack open an ostrich egg [Music] oh yeah that was a pretty it's so heavy it's so thick that you have to hit it a lot harder I'm gonna go for it no more messing around wow that was the hard one oh my God oh yeah yes oh that is perfection take a look at that I couldn't have gone any better guys can I be honest I do actually think that could have gone better right here we have Edward and he's going to show me the proper way to crack the egg open let's see it he says you have to kind of hit it and go around the perimeter breaking piece by piece not just one big hit like I did so he's got his thumbs inside he's gonna pry it apart as hard as he can can he do it do you need help all right oh yes take a look at that that is the most magnificent giant egg yolk I've ever seen in my life muy bien soon this is gonna join our huevos nice we did not play that at all while we wait for the egg to cook through let's make some salsa chopped tomatoes onion and ham sausage then mix it in a pot along with peas and honey and let it simmer in another pan fry plantains then prepare the egg for the build first a bed of tortillas spread with black beans add the Colossal fried ostrich egg then even more tortillas and cover the whole thing with salsa garnish with some jalapenos and fried plantains to be now at your ostrich Farm exactly you have a handful of ostrich eggs our Chef here has taken an ostrich egg and made a super-sized version of huevos all right almost a little bit of practice give me five six years we've got layers of tortilla plenty of egg inside a lot of sauce and the banana too thank you that's like that's a big breakfast do we just dig in no no because someone told me the first step is to cut the habanero so the juice can come out all the nail juice now just go for it right go for it [Music] um there's just so much flavor with the tomato with the habanero then you have that layer of Frijoles the beans giving a nice savouriness to it I really like the blending it's like salty salty and then sweet right the egg what do you think of the egg I think it tastes like a normal egg tastly normal orange yeah but I've never seen an egg like this that's about an inch thick it's an incredible combination of flavor very delicious companion this food is a companion to this food yeah see you open and then you feel it like a torta so I can make a little sandwich with my breakfast how often are you actually eating ostrich eggs we try to keep all the eggs for breathing to make new babies but once in a while there is a problem with that there's a little crack or something and that we use for Saturday all together all the workers ostriches what is the best way to prepare it we do it anyways eggs with chorizo a cologne every time next time for everybody because it's possible Samuel came from Mexico City five years ago he bought 20 ostriches and some land to raise them on after five years he now has 2 000 ostriches one of our big missions for today is to roast a part of an ostrich now I don't want to sugarcoat this the purpose of the farm is to raise meat for people to consume exactly we're going to be consuming the world's largest drumstick hold it with one hand I'm gonna see if I can with breakfast complete it's time to reveal what we came here for guys today we're going to attempt something that's never been done before in Mexico somewhere out there there's an ostrich hobbling around on one leg the other leg is right here the TCF Grande this is something you would see on The Flintstones it's huge it must weigh 35 pounds Leticia is going to season this whole thing right here and we're gonna cook it under ground to start Leticia make some shallow slits in order to create mean Pockets allowing the seasoning to soak in first she rubs a leg down with salt then a seasoning blend made of oil garlic pepper salt and sugar box with banana leaves and seal it with tin foil and wire before this lofty leg hits the flame I want to learn how an egg weighing only three pounds transforms into a 300 pound bird everything starts with the egg exactly we have 300 breeders right now we're just starting the season but we have around 49 eggs every day that many yes it takes about 40 days for the eggs to hatch in the incubator room so after the egg hatches one week later it looks like this bring out the bird it is gorgeous it's adorable look at that pattern you can put that on yoga pants and sell it at Lululemon now one thing you have to be prepared for is for this bird took all over you that's what birds do no yes [Music] to a nursery with 18 12 pounds in just three weeks that's twice the size of an adult ticket within three months they can reach a weight of 60 pounds that is when they're ready to head to the fattening area it's called the fattening area that's where you came from that's what I call my kitchen by month eight ostriches are nearly fully grown adults weighing at least 220 pounds that's how much I weigh these ostriches are seven to eight months pretty much any day now any week they could be on the chopping block do you want to try to pet one [Laughter] take your eye out that exactly and you have two of those yeah see as adults the ostriches have two distinctly different life paths a select and fortunate few are kept for breeding while the rest well it's off to the slaughterhouse at what age can they start to reproduce the females around 18 months the males around 30 months they're safe from the slaughter yes beyond the ostriches meat its other gifts can also be utilized its feathers will be used for Decor fashion and crafts even its skin can be crafted into leather purses or shoes in one pen how many animals of each sex do you have so a male can handle two females if not to be one female that is the alpha one and the other one is the beta how does that work so does the alpha wife oh sorry that's my wife does the alpha female try to stop the other female from breeding with the male no the alpha is the one that is close to the male and it sleeps with the man the beta is just in the side sure yeah side chick after the ostriches are slaughtered their meat may be used for hamburger tacos or to cook up a record-breaking drumstick all in one glorious piece this is quite possibly the First Time In Mexico that somebody has cooked an ostrich leg underground the difference from what we saw yesterday is that the steel has some holes so somehow they're gonna have to plug all this up and keep all the heat inside if the heat leaks out we're not gonna have a cooked leg the challenge when cooking underground is finding the right balance between heat and time in either case you don't want to overdo it or under do it we're hoping to hit the Goldilocks zone so when the meat is finally revealed it's just right but if it's gonna work we're gonna have to seal this thing up and let it cook for about three to four hours while our dino-sized drummy roasts under the Cinders Samuel explains the future of ostrich farming in Mexico so is there a demand for ostrich meat in Mexico Mexico right now not so big okay it's bigger than the month in the United States how long have you been in the market actually we're just starting in the market because when we started the farm five years ago we only have 40 ostriches and so it's just all been through breeding yeah in five years we want to be the biggest farm in the world and we will be around 80 000. I know here in the Yucatan they also eat turkey it's one of the only places that I know of in Mexico where people eat a lot of turkey why should people be eating ostrich it's healthier it's very lean doesn't have fat it's a very much ecological solution they don't drink as much water they don't need as much land and they don't need as much food sir thank you so much it's probably the weirdest interview you've ever done all right well we can get weirder let's go eat some Oscars let's go let's go try it ladies and gentlemen the moment has finally come these two guys behind me unearthing the ostrich leg as I speak it's been in there for about hold on I can tell you exactly how long three hours and 45 minutes at this point I do believe that's enough time there's no way it's not cooked all the way through but I'm curious is this going to be like Southern barbecue is it going to be like falling off the bone is it gonna taste delicious is it gonna be dry I mean this isn't pork we're gonna find out in just a second foreign years ago turkey was very exotic I hoping for in the next 20 years the new turkey will be ostrich and people will be more appointed to eat their ostrich gentlemen and lady this looks stunning it's like I don't have enough words right now really to pick it up it is very hot it's very soft but check this out just only use my hand someone brought a knife we don't need a knife what's surprising to me is it smells beefy yes it's not like turkey at all so it's thick it's red really classic dark meat I hate this bone in chicken and now it's 10 times bigger there you go that little Splinter of a bone when you're eating drummies I mean this would be gorgeous in the taco how can you not eat yeah I know talking let's get to it very tasty it's almost like a beef roast yes yes there's a thick sauce here it's like the ostrich Jew that's been dripping it's fat [Music] the only reason I want to buy a house with a backyard now and so I can start cooking Underground it's remarkable the mean it turned out much different than I expected when it was on the bone when it was wrong I thought man is there enough fat is it going to be too drying but it's just super juicy glistening with oils I usually eat like fillet or like Burger exactly I never try something like this and I'm amazed so does this open your mind to new possibilities of course and sorry to say about my Mexican on me says we're missing tortillas I know right gentlemen you and your team they really pulled it off they made something really special here thank you so much for this experience Samuel plans to grow his ostrich Empire mainly by exporting this meat to other countries but what would everyday local folks think about this bizarre beefy tasting bird Carmelita and Olivia both were born here just a few miles from the ostrich Farm they typically eat pork or chicken what about fish no no lobster no okay uh how about ostrich meat yeah they've heard it's very nutritious also but some people can't afford it really it's compared to Pork would it be you know twice as much even more than double have you ever been curious to try ostrich Meats what would you imagine it would taste like chicken or turkey or more like beef oh turkey beef really okay so they're split down the middle yes we can make a taco but I think you should just get the real taste of the meat directly try it out delicious this is a sauce do you oh because you do that too you do that with cochinita the sauce comes off of it we would call it aju in France where I don't come from [Music] I think this guy's paying me like thirty thousand dollars I'm getting nothing but it's so good I've got a flour tortilla now and I've got some oh habanero Verde my favorite oh I'm gonna wrap it up that is heaven on Earth [Music] ladies thank you for being so open-minded inviting us in and being willing to try out something new and you can keep this [Music] the dogs are going nuts I don't know what they see next you're gonna see how black market hunting Works in Mexico then we're gonna eat the results if someone did happen to get caught by police what happens next but before that let's back up in Mexico when it comes to the daily diet there's no shortage of chicken pork or beef I'm telling you a scientists dug this up they would say it was a dinosaur but you make it out of the city and into the countryside you may find animal options you've never seen before they're hidden in the Rocks so you have to be very careful and it's rural Village between Merida and Campeche hunting is a way of life but the rules around hunting aren't always easy to understand so is there a law or is there not alone there's a law so technically it's illegal today I'm on a mission to learn about Mexico's most extreme Meats from tamales made with unexpected ingredients some people put Ash and food on purpose and some people just like to eat Ash after roasting up whatever we can find at the end of this hunt [Music] [Applause] oh it was something from the tree it all starts here here in the Yucatan Countryside sounds of the modern world Fall Away replaced by the soothing Symphony of nature it's early morning and the hunters their kids and their dogs gather around double checking their firearms as breakfast hits the flame rated protein with some serious nutritional Firepower [Applause] the dish goes from good to great with the addition of pipia an ancient Mayan sauce recipe rabbit meat joins hot water and gets flavored with salt and a natto powder or achiote imbuing the dish with the fiery burst of orange add black beans and a blend of pumpkin seeds to give the dish a rich and velvety texture a hunt will begin shortly right after everyone fills up good morning I'm very happy to be here I'm excited this is such a unique place and you are serving unique food here in kahone joining our meal Chef Wilson Alonso and his father Cecilio today's hunt leader all right I've got a big piece of meat here Wilson is the man behind this hidden culinary complex this place isn't near one of the mill taco joint it's a treasure Trove of authentic Yucatan flavor and savory it's Smoky and the piece of rabbit that I have I think is very chickeny it's like Pollo how do you say that was fine yeah is this my pronunciation yeah okay well you're going to hell for judging people today I'm not just here for what's on the menu but for what's not like this bird that would be illegal to sell to restaurant patrons this right here what is this [Music] grilled so it's because we have a special fruit called sapote and they eat that so that's why they come do you know what I like about that explanation is you think I know what chocolate means it's the name of the bird in Mexican and Central American forests chachalaka it's no ordinary bird they're like a freaky mashup between a chicken and a pheasant and like both the chachalaca is a great source of protein the chef spices it up with sour orange salt and pepper now let the Heat do the work once cooked through it's draped over a bowl brimming with a mixture of corn flour water and onion am I supposed to put the meat into the superior I gotta say as a chef he's leaving quite a bit of work for us today what is the best part of this animal the breasts always going for it right away [Music] it has some wild bird flavor it's interesting his legs are so tiny and thin yeah along with its thighs the breast is a little bit bigger not a ton of meat but when you put the meat in then you get the flavor from the broth it tastes like a thickening agent for a stock without the stock just kind of gluey with onions in there and not many strong flavors is this more of a Mayan food yeah so how do you acquire a touchalaca at Mexican Walmart where you need to hunt foreign one of the reasons we came here is that I'm very fascinated by the hunting culture that exists out here in the countryside and there's a lot of wilderness and there's a lot of forest and places where people hunt you sir how long have you been hunting 25 years when you're hunting what kind of animals are you hoping to get well it's a small Pig like one iguanas oh a big rodent I like a big guinea pig I heard that there's also deer out here see yes they hunt deer as well hunting in Mexico is regulated by the Mexican Government how often are you hunting no in an ideal Mexican World hunting would be conducted sustainably and individuals would obtain permits from the proper authorities depending on the season it's like a hobby they go once a week not doing this would be considered illegal and would then result in a fine or prison time what if no one no one ever finds out these guys they don't have a permit so technically it's illegal yeah so how is it that they're freely hunting down species like the chachalacas as we head out for the hunt I'm hoping to find out more to be clear I know I may appear to be a badass Outlaw on camera the reality is as a foreigner and more notably as a foreigner who's only observing a hunt I'm not breaking the law that said our local fixer isn't taking any chances what I do I'm a ghost and that's what I'm good at it so I cannot show of my face our fixer says just bringing us here could quickly make him an endangered species in the eyes of the government so here's where we're at the hunters much faster than us the dogs the hunters had took off already we can hear maybe 100 200 meters away I'm told they swatted a deer somewhere can you see the deer so he's ready to shoot this because they know the rear is going to run this way that's the kind of traffic the hunting team circles their prey with three to four Hunters staggered throughout the forest the idea is to pressure an animal pushing it toward the other Hunters until someone finally has a shot how do you not shoot your friendly your friends are wearing camo they have to sit legs on the side when the deer crosses they should not before they don't shoot in the path like this before where everyone's working as a group but not only has any communication device there's no phones there's no text there's nothing there's the sound of the dogs and that's it [Music] does hound dogs have a fantastic sense of smell the dogs lead the way as they sniff out and rust it up any potential prey from rabbit to Deer [Music] and the deer lifts that way they say [Music] [Applause] [Music] does that mean they actually see a deer or they're hoping to treat the dogs to keep on going so I'm told that they found one but how does he know they found one from way over here because the dogs are barking that means they are following right now we don't know what it's got it could be a deer could be a badger could be a Bengal tiger doesn't always play out like an action movie for example if this was better scripted I wouldn't be breathing so heavy or sweating through my shirt the reality here is one must be persistent but patient the dogs over there are going crazy right now keep your wits about you knowing your luck could change suddenly in the flash of a muzzle all right the dogs are going crazy right now they're barking [Music] Jesus okay I see him let's go let's go my understanding is if somebody flew here from Mexico City they went to hunt that would be illegal that would be a big problem so out here essentially the community the people are looking out for each other if someone did happen to get caught by police what happens [Music] so each small community has their own law so president of the community is like it's okay if you hunt this number of deer and the Mexican law they kind of let it pass because it's like traditions of each Community yeah so it's totally prohibited if you do it to sell [Music] muy bien yeah to say that I don't know what the hell just happened would be an understatement they were circling the dogs got excited I didn't know if there was a deer I didn't know what the animal was and I saw everybody looking up the dogs chased this into a tree this is a badger they surrounded it it climbed up and then this guy he got it we don't want to show Too Many close-ups because he got it right in the head so good shot this is a form of hunting I've never seen before in my life look around here there's thick brush even the bullets I don't know how the bullets can penetrate all this stuff at the end of the day we got something this is going to be a first for me from here we're gonna take it back to the chef and try it out Badger a short-legged omnivore with elongated weasel-like head small ears and a flexible nose it may not be venison but this promises to be the foundation of an unforgettable dining experience [Music] skinning the badger with precision and Care Chef Wilson introduces another member of tonight's dining party is that how you say iguana is this a big one the small one the medium one I think it's kind of small there's like I just got hurt thank God it's not alive to hear you say that a master of disguise with a thunder body sharp claws and distinctive colorful scales helping it to blend in with its surrounding how close does somebody have to be to properly slingshot an iguana today six meters they're hidden in the Rocks so you have to be very careful and nice I like how you just finish your sentence with a sound effect although today they're protected by law in many countries due to overhunting and habitat destruction iguanas are still consumed in rural areas considered to be a prized delicacy in the Mayan diet so I've had some reptiles in the past I've even had a crocodilio and if you're eating a crocodile you really want the tail like all the meat is right here in the tail how is the tail for the Iguana so we're eating this part actually today Chef Wilson will turn the scaly reptile into a tamale first chop the Iguana into sections and boil the meat until it Cooks through the Iguana loses its tail can it regrow it his tamale base is a mixture of corn flour pork lard and salt I have a genius idea we're in Mexico you have an iguana farm and every six months or so you pick out the tail like picking an apple it'll grow right back that's kind of mean I mean somebody shot this iguana now for the filling a sauce requiring sauteed onions in pork fat shredded and diced iguana meat then Ginger green chilies tomato and an orangey mixture of an Adda or achiote dial up the flavor using salt and apazote a type of local herb instead of using a corn husk tamales here sit inside a Banana Leaf add the Iguana sauce on top fold the base to enclose the fillings and seal it shut instead of boiling tamales here Hide Under hot coals until they cook through [Music] gentlemen it's been a wild wonderful day and a lot of new experiences for me I've never experienced hunting in the way that people hunt here the food too because a moment ago you saw that iguana and now it's inside here oh yeah I cannot wait to see the inside of this Hit it first so there's a little bit of Ash on there is that okay it's okay all right some people put Ash in food on purpose and some people just like to eat Ash you know what I'm saying yeah Ash a-sh okay jeez pick you anywhere I'm hanging out with my jungle friends and you're embarrassing me so I'm gonna rip it in half there's plenty of iguana meat the outside is pretty hard like a shelf definitely a different texture than other tamales that I've had Saloon [Music] when I was insanely crunchy like a giant thick tortilla chip insanely Smoky Beyond just Smoky like roasting meat it's almost like I can taste the ash from the fish actually this is like a completely different species of tomato crunchy on the outside and stuffed and means like it's hard to kind of wrap my mind around the meat because there's so much flavor in there especially when you add the habanero what would you compare iguana to pescado a chicken fish a chicken fish yeah that's interesting it has maybe a similar texture here but flavors are so powerful I think it's really good maybe the best amount I've ever had really and it's iguana now our main course stewed Badger cooked by Cecilio himself the meat is sliced up nice and thin then it's marinated with black pepper a citrusy sour orange salt onion bell pepper and garlic [Music] let it stew until the water evaporates and the flavors meld together concentrating into a rich hearty dish you've done an incredible job it looks it looks really good I've got so many random body parts I got some ribs I got a leg I got a thorax let me sprinkle over the whole thing he puts a little habanero on it I don't want to put too much on there first because I want to try to taste some meat as much as possible the density of the meat it looks like a liver but it just tastes like dark meat like Duck yeah I agree with that yeah it's a bit like Duck there's kind of a Tangy delicious Citrus to it even aside from the lime it's the sour orange oh Ryan the onion is sweet so it has everything and then if you have the habanero a little bit of spice yeah this is the best thing I've had all day I'm really stunned by this because I've had a lot of interesting creatures in the last year that are not just like cow pig chicken and it has subverted my expectations in many different ways flavor the look of it the feel of it it's really good I love the flavor I think it's Smoky red beef I love that I feel like your character Arc in this series it's almost complete you went from barely taking a bite of anything and now you're fishing on a flipping badge arm do you feel a little bit proud I feel proud you seem like such a hunting expert compared to now when you were younger hunting were there more animals was it easier to find deer and all these different creatures in the woods no I used to obviously they're still the same I'm certainly not anti-hunting but I'm Pro sustainability do you ever worried about any of these animals becoming endangered or going extinct completely they have their own laws even if it's not regulated they know when they reproduct so if they hunt here today next week they want hunt here so animals want for example so the rifles they don't buy more so if there's 30 rifles there's only 30 people hunting because it's hereditary so fathers give them to their sons and so for themselves as our world grows and becomes more populated and complicated we have to come up with more sophisticated ways to make sure the animals stick around so it sounds like what he's saying is that there are ways to keep this sustainable to keep it going on into the future and that's the same as I've seen in other places like the Pharaoh Islands in the pharaoh Islands they hunt whales for people it's a bit extreme but the reality is they've been doing it for hundreds of years and the whales are still around so my hope is that 100 years from now your great great great great great grandchildren can have the same experiences as you going out into the Wilderness hunting animals and eating this really unique meat gentlemen thank you very much now we're moving from the state of Yucatan to the state of Campeche to a coastal city that goes by the same name here they have some of the most wide-ranging Seafood options you'll find in Mexico fish of all colors bordering on giant to very tiny there are species I've never seen before kind of like the fish is its own cooking vessel and species I didn't expect to see it's like a Mexican tiramisu but instead of layers of coffee and chocolate it's just like beans and shark most surprisingly are the ocean animals you may not realize are illegal it's weird that somebody sold that to you but if some seafood it's illegal to have sell or eat then why is it for sale well that's what I'd come here to find out this is compete's biggest seafood market ready to eat street food produce sections adorned with locally grown fruits freshly slaughtered Meats hanging waiting to be made into something delicious then there's a seafood plug straight from the ocean Basin known as the Gulf of Mexico here I'm searching for an epic catch to contribute to tonight's meal but beware beneath the surface of the Ruckus and clever of this Market lies an unnerving truth right here I found something very unique Seafood creatures that should never have made their way here it is disconcertingly slimy it feels just like one big long muscle I've never seen a presentation like this because they've taken it out of the shell already it smells good actually it smells fresh this is a horse conch one of the largest carnivorous sea snails in the world that's like a bicep that's like a trapezoid little did I know in this moment that harvesting selling or eating the horse conch is completely prohibited by law here in Mexico the deal is that later today we're going to a fisherman's house so we're going to have a little bit of a seafood party I think I want to bring a couple of these in case he knows how to cook them and if he doesn't well we're gonna figure it out probably we'll make ceviche [Music] people work around Seafood they're the most fun in the market basically they were meant to be entertainers and somehow they're selling Seafood for a living that is a cross section of a stingray you can always tell because there's like a huge meat filet on each side and then this is the the dried meat version I suppose right here this is called a dog shark this is actually the food that we came here for soon this is going to become our breakfast dish I don't know what happened someone made a movie about a killer shark and then everyone hated sharks and then Gordon Ramsay made a documentary about sharks and now everyone loves sharks can you guys make up your mind eyes on campeche's famous shortbread blame it which starts as a shark soon becomes this the filet is grilled over charcoal giving it a rich Smoky flavor then it's boiled until the meat is tender and ready to shred down to a mint with the shark complete the sauce is on Deck a tantalizing blend of diced tomato onion and spicy habanero the mixture hits hot steel with the perfect combination of seasoning after adding shark meat to the sauce it's time for the build a base of tortillas on the flat top then a layer of creamy beans another tortilla more beans or special sauce and a generous heap of shark meat then another layer and another layer and five layers stack it up just before the point of architectural failure then garnish with habanero and slices of avocado so how do you dig in just go for it I'm gonna see if I can cut it like a pizza it's kind of working it's tripping I know they put a load of sauce on here it's basically like a tortilla lasagna with shark meat in between that's how they describe it Smoky a little sour I would say salty and I would say you can feel the protein more than you can taste the protein they use baby sharks because they do not taste as fishy as the big ones does that break your heart that it's a baby shark of course doesn't it bring yours somehow I get by it yeah the mound of tortillas creates an interesting texture I can taste the beans in there very nice for you is shark and unusual food I guess no but when I've eaten this before I never thought like oh I'm eating sharks I'm just like I'm eating fish yeah no big deal our mission today in compatriate is to experience the whole wide-ranging world of seafood that they have here I even picked up some things that I think you have never tried before I found some snails this one is it poisonous I hope so that'd be exciting right so exciting I mean if somebody dies in a video from eating a food guaranteed a million views let's hope we die well not both of us you die from here we're heading to a restaurant that's discovered the secret to selling an endless supply of giant crab claws for eternity people from all around the world come just to eat this it's right here I'm sorry what these are stone crabs famous for their sweet juicy meat and they're abundant and competites nearby Waters this is very unique because I notice you only have the claws where's the rest of the crab the crabs have two hands a big one and a small one they just take the big one and they let it leave with a small one until another big one grows like plucking an apple from a tree this system of harvesting has been around for Generations in order to preserve the crab population it's not merely a suggestion but a strict legal mandate to never harvest the crab's body if you catch it you could eat it at home but you cannot be seeing on the streets with it yeah wow Mexico is full of these gray areas we just came from the seafood market are there certain foods in the seafood market that you cannot serve at restaurants so never in the life we could eat a red snail oh really it's always an interesting day when you accidentally become a criminal it's weird that somebody asked me sold that to you oh they certainly did my curiosity has been peaked by the fact that a banned animal could be openly showcased in a busy Market to gain a better understanding of what's going on I've invited fisherman Rubin to join us for a meal and shed some light on the matter we have this beautiful Feast very delicious and very typical from here in Capuchin which one for you looks more appetizing the octopus is boiled until it's fully cooked through Violet pan-fried to achieve a deep Smoky flavor only in this caliber of flame could deliver one like this and it curled up a little bit [Music] like that right it's monkey it tastes just like a kiss of fire on there it's got a wonderful texture of these crunchy suckers are crunchy on the outside wow oh this sauce smells amazing the salsa is called which is butter garlic with parsley we're gonna have stinky breath yeah maybe if you're about to go on the first date don't do it or if you're on the first date don't do it otherwise if you're an established relationship especially me where you've already grown weary of your marriage have as much as you want I cannot wait to try this out the chef first boils our giant crab claws then shatters the thick shell to reveal the succulent meat that lies within flavor with salt pepper and tangy lime juice the recipe is simple but from my experience less is more especially when it comes to crabs so there's some lime right here I'm going to give it a little bit of a spritz and I don't see any salt so what do you do oh there's some salt right here you know that it's salt because on the container it says P for the salt mmm sweet is medium it's delicious it's cold sometimes I don't mind having a cold so it can bring out a different flavor in the crab now we gotta try it with the garlic this is like my new favorite food [Music] all the flavors and all the convenience all in one place I feel like there's a casino in my mouth and I just hit a jackpot and the best companion for whatever [Music] foreign fantastic as a fisherman what fish are illegal to keep sharks there are seasons where you can do it they just have to respect the reproduction time in an effort to control population decline certain species like the shark or octopus can only be fished during designated Seasons right now what is the penalty if you're out there if you're catching octopuses out of season you don't have a permit in jail and they take your boat oh it sounds pretty serious that's pretty serious but other vulnerable species like the horse Kung are banned from being caught or sold completely with this incriminating protein in hand I'm curious to see how seriously these laws are taken today at the market I bought something I didn't know it was potentially illegal when I bought it but it turns out it is illegal and you cannot sell it at restaurants I'm wondering if we can take it to your house to cook it no no oh okay because it's in camera and temperature is very small and he could get in trouble got it clearly locals here are familiar with the seafood laws and they're sufficiently motivated not to break them at least not on camera so why are some willing to take such a risk also what legal options do I have for dinner to find out we're visiting Abraham a friend of Rubens who's already fixing up an exotic but still legal local delicacy the website is cool what do you do at the school administration well you love to cook it's your passion yep I I love to eat our passions are going together real well right now this evening's appetizer Cowfish a member of the boxfish family with the super ability to release toxins from its skin that are lethal to other fish for humans the toxins should be harmless at least that's what they told me now the perfect salsa joins this herd of cowfish a fresh mix of onion habanero cilantro lime and salt this is just the start of Abraham's Taco Master P the only thing I don't understand is how do we get the meat out could you please show us he kind of just is peeling it off a bunch of weird bones and organs we don't want any of that oh you sure yeah I'm pretty sure it really it looks like chicken breast he puts that on a tortilla it's always delicious hit it with a little bit of salt oh my God it's like a whole recipe some avocado and that is complete um spicy it just has really such a robust bite to it what do you think it's a little bit like polio it doesn't taste fishy at all neutral and then the salsa you put on here is delicious I taste habanero Citrus spice it's incredible yeah you can smell it but not taste it that is just the start we have a lot more to go let's keep moving okay dinner starts with the Bonnet head shark he chops it into chunks and boils some meat for 20 minutes once cooked it's ripped into bite-sized pieces then gets benched as more food comes to play grilled pineapple red onion and habanero where'd you learn this recipe from you know they have improv comedy classes do you think they have improv cooking classes because you would absolutely win blend with cilantro a pinch of salt and a touch of Honey cook that blend in a pan add in the shark meat and let it soak up all those flavors being on a boat especially at night it's so peaceful I think it's just usually better if you're in the water that's what's more usual oh okay we have an amazing spread here my man you can cook your ass off first of all in the pineapple I mean what kind of amazing presentation is this I got a big heaping pork bowl of shark let's try it out [Music] not fishy at all oh no it's beyond being not fishy it's really refreshing there's a nice bit of heat back there first you get that sweetness from the pineapple and then suddenly you're like and then your throat closes the fish itself soft slightly mushy it pairs well with the sauces he's put in here you get a little texture from the onions so good and the pineapples are so delicious the first drink of the night what do you know there's going to be so many more it's so good yes oh the police are actually right there everything's cool turns out it's actually illegal to drink beers outside but we don't give up we're baddies you think I don't care about anything [Music] next food right here fried fish done the Campeche way Abraham first skillfully fillets the very much not illegal Barracuda then Seasons to meet with pepper salt lime juice and lemon pepper before frying the potential for a crispy outer shell is created using flour egg and breadcrumbs [Music] where do we go I just grab a piece with the hands nice try a plane whoa [Music] you can taste the fish but it's not fishy it's beautifully fried and the seasoning on that fish it's slightly sour slightly fresh I love how in so many of the recipes we've tried on the Yucatan Peninsula here they use so much Citrus this is a green sauce it's very potent what is it made of garlic habanero and oil is it spicy yeah but I [ __ ] love it there's still some things in compete that don't add up to me that I don't understand and those are about the food that I tried to bring here I showed you the sea snail immediately when you saw it he said oh no illegal can't buy it can't cook it not even have it in your house here's the part I'm confused about I went to the market I filmed the scene The Cellar was right there he didn't care why if he can sell he's gonna do it but if he sees the police coming he will just hide it just like we hit the Bears same so in a way we're all working our way around the system whether you're the guy poaching octopus without a permit whether you're the guy selling the snail or whether you're us illegally drinking beer in a boat I think I Now understand Mexico cheers to that [Music] if the consequences are so extreme why would people still risk it um they need to feed their kids families in the end the snails I purchased will likely be discarded still the vendor profited from our transaction likely motivating him to Source more snails to sell in the future just like that my ignorance has in some small way contributed to perpetuating a seafood Black Market that chips away at the species odds for survival best ever Food review show is a small team of independent creators and everything we do here works because of you guys click the link in our description to join our patreon and receive exclusive benefits a piece I think we solved it we solved global warming remember when I was talking about the lizards and how they could just take the tails off it's the same idea they just regrow it brilliant thank you so much that's all I wanted with your validation I like that our looks couldn't be any more different right now she looks like a sad teenager and I look like a guy who lies to women and tells them I have a boat and that's aphrodisiac is that needed because I've noticed you can just kind of walk into almost any pharmacy in Mexico and you kind of just get what you want it's like a medical Buffet don't we'll get demonetized what's this right here uh that looks like a fish it's very delicious because it's white meat so just needs a little bit of salt and salsa and avocado and a tortilla but that's it and so you have tasted the body before or did you read about it in a book his mother-in-law prepares delicious your mother-in-law had the crab [Music] I don't know if you think I'm going to say more words or you forget that you have to translate because usually usually you talk a lot a like a lot boom guys that is the end of our Mexico series I want to say a huge thank you right here to Kate manak k handshake wow I mean your character Arc throughout this whole series you went from not really wanting to try anything spitting out beef tendon to look at you now it was a roller coaster but it was good at the end do you feel like you grew as a person totally a lot if you want to follow Kate on social media look up Kate manok on YouTube Instagram and everywhere anyways guys that is it for this one thank you so much for watching I will see you next time a peace we gotta say it together a peace oh we harmonize a little bit you know I think I could sing too Let's Walk This Way could I do like a rap bridge in one of your songs yes I'm looking for an artist to do that can I do nine bars you could do 12. I don't I just do odd numbers of bars I will do 11. okay deal

Channel: Best Ever Food Review Show

Views: 3,025,083

Keywords: best ever food review show, befrs team, sonny side, mexico, mexican food, yucatan, maya, maian people, aztec

Id: 8x7oU4I-E4Y

Length: 94min 43sec (5683 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 23 2023