America the Bountiful

[Capri] They say everything is bigger in Texas.

[woman] The marbling in it is amazing.

[Capri] And flavor it would seem is at the very top of that list.

This may be the best piece of beef I have ever had in my life.

[Capri] In a land where cattle ranching defined a culture... [woman] Something that the cowboys would've made and they are still making it today.

[Capri] ...and where diverse cultures all add to the culinary character of the region.

It's like the maguey perfume, right?

So, you can see it's nice and moist still.

Beef reigns supreme.

You came all the way to Texas for a taco.

-I did.

-Was it worth it?

It was totally worth it.

I'm Capri Cafaro and I'm on a mission to uncover the incredible stories of the foods we grow... ...harvest, create... ...and celebrate.

Beautiful, amazing meal.

So, I'm traveling America's backroads to learn our cherished food traditions... Whoa.

...from those who make them possible... Look at that.

...and are helping keep them alive.

There is so much more to learn.

Whoa!

[Capri] On "America the Bountiful."

[announcer] America's farmers have nourished us for generations, but today they face unprecedented challenges.

American Farmland Trust works with farmers to help save the land that sustains us.

Together we can work to keep America bountiful.

[Capri] Legendary port story cowboy culture, Texas is ground zero for cattle ranching in America.

It was the Spanish missionaries of the 18th century who first brought 4,800 of the animals to the region in 1721.

After the Spanish present soldiers left the area, cattle roamed free and multiplied until the end of the Civil War.

They were subsequently rounded up and driven north along Chisholm Trail to satisfy demand for beef in Chicago and other eastern cities.

That cowboy and cowgirl culture is alive and well today in a state that's long held the title of top beef producer in America, and is today home to nearly 250,000 cattle farms and ranches.

One such family-owned ranch is Peeler Farms where Annabeth Peeler is the sixth generation raising cattle and, in her case, specializing in Texas wagyu, a breed known for it's high fat marbling and rich flavor.

Colby Jones helps the family with animal husbandry and gives the animals a low-stress environment.

Factors given special attention with this unique breed.

Cattle ranching and Texas are synonymous, I feel like.

How did your family get started in the ranching business?

It started back in the 1800s when I had a great, great, great grandfather Tom Peeler-- -That's a lot of greats.

-It is.

And he was on the Chisholm Trail.

So, he was a trail boss.

And so, that is the original Peeler who started with ranching.

And his just led to my grandfather and my father now.

I think as consumers of beef, we don't necessarily realize everything that goes into it.

Now Colby, you have been ranching for generations as well, right?

Yes, yes.

I'm a fourth-fifth generation rancher as well.

And so, you're here and you're helping ranch for the wagyu.

Yes.

What is special about that ranching process and that herding process for what you see?

You know, being able to take care of them, the animal husbandry that we try to practice.

Well, I'd like to actually go up close and personal and get a close eye myself.

Would you mind taking me out there to check it out?

Yeah, that sounds good.

[Capri] Cowboys and cattle ranchers like to keep a close eye on their herd, and there's no better vantage point then on horseback.

Just hours after the newborn calves take their first steps, they're moved along with their mothers to an adjacent pasture where they can relax and bond.

This maternal attention, important to raise a healthy animal, is also reflected in the quality of the final product.

There's a lot that goes into this product and here it is.

So, tell me a little bit about these different cuts.

Okay, so we've got our ribeye which of course the glorious, the wonderful, the one thing everybody wants.

[Capri] Oh, yes.

[Annabeth] Great, great choice.

We also have a flat iron which is a slept on cut.

Nobody thinks about it.

Nobody thinks about it.

And nobody really knows how good it is especially coming off a wagyu cow.

Well, why?

Why is that one so good and a bit of a sleeper?

Because it is probably one of the most tender cuts of front beef you will ever eat.

[Capri] Really!

And as you can see, the marbling in it is beautiful.

Yeah, you're right.

You're right.

And that's what's really special for wagyu, right?

Yes.

And so, that fat and that meat is super, super soft.

And it also creates that flavor in the meat.

And so, with it filled like that, it's just going to bring out that flavor even more.

[Capri] That makes sense.

And then we have our stew meat which is not your traditional stew meat.

We actually cut our stew meat from our chuck rolls which is an amazing part of the animal.

The marbling in it is amazing.

So, talk to me a little bit more about the marbling.

What do you do that is kind of specific to your wagyu practices that makes the marbling, the tenderness, such high quality?

Yeah.

So of course that's going to be genetics.

Genetics is really what's going to lead that, but we also do everything we can to try and help it out as much as possible.

So, the low stress.

Keeping as low stress on those animals.

I saw that.

We talked about that.

So definitely that's a good key point.

Nutrition is key.

You know, making sure they're fed the correct feed.

And we've actually brought in specialists for wagyu beef.

Wow.

To come in and help with our rations on what these cattle are getting.

And you can see it right here in the product.

And obviously you know all of this incredible beef has to end up getting cooked and at our tables to eat.

What are some of your favorite ways to prepare some of this beef?

Yeah.

So, we're a simple family.

And if you look at the weather, it's starting to get cold.

So, our go-to is that chili con carne.

[Capri] Unlike the more ubiquitous chili that's served across America, this version of chili con carne originated in San Antonio in the 1860's when women called, "The chili queens" sold it in Military Plaza which continued in the early 20th century.

Melissa Guerra is a culinary historian also from a ranching family who makes a recipe true to the original, and often serves it with pan de campo, also known as cowboy bread.

Is there a specific reason why this dish came together historically?

There's a couple of reasons that chili con carne exists and why it's so popular here in Texas.

Dried chilis, you don't need a refrigerator.

You can take them anywhere.

Makes sense.

And the other thing is that the chilis actually change the Ph in the meat, and so, it preserves it a little bit more.

Okay.

The original chili con carne would've been dried beef that would've been pounded together with chili powder.

And so, that would've preserved it on the long trail.

Now, we don't have to have dried beef anymore because we have this gorgeous wagyu beef that's fresh and beautiful.

We have to make a puree.

So, I'm glad that you separated all those out.

Okay.

Sure.

Because now we're going to put them into some water.

The chilis that we're using for this chili con carne today is chili ancho, chili Guajillo, and we're going to add some chili chipotle which you can sometimes find them dry.

You can sometimes find them in cans.

And today this is what I found, it's in cans.

And what kind of flavor do these particular chilis add to the profile here?

Chili chipotle is a red jalapeo, and then these have been smoked, so it gives it a little bit of a smokey flavor as well.

Nice little depth.

I like it.

I like it.

So, we're going to add a little bit of tomato.

So, now we have to make this into a puree.

[blender whirrs] Stand back.

What kind of consistency are we looking for in this?

This needs to be about the consistency of ketchup.

You know that kind of thick paste.

I can start to smell the chilis and the garlic together.

That has a nice aroma.

There we go.

We're going to add a little bit of oil.

We're just using-- Got it?

--avocado oil.

We're going to add a little bit of onions.

And then we're going to put it on the fire.

[Capri] Okay.

Wow!

That smells glorious.

[Capri] I was going to say that smells so good.

Can you smell those onions?

So, I would this maybe, maybe about 10 minutes.

Okay, we are ready for the lid.

Capri, can you pop that on, please?

Absolutely.

It looks like we've got a nice boil.

-Very nice.

-Okay.

How long do we have to let this simmer?

We're going to leave it there for about 20, 30 minutes.

Okay.

All righty.

We'll let that do its job.

We absolutely have to make pan de campo.

Okay.

Tell me what that is.

Pan de campo is kind of like a really, really big biscuit.

But it's something that the cowboys would've made and they are still making it today.

It is a big favorite in South Texas.

Okay, so it's a big biscuit.

So, we've got some flour.

We're going to add some sugar.

Can you add that little bit of salt that's over there?

Oh yes, I got the salt here.

Great.

And I'm going to add pork lard because-- Pork lard.

I love it.

I really do love pork lard.

I mean, I feel like lard makes everything better.

Can I mix this up a little bit?

Please do.

Yes, please do.

Is that a little baking powder I see?

You have got that right.

I'm going to add a little bit of baking powder.

But now we're going to add some milk.

So, we're not going to knead it, we're going to just stir it up and then we do have to roll it out.

Okay.

So, we need kind of a lot of flour.

I would bet.

And then we're going to add our dough and I'm going to just knead it a couple of times.

There we go.

This recipe in particular, pan de campo, would've been a cowboy recipe because flour does not go bad on the trail.

Pork lard you can take it for about two or three months.

It does not go bad on the trail.

Salt, baking powder, all of this, this is very, very specifically a cowboy dish, and it endures today.

Let's get a fork and we're going to treat it almost like a pizza crust.

We're going to poke little holes in it.

-Okay.

-Very nice.

Very nice.

You got that one down.

Okay.

Good, good, good.

-Beautiful.

-There you go.

Let's get that into our Dutch oven.

Alright, I see this big boy down here.

The big one.

It's a big one.

That's going to bake just like in a regular oven.

And that is why they call it a Dutch oven.

A Dutch oven because it's really an oven.

So, to finish it off, Capri, we are going to put some coals on the top.

Ahh, so you're going to get it double heated.

That's correct.

And so, you see this Dutch oven has like a little ridge.

Mmm-hmm.

That is going to allow us to put some coals on top and give it a nice oven type of atmosphere.

Are you hungry?

I've been hungry this whole time, Melissa.

Okay, so I hope this stuff is ready to go.

So, let's get the lid off of this.

I love this little tool.

Oh, yeah.

It's almost like you came prepared.

I am actually a little bit prepared.

Look at this.

You're right, it's a giant biscuit.

It is so delicious.

-Oh, it is hot.

-It is very hot.

Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot.

Let's check this chili.

[Capri] It better be ready because I'm ready.

[Melissa] It's definitely ready.

[Capri] Oh, it's beautiful.

[Melissa] Look how gorgeous that is.

[Capri] That is beautiful.

Oh, my goodness.

Alright.

So, let's serve this up.

And I've got a few garnishes.

[Capri] Okay.

That's a little spicy.

This may be, first of all, the piece of beef I have ever had in my life.

Oh, I agree.

Second of all, the little bit of kick here, that heat is perfect.

It is absolutely perfect.

Oh, I need to cut a piece pan de campo for you, so you can kind of-- Oh right.

--sop up the gravy.

We did all that.

Can I just rip it off?

Just rip it off.

Okay.

I'm just going to rip it off.

We're friends now.

-Yeah.

You know.

-We're friends, okay.

Mmm, this is fantastic.

Tastes like home.

Tastes like-- Now I feel like I've spent some time at your home.

Have a little bit of cowboy history here and the bread.

All you're missing are some spurs, Capri.

I think I need a little bit more time in Texas to earn my spurs.

But in the meantime, what an incredible bite of history this is.

While chili is the official state food, Many Texans would argue that there should be a second, brisket.

It's the star of many barbecue competitions held throughout the state.

Like this one held by the South Texas CattleWomen.

Jan Elliot is president of the organization and helped revive the Briscoe Ranch Barbecue Cookoff after learning Uvalde Texas was home to the first organized barbecue competition in America.

It smells so good here.

It is fabulous.

There's something about the smoke.

Tell me a little bit more about that particularly.

Like, how and why is barbecue just such an important part of the culinary landscape here in Texas.

Mainly because of our ranching and farming heritage.

Sure.

People did not-- And it started with the Native Americans.

The Mexicans, the Spaniards, the people who came in to discover and they're cooking outside, of course.

They're cooking game.

And then when the cattle came in, they knew that was a better type of meat.

And they seasoned their meats.

But it was a mix of all the cultures.

And then everybody kind of has their own.

Everybody, they're not going to tell you what their spice is.

Oh no.

I bet not.

I bet not.

Got to keep those secrets because that is going to be your competitive edge.

That's right.

Absolutely.

You've got to tell me where I should go to check out some of the top competition here at this cookoff?

Well, you might need to check out Jackie Milligan.

She is on fire.

She is smoking it.

[Capri] Jackie Milligan is a champion pit boss who recently earned a perfect score and first place at the American Royal Series of Barbecue in Kansas City.

You have some of your work out here.

Walk me through this.

Let me understand a little bit about what these cuts are and how it plays into the bigger picture of competition.

Well, when you do a cookoff, you want your best meats cooked.

So, this is actually a wagyu brisket.

Wow.

The wagyu brisket has a lot more marbling.

It's a more richer cut of meat.

And this is a six-hour cook.

Alright, I'll let you do the honors because I have no idea what I'm doing.

This looks like a weapon.

So, you just cut off the fat.

-May I?

-Sure.

Look at how tender.

I'm in heaven.

I can see why you are a champion.

Now, there's some-- I taste like cracked pepper.

Yes.

And you see that smoke ring?

Those are from the woods that we use.

We used a mix of hickory and oak.

And the wood smoke is kind of like perfume.

You don't want it overpowering.

You're right.

It's subtle, but it's absolutely there.

It's subtle, but it's in there.

This is absolutely fantastic.

Now, I mean, I'm no professional judge, but I would give you a 10 out of 10.

What are the judges looking for?

They are looking for the appearance.

They want that taste to be bold but not overpowering, and the texture.

It can't be tight.

It can't be too chewy.

It can't be dried out.

It's very, very moist.

Thank you.

I have thoroughly enjoyed, and now I'm just-- Can I just keep eating?

Sure.

[Capri] The practice of cooking beef at a low temperature for a longer period of time is a technique that's found in many different cultures.

Barbacoa refers originally to a wood burning hole in the ground or earth oven used to cook a variety of meats.

It's a cooking method that's believed to have originated in the Caribbean, but one that became very popular across Mexico where it is often utilized to cook the head of a bull.

Adrian Davila is a third-generation pit master and restauranteur at his family's acclaimed Davila's BBQ in Seguin.

I don't even know where to start but that's why I'm here because I feel like you're going to be able to guide me through step-by-step about what a barbacoa is and how it's made.

So where are we starting?

[speaking in Spanish] Which is, the beef head cooked in a hole.

Cooked in a hole.

That's what the tradition is in Mexico.

When you hear barbacoa en pozo, get at it because you can't get it around here.

Get at it.

Well, we're going to get at it.

Yes, get at it.

Let's, let's start this.

So, you've already made the adobo.

Yeah.

And how did you do that?

Yeah, so what you have here is the representation of what the adobo is after like, we rehydrate all these things and we chop the tomatoes, garlic, onion.

Add the cloves, all the other spices, oregano.

Got a lot of good things going on here.

To the blender.

All right so you said let's get at it.

Let's get at it.

Where is this beef head?

So, the beef head is right here.

I'm sourcing it.

It can be a little bit of a challenge.

I was just going to ask that question.

But sometimes, I know a few people-- Where does one find one?

We're going to look that way.

We're not going to talk about that.

Okay.

But, you know, if you get your butcher, give him a good heads up.

They can find one for you.

[Capri] Whoa.

And you want the whole thing.

That is the whole thing.

That's the whole thing.

The eyes.

It's looking at me.

Yes.

I don't know how I feel about this, but you know what?

This is-- Yeah, I know.

You don't necessarily-- But I am a beef eater.

So, you know, and this is an important cultural tradition.

It is.

So, I'm here to learn about it.

And it's something that's really interesting to me because you have all of these beautiful spices that go into the adobo, but then you have this maybe more Texan, so to speak.

Yes.

Barbecue culture coming together.

Absolutely because in Texas it's all about beef.

Right.

A lot of times traditionally in Mexico you'll find lamb, [speaking in Spanish].

Right, okay.

We like to do that also.

Alright, so now that we have the beef head, how do we get started to get it prepped for, I guess you said it's going to be cooked in a hole.

For sure.

So, this huge cut of meat needs a lot of seasoning.

Needs a lot of depth.

It's got the bones.

It's got the meat.

You've got the cheek.

You've got the tongue.

A lot of salt, pepper and some cayenne to give it just a little more kick because that's what's in our rub at our restaurant.

Got it.

And then we're going to bathe it with a wonderful adobo.

So, here's some salt and pepper.

And it's all natural.

So, pepper, salt and again, we're going to do plenty so it's going to maybe look like a lot, but in the end-- This is a whole bunch of salt.

Show me.

Come on.

We can rub it in there.

Get it on the tongue.

Ahhh.

Even that needs love.

I hear that's part of the delicacy of all of this.

It is.

So, the cinnamon and that is oregano.

That's oregano.

I don't see the cayenne.

So a little bit of cinnamon is going to give us a little more-- That's interesting.

--a little more depth.

Now, is this something that you grew up doing?

I grew up seeing my grandfather cook barbacoa.

But he did it more of the TexMex way.

Which a lot of times didn't include a lot of the wonderful adobo and all the spices.

Which is more of a Mexican tradition, yeah.

Mexican tradition.

So, I wanted to make sure that I was respecting those traditions.

The way I prepared it, I kind of merged both worlds like the TexMex-- Well, that's, again, it's telling that story of people like yourself here in Texas that share both of those cultures.

Yes, because our culture is actually called the Tajanos.

Right so, it's a whole different thing.

It's another episode, but the Tajanos were definitely a mix of the two cultures and worlds.

Right.

And those things are even evident today.

Well, and it's evident in the barbacoa.

And you really want this to marinate overnight.

to really make sure it gets deep and imparts itself, and says I'm here.

I'm here.

And so, you are then, you're prepping this.

Why is this cooked in, basically in a ground oven in a hole as opposed to, I don't know, in a smoker or some other kind of thing?

What's the significance there?

I think when I did my per se research and looking back, it kind of boils down to what's available, right?

What chilis, what salsas, what animals, what things, what vessels can we cook with?

And if you-- there's a place you can dig a hole anywhere.

[Capri] Right.

But it takes a communal effort.

So, a lot of times these were reserved for special events.

You know people that gather because it takes more than one person to do it.

Right.

So, it's always a communal gathering and in the end, after all the hard work, it's like, yay.

It's a celebration.

Celebration.

Now, do we have to-- You said these leaves are part of the picture.

So how do we make that happen now?

So, before they'd make this huge bed of the maguey leaves, dig that [speaking Spanish], put it in there, wrap it up.

We're going to take a minor short cut.

We're going to put it in one of our big hoyas from the restaurant.

Okay.

Put those maguey leaves in there and make a little bed for this head and put it in our pit, 8 hours.

This needs to cook for 8-hours.

So, am I moving in?

You're putting me to work here on the ranch.

That would be nice, but I actually have one that we've already got ready.

Let's go get that one.

You know there's this little technique to this.

We want to make sure that we don't get any of the dirt in there.

Oh see.

Look at that.

And so, start in the center.

Move away.

So, this would be something that would be taught in Mexico.

But the more I talk to people, the more it seems to be remembered in South Texas.

You're telling me here-- It's a South Texas thing.

It's a South Texas thing.

It's a South Texas thing.

So, we got this metal plate here.

So, you see the steam coming out?

I do.

Now that you uncovered that.

So, we dug about a five-foot hole in the ground and we stuck an oil-filled pipe because you can find those in Texas.

There we go.

Which is cast iron.

Put that cast iron-- So, it's like almost like a giant, enormous Dutch oven.

So, it's like a barbecue pit on the south side and put in the hole.

I got it.

Okay.

See that steam?

See how hot that is?

Alright.

Alright here we go.

I see a little steam coming out.

Yay.

I feel like I smell the leaves.

I feel like that's what I smell.

It's the maguey perfume, right?

So, you can see it's nice and moist still.

Oh, wow.

See that.

See that cheek.

How are we going to eat this?

-You need a tortilla.

-Okay.

Luckily, I brought these.

And I'm going to start pulling that meat to make you a tacos.

Got salsa [speaking Spanish] But are you a cheek or cheek and tongue guy?

Well, I mean, at this point I'm not either.

Let's start with the cheek, I guess.

The cheek.

So, people usually go for the cheek or the tongue.

If you're really adventurous you go for the brain, but I don't know.

That is definitely a bridge too far for me.

This is the cheek?

Cheek [speaking Spanish] Okay.

Here we add salsa verde.

I love salsa verde.

[speaking Spanish] Has to be a little bit spicy.

Hold on.

Lemon.

Whoo.

Wow, this is fantastic.

So, what do you pick up?

Is there a flavor, salt?

I mean, the heat.

Yeah.

And then it's tender.

I mean, it's-- And then the corn tortilla.

I mean, you're right, the lemon allows for the fattiness of the cheek which is super tender, comes right through.

But having that heat and then that marinate of the adobo.

I can also taste that too.

I feel like it's really been like totally integrated.

It's music to my ears.

Oh yeah, you said you can do the cheek with the tongue, so let's maybe try that.

Yeah.

It's called the tongue and cheek taco.

Oh, little dad jokes.

Yeah, that's why I'm a cook and not a comedian.

There you go, okay.

So, this is actually, it doesn't look quite-- It's got a little more fibrous.

Yeah.

It doesn't have the fat content.

Got it.

But it's equally as good.

Okay.

You got to have it.

You got to have it.

I do.

We're here.

Yay.

The texture is a little bit different.

Yes.

You know, it doesn't taste quite as different maybe as I would've expected.

You came all the way to Texas for a taco.

-I did.

-Was it worth it?

It was totally worth it.

Tender, tender, tender.

Thank you.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

Here's to tacos.

[Capri] The cowboys and cowgirls of Texas like to share a blessing befitting of this rugged and welcoming state.

May your belly never grumble, may your heart never ache, may your horse never stumble, may your cinch never break.

To be blessed the Texan way with a down-home meal and a warm smile all you have to do is swing on through for a visit.

But why take my word for it, when you can come experience it for yourself.

America The Bountiful is waiting for you and me.

For more information visit Americathebountifulshow.com.

[announcer] America's farmers have nourished us for generations, but today they face unprecedented challenges.

American Farmland Trust works with farmers to help save the land that sustains us.

Together we can work to keep America bountiful.