- 4 months ago
Adam Richman visited Richmond, Virginia, in the Season 3 episode of Man v. Food, which originally aired on June 30, 2010.
The episode featured a visit to Buz and Ned's Real BBQ, where Adam tried a rack of barbecued pork spareribs and faced the Triple D Challenge, a massive sandwich made with pulled pork, brisket, and sausage, which he had to consume along with mac and cheese and collard greens within 45 minutes.
He also visited Black Sheep, known for its large submarine sandwiches, and Caliente, where he took on the Stupid Wings Challenge, a spicy eating contest.
The episode featured a visit to Buz and Ned's Real BBQ, where Adam tried a rack of barbecued pork spareribs and faced the Triple D Challenge, a massive sandwich made with pulled pork, brisket, and sausage, which he had to consume along with mac and cheese and collard greens within 45 minutes.
He also visited Black Sheep, known for its large submarine sandwiches, and Caliente, where he took on the Stupid Wings Challenge, a spicy eating contest.
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TVTranscript
00:01I'm at Caliente in Richmond, Virginia, about to take on the Stupid Wings Challenge.
00:05Eight jumbo wings drenched in a spicy concoction of cayenne habanero and pure chili extract.
00:11Plus, a secret ingredient I've never encountered in any of my hot wing challenges.
00:20The container of war judgment.
00:24Sounds like the worst Harry Potter novel ever.
00:27But, if I can conquer this concoction, I'll win an I'm with Stupid t-shirt and the respect of this great nation.
00:36Richmond, Virginia, United States of America.
00:39Tonight it's safe to say I'm proud about getting a little stupid.
00:47I'm Adam Richmond, a food fanatic who's held nearly every job in the restaurant biz.
00:52And now I'm on a mouth-watering journey to find America's greatest pig-out spots.
00:58Oh my goodness, oh my goodness.
01:02And take on the country's most legendary eating challenge.
01:06Ladies and gentlemen, this is the carnivore challenge.
01:08I'm no competitive eater.
01:10This is history in the mind game.
01:11Just a regular guy with a serious appetite.
01:16The hottest wings on the planet.
01:19One minute and counting.
01:21This is my ultimate hunger quest.
01:26This is Man vs. Food.
01:29My cross-country crusade has brought me to a colonial capital.
01:37Historic Richmond, Virginia for some all-American eats.
01:41As part of the 13 original colonies and the site of Patrick Henry's war cry,
01:45Give me liberty or give me death,
01:47Richmond played an integral role in the declaration of our country's independence.
01:51Fire!
01:52And today, they're still showing that independent spirit with their love of revolutionary barbecue.
02:01I'm on North Boulevard at Buzz and Edge Real Barbecue,
02:05a Richmond institution serving up everything from succulent pulled pork to tender beef brisket.
02:10What they're really known for are Buzz's secret hickory and oak smoked spare ribs.
02:15Let's see what the buzz is all about.
02:1621 years ago, owner Buzz Grossberg set out to learn the secrets of our nation's favorite culinary tradition,
02:28barbecue.
02:29Training with pitmasters across the land from Memphis to North Carolina to Texas.
02:36Buzz returned in 1992 to open his own place.
02:40And today, you can step right up to his counter and pick your favorite regional dish.
02:45How does this barbecue compare with other barbecue you've had?
02:49Well, I've been across the country in the military.
02:51I've had barbecue in Texas, Tennessee, Colorado, Arizona.
02:55And the ribs and the brisket here, I'll do them all.
02:58Really?
02:59Everything looks amazing.
03:01But I'm here for a succulent southern delicacy.
03:07Pork spare ribs.
03:09Now, do you always go for the ribs?
03:10Have you ever changed it up and tried some of the other meats on the menu?
03:12I've had the pork.
03:13But here lately, the ribs have been my favorite.
03:15But I've just, I mean...
03:17Literally, finger licking good.
03:18Definitely.
03:19I've got to get a rack of my own.
03:21So I head into the kitchen to meet Richmond's resident pitmaster.
03:25Thank you for having us here today.
03:26This is Buzz Grossberg.
03:27This is his place.
03:28So you guys are known for your spare ribs.
03:30Absolutely.
03:31What is the first step in prepping them to make a proper Buzz and Ned's rib?
03:35First, Buzz brushes on his very own marinade, which combines the classic spices of a Memphis-style dry rub with Worcestershire sauce to create a wet spice marinade.
03:48The theory there is that it penetrates a little bit better than a dry rub.
03:52These are some of the works from Buzz's brown period.
03:59Next, the ribs go into his nine-foot-long smoker that was custom-made in Texas.
04:04For four hours, wet logs add moisture and rich smoke flavor.
04:09Now, what wood do you guys use here at Buzz and Ned's here in Virginia?
04:12We use a mixture.
04:14It's about 80% hickory and about 20% white oak.
04:19Oh!
04:22With the smoking complete, Buzz brings the racks inside to get glazed.
04:27The grill cooks the ribs at 600 degrees, while Buzz paints on layer after layer of his sweet and sour barbecue sauce that combines Carolina and Memphis traditions.
04:38Why do you do the sauce on the heat, as opposed to before or at the table?
04:43Because there are various sugars that we put in this sauce.
04:46Okay.
04:46And they caramelize during this high heat process.
04:50You're going to see how it's bubbling.
04:51Oh, forever in peace may it bubble.
04:54That is absolutely splendid.
04:57Once the high heat has thoroughly caramelized the sauce, Buzz pulls them off the grill.
05:02Oh, Lord have mercy.
05:04To get sliced and plated.
05:06Will you join me for a rack outside?
05:09Absolutely.
05:14Oh, good Lord.
05:15It's not good.
05:16What I think is kind of amazing, it's almost like eating two ribs.
05:20You take that first bite, and it's that charred with that really great kind of smoky sweetness of that layer after layer of that sauce.
05:27Then you start chewing it, and you realize how deep that that smoke has penetrated all the way down to the bone.
05:34Good on you.
05:35High five.
05:35Coming up, these aren't subs.
05:43Can't even contain it.
05:44They're battleships.
05:47And then, will I be able to conquer the stupid sauce's secret ingredient?
05:52What is in here?
05:52This is like Area 51.
05:54Put your nose in there.
05:55I've journeyed to the colonial capital of Richmond, Virginia, to channel the revolutionary spirit of our forefathers and confront the Stupid Wings Challenge.
06:08But first, I'm going to visit a local hotspot that's proven not all sandwiches are created equal.
06:18I'm at the Black Sheep in Richmond's Carver District, where the subs have been upgraded to battleships.
06:23Two-foot, two-and-a-half-pound maritime mouth-watering monstrosities armed to the teeth with delicious toppings.
06:29Ladies and gentlemen, man, you're eating stations.
06:32Opened in spring of 2008, the Black Sheep became an instant success with its fleet of enormous battleship sandwiches.
06:44From the spiced shrimp-stuffed USS Lafayette to the CSS Virginia, piled high with southern fried chicken livers,
06:53the Black Sheep Sandwich Armada has sunk the average sub.
07:00I know, what sandwich did you order?
07:01This is the CSS Virginia.
07:03It's got the crispy apple sweetness, cut with the stone-ground mustard, cut with the fried chicken liver.
07:09So it feels rich, but when you bite into it, it's really flavorful and layered and interesting.
07:15Oh my God, you just sold like 10,000 sandwiches, all of which to me.
07:19At your hungriest, could you eat a full battleship?
07:21I have eaten a full battleship before, one time.
07:23This man is a great American.
07:25The entire fleet looks delicious, but I'm here for the vessel named after my hometown,
07:30the USS Brooklyn.
07:36A two-foot-long baguette loaded with peach chutney, a full pound of jerk chicken, homemade slaw, and roasted banana ketchup,
07:45all cruising into combat at a whopping two and a half pounds.
07:49This is the USS Brooke, a fine name for a fine vessel.
07:55Does this sandwich prove that you can never really have too much of a good thing?
07:57This is going to be my dinner for the rest of the week.
08:00Ready to sample my own Brooklyn behemoth, I head to the kitchen to see how it's made.
08:04All right, so I'm here with one of the shepherds of the black sheep, this fine gentleman, Kevin Roberts.
08:11Now, you also name all the battleships after real Civil War battleships, correct?
08:16Correct.
08:17Setting sail in 1858, the USS Brooklyn was first stationed in the West Indies
08:22before taking part in the Union blockade during the Civil War.
08:26In its honor, Kevin has based all the ingredients on its Caribbean service.
08:32Let's build a USS Brooklyn.
08:34All right.
08:35Kevin starts by grilling boneless chicken thighs marinated overnight in traditional Jamaican jerk spices,
08:42which combine scotch bonnet peppers, brown sugar, thyme, garlic, salt, and green onions.
08:49The smell of this jerk is so good.
08:52I am not talking about Kevin in a rude way.
08:56Next, Kevin takes a two-foot-long toasted baguette and swabs the deck with homemade peach chutney.
09:03Chutneys, how would you describe, kind of beyond preserve and relish?
09:06It gets the addition of vinegar, crushed red pepper in there as well, which is going to give it a little bit of bite.
09:11Okay.
09:12And twang, tang to it.
09:13No, it could be twang, too.
09:14It is the south.
09:15Yeah.
09:16So southern tang is twang.
09:18Kevin chops up the full pound of jerk chicken and stuffs it into the baguette,
09:23adds cabbage and green onion slaw for crunch, and then tops it all off with roasted banana ketchup.
09:29A blend of bananas, brown sugar, rum, soy sauce, and jerk seasoning.
09:36Banana ketchup.
09:37What monkeys put on their fries.
09:42That is the coolest, craziest thing I have ever tried.
09:46I really, I feel like the great American explorers who have gone before me.
09:49I'm like Lewis and Clark of The Kitchen, and you're like Sacagawea of The Banana Ketchup.
09:55Because you never thought you'd be called that this morning when you woke up.
09:57No, no, no.
09:57Kevin hoists the sandwich into dry dock, and my battleship is complete.
10:02All ashore that's going ashore, because the USS Brooklyn is pulling out into my stomach.
10:09Wow.
10:10Okay, so you've already been introduced to the beautiful USS Brooklyn.
10:14And this is the beautiful Amy Hess.
10:16You're one of the partners here.
10:17You're one of the creators of this amazing menu.
10:19That's right.
10:20To your hospitality, and to your delicious food.
10:22Thank you, guys.
10:26It's amazing.
10:27And the thing is, the jerk has a lot of heat behind it.
10:30It's very spicy.
10:31But what's great is, between the banana ketchup on top, and then the peach chutney on the bottom,
10:37it's like a full-on babel of salt of your taste buds.
10:40Virginia's for lovers and eaters.
10:42Cheers.
10:43Woo!
10:47Mmm.
10:50Coming up, I'm fired up for the Stupid Wings Challenge.
10:54What is going on?
10:55But will a secret ingredient break my spirit?
10:59You're in ****.
11:05Sit.
11:07Sit.
11:08In my pursuit of life, liberty, and the spiciest foods this great country has to offer,
11:13I've traveled to Caliente in Richmond, Virginia, to take on the Stupid Wings Challenge.
11:21Eight oversized wings cooked with spices so hot, they defeat 90% of their challengers.
11:27But if I can take down these wings without any dairy relief, I win an I'm with Stupid T-Shirt, and the meal is on the house.
11:36I have a half hour to take down the sauce that's so spicy, it's just plain stupid.
11:40Served up since opening day in 2004, Caliente's Stupid Wings Challenge is so incendiary, the waitstaff is instructed to talk customers out of ordering it.
11:55How often do you guys get people coming in and attempting the Stupid Wings Challenge?
11:59Um, I would say three times every weekend, if somebody wants to.
12:04And then you discourage them.
12:05I do.
12:06Someone wants to do this challenge, and you say no, no.
12:08There's paperwork to be signed, there's, yeah, a video to watch.
12:12There's a video to watch?
12:13There's a video to watch.
12:44Okay, wait, don't touch anything, don't touch anything.
12:47Don't touch anything, don't touch anything.
12:49Hey, okay.
12:49Holy sh...
12:50Holy sh...
12:52How are you feeling with one bite of the challenge wing in your body?
12:56My mouth is burning a lot.
12:58Trouble.
12:59I'm gonna go to the kitchen, see how they make these wings.
13:01Good luck with that.
13:03All right, so we're in the kitchen here at Caliente.
13:05This is Dave Bender, and this challenge is your brainchild.
13:08The Stupid Wing Challenge.
13:10A, because you kind of have to be stupid to do it.
13:13And these wings are also kind of stupid hot.
13:15They're ridiculously stupid hot.
13:17We start my ridiculously stupid order by dropping the wings in the deep fryer.
13:23Then, Dave lays out the base of the stupid sauce.
13:26A tame mixture of hot sauce, margarine, and barbecue sauce.
13:30But then he brings the heat by adding red-hot habanero powder.
13:36And that's plenty. Thank you very much. Thank you for playing.
13:38Followed by the slow burn of cayenne pepper.
13:42Definitely don't want to do this challenge. I am really scared.
13:44Now comes the fun part.
13:46The fun part.
13:48A.K.A.
13:51The Container of Poor Judgment.
13:56The Container of Poor Judgment.
13:59It sounds like the worst Harry Potter novel ever.
14:02But something tells me the boy wizard isn't going to save me from this.
14:08The Container of Poor Judgment holds the remnants of every stupid sauce Dave has ever made.
14:14What is in here? This is like Area 51.
14:17Oh, come on, man. Come on.
14:20Come on.
14:21No, but that looks ridiculous.
14:22After he sauces each new order of wings, Dave places the leftovers into the Container of Poor Judgment, where the spices continue to marinate.
14:32So this sauce gets exponentially hotter with each batch you make.
14:37Yes.
14:37Put your nose in there.
14:40Oh.
14:42Dave adds the marinated inferno, but that's not all.
14:48That is capsaicin extract.
14:49You're a d**k.
14:55All right, capsaicin is what makes any pepper hot.
14:57And what also sucks about extract is that it only imparts heat and pain.
15:05No flavor.
15:06There's no flavor in this.
15:07Would you admit it?
15:08Tastes like burning.
15:09Oh, goodness gracious.
15:11Dave adds five drops of the pure capsaicin extract and then douses the wings.
15:18And if that wasn't enough, Dave stabs each wing with a fork to ensure the stupid sauce reaches all the way to the bone.
15:27What advice could you give me to take these down?
15:29My only real advice with these is don't.
15:33With that ingenious bit of insight, Dave plates the wings, and it's time to get stupid.
15:41No!
15:41No!
15:47What is going on?
15:57First, we have a waiver for you to sign.
16:01Of course you do.
16:02This releases us from any obligations.
16:11All right.
16:16You can.
16:20I'm not going to lie to you guys.
16:22I am, I'm scared.
16:25You can do it.
16:27We have faith.
16:28Richmond, Virginia, United States of America.
16:40Tonight, it's safe to say I'm proud about getting a little stupid.
16:51Coming up, will I be able to conquer the Stupid Wings Challenge?
16:55Wish me luck.
16:56No.
16:58Or will I look just plain dumb?
17:07I'm at Caliente in Richmond, Virginia, attempting to take down the Stupid Wings Challenge.
17:13In 300 attempts, only 30 have overcome the intense heat of Caliente's Stupid Sauce.
17:20But if I can stomach all eight wings with no dairy relief, I'll take home the T-shirt
17:26and Richmond food glory.
17:29Bring on the wings.
17:33Adam, you're about to take the Stupid Wing Challenge.
17:36You have half an hour to eat all eight wings.
17:38No ranch dressing, no milk, no bread.
17:41You get beer, iced tea.
17:44Are you ready?
17:45Wish me luck.
17:46Go.
18:01The first wing ignites a fireworks display in my mouth.
18:05Oh, wow.
18:06It's spicy all the way down for the bone.
18:17Second wing in, and the Stupid Sauce has already struck me dumb.
18:24But not helpless.
18:25And we've got three wings down.
18:35You're doing an excellent job.
18:42Adam's halfway done.
18:43He's killing it.
18:43He's not even crying yet.
18:44He can do it.
18:45Come on.
18:45Six wings down and two to go.
19:03But the heat is getting unbearable.
19:08And I don't think I can take another bite.
19:11Adam's done six wings.
19:13It looks like he's really hurting.
19:14I hope he can do it.
19:15Adam!
19:16Adam!
19:17Adam!
19:18Maybe I'm crazy, but this Richmond crowd carries me on.
19:22Come on, Adam.
19:23You can do it.
19:24USA!
19:25USA!
19:27USA!
19:28USA!
19:36You're almost home.
19:37You're almost there.
19:39One more wing.
19:41One more wing.
19:43One more wing.
19:44This is it.
19:46With one last push.
19:53I attempt the final wing.
19:57This wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done.
20:09But I've won and I'm with Stupid T-Shirt and my independence from the Stupid Wing Challenge.
20:17This one is a stupid day for me.
20:20Adam, how does it feel to beat this challenge?
20:31I want to make one thing clear.
20:33I have not beaten this challenge.
20:35More like I have endured a beating and still continue to.
20:40You, you're right here.
20:42Adam, what was the most difficult part of the challenge for you?
20:46Um, eating the wings.
20:48That was definitely the hardest part.
20:50Only for more man versus food?
20:52Check out my original web series, A Side of City, only on TravelChannel.com.
20:57That is absolutely inspirational.
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