Man v. Food Season 3 Episode 18: Knoxville
Adam travels to Knoxville, Tennessee, to take on the El Gigante Burrito Challenge at Sweet P’s BBQ. Dozens have tried, but no one has won the challenge. Adam wants to be the first person to complete the El Gigante Burrito Challenge, a four pound pork burrito stuffed with barbecue beans and coleslaw, with a half-pound of mac and cheese and a half-pound of banana pudding on the side. If Adam completes the challenge and finishes the burrito and sides in one hour, he wins a t-shirt and a poster.
Adam’s first stop in Knoxville is to Ye Olde Steakhouse, where they specialize in delicious steaks. Ye Olde Steakhouse features steaks from Porterhouse to Prime Rib, and the steak cuts are as big as you want them. Adam is there to try out one of their biggest steaks, the sixty ounce New York strip steak. Adam heads back to the kitchen, where Chef Zach Brine shows Adam how the strip steak is grilled up. First Chef Zach selects a piece of sixty ounce wet-aged Angus beef, butterflies the strip steak so it cooks more evenly, then places the steak on the grill. The steak is grilled and basted in butter, secret spices, and pepper, then transfered to a saute pan to sear the meat. After searing, the steak is put back on the grill, basted again with the butter sauce and grilled to perfection before it is ready to be served. Adam sits down to a steak with long time waitress Ashley Brooks. Adam and Ashley dive into the huge sixty ounce steaks and are overcome with how amazing the steak tastes. Adam and Ashley make noises with full mouths while funny captions relay what they are thinking about the meal. Adam narrates the scene, telling the audience the steaks are “So good words don’t do it justice!”
Next up is Dixson Bar-B-Q, where they know BBQ. Dixson’s is known for the ever popular Pigburger, a local sandwich favorite. Adam checks into the kitchen to see how co-owner Toby Dixon creates this scrumptious sandwich. Toby takes pork patties and places them in a skillet, adding some water and covering the meat to let it steam. Toby slices up Vadalia onions and adds them to the pork burgers to steam with the meat. The Pigburger takes shape as the steamed pork burgers are placed on simple white bread, topped with steamed Vadalia onions, then slathered in Dixson’s legendary homemade hot BBQ sauce. Adam takes his first bite of The Pigburger and proclaims “That’s awesome!” Adam tells the audience he loves the spices in the pork meat and the crunchiness of the Vadalia onions.
The challenge has arrived, and Adam prepares for his burrito battle. In a montage, Adam visits Fort Dickerson Park dressed in fringed jacket and coonskin cap as Davy Crockett. Adam channels Davy Crockett, hunting down the El Gigante Burrito. Adam sees the burrito and is confronted by a giant bear who looks more like a teddy bear than a ferocious animal. Adam attacks the bear and they wrestle for the burrito. Adam gives the bear an Indian burn on the arm, while the bear gives Adam a wedgie. Adam pulls out his knife and cuts the burrito in half, sharing equally with the hungry bear. As Adam and the bear become friends and eat their burritos, Adam makes the bear even happier by rubbing its ear.
Adam arrives at Sweet P’s BBQ for the El Gigante Burrito Challenge. Sweet P’s BBQ is known for their tasty Tex Mex food. Adam has one hour to complete the five pound l Gigante Burrito food challenge in order to win a poster and t-shirt. Adam visits the kitchen where he watches owner Chris Ford assemble the massive burrito. Chris smokes pork butt for fourteen hours over hickory and white oak with a basting of a brown sugar based sauce called Soul Rub. Chris chops up the pork butt into pieces. Two pounds of pork butt are measured and placed on top of three giant flour tortillas, then topped with a mix of white beans and pinto beans. A colorful cole slaw is layered on top of the beans. Adam and Chris both love the combination of BBQ pork and cole slaw. Adam comments on the mix of his two favorite BBQ ingredients, telling Chris “It’s like confetti on a doomsday meat parade!”, making Chris laugh. Next Chris adds one half pound of cheddar cheese over the cole slaw, and coats the top with their BBQ sauce. Chris uses one more tortilla to wrap and bind the burrito together.
Adam heads to the dining room where locals from Knoxville are cheering him on. Chris brings out the four pound pork burrito, half-pound of mac and cheese and a half-pound of banana pudding sides and the challenge begins. Adam chomps down on the first half of the El Gigante Burrito and loves the flavor, telling the audience “It’s SO good!” Five minutes into the challenge Adam has taken down half the burrito. As Adam starts eating the second half of the burrito he realizes how rich it is and begins to struggle, telling the audience “The richness and starchiness creeps up on you.” Adam decides a strategy of combining the mac and cheese topping the burrito bites is the way to go, and it works like a charm. Adam has a small amount of burrito to eat and says each bite of burrito is like eating a whole burrito. Suddenly Adam realizes in Man vs Food he has never won a burrito challenge. Adam goes into overdrive determined to win. Adam finishes off the second half of the burrito at twenty five minutes into the challenge. Adam polishes off the rest of the mac and cheese at twenty two minutes into the challenge. The audience is excited because victory is within Adam’s reach. Adam tells the crowd he so does not want dessert. Adam faces the next step of the challenge, downing the half-pound bannana pudding dessert in thirty five minutes. Adam starts eating dessert and is inspired by the crowd, who chants “Go Adam, go!” Adam is down to the last bite of bannana pudding and devours it, pumping his fist into the air. Adam completes the El Gigante Burrito Challenge in twenty nine minutes, the first winner ever of the challenge. Adam tells the crowd that in the El Gigante Burrito Challenge of Man vs Food, today, man won!
