[ Up-tempo music plays ] [ Drawer closes ] -As far back as I can remember.

I've always wanted to be a baker.

♪♪ -Paul seems to know what he's doing.

-What you might not know about me is that I'm also a huge film buff... Go ahead, punk, make my day.

[ Gunshot ] ...and I love my bikes.

[ Engine revs ] I'll be combining all these passions on an epic road trip from New York to L.A.

I'll be sampling foods that play a starring role... lapping up the scenery... as well as the cooking... Wow.

...and reliving some of my favorite movie moments.

I'll be rustling up some epic recipes inspired by my travels... Oh-ho-ho!

...and I'll be meeting a few famous friends along the way.

-This was a real discovery, I have to say.

-So join me on a journey from grits to gumbo... Spicy.

...and from godfathers to "Forrest Gump."

I'm a happy boy at the moment.

Come on, buckos, let's go for a ride.

Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho!

That looks awesome.

[ Up-tempo, adventuresome music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ [ Engine revs ] [ Music softens ] ♪♪ [ Engine revs ] ♪♪ ♪♪ I'm winding my way out of Texas and into New Mexico.

These incredible landscapes feel so familiar, but I've only actually ever seen them from my armchair, watching Westerns on telly.

♪♪ Being here is awe-inspiring, and I can see now that America is a land of giant expanses, wide-open spaces, and big skies.

This is cowboy country.

[ Whimsical country music plays ] After the Civil War, the demand for beef in the North meant Texan ranchers could sell their cattle for as much as $40 a head.

So cowboys began driving enormous herds hundreds, sometimes thousands, of miles to the nearest railheads or markets.

For 3 to 5 months, as many as 20 cowboys would all rely on the trail cook and his chuck wagon to feed them nutritious but portable meals.

Beef, beans, and breads formed the backbone of their diets.

Over 150 years later, those key ingredients still dominate.

So I'm expecting to find a lot of beef on my plate while I'm here.

[ Adventuresome music plays ] After several days in the saddle myself, I'm as hungry as a cowpoke and I'm suffering from a common cowboy complaint.

My raw hide!

♪♪ Ow!

[ Engine revs ] [ Dramatic Western-movie music plays ] My first Wild West stop-off is bound to have beef on the menu -- a roadside diner that's pulled one struggling ghost town back into the land of the living, with the help of one signature beef dish -- the good old-fashioned burger.

And I could eat a prairie horse.

[ Up-tempo rock 'n' roll plays ] ♪♪ It's been used in several movies, and it's full of hungry bikers... just like me.

♪♪ -Welcome to New Mexico.

-Nice-looking ride.

-[ Chuckles ] -How's it going?

-Exhausting.

-Yeah, we're on that kind of a bike.

No wonder.

[ Both laugh ] -Fantastic scenery, though, coming up.

-Isn't that awesome.

-Oh, it's amazing.

The roads are fantastic.

-Yeah.

-I didn't realize how big America was, though.

-So, welcome, man.

-Thank you very much, indeed.

-Yeah, I mean, I'm not a baker, but I'm a biker, but do I still get a handshake?

-I'm a bit of both.

-Do I still get a handshake?

[ Both laugh ] [ Indistinct conversation ] [ Pool balls clacking ] ♪♪ -Well, here we are at the Mine Shaft Tavern.

Now, this used to be a mining area, up until the 1950s, and it closed down.

And for 20 years, it was pretty barren.

No one was here.

No one visited.

And then they opened up this place.

It's become a bit of a hotbed for bikers.

Now, I need to meet Melinda and Lori, and they're going to tell me a little bit more about the history of this fantastic place.

[ Indistinct conversations ] [ Laughter ] -Hey.

-Lovely to meet you.

I'm Paul.

Lovely to meet you.

-I'm Melinda.

Nice to meet you.

-I've been really looking forward to coming here, actually, because I like to stop at bikers pubs, because it's what I love in the U.K.

I'm looking at the movie connection, as well.

-Okay.

-Now, you've had a few movies based here, haven't you?

-We have.

One that you're probably the most familiar with would be "Paul."

-That's a classic film.

-With Simon Pegg.

-Yeah, yeah.

-If you look at the movie again, we're Roy's Roadhouse in that movie.

-Oh, really?

Oh, was that here?

-Yeah.

-But you were probably thinking about "Wild Hogs."

-"Wild Hogs" with John Travolta?

-Yeah.

-When was that filmed here?

-It was 2005.

They used this bar to re-create the biker bar that they burned down and blew up.

-Right.

And so, have you had any of the actors coming in here?

-Val Kilmer loves coming here, Sam Shepard.

-Ethan Hawke and I just had a... -Oh, just drop -- -We just had a little tête-à-tête.

-Really?

-He's a really nice guy.

-[ Chuckles ] -Yeah, really nice guy.

-Now, how did it all turn into a bikers' place?

Because obviously that's not something that happens overnight.

-These guys created it over the years.

-It's his fault.

-He's been here a long time.

-How long have you been coming?

-Me?

The past five years.

-25 for me.

-Wow.

-15.

-25.

-And what is it?

What draws you to this place?

How did it -- -I ran out of gas.

[ Laughter ] -So, when you eat here, what do you normally eat?

What sort of thing on the menu do you go for?

-Definitely got to try the MadChile burger.

-Nice.

-Definitely a good burger.

-That's the best invitation I've had all day.

Right, back to the heart of the operation.

-This is Jorge.

-Nice to meet you, Chef.

-Hey, nice to meet you.

Yo.

-Can you tell us a little bit about this burger, then?

Can I try some?

-It's our Angus chuck.

It's out of Fort Worth, Texas.

-Oh, beautiful.

♪♪ -You've become known, really, for these these green chilies, haven't you?

-I experimented with the chili.

And I tempura-battered it, and we fried it.

And I was like, "Why not just incorporate that into the burger?"

And so we did.

And it's been rocking ever since.

500 years, they've been doing chilies, and nobody's been doing that in New Mexico.

Now people are doing it.

But we did it first.

We did it first in the state.

So, this sauce right here, this is a sauce that was developed by me and my bartender.

And it literally is chipotles in adobo sauce, Dijon mustard, and mayo.

-So you have your green chili fried, you have your cheese.

And what is this?

-So, we do a chopped chili, which is really hot chili.

-That's hot chili.

Yeah.

-A bit of chipotle Dijonnaise.

This is aged cheddar.

-Yeah.

-And then this is the burger.

And then we also have this on the side as a garnish.

-My mouth -- I have to dislocate my jaw to get my mouth around it.

[ Both laugh ] -Just press it on down and get down on it.

That's how we do it.

♪♪ -The quality of meat is unbelievable.

-Yeah.

-You can really taste the meat.

I am getting a bit of heat coming from the chilies.

-Gonna give you a little bit of a -- -It's got a kick to it.

-Yeah, it's gonna give you that smoked jalapeño thing going on.

-The flavors that go on -- that sauce actually really works.

You do get that mustard in there, as well.

-Yes.

-It's got tons of flavor.

It's what you'd think of as a fantastic burger.

Think of the best burger.

That's probably one of the best ones I've had, actually.

I can see why the bikers come in here.

If you were on my biking run, I'd be in here, too.

-Absolutely.

You're dealing with something, really, that's phoenix from the ashes.

You're dealing with a community that was shuttered after the closing of the mine, but it's rejuvenated itself, creating great food.

Bikers are coming here.

I love it.

♪♪ -Service!

♪♪ [ "William Tell Overture" plays ] -I'm on my trusty steed, heading towards the oldest state capital in the U.S., and I'm making a dash because I'm determined to see the sun set over Santa Fe.

Hi-ho, Hollywood, away!

♪♪ [ Horse neighs, engine revs ] ♪♪ [ Gunshots ] ♪♪ [ Horse snorts ] Now I just need to find a scenic viewpoint.

♪♪ ♪♪ Whew!

That was an exhausting montage.

[ Soft music plays ] Amazing view, isn't it?

Santa Fe in all its glory.

It's surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and it sits at 7,200 feet high.

The Native Americans called it "dancing ground of the sun," and the main reason being, 320 days of the year, this place is flooded with sunshine.

It's got a very rich connection with movies, as well.

In fact, three major Hollywood hitters live here.

You have Shirley MacLaine, Jane Fonda, and Robert Redford.

I'm not surprised, because this place is so cool.

Look at it.

♪♪ [ Mid-tempo music plays ] -Santa Fe was originally settled a thousand years ago by the Pueblo Indians, which explains these Adobe buildings built with sun-dried earth and straw.

When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, they brought the Catholic faith and classical European architecture.

The gorgeous Saint Francis Cathedral, here in the city center, amongst the adobe buildings, looks like it's been airlifted in from Europe and perfectly evokes the city's harmonious blend of ancient and European heritage.

What is fascinating -- the culture here is so varied.

You have American, Native American, and Hispanic, all coming in together into this small, beautiful, chic city.

It is stunning.

Absolutely stunning.

And the food on offer here is just as rich as the history.

[ Engine revs ] The Cowgirl barbecue is Santa Fe's premier watering hole for beer and tequila lovers and for the all-American dining.

[ Western accent ] There's also fine fixings for hungry cowpokes.

And like any saloon in the Old West, it's seen a lot of shootin', [Normal voice] mostly confined to movie cameras and the billiard tables.

I'm meeting Nicholas, one of the owners.

He's the fastest gun in town.

♪♪ Hello, Nicholas.

[ Chuckles ] -Oh, hey.

-Lovely to meet you.

-How you doing, man?

Pleasure.

Good to see you.

-I'm very good.

Oh, you got a pool game going?

-I think so.

I heard you play.

-Yeah, but this is your place, isn't it?

-I'm one of those.

-I'm not stupid to be able to challenge someone who runs the place.

-No, no, no, no, I was always too busy working to play.

-Oh, leave it out.

I'm not having that.

[ Both laugh ] [ Up-tempo music plays ] How good can he be?

♪♪ Hmm.

♪♪ I don't believe it.

♪♪ Aw!

So, you've had a lot of movie stars coming in here.

-Peter Fonda came here with a film festival a number of years ago, and I was his designated guide.

It's, like, Peter Fonda and me riding at the front of 30 or 40 other bikers, all the way through town.

So I had all my "Easy Rider" fantasies fulfilled.

-Absolutely.

I feel like I'm fulfilling a slight "Easy Rider" thing now, as well, because, you know, the bike I've got is very much a custom chopper, you know.

-I saw it.

You're kicked way back on that thing.

It's got a little teeny tiny tank.

-It's got a hardtail, as well.

-Yeah, yeah.

I was wondering what the budget for hemorrhoid cream was.

-[ Laughs ] In New York, I just sat on a load of bagels.

That seemed to help.

[ Both laugh ] Obviously, coming to Santa Fe feels like you're in the middle of sort of cowboy country.

-Well, we are very much, actually.

-The whole idea of starting a... -A cowboy restaurant here, it's really the cowgirl aspect, is to pretty much honor the whole tradition and cuisine of the American cowboy -- the pies, the side dishes, the whole amount of love that goes into the food.

-How is that different to... -Well, would you rather have your mother or your father cooking for you?

-To be honest, my father.

-Oh, wow.

[ Both laugh ] You're unique among most people I know.

-Okay.

I mean, I do like the idea of the cowboy food, because when you watch all these old Western movies and they're all sitting around with a pan of beans, sitting for a fire, it looks delicious.

-You know, there's something about being outside for the entire day, out with the cattle.

And when you finally get around to getting some food, it's like, man, you really want protein, you know?

And there's nothing like, you know, a nice burger or some steaks or whatever.

We're throwing a lot of green chili into stuff and indigenous spices.

That makes it a whole lot more interesting for our patrons.

Green chili is a way of life here.

It really identifies northern New Mexican cuisine.

♪♪ -Nice.

-Right.

I believe you're all about the barbecue here.

-Oh, well, you know, barbecue has been our stock-in-trade.

We do all of our own smoking right here.

And you go into the kitchen, you find Patrick, he'll walk you through the whole process.

-Thanks.

Great playing with you.

-Okay.

Good.

♪♪ -Patrick.

-Oh!

Over here.

Nicholas told me all about your amazing food.

What's this machine?

-Well, first of all, this is a Southern Pride smoker.

And we had to put this in with a crane.

Used to be completely wood-fired.

And we almost burned the place down a couple times.

Like a good smokehouse will do.

It's not a good smokehouse -- you don't have your creds until you almost burn the place down a few times.

We can do 500 pounds at a time in here.

-Wow.

-So, we've got a couple briskets right in there.

They've been smoked for about 13 hours.

First, we take a little of the fat off, then we rub it.

We rub this with our own proprietary rub.

Then, we put it in overnight and smoke away.

And we know it's ready when there's a certain jiggle on that that we're having right there.

And then, if I may show you, on the inside, there should be a little of this.

See how that red is permeating right in through here.

-Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

-So, that is just one of the essential parts.

I'm going to take a little of that, see if that works for you.

Still has a firm mouthfeel.

-Oh.

-But the flavor.

-Mmm.

You can see the fat running through that.

It just melts in the mouth.

It is absolutely stunning.

And I know it's stunning because the cameraman's beginning to shake a little bit.

-[ Laughs ] -[ Chuckles ] That is delicious.

-We serve it with our barbecue sauce which we make here, beans, our traditional coleslaw, potato salad.

-You mind if I take another piece of this?

-Please do.

Please do.

It would really be my pleasure.

-Thank you very much, indeed.

Don't forget the gentlemen on the cameras.

-Yeah.

Nice.

♪♪ -[ Laughs ] ♪♪ -I rode into town like the Lone Ranger, and I've eaten half a cow.

But there's definitely something missing.

♪♪ Okay, I've heard this is the place where I can go and get a cowboy hat.

Get a bit of a wander 'round.

I'm thinking, "Could we Clint?"

I mean, I quite like the idea of a long coat.

There is one here.

Lee Van Cleef, "A Fistful of Dollars."

Need to try it with a hat, though, don't I?

Hi.

-Hey, how's it going over here?

-Nice to meet you.

Hi, I'm Paul.

Uh, do you have any hats... -Yeah.

-...that would fit my rather large head?

-Have anything specific in mind?

-I like black.

-Got a few right here.

-It seems to fit okay, doesn't it?

♪♪ Think it suits me?

With the coat or without the coat?

So, it's quite neat hat, that one.

I like that.

That fits me okay.

-Yeah, it looks pretty great.

-Okay, I'll take that one, please.

Not sure about the coat yet, though.

What other sort of coats, jackets have you got?

Let's have a look.

Now, that is more like it.

-That is a lady.

-Ah.

-Has anyone come in here and said, "Make me look like Clint Eastwood"?

-Oh, all the time.

-You're joking.

-I mean, we get requests for everything.

Here you go.

-That's great, that.

[ Both laugh ] -Everyone finds their inner cowboy here.

[ Chuckles ] -I mean, the Clint thing is to go...

Isn't he?

And the guns are there.

It's great, though.

I think my mum would like the... All I need is two guns and a holster.

-[ Laughs ] I've got fake ones.

[ Both laugh ] Yeah, I do.

They're just mock replicas over here, and this is one of the older replicas here.

Yeah, it's still a great piece, for sure.

For being a fake, it's still got some... [ Gun cocks ] Go ahead, punk, make my day.

That's fantastic, that.

-Yeah.

-I don't think I could take this, because I'd get into a bit of trouble with it, take it back into the U.K.

I think I'll be sane again.

And I'll just take the cowboy hat.

-Okay.

That sounds good.

-Thank you very much, indeed.

♪♪ -I've got the wardrobe.

[ Sighs ] Now I want to see the film set.

♪♪ [ Dramatic music plays ] ♪♪ -[ Western accent ] I'm tryin' to put some bad times behind me.

But sometimes... they don't stay put.

♪♪ I had to skip town 'cause a stranger cursed my kin.

♪♪ -Well, would you rather have your mother or your father cooking for you?

[ Laughs ] And that was something I couldn't abide.

♪♪ [ Gunshot ] ♪♪ But the devil seems to find me... on every set.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -I just about cleaned everybody out, fella.

You haven't lost a single hand since you got to deal.

What's the secret to your success?

-Prayer.

[ Gunshot ] ♪♪ [ Pool balls clacking ] [ Normal voice ] Life as a movie set began here at the Bonanza Creek Ranch in 1955, when Jimmy Stewart rode into town as "The Man from Laramie."

[ Gunfire ] "Cowboy," with Jack Lemmon, followed soon after, before '60s classic "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" sat for a spell.

[ Gunfire ] More recently, "3:10 to Yuma" and "Cowboys & Aliens" kicked up some dust.

Just about the only Western not to have filmed here at the Bonanza Creek Ranch is "Bonanza."

I love this.

It's just so...authentic.

No matter where you go, you always think, "Ah, I bet they haven't thought of that."

And you look down a little crack and you think, "No, it's as it would have been."

How cool is that!

♪♪ Emma Jean runs this place, and she knows a thing or two about its heritage.

Howdy.

-Hi.

How are you?

-Nice to meet you.

-Good.

-Hi.

I'm Paul.

-Glad to meet you, too.

-Has your family always owned all this?

-This family bought this ranch back in 1940s.

There wasn't a lot of filming at that time.

It really wasn't a business.

They would just come throw up some facades, film, and then they would leave.

And so then, in 1980, we started having standing sets and they started filming here.

And it's just increasingly got more and more all the time.

Now we have some of the big players in, like Netflix and Amazon, people like that.

So they've injected themselves into New Mexico.

-Sure.

Now, would you mind showing me around your town?

-Oh, no.

Sure.

I'd love to.

Yeah, I'd love to.

♪♪ -What are we looking at here?

So, what buildings are these?

-Okay, this was where they filmed "Lonesome Dove."

This house was Anjelica Houston's house.

-Do they, obviously, change?

When other film crews come, they change -- Do they paint them?

Do you allow them to paint them?

-Yes.

The one over here is feed and grain.

That was left to me by "Cowboys & Aliens."

They left that.

-I look around, half expect a Lee Van Cleef or a Clint Eastwood to pop up over top and start shooting, you know.

[ Gunfire ] -Well... -[ Chuckles ] -..you know, you might find them here, that's for sure, because I think I've had every star, all except Clint Eastwood.

That's true.

-Clint has to come and see.

After you.

-Okay.

-After all the gunfighting, I've got me a hankering for some chow.

So Emma Jean has rustled me up a classic cowboy meal.

Out on the range, easy dishes like this are the staple of the cowboy diet.

It's as simple as adding some chopped garlic and chili flakes to some heated oil over the fire, throwing in some leftover pulled ham, then adding chopped tomatoes or passata, a bit of chicken stock, and a tin of pinto beans.

A simple bean dish like this can be added to any meats, turning a meager portion of leftovers into a filling meal, perfect for 20 cowpokes working on a cattle drive far from home.

They look great.

-Now, see how large they are?

These beans, they're dry land beans.

And dry land, they don't get a lot of water, but they grow larger.

And these are fresh.

-They taste so good.

They're quite meaty, aren't they, as well?

That's what it's all about for me.

It's about beans.

I'm in the middle of a cowboy town... -Mm-hmm.

-...having beans.

Just kill me now, 'cause I'm happy.

-Well, definitely beans go with cowboys.

I'll tell you for sure.

-[ Laughs ] -For sure.

-I'm a happy boy at the moment.

This is, um... You've made a little bit of a dream of mine come true.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

After all those beans, I hope this road trip doesn't go from "Easy Rider" to "Blazing Saddles."

♪♪ ♪♪ Now I'm back in Santa Fe, I'm in the mood for something with a little bit of heat.

And with such a rich Mexican and Spanish heritage, I'm sure that wouldn't be very hard to find.

There's one thing you see a lot of in Santa Fe, and it's these.

What we've got here are chilies.

They are literally everywhere around Santa Fe, hanging around.

Don't they look beautiful?

The thing is, about these chilies, chilies are an integral part of the food here in New Mexico, whether it's old or modern.

Now, there is one chef I have been looking forward to meet for some time.

He's taken the traditional food of Mexico into New Mexico, with a slight twist.

He is the king of chilies.

♪♪ Sazon is housed in one of the iconic Adobe buildings right in the heart of Santa Fe.

And it's said that the dishes served by chef Fernando Olea perfectly represent New Mexico's mix of tradition and innovation.

I'm here to try his famous mole -- a fusion of flavors made into a spicy sauce.

-Hello, Chef!

-How are you?

-Lovely to meet you, buddy.

-Nice to see you.

Come in.

Paul.

♪♪ -Okay, how are we going to get started?

-We're going to start with our nuts -- the pecans and the piñon nuts.

We're going to roast them.

-It happens quite quick, doesn't it?

-Yeah, yeah.

It's very hot.

So it's ready to go there.

♪♪ Now we're going to roast our small seeds.

Anise seeds.

-Okay.

-Some cloves.

-Mm-hmm.

-This is going there.

Now we're going to get some of the cinnamon.

We have our roasted ingredients ready.

They're waiting for us.

-Yeah.

-So, now we're going to sauté the rest of the ingredients.

Okay?

And we're going to do lots of butter.

And what we're going to do there, we're going to sauté our onions and our garlic.

-Now, these chilies -- what type of chilies have we got here?

-This is Chimayó chili.

Chimayó is a little town north of Santa Fe.

-Yeah.

-Incorporate all these.

-They're all infusing now, all the flavors.

Okay, so, what do we do now?

-Final ingredient that we're going to have is going to be apricot.

We're going to blend the ingredients.

-And that's it?

-Voilà.

-Great color.

-Look at this.

It's like the adobe colors that you see all over Santa Fe.

Only thing that we need to add now is going to be the chocolate.

-Yeah.

-White chocolate.

-White chocolate.

-Why did you use white chocolate, not dark chocolate or milk?

-Because I want it to have the creaminess of the chocolate.

But I didn't want to change the color.

-Right.

-That was a contribution of Mexico to the world -- the chocolate.

And nowadays the Belgians are the masters of chocolate.

You know?

And that's the way it goes.

And our final thing is just seasoning.

You know, the name of my restaurant is called Sazon.

They give a recipe to three people.

They give the same equipment, same ingredients, and each dish will taste completely different.

That magic touch.

That's Sazon.

-Hmm.

I thought it meant "sausage."

♪♪ While I keep the mole moving...

It smells amazing.

...Fernando takes some venison cutlets, seasons them with pepper, sears the meat in a hot pan, and then roasts it in the oven for 10 minutes.

Then, we plate up.

A ladle, ladle and a half of the sauce occupies the center of the plate, and that delicious venison is delicately placed right in the middle.

[ Chuckles ] It looks incredible.

It does look amazing.

That venison looks superb.

That mole is the king that sits right in the middle of the plate.

Not sitting on a little side plate here.

It's on the plate, and it's the one that you celebrate.

The complexity, the flavors, the chili, the bite of the chili mixed with the venison, which is beautifully cooked.

And when you have the two together, I think what you've got on the plate is a bit of magic.

I mean, this is Michelin-starred food right there.

Fernando's done an amazing job.

The guy's a genius.

Fernando really has me inspired.

Back home, I have an idea for a cowboy classic of my own.

♪♪ Beef, chili, and cornbread -- that is proper cowboy food.

First, some oil goes into a hot pan, and I'm going to brown off some lean steak mince.

I need to offload this into a bowl.

It's not making too much of a mess.

Now I'm just going to sweat off some peppers, some onions, and some garlic, straight in.

Get that mixing in the pan.

I've got some cumin.

I've got cinnamon.

I've got cayenne pepper.

I've got oregano.

These are the flavors that really make New Mexican food.

Now I'm going to add a little splash of balsamic vinegar.

I'm going to throw in a smoked chili.

Now, you see the chilies all over Santa Fe, hanging from the trees.

That is in pretty much every single food that you get.

Next in are beef stock, kidney beans, sweet corn, chopped tomatoes, and... good old tomato ketchup.

[ Ketchup squishing loudly ] Excuse me.

I'm going to throw a bay leaf in there, stir this around till it starts to bubble.

And I'm going to throw my mince back in there, put the lid back on, and pop them into an oven, 140 for 2 hours.

Slow cooking.

The flavors that will come out of that chili is going to be incredible.

Now, the thing is, what goes with chili?

Well, of course, cornbread.

Into a pan of hot butter go onions, red peppers, and jalapeños.

Now, that is going to be the main ingredients that go inside the cornbread.

This is cornmeal, quite fine.

And plain flour.

You don't want too much gluten in this.

This is more cakelike.

Then, over here, buttermilk.

Crack a couple of eggs straight in.

[ Shells cracking ] Give that a little whisk into the buttermilk.

A little bit of salt.

Then, you add your baking powder -- your rising agent -- and then some brown sugar goes straight in.

Then, the wet ingredients go in.

Give them a mix-together.

Get your peppers.

Tip that into your cornbread.

♪♪ Give that whole mixture a nice mix-together.

♪♪ This will start to activate the baking powder even more now with that introduction of heat.

Get your tin, and tip this into your tin.

Make sure it's nice and even.

Now, that will bake for 30 minutes.

♪♪ When that's a glorious golden brown, slice and serve with your delicious chili on a rustic board.

What could be more cowboy?

♪♪ [ Chuckling ] Oh, oh, oh.

The peppers give it a beautiful kick -- the jalapeños, that piquancy, that little bit of sourness in there.

It's a celebration of Santa Fe.

[ Sighs ] I'm back there already.

♪♪ [ Mid-tempo music plays ] [ Dramatic music plays ] ♪♪ -With a heavy heart.

I cleared out of Santa Fe and counted 125 miles southwest.

The landscape feels familiar and filmic out here, probably because I've seen so many Westerns.

I'm heading to an ancient and very special part of the landscape that also happens to have some movie heritage.

Sitting on a 367-foot towering sandstone tabletop, the Sky City is still inhabited, and it's the oldest working Native American home in the entire country.

It stands proudly as a living museum, an historic testament to the Native Americans who predated European settlers.

Been allowed up to the top of this rock.

You'll see signs everywhere saying, "Off limits."

And we've been allowed to come up here and bring cameras, as well, to see this -- this land.

I mean, it's breathtaking.

♪♪ This is very special.

It is an impressive place up here, and, obviously, people have been up here for many, many hundreds of years.

What an amazing place.

Imagine waking up in the morning seeing that as your view.

♪♪ Somehow, the Acoma tribe have survived in forced slavery by the Spanish, the snatching of 90% of their land, and four centuries of religious occupation.

Nice to meet you.

I'm Paul.

-Nice to meet you.

-Lovely to meet you.

-My name is [Inaudible], and I belong to the Parrot Clan up here.

-How long has the tribe been up here?

-1150 A.D. -So nearly 900 years.

And this land, I mean, looking out at this -- this viewpoint over here, I mean, how spectacular is that.

Just to be allowed up here, I think, is incredible.

How is it for the youth growing up here?

Because you are so apart from everybody.

-Mm-hmm.

-I mean, you're in your own little bubble, really, aren't you?

-Exactly.

A lot of rock climbing.

-[ Chuckles ] -A lot of hiking.

-I bet you come up here like a billy goat, can't you?

Bet you run up.

-Pretty much, yeah.

-[ Chuckles ] I noticed we came up and there was a beautifully smooth slope.

-[ Chuckles ] -What's the story with that?

-Yeah, so, thanks to Hollywood.

-Really?

-Yeah.

Camera people decided to come up here.

-Do you remember what movie it was, who was in it?

-Well, the one that I am aware of is "My Name is Nobody."

-Wow.

That's an old one, as well.

-Yeah, I believe it's with Henry Fonda and Terence Hill.

-Henry Fonda?

I can't believe they've even put their little stamp on this rock.

Did you grow crops up here, as well?

-Not on top of the mesa.

-So you'd have to go down.

-A lot of it was down in the valley.

-What sort of food was grown here?

-So, they did farm the corn, squash, beans, pumpkins, and gourds.

And also, along with that, was hunting.

-What sort of animals were around here?

-The elk, deer, antelope, wild turkey, and also a few bison.

-I'll tell you what.

That diet is pretty good, isn't it?

-Yeah.

-It's amazing.

I mean, it's so resourceful.

Thank you very much for showing me around.

-Thank you.

-Thank you very much, indeed.

I've worked up quite an appetite now, and I'm thrilled to have been invited to the modern visitor center to break bread with David Estevan, a local Native American chef.

He's drawing on 7,000 years of Acoma tradition here.

But like most of the dishes I've tried out here in the Wild West, we're going to be using beef.

If I was a gambling man, I'd bet my bike it'll be full of New Mexican chilies, too.

Hello, Chef.

Nice to meet you.

So, Chef, tell me what you're going to be making.

-I'm going to be making our authentic fry bread for our stews that you're going to try today.

-Fantastic.

How are we going to get started?

-We have onion, garlic, and cilantro.

And we cut that up, grind it.

♪♪ We use the oil, and then we put the beef in there, cook it all together, and then chili puree.

-Yep, just as I thought -- a whole lot of chili.

This paste is a mix of guajillo and ancho chilies with garlic, onion, water, and oregano.

-And when it comes to a boil, I add the solitude.

-Fantastic.

Now, the posole, which is a coarsely ground corn, is in that mix.

We leave it to simmer while we move on to more familiar territory.

So, Chef, flour -- this is more my thing.

So, what flour is this?

-This is just enriched white flour.

And the we're going to add salt to it.

I use my hands as measuring.

-I do, as well.

[ Chuckles ] -And then that would be enough.

So, then this is how you add your baking powder here.

And then mix it all together first.

-Yeah.

-Some people use sugar, but I don't like to use sugar at all.

I've learned by my grandparents and my grandma and everybody.

-I was the same.

I never I never used sugar in my bread.

You don't need to.

-Then, you use -- main ingredient is warm water.

Just fold it over, keep folding it over, till get this consistency.

-You're basically going to build that together, build up the gluten.

So.

it is quite soft, then.

-Yeah.

Feel for it, how soft it is.

-Yeah, it is.

How long do you rest it for?

-For about maybe about a good 30 minutes.

Which comes out to this.

-Ah, so, you mix this?

-Yeah.

-Divide it up into balls and then rest it.

-Yep.

Feel this.

-You can see it's lighting it up, yeah.

♪♪ -Like making pizza.

-Yeah, just like making pizza.

And it's ready to fry.

♪♪ Every pueblo uses the fry bread.

-Do they?

-Yeah.

There's different recipes.

It's good as a dessert, too, once you make it.

You put honey, cinnamon, powdered sugar on it.

-Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

Absolutely.

-There you go.

♪♪ -Enjoy our stew and fry bread.

-Wow.

That looks amazing.

♪♪ It's got a beautiful consistency.

It's got a beautiful amount of heat in there, as well.

It's just the right amount of heat coming from that chili.

The beef is delicious.

-Yes.

It's very tender.

-How long has this been made by the tribe?

-So, I grew up to it.

On family dinners, my grandma would make it.

And then, on feast days, everybody looks forward to chili stews on feast days, and fry bread.

-So, you remember your family cooking this when you were a boy?

-Yeah.

When I grew up.

Ever since we were little.

-These two go so well together.

-Yeah.

-You don't need a knife and fork or spoon.

Just soaking this up right here.

-That's how I always grew up, too, eating it like that, too.

-I think it's amazing.

-Yeah.

I'm glad that you enjoy it.

-In Liverpool, we have a bowl of stew called Scouse.

-Scouse.

-And again, it's all -- it's potatoes, it's meat, it's vegetables, and it's all cooked and it's warm.

And the potatoes break down, and you have it with bread.

-Well, I'd like to go down and try that stew someday.

-Mmm.

Absolutely.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

You're welcome to Liverpool anytime.

[ Both laugh ] -That's good.

♪♪ -The cowboy stretch of my journey is coming to an end.

And here on this plateau overlooking the New Mexico landscape, it's hard not to reflect warmly on an astonishing few days.

-Isn't it something?

-I think it's amazing.

[ Both laugh ] -It looks pretty great.

-How are you?

-Lovely to meet you, buddy.

[ Both laugh ] -You're unique among most people I know.

♪♪ ♪♪ -This is what my road trip is all about -- to discover life-changing sort of places like this.

I think the culture is fascinating, the food is fascinating, and the place is beautiful.

♪♪ It doesn't get any better than that.

♪♪ The real Wild West.

♪♪ ♪♪ [ Bird screeches ] On the final leg of my journey, I'll be in Tinseltown, mixing it with the movie stars.

-Mmm, it's nice and soft and gooey.

-And Hollywood chefs will be revealing their dos and their don'ts.

-Wow!

What did you do?

-Welcome to Los Angeles.

[ Glasses clink ] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪