you see the mountains and the rocks. this terrain is not easy on the people. it s very, very tough living, and because of that, they ve had to be very innovative with their cuisine. i m eva longoria, born and bred in texas with mexican american roots, which makes me a texican. i m exploring mexico to see how the people, their lands, and their past have shaped a culinary tradition as diverse as its 32 states. - the food of nuevo león is the food i grew up with. it s like every childhood memory is wrapped up in a flour tortilla for me. the chefs here are inventive and resourceful. - [speaking spanish] - transforming simple ingredients into mouthwatering classics. you guys need a tamale! and age-old recipes into culinary works of art. - one bite? look, go ahead and say adiós to vegetables for a while. [speaking spanish] this is the land of meat. this is definitely a mexican kitchen tool right here. mountains of meat. - but i m not complaining. i love meat. this is amazing! [up
i feel so small. so we are arriving in monterrey. it s literally the land of mountains. that s what it means, king of mountains. i m in the state of nuevo león in northeast mexico. you see the mountains and the rocks. this terrain is not easy on the people. it s very, very tough living, and because of that, they ve had to be very innovative with their cuisine. i m eva longoria, born and bred in texas with mexican american roots, which makes me a texican. i m exploring mexico to see how the people, their lands, and their past have shaped a culinary tradition as diverse as its 32 states. - the food of nuevo león is the food i grew up with. it s like every childhood memory is wrapped up in a flour tortilla for me. the chefs here are inventive and resourceful. - [speaking spanish] - transforming simple ingredients into mouthwatering classics. you guys need a tamale! and age-old recipes into culinary works of art. - one bite? look, go ahead and say adiós to vegetables for a w
- wow, these mountains. look at that! i feel so small. so we are arriving in monterrey. it s literally the land of mountains. that s what it means, king of mountains. i m in the state of nuevo león in northeast mexico. you see the mountains and the rocks. this terrain is not easy on the people. it s very, very tough living, and because of that, they ve had to be very innovative with their cuisine. i m eva longoria, born and bred in texas with mexican american roots, which makes me a texican. i m exploring mexico to see how the people, their lands, and their past have shaped a culinary tradition as diverse as its 32 states. - the food of nuevo león is the food i grew up with. it s like every childhood memory is wrapped up in a flour tortilla for me. the chefs here are inventive and resourceful. - [speaking spanish] - transforming simple ingredients into mouthwatering classics. you guys need a tamale! and age-old recipes into culinary works of art. - one bite? look, go ahea
- yes, in the north, in nuevo león, is one of the only places that has tacos for breakfast, and in texas, we have breakfast tacos. and those are the only places you can ever get a taco in the morning. - yeah. super regional. i grew up with breakfast tacos. it was actually a road linking monterrey with the texas border that fueled the rise of machacado con huevos in the 1920s, when a café owner invented this snack to feed hungry construction workers. today, highway 85 carries the bulk of goods traded between the u.s. and mexico, and the breakfast tacos, enjoyed at both ends of the road, are still as popular.
[both speaking spanish] cómo estás? mucho gusto. this is every guy i dated in high school. i m in downtown monterrey to meet alejandro gutierrez, founder of the mexican society of grill masters. he s invited me to experience the ultimate nuevo león barbecue. i ve never been to a carne asada in monterrey. - in monterrey? - yeah. [dog barks] - carne asada literally means grilled meat, but it s come to embody a much-loved social ritual. - hola! - [speaking spanish] - this is where everything happens. - hola! today, alejandro s whole family has come together. hola, señora. cómo está? - mucho gusto.