PEPPER’S OF ABQ CHALLENGED TO BBQ SHOWDOWN
Second season of “Big Bad BBQ Brawl” premieres tonight, and local restaurant proprietor will face host Shannon Ambrosio in a “Sandwich Slam.”
Shannon Ambrosio wanted to become a chef.
So he traveled from Brooklyn, N.Y., to the South to learn everything he could about traditional southern barbecue.
For two seasons, Ambrosio has hit the road and challenged other barbecue cooks during his Cooking Channel show, “Big Bad BBQ Brawl.”
The second season premieres at 8 tonight on the Cooking Channel. The episode is called “Big, Bad Sandwich Slam” and features Ambrosio challenging Daniel Morgan, proprietor of Pepper’s Ole Fashion BBQ on San Pedro NE.
Of course, because it’s in New Mexico, the competition includes peppers.
“We got an extended stay there,” Ambrosio said. “It was about four or five days. It gave us some time to see Albuquerque. I loved it. I visited the Rio Grande and, of course, we stopped by Walt’s house from ‘Breaking Bad.’ To actually see where some of that was filmed was amazing. I also fell in love with the landscape and scenery. Don’t get me started on the sunsets.”
Ambrosio is the pit master behind Come ’N Get It, a family-owned and operated eatery with strong core values that come through in the taste and preparation of their food. The family members’ roots are in Brooklyn, where they have lived and learned a variety of cooking techniques from the diverse cultures. This has given them a distinctive style, which they describe as “Gourmet BBQ.”
As Ambrosio travels across the country for his show, he enjoys seeing new areas.
And he looks for someone who is local and unique to challenge.
“It’s about them wanting to set the bar to a certain level,” he said. “And what barbecue means to them.”
What he found exciting about Pepper’s is that Morgan is trying to up the ante in Albuquerque with barbecue.
“He has roots in Texas and he embraces the Albuquerque lifestyle,” he said. “He’s taking the two and meshing them together, and bringing something new to the community.”
In filming the second season, Ambrosio has been able to get out into the communities more and learn about them.
“Being out on the road makes this season extraspecial,” he said. “I got to sit with the locals and see why they enjoy the areas they are living in. And I learned a lot about the food and culture of each place.”