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[FEMALE NARRATOR] Funding 
for Overheard with Evan Smith

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is provided in part 
by Hillco Partners,

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a Texas government 
affairs consultancy,

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Claire and Carl Stuart,

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and by Laura and John Beckworth, 
Hobby Family Foundation.

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[EVAN SMITH] I'm Evan Smith.

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He's a celebrated 
chef, restaurateur,

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and TV personality, whose memoir

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"Where I Come From, Life 
Lessons From a Latino Chef"

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has just been published.

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He's Aarón Sánchez, 
this is Overheard.

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[SMITH] Let's be honest, is 
this about the ability to learn

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or is this about the experience

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of not having been 
taught properly?

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How have you avoided

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what has befallen other 
nations in Africa?

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You could say that 
he made his own bed,

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but you caused him 
to sleep in it.

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You know, you saw a problem 
and over time, took it on.

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Let's start with the sizzle 
before we get to the steak.

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Are you gonna run for president?

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I think I just got an 
F from you, actually.

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This is Overheard.

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(audience applause)

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[SMITH] Aarón Sánchez, welcome.

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[AARÓN SÁNCHEZ] Thank 
you for having me.

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[SMITH] And congratulations.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Thank you.

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[SMITH] This is a 
book that, look,

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it has some recipes, full 
disclosure, a couple of recipes,

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but it's really 
a book about you,

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and it helps us understand a 
little bit more your journey.

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Why did you decide 
to write this book?

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[SÁNCHEZ] Well I think, for me,

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I wanted to catalog this 
journey that I've been on.

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I think right now, 
more than ever,

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there's a huge interest in chefs

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and taking them out of the 
context of their kitchen,

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knowing who we are as people.

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[SMITH] Individuals.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Individuals.

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[SMITH] And their stories.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Absolutely, 'cause 
for many years, you know,

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my mom's generation of chefs, 
we were forgotten people

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that were behind the 
scenes, behind doors.

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And now, people are more 
interested than ever

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to see what makes us tic, what 
are some of the influences

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that allow our food to 
flourish and progress.

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And that's why I thought

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that this would be a 
good time to do that.

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[SMITH] Well, I love the fact 
that people in your position,

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not just you, there are 
many others we could name,

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but let's just talk 
about you for a second,

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are brands in and of themselves.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah.

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[SMITH] So that if Aarón 
Sánchez opens up a restaurant,

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I'm apt to go, even if I don't 
know what kind of food it is,

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even if I haven't 
tried the food,

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simply because, if you 
do it, I'm following you.

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Once upon a time 
that wasn't the case,

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you didn't follow chefs.

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You might have followed 
restaurant brands,

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but it was about the food.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Absolutely.

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[SMITH] And that's 
been a big change.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, and I 
think that really comes with

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a huge source of 
pressure for us as chefs

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to continue to 
redefine ourselves

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and create reasons for people 
to come in and eat our food.

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So, I always struggle with 
the idea of making enough time

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to be able to travel and 
seek out these mentors

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and these wise sages 
in the food world,

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to continue my evolution.

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So when I open a restaurant,

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it's something 
fresh, it's inviting,

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it comes from a narrative

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that's something different 
from what I've done prior.

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[SMITH] Well, of course, the 
down side is, if a restaurant,

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if you only follow a restaurant

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and you go to a restaurant 
that's not good,

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you don't go back 
to that restaurant.

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If I'm following a brand, and 
the restaurant's not good,

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well buddy, that's on you.

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So you know, long 
way up the mountain,

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long way down the mountain.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Absolutely, 
and that's--

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[SMITH] You take on that 
greater responsibility.

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[SÁNCHEZ] And purposely, 
that's why I try

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not to expand too quickly,

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'cause I don't want 
to use this platform

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that I've been so blessed 
to have, and exploit that,

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and then disappoint people when 
they come to the restaurant

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and I'm not there.

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[SMITH] So this book 
announces itself

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at the beginning pretty 
well as to its intentions.

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I want to ask you about 
two things you said.

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One thing is you said that 
"This book and your life, exists

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as a collision of your cultural 
and personal identity."

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Explain what you mean by that.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, you know, 
I'm a Mexican American kid

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from El Paso, Texas.

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[SMITH] El Paso, Texas.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, so 
I'm a proud Texan.

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[SMITH] Yeah.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Absolutely.

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(audience applause)

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But growing up in both cultures,

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I speak perfect Spanish 
and perfect English,

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and trying to figure 
out where I fit,

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as far as being able to share 
who I am with other people

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has always been a struggle.

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Growing up in a place 
like New York City,

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I moved there when I 
was eight years old,

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I always felt like 
where I came from

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was something foreign to people

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'cause New York is 
very Caribbean Latino,

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there's Puerto Ricans, there's 
Cubans, there's Dominicans,

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and I felt like I 
was struggling--

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[SMITH] Well, people assume

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that everybody who 
has Hispanic origins,

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but everyone also assumes 
that it's the same.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Yes.

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[SMITH] But in fact, 
it's quite different.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Of course, it's 
nuanced, it's very different,

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and I just, for me, 
going into the kitchens,

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and then seeing the work force,

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and the people that 
really allow kitchens

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to survive and proliferate, 
I felt like I was home.

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But then, when I came out

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and I started doing 
things on television,

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and people were starting 
to get to know who I was,

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I wanted to make sure that 
I stayed real and authentic.

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And that's where--

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[SMITH] And make sure 
that your identity

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was not absorbed 
in the industry.

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I mean, one of the 
things about this being,

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not just life 
lessons from a chef,

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but life lessons 
from a Latino chef.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Yes.

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[SMITH] Is that you're 
taking on the responsibility

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of putting that Latino 
experience front and center,

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and giving other people 
something that they can think,

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"Well, if he does 
it, I can do it."

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You've been a big advocate

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for diversity in the 
food industry, right?

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[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, I mean, whether 
it's my scholarship fund,

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where I put young Latino 
kids into culinary school.

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Up to this point,

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we have six kids currently 
enrolled in my scholarship

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and they're succeeding, 
and they're doing so well.

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But I also--

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[SMITH] Or just 
hiring, making certain

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that diversity is reflected 
in the restaurants, right?

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[SÁNCHEZ] And I 
think more than ever,

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young second and third 
generation Latinos

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are in this huge mission 
to recover their roots,

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and get back to where they are

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and where their parents and 
their grandparents are from.

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[SMITH] Well, I love the fact

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that you also say in this book,

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"I'm a Latino with a platform."

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And so really, your success

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is going to be 
judged to some degree

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by what do you do with that?

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'Cause not everybody got the 
same opportunity that you have.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, 
you know, and again,

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you're talking 
about the platform,

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and I think it's safe to say 
we're talking about television,

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and I think--

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[SMITH] Although, not 
only, but yes, largely.

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[SÁNCHEZ] My mentor was Paul 
Prudhomme. And Paul Prudhomme

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was one of the most 
recognizable chefs

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in the country, in the world,

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by going to book festivals, and 
going to the Fancy Food Show

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and shaking hands, and 
making himself available.

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[SMITH] Not waiting for 
people to come to him

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but going to them.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Exactly.

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[SMITH] So let's come 
to that in a second,

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'cause I want to talk 
about the personal stuff.

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The second thing at the 
beginning of this book,

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I think announces 
it, is you said,

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"Food is the purest 
reflection of Latino culture,

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"or of Mexican culture."

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Talk about that, I mean, it 
seems self-evident to me,

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but it bears saying,

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how important food 
is to that emerging,

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and in our part of 
the world, Texas,

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we have an emerging 
Hispanic majority.

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We understand Hispanic 
culture a little bit better

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than places like 
Idaho, say, or Vermont.

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Food is at the center 
of so much of that,

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talk about that and why that 
is a driver of this story.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, I think 
it's very safe to say

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that we all commune 
around the dinner table

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and the kitchen table.

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The way I grew up, I grew 
up in a matriarchal family.

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So it was my grandmother, 
cookbook author,

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my mom, doyen of Mexican 
food, cookbook author,

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and then me.

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So, for me, I think food

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is the most honest 
expression of our culture,

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'cause it's something 
that is passed down.

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[SMITH] And it's a through line.

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[SÁNCHEZ] It's a through line.

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[SMITH] So let's talk about, 
your mother is Zarela Martinez.

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She was a famous food person,

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before we knew Aarón Sánchez 
as a famous food person,

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your mother really, a 
generation ago, was a big deal.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, my mom--

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[SMITH] And moved you, as 
you said, born in El Paso,

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moved you to New 
York at age eight.

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[SÁNCHEZ] Yes, to go 
seek out her own dreams.

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[SMITH] Her own career, right.

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[SÁNCHEZ] And you can imagine,

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she was a divorced 
woman with twin boys

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and she was a caterer 
and a social worker.

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Was completely open to the 
idea of changing her life,

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and she wanted her 
name in lights.

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She went to Louisiana, 
to New Orleans,

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met chef Paul Prudhomme.

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He said, "I have some 
friends that own a restaurant

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"called Tavern on the 
Green in New York City",

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which was the highest 
grossing restaurant

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in the United States 
for 30 years straight.

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[SMITH] This generation 
doesn't understand

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how important Tavern on 
the Green was, right?

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[SÁNCHEZ] Yes, it was right 
there across, in Central Park.

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The owner was Warner LeRoy,

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who lived in the Dakota, two 
stories down from John Lennon.

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So I used to hang out with 
Sean Lennon, John Lennon's son,

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and Max LeRoy.

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And Max LeRoy and I 
went to school together,

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as well as Sean Lennon.

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So just to give you an idea

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of how important New 
York was at that time.

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[SMITH] El Paso is great,

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but that's something 
that you can't,

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right, I love El Paso, but you 
love El Paso, I love El Paso,

240
00:08:19,966 --> 00:08:21,633
but you can't get 
that in El Paso.

241
00:08:21,633 --> 00:08:23,100
[SÁNCHEZ] No, not at all.

242
00:08:23,100 --> 00:08:24,633
So, basically, my mom 
was given the opportunity

243
00:08:24,633 --> 00:08:26,100
to cook at Tavern on the Green,

244
00:08:26,100 --> 00:08:30,566
and that's how she was availed 
and presented to New York.

245
00:08:30,566 --> 00:08:32,166
[SMITH] So that's the 
environment you grow up in.

246
00:08:32,166 --> 00:08:33,400
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah.

247
00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:35,233
[SMITH] And then, at age 
16, she sends you down

248
00:08:35,233 --> 00:08:38,633
to work alongside Chef 
Paul in New Orleans.

249
00:08:38,633 --> 00:08:40,866
And that's your first 
introduction, really,

250
00:08:40,866 --> 00:08:43,033
to that world in a serious way.

251
00:08:43,033 --> 00:08:47,166
[SÁNCHEZ] Yes, I knew about 
great Mexican food at home

252
00:08:47,166 --> 00:08:48,400
and through my family,

253
00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:50,600
but I didn't know the 
professional side of it.

254
00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:55,100
I sadly lost my father when I 
was 13, reacted poorly to it,

255
00:08:55,100 --> 00:08:58,566
was completely 
adversarial to authority

256
00:08:58,566 --> 00:09:00,100
and all those things.

257
00:09:00,100 --> 00:09:01,366
[SMITH] She needed to 
slap you upside the head.

258
00:09:01,366 --> 00:09:02,833
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, and 
she needed to get right.

259
00:09:02,833 --> 00:09:04,366
And my mom called Chef 
Paul Prudhomme, she goes,

260
00:09:04,366 --> 00:09:08,233
"This boy has some talent, 
but we need to break him."

261
00:09:08,233 --> 00:09:09,666
(audience laughs)

262
00:09:09,666 --> 00:09:11,833
"And we need to, like, and 
there's a great word in Spanish

263
00:09:11,833 --> 00:09:13,333
called "amansado".

264
00:09:13,333 --> 00:09:16,466
So when a horse is, you can't 
put the saddle on the horse,

265
00:09:16,466 --> 00:09:18,166
it needs to be "amansado."

266
00:09:18,166 --> 00:09:21,200
And the same thing applies 
for a cast iron skillet.

267
00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:23,300
When a cast iron skillet 
needs to be broken in,

268
00:09:23,300 --> 00:09:25,233
you have to "amansarlo,"

269
00:09:25,233 --> 00:09:27,400
and that's what I needed, 
I needed to be broken in.

270
00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:28,733
[SMITH] You've been in 
the restaurant business,

271
00:09:28,733 --> 00:09:31,000
in one form or another, 
for a very long time.

272
00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,200
As a chef, as an 
upper level employee,

273
00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:36,300
learning the business then 
running your own businesses,

274
00:09:36,300 --> 00:09:38,666
and you've been at places 
that were important,

275
00:09:38,666 --> 00:09:40,033
Patria, and Paladar,

276
00:09:40,033 --> 00:09:42,733
and all these different 
places over time.

277
00:09:42,733 --> 00:09:45,666
How has the business, 
in those years, changed?

278
00:09:45,666 --> 00:09:48,200
[SÁNCHEZ] Oh, I mean we can 
go on another show about it,

279
00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,500
but just really, I think 
what's changed exponentially,

280
00:09:51,500 --> 00:09:52,966
especially in New York City,

281
00:09:52,966 --> 00:09:55,766
that if a young kid worked 
for me as a sous chef,

282
00:09:55,766 --> 00:09:57,433
and wanted to strike 
out on their own

283
00:09:57,433 --> 00:09:58,700
and open their own restaurant.

284
00:09:58,700 --> 00:10:00,200
In New York City,

285
00:10:00,200 --> 00:10:02,566
the restaurants used to be 
handed down to one another,

286
00:10:02,566 --> 00:10:04,500
but what's happened 
in major cities is,

287
00:10:04,500 --> 00:10:06,233
those restaurants 
are being demolished,

288
00:10:06,233 --> 00:10:07,833
and we're getting 
another pharmacy,

289
00:10:07,833 --> 00:10:09,533
we're getting 
another Chase Bank,

290
00:10:09,533 --> 00:10:11,433
so it's nearly impossible--

291
00:10:11,433 --> 00:10:12,666
[SMITH] Opportunity is 
narrower than it was.

292
00:10:12,666 --> 00:10:13,900
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, it's 
nearly impossible

293
00:10:13,900 --> 00:10:16,033
for a young person to 
strike out on their own

294
00:10:16,033 --> 00:10:18,066
without enormous amounts 
of capital resource.

295
00:10:18,066 --> 00:10:21,266
So that's what I've seen 
that's changed, hugely,

296
00:10:21,266 --> 00:10:24,933
is that it's really hard for 
an independent operator chef

297
00:10:24,933 --> 00:10:26,133
to strike out on their own.

298
00:10:26,133 --> 00:10:28,166
[SMITH] But, there 
are obviously,

299
00:10:28,166 --> 00:10:30,533
this generation's 
independent operators,

300
00:10:30,533 --> 00:10:32,900
people who want to do this, 
people who have talent,

301
00:10:32,900 --> 00:10:34,600
we'll talk about this 
in a couple of minutes,

302
00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:36,366
but the food culture 
in this country,

303
00:10:36,366 --> 00:10:38,733
as a consequence of food 
television, I'm convinced,

304
00:10:38,733 --> 00:10:40,700
has completely blown up.

305
00:10:40,700 --> 00:10:42,233
Everybody wants to 
be Aarón Sánchez,

306
00:10:42,233 --> 00:10:44,966
everybody wants to 
be Jeffrey Zakarian,

307
00:10:44,966 --> 00:10:49,033
everybody wants to 
be Marcus Samuelsson,

308
00:10:49,033 --> 00:10:50,733
you guys are the 
new celebrities,

309
00:10:50,733 --> 00:10:52,333
and people want to emulate you.

310
00:10:52,333 --> 00:10:54,533
So if the opportunity doesn't 
exist in the big cities

311
00:10:54,533 --> 00:10:56,466
to follow in your footsteps,

312
00:10:56,466 --> 00:10:59,100
where are they being pushed 
down to or pushed out to?

313
00:10:59,100 --> 00:11:00,900
[SMITH] That's a 
very good question.

314
00:11:00,900 --> 00:11:02,233
I think you're starting to see

315
00:11:02,233 --> 00:11:04,133
the phenomenon with food trucks.

316
00:11:04,133 --> 00:11:07,966
Now we have all these 
market halls where people,

317
00:11:07,966 --> 00:11:09,766
young chefs that 
are very talented,

318
00:11:09,766 --> 00:11:12,400
open their little stalls 
within a big market,

319
00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:17,266
and the idea that that 
somehow it translates

320
00:11:17,266 --> 00:11:18,800
to a brick and mortar.

321
00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:21,233
So I think the secondary 
cities are gonna start to see

322
00:11:21,233 --> 00:11:23,633
a lot of chefs from big cities 
go there and strike out.

323
00:11:23,633 --> 00:11:24,566
[SMITH] That's exactly 
where I was going,

324
00:11:24,566 --> 00:11:26,033
and I think that ultimately,

325
00:11:26,033 --> 00:11:27,800
maybe this is a positive 
for the rest of the country.

326
00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,700
You no longer have 
to be a coastal elite

327
00:11:30,700 --> 00:11:33,166
to enjoy the benefits 
of high cuisine,

328
00:11:33,166 --> 00:11:36,066
or of these kind 
of entrepreneurial,

329
00:11:36,066 --> 00:11:37,933
innovative, young chefs.

330
00:11:37,933 --> 00:11:39,900
Because if they can't be 
in New York or Los Angeles,

331
00:11:39,900 --> 00:11:41,533
maybe they're 
opening a restaurant

332
00:11:41,533 --> 00:11:43,366
in Columbus or in Charlotte.

333
00:11:43,366 --> 00:11:45,766
And honestly, to come back to 
food television for a second,

334
00:11:45,766 --> 00:11:47,566
when I see all these chefs

335
00:11:47,566 --> 00:11:50,066
competing on the shows 
that you either host,

336
00:11:50,066 --> 00:11:52,233
or where you're a 
judge, often as not,

337
00:11:52,233 --> 00:11:55,133
they're from these secondary 
or tertiary markets,

338
00:11:55,133 --> 00:11:56,900
and I'm like, "They have 
a restaurant like that

339
00:11:56,900 --> 00:11:59,033
"in blank, in Akron?"

340
00:11:59,033 --> 00:12:00,366
Now they do.

341
00:12:00,366 --> 00:12:01,566
[SÁNCHEZ] Absolutely, 
and to your point

342
00:12:01,566 --> 00:12:03,466
is that food television

343
00:12:03,466 --> 00:12:06,300
is creating an awareness 
for these markets,

344
00:12:06,300 --> 00:12:08,733
'cause it translates 
messages right away.

345
00:12:08,733 --> 00:12:12,300
So now, subsequently, 
you have markets

346
00:12:12,300 --> 00:12:15,233
that are presenting good sea 
salt, and great olive oil,

347
00:12:15,233 --> 00:12:17,133
and people are 
understanding the importance

348
00:12:17,133 --> 00:12:19,133
of knowing where your 
ingredients come from,

349
00:12:19,133 --> 00:12:21,433
and that is having 
an overall effect,

350
00:12:21,433 --> 00:12:22,700
to these secondary markets.

351
00:12:22,700 --> 00:12:24,200
[SMITH] That's actually 
really interesting also,

352
00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:25,933
that the supermarket culture 
of this country has also,

353
00:12:25,933 --> 00:12:27,433
on a parallel 
track, transformed.

354
00:12:27,433 --> 00:12:29,466
And so, that 
sourcing ingredients,

355
00:12:29,466 --> 00:12:31,700
which might have been 
harder once upon a time.

356
00:12:31,700 --> 00:12:35,000
I mean, I want to say, in a 
kind of lazy Austin-centric way,

357
00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:36,333
well there's a Whole Foods

358
00:12:36,333 --> 00:12:37,866
in places all over 
the country now,

359
00:12:37,866 --> 00:12:40,033
so you can just go get 
higher level ingredients,

360
00:12:40,033 --> 00:12:41,566
but it's not just the 
Whole Foods of the world,

361
00:12:41,566 --> 00:12:42,866
basically those ingredients,

362
00:12:42,866 --> 00:12:45,000
because of the access 
on the internet,

363
00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,466
you can get stuff delivered 
now in a day or two,

364
00:12:48,466 --> 00:12:49,900
you have a different opportunity

365
00:12:49,900 --> 00:12:51,433
then you once a upon a time did.

366
00:12:51,433 --> 00:12:55,166
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, and that's why 
I'm exasperated at the idea,

367
00:12:55,166 --> 00:12:58,066
when a chef says, "I'm 
all about farm to table".

368
00:12:58,066 --> 00:13:00,900
I'm like, "Dude, 
that's not a novelty,

369
00:13:00,900 --> 00:13:02,600
"it's been happening since 
the beginning of time."

370
00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:04,066
You know what I mean?

371
00:13:04,066 --> 00:13:07,000
[SMITH] You may be aware of 
it, but we, for the first time.

372
00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:08,700
[SÁNCHEZ] That's how 
it usually worked,

373
00:13:08,700 --> 00:13:09,900
you know what I mean?

374
00:13:09,900 --> 00:13:11,433
Find the ingredients 
closest to you,

375
00:13:11,433 --> 00:13:13,300
manipulate them the 
least, and let them--

376
00:13:13,300 --> 00:13:15,266
[SMITH] We're all 
locavores buddy, that's it.

377
00:13:15,266 --> 00:13:16,800
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah. Or the 
other one I love is,

378
00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,400
"chef-driven restaurant,"

379
00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:20,266
as opposed to a 
dishwasher-driven restaurant?

380
00:13:20,266 --> 00:13:21,933
(audience laughs)

381
00:13:21,933 --> 00:13:25,233
We get infatuated with 
these little terms,

382
00:13:25,233 --> 00:13:27,300
you know, umami and 
all these things.

383
00:13:27,300 --> 00:13:29,666
I'm like, umami is 
like rotten mushrooms,

384
00:13:29,666 --> 00:13:31,633
like that's what 
that flavor is, okay,

385
00:13:31,633 --> 00:13:33,600
just to throw it out there, 
you know what I mean?

386
00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:35,166
[SMITH] Back to this idea

387
00:13:35,166 --> 00:13:40,166
that the nice end of the 
difficulty in the big cities

388
00:13:40,166 --> 00:13:42,400
is that other places are now 
getting these big restaurants.

389
00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:43,966
Probably there was a time

390
00:13:43,966 --> 00:13:46,033
when you couldn't get 
good Mexican food,

391
00:13:46,033 --> 00:13:48,533
high quality, high 
level Mexican food,

392
00:13:48,533 --> 00:13:50,933
in a place like 
New Orleans, right?

393
00:13:50,933 --> 00:13:52,733
[SÁNCHEZ] Oh, and 
even in New York,

394
00:13:52,733 --> 00:13:54,433
we got to New York in 1982,

395
00:13:54,433 --> 00:13:57,066
my mom, do you guys 
remember the Foder's guides?

396
00:13:57,066 --> 00:13:59,366
[SMITH] Yeah, the 
hotel, restaurant guide?

397
00:13:59,366 --> 00:14:00,900
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, 
I remember my mom

398
00:14:00,900 --> 00:14:02,200
read it to us when we got there,

399
00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:04,600
she goes, "Mexican 
food in New York City

400
00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:06,066
"has a striking resemblance

401
00:14:06,066 --> 00:14:08,900
"what a howling 
monkey has to man."

402
00:14:08,900 --> 00:14:10,600
That's how bad it was.

403
00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:12,033
[SMITH] Seriously, wow!

404
00:14:12,033 --> 00:14:13,466
I would describe 
that as a bad review.

405
00:14:13,466 --> 00:14:15,200
(Aaron laughs)

406
00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:16,933
[SMITH] If you're bringing 
up the howling monkey,

407
00:14:16,933 --> 00:14:17,866
you've got a problem.

408
00:14:17,866 --> 00:14:19,633
So, but that's different today.

409
00:14:19,633 --> 00:14:21,233
[SÁNCHEZ] Yes, and 
it's changed a lot.

410
00:14:21,233 --> 00:14:24,866
You know, it's interesting, 
New Orleans in particular

411
00:14:24,866 --> 00:14:27,833
has become very Mexican 
as of the last 10 years,

412
00:14:27,833 --> 00:14:30,800
'cause when Katrina hit 
New Orleans, the hurricane,

413
00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:34,066
there was a huge influx 
of Mexican-Americans,

414
00:14:34,066 --> 00:14:35,666
and Mexicans from Texas,

415
00:14:35,666 --> 00:14:37,966
to help with the 
rebuild of the city.

416
00:14:37,966 --> 00:14:38,933
[SMITH] And then they stayed.

417
00:14:38,933 --> 00:14:40,133
[SÁNCHEZ] And they stayed.

418
00:14:40,133 --> 00:14:41,566
[SMITH] Do you enjoy 
being a restaurant owner

419
00:14:41,566 --> 00:14:44,533
or a chef more?

420
00:14:44,533 --> 00:14:45,933
[SÁNCHEZ] Chef, 100%.

421
00:14:45,933 --> 00:14:47,700
[SMITH] So then 
why don't you stop,

422
00:14:47,700 --> 00:14:48,833
well then get out of 
the restaurant business,

423
00:14:48,833 --> 00:14:50,366
just go back to the kitchen?

424
00:14:50,366 --> 00:14:52,266
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, well you 
know, it's interesting,

425
00:14:52,266 --> 00:14:55,766
now I've gotten 
smarter after 25 years,

426
00:14:55,766 --> 00:14:59,033
but I have people 
that work with me,

427
00:14:59,033 --> 00:15:02,033
they don't work for 
me, they work with me.

428
00:15:02,033 --> 00:15:04,666
I hate the word my 
team, my this, my that.

429
00:15:04,666 --> 00:15:06,633
It's like, "No, no, we're 
all in this together."

430
00:15:06,633 --> 00:15:09,700
So I have people that 
have those set of skills

431
00:15:09,700 --> 00:15:11,900
that allow us to offer all 
of us to be successful.

432
00:15:11,900 --> 00:15:12,766
[SMITH] So do you still cook?

433
00:15:12,766 --> 00:15:14,266
[SÁNCHEZ] Absolutely.

434
00:15:14,266 --> 00:15:15,500
[SMITH] If I got to Johnny 
Sanchez in New Orleans,

435
00:15:15,500 --> 00:15:20,333
will I taste food that 
your hands have been on?

436
00:15:20,333 --> 00:15:23,500
[SÁNCHEZ] You know, to 
be honest, not every time,

437
00:15:23,500 --> 00:15:25,466
but if you came in and you said,

438
00:15:25,466 --> 00:15:27,533
"Hey, Aarón, I want you to 
make me something special,"

439
00:15:27,533 --> 00:15:29,166
I would do it, absolutely.

440
00:15:29,166 --> 00:15:30,500
[SMITH] Would I be more likely

441
00:15:30,500 --> 00:15:32,066
to taste your food 
in your restaurant

442
00:15:32,066 --> 00:15:33,800
then say Wolfgang Puck's food?

443
00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:36,533
I mean, the fact is, all 
these big brand names

444
00:15:36,533 --> 00:15:38,300
are so far removed 
from the process

445
00:15:38,300 --> 00:15:39,900
of actually making the 
food at this point, right?

446
00:15:39,900 --> 00:15:41,233
It's all more 
vision and business.

447
00:15:41,233 --> 00:15:43,500
But you're still staying 
connected to the food,

448
00:15:43,500 --> 00:15:44,833
I guess that's what I'm asking.

449
00:15:44,833 --> 00:15:46,333
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, you 
know, I mean for me,

450
00:15:46,333 --> 00:15:47,500
look, the idea is that,

451
00:15:47,500 --> 00:15:48,733
yes, television is great,

452
00:15:48,733 --> 00:15:52,033
and I'm this brand, 
and I'm this and that,

453
00:15:52,033 --> 00:15:54,833
but I sleep good at night 
because I have a set of skills

454
00:15:54,833 --> 00:15:56,166
that no one will 
ever take from me.

455
00:15:56,166 --> 00:15:57,400
[SMITH] And if TV goes away,

456
00:15:57,400 --> 00:15:58,433
and if the restaurant 
business goes away,

457
00:15:58,433 --> 00:15:59,666
at the end of the day,

458
00:15:59,666 --> 00:16:01,000
you can go into the 
kitchen tomorrow--

459
00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:02,233
[SÁNCHEZ] And 
support my family.

460
00:16:02,233 --> 00:16:03,466
[SMITH] Support your 
family, make a living,

461
00:16:03,466 --> 00:16:05,000
and frankly support us 
by making good food.

462
00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:05,933
[SÁNCHEZ] Yes.

463
00:16:05,933 --> 00:16:07,200
[SMITH] That's the point.

464
00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:08,400
But fortunately TV 
has not gone away,

465
00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:09,600
and so I want to 
ask you about that.

466
00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:11,100
So one day you wake up, 
and all of a sudden,

467
00:16:11,100 --> 00:16:12,633
you're on every show 
on The Food Network.

468
00:16:12,633 --> 00:16:13,800
I mean literally it feels like.

469
00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:16,433
"Top Chef," 
"MasterChef," "Chopped,"

470
00:16:16,433 --> 00:16:18,633
"Taco Trip," you were 
the host of that.

471
00:16:18,633 --> 00:16:20,333
[SÁNCHEZ] "Heat 
Seekers," "Chef vs. City."

472
00:16:20,333 --> 00:16:21,800
[SMITH] All of this stuff.

473
00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:23,366
How has that been for you?

474
00:16:23,366 --> 00:16:24,300
What has that been like?

475
00:16:24,300 --> 00:16:27,266
And is that mostly like acting,

476
00:16:27,266 --> 00:16:31,666
or is it really a positive 
experience for you?

477
00:16:31,666 --> 00:16:32,600
Are you getting 
something out of it?

478
00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:33,866
I know we're getting out of it,

479
00:16:33,866 --> 00:16:35,166
but are you getting 
something out of it?

480
00:16:35,166 --> 00:16:36,666
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, 
I mean, you know,

481
00:16:36,666 --> 00:16:38,633
initially when I started 
to go on The Food Network,

482
00:16:38,633 --> 00:16:41,200
I remember I was, it's 
well stated in the book,

483
00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,300
which I'm sure all 
of you will pick up,

484
00:16:44,300 --> 00:16:47,566
that I got asked to 
do a segment called

485
00:16:47,566 --> 00:16:49,800
"In Food Today with 
Donna Hanover",

486
00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:53,166
who was Rudy Giuliani's 
ex-wife at the time.

487
00:16:53,166 --> 00:16:54,433
I went on there to do a show,

488
00:16:54,433 --> 00:16:56,333
they had me there 
for Cinco De Mayo.

489
00:16:56,333 --> 00:16:58,200
They pronounced 
it Cinco De May-o,

490
00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,566
so you know, just to 
show you how bad it was.

491
00:17:00,566 --> 00:17:01,933
[SMITH] Well done.

492
00:17:01,933 --> 00:17:03,733
[SÁNCHEZ] So once 
that happened,

493
00:17:03,733 --> 00:17:06,200
they asked me back 
to do other segments.

494
00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,500
I used it as a marketing 
tool, initially.

495
00:17:08,500 --> 00:17:11,566
That's what I wanted to happen, 
I wanted butts in seats,

496
00:17:11,566 --> 00:17:13,900
I want to use this 
platform to get people,

497
00:17:13,900 --> 00:17:15,633
create awareness 
of my restaurants.

498
00:17:15,633 --> 00:17:17,600
And then, the 
message has changed.

499
00:17:17,600 --> 00:17:21,200
Now I'm transmitting messages 
to people that live in Idaho

500
00:17:21,200 --> 00:17:25,433
about chipotle peppers and 
about how, what Quinceanera is,

501
00:17:25,433 --> 00:17:28,233
and how we come together

502
00:17:28,233 --> 00:17:31,300
and we make tamales during 
Christmas as Mexicans.

503
00:17:31,300 --> 00:17:32,866
Now, the television,

504
00:17:32,866 --> 00:17:35,900
when used for that 
medium and that tool,

505
00:17:35,900 --> 00:17:38,866
becomes a very powerful, 
cultural exchange.

506
00:17:38,866 --> 00:17:40,266
And that's where 
I'm at with it now.

507
00:17:40,266 --> 00:17:43,533
[SMITH] You're teaching 
all of us about food,

508
00:17:43,533 --> 00:17:46,766
and how we can eat 
better and cook better.

509
00:17:46,766 --> 00:17:50,133
And on these shows that are 
more you out in the field,

510
00:17:50,133 --> 00:17:52,466
you're identifying places 
that we might then say,

511
00:17:52,466 --> 00:17:54,000
"Oh, I'm gonna go there 
the next time I'm there."

512
00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:55,200
So you're creating business,

513
00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:56,533
you're creating 
opportunity for us,

514
00:17:56,533 --> 00:17:58,433
but on a show like 
"Chopped", just to pick that,

515
00:17:58,433 --> 00:17:59,633
you mentioned to me 
before we came out here,

516
00:17:59,633 --> 00:18:01,666
you were on show number one.

517
00:18:01,666 --> 00:18:03,600
[SÁNCHEZ] And now 
we're talking 600 shows

518
00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:04,433
that they've done.

519
00:18:04,433 --> 00:18:05,433
[SMITH] Of "Chopped".

520
00:18:05,433 --> 00:18:06,866
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, 15 years.

521
00:18:06,866 --> 00:18:08,200
[SMITH] That's been a 
positive experience for you?

522
00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,133
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, you 
know, to be honest,

523
00:18:10,133 --> 00:18:13,700
I think I got chopped 
from "Chopped,"

524
00:18:13,700 --> 00:18:17,000
'cause now I focus 
primarily on "MasterChef,"

525
00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:18,266
and this is a silly--

526
00:18:18,266 --> 00:18:19,266
[SMITH] Just say, 
"I've graduated".

527
00:18:19,266 --> 00:18:20,066
[SÁNCHEZ] I've graduated.

528
00:18:20,066 --> 00:18:21,266
[SMITH] I've graduated.

529
00:18:21,266 --> 00:18:22,066
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, 
exactly, I've graduated,

530
00:18:22,066 --> 00:18:23,233
and the thing is that,

531
00:18:23,233 --> 00:18:24,733
you know there's 
this silly thing that

532
00:18:24,733 --> 00:18:26,566
if you work on one competition 
show, you can't do another,

533
00:18:26,566 --> 00:18:28,766
and there's all this 
sort of competition.

534
00:18:28,766 --> 00:18:30,133
[SMITH] But clearly that 
was a big part of your life

535
00:18:30,133 --> 00:18:31,366
for a long time.

536
00:18:31,366 --> 00:18:32,300
[SÁNCHEZ] Yes, 
"Chopped" was great,

537
00:18:32,300 --> 00:18:34,000
'cause for me, the idea is that

538
00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:35,733
I wanted to make people better.

539
00:18:35,733 --> 00:18:38,166
I remember when I was 
criticized as a young cook,

540
00:18:38,166 --> 00:18:42,666
and I understood the value 
of that little butt kicking,

541
00:18:42,666 --> 00:18:46,700
and I'm trying to do that 
in a very intellectual

542
00:18:46,700 --> 00:18:50,033
and concise manner with people 
that are professionals at it.

543
00:18:50,033 --> 00:18:51,333
You know, people on "Chopped"

544
00:18:51,333 --> 00:18:52,700
are quote-unquote professionals.

545
00:18:52,700 --> 00:18:53,866
Where on "Masterchef,"

546
00:18:53,866 --> 00:18:55,733
they're amateurs 
striving to be better.

547
00:18:55,733 --> 00:18:56,600
[SMITH] By design.

548
00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:58,133
[SÁNCHEZ] Yes, exactly.

549
00:18:58,133 --> 00:19:00,333
[SMITH] So let me ask you, as 
a long time "Chopped" viewer,

550
00:19:00,333 --> 00:19:01,600
let me ask you a question,

551
00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:05,066
is that food really good 
when you say it's good?

552
00:19:05,066 --> 00:19:06,700
Like if they give 
somebody a basket

553
00:19:06,700 --> 00:19:09,033
and it's like a carburetor, 
an asparagus stalk,

554
00:19:09,033 --> 00:19:11,133
and Vegenaise, now go 
and make something.

555
00:19:11,133 --> 00:19:13,333
And then they make something, 
they do their best,

556
00:19:13,333 --> 00:19:14,266
and then they give it to you

557
00:19:14,266 --> 00:19:15,733
and you go, "Wow, this is good".

558
00:19:15,733 --> 00:19:16,966
Is it really good, honestly?

559
00:19:16,966 --> 00:19:18,566
[SÁNCHEZ] Well, I think,

560
00:19:18,566 --> 00:19:20,966
(audience laughs)

561
00:19:20,966 --> 00:19:24,300
no, and by the way, you're 
not putting me on the spot,

562
00:19:24,300 --> 00:19:26,300
I think what you will 
always hear me say

563
00:19:26,300 --> 00:19:30,233
is that it's not necessarily 
a very fluid concept,

564
00:19:30,233 --> 00:19:32,833
but what I do is that I focus 
on the good elements of it.

565
00:19:32,833 --> 00:19:34,300
So using the carburetor,

566
00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:36,633
I really liked the way 
you made that vinegarette,

567
00:19:36,633 --> 00:19:37,966
you know what I mean?

568
00:19:37,966 --> 00:19:39,900
But I'm not saying that 
all this made sense.

569
00:19:39,900 --> 00:19:42,900
[SMITH] TBH, carburetor 
vinegarette is delicious,

570
00:19:42,900 --> 00:19:44,366
you know that, always.

571
00:19:44,366 --> 00:19:47,733
My point is, I sometimes 
see these competition shows,

572
00:19:47,733 --> 00:19:49,333
"Chopped" is an example, 
but not the only,

573
00:19:49,333 --> 00:19:50,433
and they say do this.

574
00:19:50,433 --> 00:19:52,233
And these people do this,

575
00:19:52,233 --> 00:19:54,166
and then the judges, who 
are professional chefs say,

576
00:19:54,166 --> 00:19:55,700
"Wow, that's great,"

577
00:19:55,700 --> 00:19:58,200
what really they're doing is 
giving the an A for effort.

578
00:19:58,200 --> 00:19:59,766
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, well, I think--

579
00:19:59,766 --> 00:20:01,666
[SMITH] Not always 
an A for quality.

580
00:20:01,666 --> 00:20:03,600
[SÁNCHEZ] Part of it is that,

581
00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:06,200
being a chef is so 
reputation based.

582
00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:07,433
So when I'm over there,

583
00:20:07,433 --> 00:20:10,266
and I'm saying that this 
person is reputable,

584
00:20:10,266 --> 00:20:11,933
and they have great 
food, and they win,

585
00:20:11,933 --> 00:20:14,000
and then their restaurant 
closes a year later,

586
00:20:14,000 --> 00:20:16,433
then that looks poorly on me.

587
00:20:16,433 --> 00:20:18,300
So, we do take a lot of time

588
00:20:18,300 --> 00:20:21,333
to really understand 
who's worthy of winning,

589
00:20:21,333 --> 00:20:22,833
who's worthy of not winning,

590
00:20:22,833 --> 00:20:27,333
but for me, I'm always honest, 
I tell people the way it is,

591
00:20:27,333 --> 00:20:30,233
and I speak to people the 
way I want to be spoken to.

592
00:20:30,233 --> 00:20:32,966
So I don't berate people, 
I don't put them down.

593
00:20:32,966 --> 00:20:34,266
[SMITH] Well, you are 
always encouraging.

594
00:20:34,266 --> 00:20:35,966
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, but 
people shut down,

595
00:20:35,966 --> 00:20:37,866
they old way of bring them up

596
00:20:37,866 --> 00:20:39,600
and then break them 
down a little bit,

597
00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:41,000
and people respond 
better to that.

598
00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:42,333
[SMITH] Is it good 
that food culture,

599
00:20:42,333 --> 00:20:43,633
we talked about this 
a little bit earlier,

600
00:20:43,633 --> 00:20:45,900
has been elevated so 
much in this country

601
00:20:45,900 --> 00:20:48,366
by the presence of these 
networks and these shows?

602
00:20:48,366 --> 00:20:50,133
Is this a good 
thing, ultimately?

603
00:20:50,133 --> 00:20:53,266
[SÁNCHEZ] Well, I think 
it has two levels to it,

604
00:20:53,266 --> 00:20:55,633
I think now you have kids 
going into this food world

605
00:20:55,633 --> 00:20:59,100
'cause they want to be me, and 
they see this fast ascension,

606
00:20:59,100 --> 00:21:00,666
but it's not a fast ascension,

607
00:21:00,666 --> 00:21:03,800
it actually took me 
20 years to get here.

608
00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:05,300
[SMITH] We don't see 
the part that was hard,

609
00:21:05,300 --> 00:21:07,533
where you were probably 
on the verge of thinking,

610
00:21:07,533 --> 00:21:08,866
"I need to go do 
something else."

611
00:21:08,866 --> 00:21:10,600
[SÁNCHEZ] You know, 
guess where you find

612
00:21:10,600 --> 00:21:12,133
all those stories at, Evan?

613
00:21:12,133 --> 00:21:13,666
[SMITH] In this book.

614
00:21:13,666 --> 00:21:17,966
[SÁNCHEZ] Oh my Lord, 
right over there (laughs).

615
00:21:17,966 --> 00:21:20,633
[SMITH] Yeah, you know, 
you understand, right.

616
00:21:20,633 --> 00:21:21,966
[SÁNCHEZ] But the idea 
is, you know it's funny

617
00:21:21,966 --> 00:21:24,566
because I go to all 
of our young cooks

618
00:21:24,566 --> 00:21:26,200
that start into this industry,

619
00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:28,600
and they're doing something 
very benign and monotonous

620
00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:30,900
like peeling fava beans 
or cleaning chilies,

621
00:21:30,900 --> 00:21:32,566
and I go to them and I say,

622
00:21:32,566 --> 00:21:35,033
"I promise you this 
is gonna pay off."

623
00:21:35,033 --> 00:21:38,366
"I promise you, as long as 
you do what's necessary."

624
00:21:38,366 --> 00:21:41,233
'Cause sadly, 80% of people 
that go into kitchens

625
00:21:41,233 --> 00:21:44,166
do the bare minimum to get by,

626
00:21:44,166 --> 00:21:48,233
but the 20% that excel and 
get recognized, move up quick.

627
00:21:48,233 --> 00:21:50,133
[SMITH] And these are 
the ones who go beyond.

628
00:21:50,133 --> 00:21:51,566
[SÁNCHEZ] Exactly.

629
00:21:51,566 --> 00:21:52,900
[SMITH] Because they understand 
the importance of this.

630
00:21:52,900 --> 00:21:55,466
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, get in 
there early, stay late,

631
00:21:55,466 --> 00:21:58,466
engage the chefs, be like, 
"What else do I need to do?"

632
00:21:58,466 --> 00:21:59,966
Go volunteer your time

633
00:21:59,966 --> 00:22:03,166
to do the food events that 
we do constantly on the side.

634
00:22:03,166 --> 00:22:04,533
[SMITH] Well, this is the old 
Paul Prudhomme origins, right?

635
00:22:04,533 --> 00:22:05,700
[SÁNCHEZ] Yes, exactly.

636
00:22:05,700 --> 00:22:07,566
[SMITH] Be a presence, 
be every place,

637
00:22:07,566 --> 00:22:09,300
don't wait for them to 
come to you, go to them.

638
00:22:09,300 --> 00:22:10,433
You put in the work,

639
00:22:10,433 --> 00:22:11,366
you're gonna be rewarded 
on the back end.

640
00:22:11,366 --> 00:22:12,600
[SÁNCHEZ] Absolutely.

641
00:22:12,600 --> 00:22:14,100
[SMITH] So speaking of 
rewards on the back end,

642
00:22:14,100 --> 00:22:16,666
so people understand, this 
is not just your story,

643
00:22:16,666 --> 00:22:18,933
but there are recipes 
sprinkled throughout.

644
00:22:18,933 --> 00:22:20,200
[SÁNCHEZ] Yes.

645
00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:21,333
[SMITH] And they're 
really good recipes.

646
00:22:21,333 --> 00:22:22,600
And I wanted to end,

647
00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:24,533
as we have a couple of 
minutes left, on that.

648
00:22:24,533 --> 00:22:25,933
So when your friend 
Marcus Samuelsson

649
00:22:25,933 --> 00:22:27,133
was on the show a 
couple years ago,

650
00:22:27,133 --> 00:22:28,333
we talked about his book,

651
00:22:28,333 --> 00:22:29,566
and we talked about 
his restaurants,

652
00:22:29,566 --> 00:22:31,566
and then I said to him, 
"I can't have you here

653
00:22:31,566 --> 00:22:35,266
"without asking you a 
basic cooking question."

654
00:22:35,266 --> 00:22:38,433
So I said, "What is the secret 
to making a good hamburger?"

655
00:22:38,433 --> 00:22:40,500
And he went through 
this whole thing,

656
00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:41,866
and it was actually fascinating.

657
00:22:41,866 --> 00:22:43,333
It was obvious as could be,

658
00:22:43,333 --> 00:22:45,600
but I was like, 
"Duh, of course."

659
00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,266
So, give us a basic--

660
00:22:48,266 --> 00:22:49,300
[SÁNCHEZ] Taco recipe.

661
00:22:49,300 --> 00:22:50,766
[SMITH] A basic tip, something,

662
00:22:50,766 --> 00:22:52,300
something that we should know,

663
00:22:52,300 --> 00:22:53,733
something that we can take 
into the kitchen and go,

664
00:22:53,733 --> 00:22:55,600
"Aarón Sánchez said do this

665
00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:57,966
"and it transformed, 
in a very basic way,

666
00:22:57,966 --> 00:23:00,400
"my ability to 
make a great taco,

667
00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:02,033
"or great Mexican 
food, or anything."

668
00:23:02,033 --> 00:23:03,833
[SÁNCHEZ] Oh my God, I 
could give you 25 of them,

669
00:23:03,833 --> 00:23:07,066
but I'll give you one 
basic one that's, you know,

670
00:23:07,066 --> 00:23:08,300
so if you cook a steak,

671
00:23:08,300 --> 00:23:10,966
I know beef is king 
here in Texas, right?

672
00:23:10,966 --> 00:23:13,233
You should always rest your meat

673
00:23:13,233 --> 00:23:16,333
for the amount of time 
that you cooked it, right?

674
00:23:16,333 --> 00:23:18,733
[SMITH] So an hour, 
rest it an hour.

675
00:23:18,733 --> 00:23:19,966
Cook it an hour, 
rest it an hour.

676
00:23:19,966 --> 00:23:21,233
[SÁNCHEZ] Maybe if 
you're doing a brisket,

677
00:23:21,233 --> 00:23:23,633
but if you're cooking a 
16-ounce New York strip

678
00:23:23,633 --> 00:23:26,833
and you cook it for 8 
minutes on each side,

679
00:23:26,833 --> 00:23:28,200
you have to let it rest

680
00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,100
for the same amount of 
time that you cooked it.

681
00:23:30,100 --> 00:23:31,466
So 16 minutes, it 
will stay warm.

682
00:23:31,466 --> 00:23:32,766
[SMITH] Why does that 
make a difference?

683
00:23:32,766 --> 00:23:34,000
[SÁNCHEZ] Because 
what happens is,

684
00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:35,033
all the juices go 
back inside the meat

685
00:23:35,033 --> 00:23:36,333
and they don't run off.

686
00:23:36,333 --> 00:23:38,733
And then also, take 
your steak out,

687
00:23:38,733 --> 00:23:43,433
let it come to room temperature, 
any meat for that matter.

688
00:23:43,433 --> 00:23:45,900
'Cause you're taking 
it from 40 degrees

689
00:23:45,900 --> 00:23:48,000
onto a hot grill at 500,

690
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:49,933
and you want that 
medium rare, right?

691
00:23:49,933 --> 00:23:51,433
What's the inside gonna be?

692
00:23:51,433 --> 00:23:53,766
Cold, so you want it to 
come to room temperature,

693
00:23:53,766 --> 00:23:55,666
let those proteins relax, right?

694
00:23:55,666 --> 00:23:59,733
Another one is that you can 
always put a little bit of oil

695
00:23:59,733 --> 00:24:02,733
on the outside of your grilled 
meats, or chicken, or fish,

696
00:24:02,733 --> 00:24:05,966
so that allows the 
seasoning to adhere,

697
00:24:05,966 --> 00:24:08,600
'cause you'll lose 
about 60% of seasoning

698
00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:12,633
when you just throw it kind 
of willy nilly on your steak,

699
00:24:12,633 --> 00:24:13,866
but the oil will allow it

700
00:24:13,866 --> 00:24:16,233
to stick to the actual 
protein and adhere.

701
00:24:16,233 --> 00:24:17,300
[SMITH] You make 
your own tortillas

702
00:24:17,300 --> 00:24:18,900
at Johnny Sanchez, right?

703
00:24:18,900 --> 00:24:20,533
[SÁNCHEZ] Of course, of course.

704
00:24:20,533 --> 00:24:22,000
[SMITH] So for those of us 
that don't have the benefit

705
00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:23,800
of being able to make our 
own tortillas at home,

706
00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:27,100
what is your secret to getting 
tortillas in the right shape

707
00:24:27,100 --> 00:24:30,700
to prepare tacos, or to be 
eaten in some other way,

708
00:24:30,700 --> 00:24:32,233
outside of a restaurant kitchen?

709
00:24:32,233 --> 00:24:34,633
[SÁNCHEZ] Well, flour or corn 
are two different animals,

710
00:24:34,633 --> 00:24:36,433
but when you're 
talking about flour,

711
00:24:36,433 --> 00:24:37,633
I mean corn for instance,

712
00:24:37,633 --> 00:24:39,200
you want to use a 
little tortilla press,

713
00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:41,733
make sure that you 
use like a scooper,

714
00:24:41,733 --> 00:24:45,633
to make the masa, the dough, 
use an ice cream scooper,

715
00:24:45,633 --> 00:24:49,200
and that way two ounce, you 
have the same consistent amount

716
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:50,766
of masa per the tortilla.

717
00:24:50,766 --> 00:24:53,300
[SMITH] It's not as hard 
as the uninitiated,

718
00:24:53,300 --> 00:24:54,366
the untrained might think.

719
00:24:54,366 --> 00:24:55,300
[SÁNCHEZ] No, not at all.

720
00:24:55,300 --> 00:24:56,433
[SMITH] And it's always better.

721
00:24:56,433 --> 00:24:57,666
[SÁNCHEZ] 
Absolutely, everything

722
00:24:57,666 --> 00:24:59,100
"hecho a mano"

723
00:24:59,100 --> 00:25:01,233
or made by hand, is 
always more beautiful, no?

724
00:25:01,233 --> 00:25:03,733
That's why grandma's 
food is always the best

725
00:25:03,733 --> 00:25:06,233
'cause grandmas are 
never in a rush, right?

726
00:25:06,233 --> 00:25:07,833
[SMITH] She doesn't buy 
that stuff at the store,

727
00:25:07,833 --> 00:25:09,366
she actually makes it at home.

728
00:25:09,366 --> 00:25:10,933
[SÁNCHEZ] Yeah, do you ever 
see your grandmother move fast?

729
00:25:10,933 --> 00:25:11,866
Not mine.

730
00:25:11,866 --> 00:25:12,666
[SMITH] No, not mine, no.

731
00:25:12,666 --> 00:25:13,933
(audience laughs)

732
00:25:13,933 --> 00:25:15,266
[SÁNCHEZ] It's awesome, 
so that little beans

733
00:25:15,266 --> 00:25:16,800
in that little pot

734
00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:19,600
has all day to simmer, and 
percolate, and get happy,

735
00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:21,133
that's what it's about.

736
00:25:21,133 --> 00:25:23,333
[SMITH] Well, sadly, we have 
moved fast through our time.

737
00:25:23,333 --> 00:25:24,900
I want to tell you, 
the book is great,

738
00:25:24,900 --> 00:25:26,166
people should buy it, read it,

739
00:25:26,166 --> 00:25:27,933
understand your story, 
take lessons from it,

740
00:25:27,933 --> 00:25:29,900
but beyond that, you're 
a really nice guy.

741
00:25:29,900 --> 00:25:31,100
And I appreciate the fact,

742
00:25:31,100 --> 00:25:32,533
(audience applause)

743
00:25:32,533 --> 00:25:36,833
I appreciate the fact that 
somebody who worked his way up,

744
00:25:36,833 --> 00:25:39,000
became this famous 
guy, still seems

745
00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,533
like the guy I would have met 
if he'd stayed in El Paso.

746
00:25:41,533 --> 00:25:43,466
[SÁNCHEZ] Oh, thank you, 
that's a huge compliment.

747
00:25:43,466 --> 00:25:44,766
[SMITH] It means a 
lot that you're still

748
00:25:44,766 --> 00:25:46,733
kinda keeping it 
real, which is great.

749
00:25:46,733 --> 00:25:48,066
Aarón Sánchez, 
thank you so much.

750
00:25:48,066 --> 00:25:49,000
[SÁNCHEZ] Thank you for 
having me, you honor me.

751
00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:49,900
[SMITH] Give him a big hand.

752
00:25:49,900 --> 00:25:52,000
(audience applause)

753
00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,500
[SMITH] We'd love to have 
you join us in the studio.

754
00:25:54,500 --> 00:25:59,466
Visit our website at 
klru.org/overheard 
to find invitations

755
00:25:59,466 --> 00:26:02,800
to interviews, Q and As with 
our audience and guests,

756
00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:05,666
and an archive of past episodes.

757
00:26:05,666 --> 00:26:07,566
[SÁNCHEZ] What culinary 
schools need to do

758
00:26:07,566 --> 00:26:09,266
is they need to give 
you a base curriculum

759
00:26:09,266 --> 00:26:11,066
to learn the basics 
like the stocks,

760
00:26:11,066 --> 00:26:12,833
the sauces, knife 
work, etcetera,

761
00:26:12,833 --> 00:26:14,666
and then you should be 
allowed to specialize

762
00:26:14,666 --> 00:26:18,233
in your niche in the food world.

763
00:26:18,233 --> 00:26:19,733
'Cause now you can 
be a personal chef,

764
00:26:19,733 --> 00:26:22,266
a food stylist, 
recipe developer,

765
00:26:22,266 --> 00:26:26,033
you can be all these different 
people in the food world,

766
00:26:26,033 --> 00:26:28,266
without having to work in 
a restaurant like I have.

767
00:26:28,266 --> 00:26:30,633
[NARRATOR] Funding for 
Overheard with Evan Smith

768
00:26:30,633 --> 00:26:33,900
is provided in part 
by Hillco Partners,

769
00:26:33,900 --> 00:26:36,633
a Texas government 
affairs consultancy,

770
00:26:36,633 --> 00:26:38,333
Claire and Carl Stuart,

771
00:26:38,333 --> 00:26:43,166
and by Laura and John Beckworth, 
Hobby Family Foundation.

772
00:26:43,166 --> 00:26:45,666
(flute notes)