Man Fire Food

Roger Mooking heads to the Southwest and makes his first stop West Alley BBQ and Smokehouse in Chandler, Ariz., which specializes in Tennessee-style barbecue.

Roger Mooking meets two barbecue brainiacs, helps season a whole hog with Puerto Rican flavors, and then smokes it using coals made from pecan, hickory and cherry woods.

Roger Mooking goes hog-wild at two legendary barbecue restaurants located in America's Barbecue Belt; racks of St. Louis-style ribs in custom wood-fired pits; barbecue spaghetti; chopped pork sandwiches and massive ice cream sundaes.

Roger Mooking heads to the South to visit two family-run barbecue joints that have been passing down recipes for generations: barbecue chops, briskets and pork butts.

Roger Mooking meets up with a few culinary titans in Tennessee who are swinging for the fences with outrageous rigs; meat, fish and vegetables are hung at varying heights around a metal cylinder filled with hot coals.

In Fort Worth, Texas, chef and restaurateur Lou Lambert invites Roger to his ranch to slow-roast whole hogs over oak coals in a massive, custom-built metal rig; dessert is a sweet treat inspired by Lou's chuck wagon cooking days.

In Pearland, Texas, Roger Mooking helps Ronnie Killen season and smoke brisket and ribs at Killen's Barbecue; Khoi Barbecue co-owner Don Nguyen holds Asian-influenced barbecue pop-ups in Houston.

Roger is in Austin and helps Banger's Sausage House and Beer Garden pitmaster Ted Prater season a whole hog and smoke it for 10 hours for Carolina-style sandwiches; Roger and Pieter Sypesteyn stuff a wild hog.

Roger helps roast whole young goats on asado crosses, hang sweet tea-brined Cornish hens and steam whole red snappers stuffed with aromatics.

Roger Mooking visits the Louisiana bayou for barbecue, brunch and a crawfish boil; he helps prepare brisket and baby back ribs in Prairieville.

Roger Mooking meets up with two couples making fiery feasts and creating sparks in California; Mediterranean farm-to-table feasts cooked with a live fire; legs of lamb and vegetables; lamb shoulders for sandwiches.

North Carolina-style smoked whole hog in po' boy sandwiches; smoked buffalo chicken wings; sausages, tasso, pork belly, turkey wings and drumsticks; a family recipe for Cajun brown gravy.

Roger Mooking helps guest chef Jeremy Conner prepare a fish roast; marinated whole red fish and pompano on sugar cane poles; ribs al pastor and fried tilapia.