Joe Rogan Experience #1469 - Adam Perry Lang

1. 0:00 – 15:00

   ... one. (smashes table) What's…

   1. JRJoe Rogan0:00

      ... one. (smashes table) What's happening, brother? How are you?

   2. ALAdam Perry Lang0:03

      Good to be here.

   3. JRJoe Rogan0:03

      Good to have you.

   4. ALAdam Perry Lang0:04

      What's happening?

   5. JRJoe Rogan0:04

      Um, I have enjoyed your restaurant many times. This is my favorite steak restaurant in all of Los Angeles.

   6. ALAdam Perry Lang0:09

      Thank you.

   7. JRJoe Rogan0:10

      And, uh, it's one of the reasons why I wanted to bring you in here because, uh, this is a, uh, really crazy time for restaurants. And, um, I, I mean, that's basically... That, that's the gist of it.

   8. ALAdam Perry Lang0:22

      Yeah.

   9. JRJoe Rogan0:22

      This is a crazy time. I mean-

   10. ALAdam Perry Lang0:24

       It's, it's bananas. It's absolutely crazy. I'm trying to just get a handle on it. It's just, uh, overwhelming. So, for me, it's just head down and cook, try to help people, you know, that are in need, and, uh, and then we'll figure it out later. That's-

   11. JRJoe Rogan0:37

       Well, I know you've been doing a lot of cooking for first responders and for hospitals. And, like, what, what have you been doing with your time now that this is...

   12. ALAdam Perry Lang0:45

       Well, it really first started where, um, basically, everything just... Everybody was just staring at each other and saying, "What, what is going on? What's happening?" And I had... I didn't lay off any of my employees and it's all happening. Everybody else is closing up shop and, you know, I'm just overwhelmed as a business owner. What am I gonna do? And I actually had my GM come up to me and, you know... Because I'm trying to figure it out. Everybody's asked, "What's gonna happen?" My GM came up to me and he says, "Hey, listen, you know, we're with you. Um, we know you didn't create the coronavirus. You know, you do what you have to do, and we know your heart's in the right place." And I was just like... I just, like, kind of just let out a breath and I'm like, "Okay, well, I appreciate you saying that." And then I was just head down, get down to business with it. And, uh, um, we had to cut back, um, 90% of the staff. And, uh, we were just like... Just cook. Um, didn't know who were gonna... Who was gonna buy it or anything. It was just crazy.

   13. JRJoe Rogan1:47

       So we should just tell everybody. It's the, the steakhouse is called APL.

   14. ALAdam Perry Lang1:50

       Yeah.

   15. JRJoe Rogan1:50

       And it's in, uh, LA in wha- what is that? Like, the theater district? What is that called? That, that area?

   16. ALAdam Perry Lang1:55

       Yeah, it's in the heart of Hollywood, Hollywood and Vine.

   17. JRJoe Rogan1:57

       Yeah, yeah.

   18. ALAdam Perry Lang1:57

       And it's right, uh, next to the Pantages Theater.

   19. JRJoe Rogan1:59

       Right.

   20. ALAdam Perry Lang1:59

       Which we... And what's ironic was, it was literally when they closed down all the restaurants, it was the, gonna be the night of, uh, Hamilton premiering, which was a big deal for us as a business and, uh, you know, all of a sudden it's like it stops and, um-

   21. JRJoe Rogan2:12

       Yeah, we, um... I went to your place right after we saw something. It was, uh... Oh, it was Frozen. (laughs)

   22. ALAdam Perry Lang2:21

       Yeah. Okay. (laughs)

   23. JRJoe Rogan2:22

       I have daughters.

   24. ALAdam Perry Lang2:23

       Right.

   25. JRJoe Rogan2:24

       Yeah, we went to see Frozen and that was the last time I was at your place. Um, it's, it's gotta be a very strange thing 'cause this has never happened before. And one of the things that we've talked about, uh, a lot on this podcast is what's so devastating about this is there's a lot of people that have lost, lost businesses in the past because markets changed and because maybe they didn't do what they could've done or work as hard as they could've worked. But for so many small businesses and restaurants and bars, they've been doing the best work they've ever been able to do, they- they're putting in the hours, they're showing up, they're putting out these, uh, amazing meals, and then because of nothing that's their fault (snaps fingers) it just gets shut off.

   26. ALAdam Perry Lang3:05

       It just gets shut off. It's crazy, you know-

   27. JRJoe Rogan3:07

       And without any real understanding of how long it's gonna take or when, when you're gonna... I mean, we just had a conversation. I was saying, "We should just talk about this on air," 'cause we were just talking in the green room.

   28. ALAdam Perry Lang3:18

       Yeah.

   29. JRJoe Rogan3:18

       Like, there's n- no, no clear indication of when you'll be able to go back to work, uh, and, and serve food to the general public and what that's gonna look like.

   30. ALAdam Perry Lang3:27

       I know. It's, it's, it's the unknown. Um, but how I'm investing my time, how a lot of other chef restaurateurs are investing their time is trying to serve takeout to the public, but also doing, um, charitable and things to provide for, for first line, you know, front line, you know, defense.
2. 15:00 – 30:00

   No, I don't. …

   1. JRJoe Rogan15:00

      aged meat?

   2. ALAdam Perry Lang15:00

      No, I don't.

   3. JRJoe Rogan15:01

      Hmm.

   4. ALAdam Perry Lang15:01

      It gets livery. It's almost like a livery. So if-

   5. JRJoe Rogan15:04

      Really?

   6. ALAdam Perry Lang15:04

      Yeah. I don't even... If anybody wants dry age above medium, I try to talk them out. "I'll cook it any way you want." But if you start cooking it past medium, it's almost like, you know, uh, seeing someone like transform. Like, it, it just ages, like when you cook it a long time, it just ages and just turns into something else. It's just, it's just nasty.

   7. JRJoe Rogan15:25

      Those people who want well done steak are offensive. You should go-

   8. ALAdam Perry Lang15:29

      (laughs)

   9. JRJoe Rogan15:29

      ... and eat Burger King, you monsters.

   10. ALAdam Perry Lang15:31

       (laughs)

   11. JRJoe Rogan15:32

       What's wrong with you?

   12. ALAdam Perry Lang15:33

       (laughs)

   13. JRJoe Rogan15:33

       When I hear p- when I go to dinner with someone and they order well done steak, I just cringe. I'm like, "Who am I eating?"

   14. ALAdam Perry Lang15:39

       Yeah. Some... It's a cultural thing I notice too-

   15. JRJoe Rogan15:41

       (laughs)

   16. ALAdam Perry Lang15:41

       ... with some people. Like, they just wanna cook. But if, if they want a well done steak, then I recommend the wet aged steak to do well done, because, you know-

   17. JRJoe Rogan15:47

       Mm-hmm.

   18. ALAdam Perry Lang15:47

       ... at least you know you have a fighting chance for some type of flavor that would be appealing.

   19. JRJoe Rogan15:51

       But it's weird. Like, why are you eating steak?

   20. ALAdam Perry Lang15:53

       Yep, yep.

   21. JRJoe Rogan15:55

       You know?

   22. ALAdam Perry Lang15:55

       It's true. It's true.

   23. JRJoe Rogan15:57

       Like, it's just-

   24. ALAdam Perry Lang15:58

       That's for me, you know? I, I-

   25. JRJoe Rogan15:59

       For everybody.

   26. ALAdam Perry Lang16:01

       Yeah. (laughs)

   27. JRJoe Rogan16:01

       It's criminal.

   28. ALAdam Perry Lang16:02

       Yeah.

   29. JRJoe Rogan16:02

       It's a criminal act. You're wasting a piece of meat.

   30. ALAdam Perry Lang16:04

       It's true. I kind of like, I kind of look the other way. I mean, it's-
3. 30:00 – 45:00

   Yeah, he would take…

   1. ALAdam Perry Lang30:00

      the, the craft part, where we figured it out and then there's a, a regiment of, like, lining it up to make sure it's consistent, and we pride ourselves in basically that consistency and team gathering around and doing something universal together. But the art form for me is... And maintaining just being curious and inquisitive has just been my bug from the day I decided to be a chef, and for many people like Bourdain and every other, um, chef that I know of, that's, that's the key, that you know that you'll never learn everything, you know. But, you know, you keep trying this, this... Like a sea of information that, you know, that's out there to explore.

   2. JRJoe Rogan30:38

      Yeah, he would take you on these journeys to these, like, very strange restaurants in France-... where, you know, they're on the side of a lake and there's, like, 10 customers and 100 chefs working-

   3. ALAdam Perry Lang30:49

      Yeah.

   4. JRJoe Rogan30:49

      ... and they're, they're creating these things, like with filet knives and a grape-

   5. ALAdam Perry Lang30:53

      (laughs) Yeah.

   6. JRJoe Rogan30:53

      ... and, like-

   7. ALAdam Perry Lang30:54

      (laughs)

   8. JRJoe Rogan30:54

      ... two, two or three caviar eggs-

   9. ALAdam Perry Lang30:56

      Yeah. Yeah.

   10. JRJoe Rogan30:56

       ... and then they give it to these people and they're in ecstasy. I'm like, "What? This is so different." I, I, I almost felt embarrassed when I first started talking to him about this. Like, like, I, it's, is it... You know what it's like, it's like for me? Like, I've been a, a lifelong martial artist, and I... When, when some people believe ridiculous things about martial arts and then you have to kind of ex- "Well, that's not really how it works."

   11. ALAdam Perry Lang31:18

       Right.

   12. JRJoe Rogan31:18

       You have to kind of explain to them, and then they see it from my perspective and they're like, "Oh, you've been doing this your whole life. This is something you're, you're deeply invested in and you're very passionate about and you care very deeply about the, the, the true nature of what martial arts are." Well, that's how cooking is to chefs. It's, they're all very similar. I know people don't like to think of martial arts as an art form.

   13. ALAdam Perry Lang31:41

       That's a great analogy.

   14. JRJoe Rogan31:42

       Yeah, but it, they don't like to think of it as an art form because it hurts people-

   15. ALAdam Perry Lang31:45

       Yeah.

   16. JRJoe Rogan31:45

       ... because it's violent-

   17. ALAdam Perry Lang31:46

       Yeah.

   18. JRJoe Rogan31:46

       ... and violence is bad.

   19. ALAdam Perry Lang31:47

       Right.

   20. JRJoe Rogan31:48

       But it, it is an art form. It's just a strange one that i- i- it's beautiful to the people that appreciate it that understand how difficult it is to pull something off and how, what this incredible dance between these people is. But on the outside, like, a, an ignorant person or a person with a, a very narrow-minded perspective would say, "Oh, that's not an art. That's violence. That's terrible." Like, was it Meryl Streep that said that?

   21. NANarrator32:14

       Yeah.

   22. JRJoe Rogan32:14

       Wasn't it, during when... Yeah, it was, it was. Like, "Martial arts are not the arts." Like, okay, lady. (laughs) Settle down.

   23. ALAdam Perry Lang32:23

       (laughs)

   24. JRJoe Rogan32:23

       It's, people have their preconceived notions, and I had an embarrassing preconceived notion about food. And I say embarrassing because-

   25. ALAdam Perry Lang32:32

       Great analogy, by the way.

   26. JRJoe Rogan32:33

       It is-

   27. ALAdam Perry Lang32:34

       Yeah.

   28. JRJoe Rogan32:34

       ... in, in many ways.

   29. ALAdam Perry Lang32:35

       Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan32:35

       And then co- comedy is similar in that sense as well because people look at comedy like, "Oh, they're just telling jokes." So, yes, yes, they are telling jokes, but the process is so labor-intensive. There's so much going on and it's, I think it's like everything. So many things, you look at them from the outside, whether it's carpentry or sculpture, you look at it from the outside and if you have no experience in it, people can dismiss it.
4. 45:00 – 1:00:00

   You wanna see something…

   1. ALAdam Perry Lang45:00

      nine to ten, you know, master smiths who will show like, "Hey, okay, handle making," or, you know, um, making a, a dagger or, um, tempering steel, you know, in a certain way. And you know, you learn and, uh, I just became fascinated with it. Um, I mean, just th- to actually just use a power hammer with a 5,000-pound, uh, anvil and like, t- thin out steel and t- it's just like, it's, it just puts adrenaline through you. It's like physical, like making something and then knowing that you're making something that will last generations if it's maintained. I mean, that's powerful stuff. Yeah.

   2. JRJoe Rogan45:38

      You wanna see something cool on the other table?

   3. ALAdam Perry Lang45:40

      Yeah.

   4. JRJoe Rogan45:40

      That's a samurai sword from the 1500s.

   5. ALAdam Perry Lang45:42

      Where? Where? Where?

   6. JRJoe Rogan45:43

      Yeah, hold on a second. You need to see this.

   7. ALAdam Perry Lang45:45

      I do need to see this. I'm into this. Oh. Oh my gosh. Can I take a look?

   8. JRJoe Rogan45:52

      Yeah, pull it out. Don't cut anybody.

   9. ALAdam Perry Lang45:54

      I won't.

   10. JRJoe Rogan45:54

       That's a legit samurai sword.

   11. ALAdam Perry Lang45:58

       Wow.

   12. JRJoe Rogan45:58

       With papers and everything, with the-

   13. ALAdam Perry Lang45:59

       With the stingray fricking-

   14. JRJoe Rogan46:00

       Yeah, I don't, I don't know whether the scabbard is original, but the steel, the actual steel is original. I'm sure it's been re-wrapped.

   15. ALAdam Perry Lang46:06

       Can you imagine that? Now look at this steel. I mean, this steel is like ...

   16. JRJoe Rogan46:11

       It's 500 years old.

   17. ALAdam Perry Lang46:13

       (sighs)

   18. JRJoe Rogan46:13

       That's what's crazy.

   19. ALAdam Perry Lang46:14

       And that's the profound thing. I mean, there's something about making something that would last like that. I mean ...

   20. JRJoe Rogan46:19

       Yeah.

   21. ALAdam Perry Lang46:19

       Oh my God.

   22. JRJoe Rogan46:21

       No, it's amazing. It's an amazing thing to just, to have around. And when you pick it up and hold it, it's got weight to it, but it's, it's, it's delicate in the sense that it's, it's thin-

   23. ALAdam Perry Lang46:33

       Well-balanced.

   24. JRJoe Rogan46:33

       ... and elegant, but yet it's designed-

   25. ALAdam Perry Lang46:36

       And you see the curve in the blade like that?

   26. JRJoe Rogan46:37

       Mm-hmm.

   27. ALAdam Perry Lang46:38

       And you know, what's amazing about this is that when they do the quench, in other words when they're actually putting the sole of the blade into it ...

   28. JRJoe Rogan46:44

       What does that mean?

   29. ALAdam Perry Lang46:45

       The heat treatment.

   30. JRJoe Rogan46:46

       Oh.
5. 1:00:00 – 1:11:28

   Right. …

   1. ALAdam Perry Lang1:00:00

      the bag, you make it into a sauce or it gets evaporated into the air. The thing about doing that is, is like if you're putting it directly in the pan while it's wet, all those juices are bouncing back and then readhering to the meat, okay. That's flavor. That's flavor you, you would lose normally. Now, the sacrifice is like sure, you'll get it cooked from end to end perfect, okay, so it'll be pink to pink, okay, it's great.

   2. JRJoe Rogan1:00:22

      Right.

   3. ALAdam Perry Lang1:00:23

      But if you go back and, you know, sear it or brown it after, you miss out on all these compounds and it, it's not the same crust. I b- I bet you if I gave you a blind taste test using the both methods, you would appreciate the other crust over the reverse sear.

   4. JRJoe Rogan1:00:40

      And this is even with wild game, even with a very lean meat?

   5. ALAdam Perry Lang1:00:43

      That's a different story.

   6. JRJoe Rogan1:00:44

      That's what I cook though.

   7. ALAdam Perry Lang1:00:45

      Okay, um, that's a different story. So with the lean meat, um, I would probably say to brown it first and then go slow, the reverse, 'cause there is a gentle, there is a gentle way of-... of, of like, it's so lean you wanna kind of like slide into home, I kinda say. Is like, you develop a certain amount of ment- momentum and for the leaner meats, it's about the rest. So you're cooking it and then you're taking it out and then you're allowing that heat momentum to kinda carry over.

   8. JRJoe Rogan1:01:15

      Now, I gave you a bunch of elk meat.

   9. ALAdam Perry Lang1:01:17

      Mm-hmm.

   10. JRJoe Rogan1:01:17

       How did you cook it?

   11. ALAdam Perry Lang1:01:18

       Um, a lot of it just like hot and fast so I can really taste it, you know. I don't mind a bit of a chew. Most people are different, you know. For me, I wanna taste the meat, I wanna savor like the juices of what that is. And, uh, elk's my favorite. Thank you for that. (laughs) I mean, I'm still, I still have some of it. It's fantastic.

   12. JRJoe Rogan1:01:35

       I got more if you want more.

   13. ALAdam Perry Lang1:01:36

       Yeah. Oh, I'll take it. No, no. (laughs)

   14. JRJoe Rogan1:01:36

       All right. (laughs)

   15. ALAdam Perry Lang1:01:39

       It's the best.

   16. JRJoe Rogan1:01:39

       Well, I wanna try some of the way you cook it. I want, I wanna have you cook some of that elk.

   17. ALAdam Perry Lang1:01:44

       I'd love to do that.

   18. JRJoe Rogan1:01:45

       We gotta, yeah, we gotta make that happen-

   19. ALAdam Perry Lang1:01:47

       Yeah.

   20. JRJoe Rogan1:01:47

       ... one of these days.

   21. ALAdam Perry Lang1:01:47

       Yeah.

   22. JRJoe Rogan1:01:47

       I would love to see your method and what the, the difference is. Um, I learned how to do it from Chad Ward.

   23. ALAdam Perry Lang1:01:53

       Mm-hmm.

   24. JRJoe Rogan1:01:53

       He's a world champion barbecue guy.

   25. ALAdam Perry Lang1:01:54

       Mm-hmm.

   26. JRJoe Rogan1:01:55

       Uh, Whiskey Bent BBQ-

   27. ALAdam Perry Lang1:01:56

       Mm-hmm.

   28. JRJoe Rogan1:01:56

       ... on, uh, Instagram. Whiskey... Is it BBQ? Whiskey Bent BBQ, I think. Uh, Chad's a great guy and, uh, I've been with him in camp on several hunting trips where he's cooked for, uh, Traeger. Like Traeger will hire-

   29. ALAdam Perry Lang1:02:09

       Yeah.

   30. JRJoe Rogan1:02:09

       ... him to come and, and cook for us and it's incredible. And this, that's the mess- method that I learned-

Episode duration: 1:57:49