Masterchef (2010) s03e16 Episode Script
Top 6 Compete, Part 3
This is the masterchef kitchen, where one dream will become a reality.
After a nationwide search, the best home cooks in America were brought together to face three of the biggest names in the culinary world: Graham Elliot, Joe Bastianich, and Gordon ramsay.
But only the top 18 went on to compete in the masterchef kitchen.
I'm in the top 18! Lift your boxes now.
From there, they faced the ultimate test of culinary endurance.
Epic challenges pressed each home cook beyond their limits.
Can you help me? The strong survived Red team.
And the weak That is disgusting.
Were eliminated.
Now, only six remain: Josh, the army contractor from Mississippi.
You could win this thing.
That's the plan.
I was blessed to have a second chance to be back in the masterchef kitchen, and I feel unstoppable.
Christine, the blind graduate student from Texas.
You cook like an angel.
I want this title more than anything I've ever wanted in my life.
I'm gonna go all the way.
Becky, the food photographer from Kansas.
You've done us proud.
Great job.
Oh, my God.
I am going to be masterchef, and I'll fight tooth and nail to get that title.
Frank, the stockbroker from New York.
It's absolutely delicious.
Yeah! I'm very competitive.
I came here to win.
Oh, my God.
You can put my name on the trophy right now 'cause it's mine.
And monti, the single mom from Los Angeles.
There's something quite magical about the way you connect with food.
There is no plan "B.
" I came here to win this for my baby boy.
Only one of these six home cooks can become this year's masterchef.
the remaining six home cooks have been summoned to one of Los Angeles's top fine dining restaurants for a team challenge that will test their culinary skills and palates more than ever before.
Welcome to Hatfield's.
Wow.
Hatfield's, it's breathtakingly gorgeous, white linens, tall humongous wine glasses.
I see it in magazines all the time.
Hatfield's is one of the city's most talked about restaurants.
It has a michelin star.
Tonight, you won't be sitting in the dining room.
You'll be running the kitchen.
None of us are real chefs.
We're just six really good home cooks.
And now we're expected to take over one of the fanciest kitchens in the country.
No pressure.
Becky, Frank, you had the best dishes in the previous challenge, so you will be the team captains.
Please, put on your aprons.
Becky and I are going head to head.
She's my top competitor.
I gotta show her up.
You know, this is serious.
I gotta bring my "a" game today.
Becky, you had the most outstanding dish.
That comes with a huge advantage.
You get to pick first.
The person that I'm gonna choose first is someone that I feel understands a more elevated flavor profile.
And for that, I'm going to choose Christine.
Yay.
Yes.
Christine? From being last pick in two different challenges to becoming first pick, it feels good.
I feel like maybe people are starting to believe in me.
Uh, good choice.
Frank? This person, in past challenges, we've jived perfectly, David.
David Martinez, wow.
Interesting.
Becky, another privileged position because you're picking for both teams now.
It's a really hard decision, but I think the person that I'm going to choose will really be a team player.
And for that, I'm going to choose monti.
Monti, wow.
Thank you.
I feel really strong about our team.
I think we all get along.
We respect each other, and we're just gonna try to do our best.
Three girls versus three guys.
Guys versus girls, we'll see how this turns out.
My prediction is we win.
What you do in this kitchen tonight will have huge consequences.
And because of that, tonight we've got someone with bags of experience to run the pass.
I'll be expediting.
Holy.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, my God.
Wow.
The expediter is the most important position in a kitchen.
They're the ones that's gonna be organizing tickets, calling out what needs to be done.
Having chef ramsay expedite for us is more than a little nerve-racking.
You'll cook two of hatfield's signature appetizers and two of hatfield's signature entrees.
from the red team, and 22 will be ordering from the blue team.
And remember, you must match the standard of a michelin star restaurant.
Got it? Yes, chef.
Good.
Let's go into the kitchen and meet the owners, who also happen to be the head chefs.
Red team, blue team, say hello to hatfield's Karen and Quinn.
Hello.
How you doing, guys? The restaurant's owners Karen and Quinn hatfield will demo four of their complex signature dishes: Appetizers croque madame and handmade agnolotti along with entrees braised venison and baked branzino.
This is the agnolotti.
It's a filled pasta similar to a ravioli.
This is a filling that we make with blanched peas, housemade ricotta.
Based on feedback from the diners and performance in the kitchen, the judges will decide the winning team.
It's gonna take about six minutes to cook.
The losing team will face the dreaded pressure test, where one home cook will be forced to take off their masterchef apron for good.
A normal croque madame would be ham and cheese.
This is hamachi and prosciutto.
Each one of these dishes has an exorbitant amount of components.
I'll start the quail egg.
It's a little intimidating because I can't obviously see what he's doing.
So the actual frying of the bread is the hard part.
The butter's very foamy inside.
Becky's doing a really good job of narrating everything.
But at the same time, there's still a lot of things that are unclear to me.
So I really have to use all of my other senses.
The trick to this is maintaining the color of that butter.
Under-fried is gonna be soggy.
Over-fried's gonna start getting dark.
That's what you're looking for.
Chef Quinn makes it look like a walk in the park.
I'm thinking to myself, "damn.
" It's really an overwhelming experience.
Okay, so this is our branzino.
Celery root goes on the plate.
And he has his green beans going down straight in the center.
The topping is fried caper, fried parsley, dried apricot, and roasted almond.
Just watch the plating now.
He just cut his venison chop in half.
And it looks ridiculously stunning.
It would be a task to learn all these dishes in a week's time, let alone, like, ten minutes.
That's your dish.
Okay, guys.
It's beyond gorgeous.
Red team, blue team, I hope you've been watching very carefully.
You'll have one hour prep before the doors of hatfield's open.
Got it? Yes, chef.
Your time starts now.
Off you go.
Okay, so first thing we gotta do is we gotta prep.
The home cooks must get organized quickly to prep for these highly complex dishes.
Diners tonight will have a choice between appetizers: The croque madame or agnolotti pasta.
And then, between the entrees: Baked branzino or the venison.
I wanna prep these agnolotti.
I can handle that.
Got it.
Now, the beurre blanc-- I'm comfortable with making a beurre blanc.
Got it.
Okay.
I can work on the fish station, no problem.
All right, dude.
Let's do it, boys.
Thanks, bro.
While Frank's blue team is focused on the task at hand, the red team immediately runs into communication problems.
I want you to do the pasta if you're comfortable with that, yeah? Okay.
No, that's okay.
So I'm gonna have you do the pasta.
Monti's hearing is not all there, so Becky has to really amp up her communication because she's got team Helen Keller.
Are you comfortable slicing the hamachi? Um, I can do it, yes.
Okay.
All in.
Girl power.
All in.
Girl power.
Let's kick some ass.
One, two, three.
Whoo! Four of these in each thing? Yeah.
Okay.
Thank you.
I can't see.
I have no idea where anything is.
I have no idea how it's set up.
Right here? Yeah.
Cindy, my aid, she is my set of eyes, and I'm hoping that I can play my part on the team.
Here you go.
I was amazed that Becky went straight for Christine.
Amazing.
Huge.
I mean, I think that just speaks volumes for the fact that Christine's palate is so refined.
Christine, I would like you to taste this.
It's good.
Where you put her in a situation like this? I would have her at the end, finishing a dish.
Definitely coat check room.
No, come on.
She can't see, damn it.
Have you seen how she puts food on a plate? Yeah.
This is a live kitchen, michelin starred restaurant.
She can't do it.
She's a liability.
No.
No.
Let's see what she does.
What do you want me to start first? Sear the venison first, or do the brussels sprouts first? Yeah, you're gonna sear the venison first.
Okay.
We got those mushrooms frying yet? I'm about to put 'em in.
With Italian Frank at the helm, the blue team has almost finished prepping their agnolotti pasta appetizer.
Frank, how many portions have you made? Ten.
You're nearly halfway there.
And how many portions are you making? I wanna do at least 15.
Yeah, maximum.
How many portions you got, monti? Six portions, sir.
You've only made six portions? Yes, sir.
I make pasta at home all the time.
But this is, like, a folded pasta, and it's got, like, tricky folds.
One mistake and the whole thing could be over.
So I'm doing as best as I can.
Monti, please.
Just come here.
Yes, sir.
Look at me.
Come here.
Look at the organization.
He's banging out seven, eight portions at a time.
And look at this bombshell.
Come on.
If your work is, you're gonna produce.
Monti! Yes, sir? You are not throwing that on the floor.
Look--madame.
Look, seriously, no.
This is a kitchen.
Yes, sir.
We're not cooking for cowboys now.
And you're throwing it like it's cow dung with dog all over the floor.
I'm running out of time, so I'm starting to get pretty stressed out.
Good evening, welcome.
Enjoy your dinner.
Guys, the dining room's filling up.
Let's go.
Let's go, guys, start working double speed.
As the restaurant guests take their seats, things are getting heated for the blue team.
Beurre blanc's boiling.
Work the, come on.
The hour of prep is like a blink of an eye.
This is the most difficult challenge we've done.
I thought you made the beurre blanc.
I did, chef, it wasn't enough-- Look, stop.
I know.
No, no, no, no, you don't know.
Every time you put plastic on the stove, what happens? It melts, chef.
Right.
Right now, everything's a big mess.
I'm shaking.
I'm sweating bullets.
If that goes on there, Frank, not only will be lose the michelin star, we'll burn the place down.
All right, well, let's not do that then, bro.
Concentrate.
You're like Shrek right now.
Composure, okay? Yes, chef.
Honestly, I just wanna crawl under a rock right now and die.
Welcome to hatfield's.
Nice to see you.
Enjoy your dinner.
Dinner service has begun at the michelin star awarded hatfield's restaurant in Los Angeles.
Blue team, on order, three croque madame, one agnolotti.
Entree, two venison, two branzino.
The challenge will be won by the team whose performance impresses Graham, Joe, and Gordon most.
May I have a response, please? Yes, chef.
Thank you.
It's three boys versus three girls in this challenge to replicate the restaurant's signature dishes for 22 guests on the red side of the dining room and 22 guests on the blue side.
Blue team, three croque madame, one agnolotti.
Yes, chef.
On order, red team, one croque madame, one agnolotti.
Can I have an answer, please? What? One agnolotti, one croque madame.
Can I have an answer, please? One venison, one sea bass, yes? Heard, chef, thank you.
Thank you.
As soon as chef ramsay starts calling orders, it just kinda hits you all at once, like, "okay, this is intense.
" Monti can't really hear, and Christine can't see.
So it's gonna be me being the eyes and ears of the operation.
Red team, an order, one croque madame, one agnolotti.
Entree, one venison, one branzino.
Red team, Becky? Chef? I'm calling out another table.
Yes, chef.
Nobody's even acknowledging me.
Listen to ramsay.
With all the noises going on, it's difficult for me to figure out exactly who's speaking to me.
We have two croque madame, and we have two agnolotti.
Monti? Monti, do you hear me? Becky, stop.
Bring your team up to the front here.
Yes, chef.
That's the fourth ticket, and not you or Christine have called back anything.
- Can you at least acknowledge me? - Yes, chef.
Thank you.
Let's go.
Chef, coming to the window.
Good girl.
Well done.
Service, please.
Pick up.
Great job on the appetizers.
Keep it going.
Love it.
Love it, you guys.
Despite their communication issues, go, go, go, go, go.
Captain Becky rallies the red team, and they quickly get their appetizers out to diners.
Mmm.
It's good, right? Mm-hmm.
It's crunchy.
It's perfect.
The egg gooed out perfectly as well.
Wow.
I was also really impressed by the texture of my agnolotti.
Wow.
But over on the blue team, Josh is struggling with the butter-basted bread for the croque madame appetizer.
They still haven't sent a single order out.
Frank, I'm dying.
Please.
We gotta get these croque madame out, man.
Josh is handling the bread, and he keeps on having to throw it out, so now we're backed up.
Josh, I've got to tell Joe.
We're 22 minutes in, and nothing's coming out.
Ten more minutes, please.
Two more minutes.
Ten.
Ten? No, no, no ten minutes.
They've been in there forever.
Ah, dude.
At this point, Josh has up the bread, and we're falling behind so fast that it's making my head spin a little bit.
Well, here's the thing, all of the milk solids in there have already burned.
You gotta start over.
You know what I mean? Look at that.
You gotta get a new one.
You gotta get a new one.
All right, got it, chef.
Blue team, we're half an hour in, and I've got no appetizers out.
And I need it coming together.
This is a disaster, dude.
It's not enough butter in there.
That's why it keeps burning.
It has to deep-fry.
Remember, yeah, you're deep-frying in this butter.
You're not sauteing bread.
While the blue team continues to struggle with their fried bread, their diners are growing increasingly impatient.
We have been waiting A long time.
A long time.
How long? Definitely too long.
Too long.
I'm sorry about the wait, guys.
How we doing over here? Up in ten, or-- no, I'm-- ten more minutes? Frank, I'm waiting on three croque-- these people-- these people are pissed.
I really feel like we're never get through these appetizers.
Wipe it, and get more butter on the pan.
I have to step in and start working on frying the bread at this point, so we can at least get this first dish out.
Coming, chef.
Three on, chef.
Hallelujah.
It's one hour into service as the already frazzled blue team finally gets their first appetizers out to diners.
So sorry about the wait.
I hope you're enjoying the croques.
Are they good? Good, it was totally worth the wait.
Oh, really, worth the wait? It's amazing, yeah.
How were your agnolotti, good? It tastes amazing.
Really? Wow.
Melts in your mouth.
But the pressure isn't letting up.
Gordon announces than an order has come in from the restaurant owners.
On order, two couples wait, table four.
V.
V.
I.
P.
, the owners of the restaurant.
Yes, chef.
Frank? Yes, chef? Can you fast-track one agnolotti, one croque with Becky, please? They've asked to try both the red and blue teams' dishes at the same time.
So captains Frank and Becky need to coordinate timing.
Frank, how long on your V.
I.
P.
, sir? We need 10, 15 minutes.
The blue team is behind, and we cannot serve the V.
I.
P.
S at different times, so it's a huge Thorn in my side.
This freaking hamachi is dying.
Frank, please, how long? Two minutes.
Come on, guys.
These dishes are crucial.
They're literally the most important dishes that we're gonna put out today because they're the ones that are going to the people that created these dishes.
I have some beautiful hamachi that's absolutely dying right now.
You're killing me, you guys.
You're killing me right now.
Come on, guys, please?.
Can you open your mouth? It's not hot.
What does it need? Still a little bit more salt.
More salt, got it.
Dinner service is in full swing at the michelin star awarded hatfield's restaurant.
Where are we on the V.
I.
P.
Table? Talk to Frank.
Frank, please, how long? Two minutes.
Are you serious? Is it a hard two minutes? The teams have just received a V.
I.
P.
Order from the restaurant owners and must coordinate timing so that all dishes are delivered together.
This is a disaster, dude.
I don't know why it's not coming off.
I'm just overwhelmed with all the different facets on each one of these dishes.
Frank, talk to me.
I need to tell Joe something.
They're coming right now.
I'm plating 'em.
This is the most important table of the night.
This ticket has to be perfect.
So finally, we push the order out.
Okay, chef, this is V.
I.
P.
Table.
You could've told me when you were coming to the window with that, okay? So I look over at Frank, I'm like, "okay.
Thanks for the warning.
" I wasn't prepared.
So now we're having to hustle.
Now it looks like we're behind.
Agnolotti.
Monti, talk to me.
Yes, sir.
Coming through.
Coming through.
Go.
Okay, come on.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Urgently, for the owners.
At last, both team's dishes head out to the restaurant owners.
Their feedback, along with customer comment cards will help the judges decide which team wins the challenge.
What do you think of the blue team's agnolotti? I think it could have been cooked a hair more.
Undercooked.
Slightly.
The red team did-- did a nice job.
The pasta's rolled nicely.
The peas look beautiful.
Well, these look like frozen peas, right? And those look like beautiful, fresh English peas.
Exactly.
It is visually much, much more together.
Okay, let's try the croques next.
I mean, the blue team's croque is surprisingly good.
The bread was fried pretty well.
There's a good balance of fish.
Mm-hmm.
The red team is definitely lacking sauce.
The fish is completely overpowering the dish.
Okay, let's taste the branzino of the blue team and the red team.
I think there's definitely some finesse in both of these dishes.
I think for me, the blue team's branzino comes together a little better flavor-wise.
The venison? The red team definitely overcooked the venison.
It's gray.
It's tough.
The blue team came very, very close to nailing a perfect medium-rare.
Very difficult to do.
Yeah.
Wow.
So let's go then, three branzino, three venison.
Though the restaurant owners preferred the blue team's dishes, not all the diners agree.
In my opinion, the entree was not-- it wasn't worth the wait.
I could tell that I was waiting for something that also was waiting for me.
Venison.
Service, please.
Thank you.
I had the venison for dinner.
And the sauce was very good, and the presentation was beautiful.
Last two tables, red team, let's go.
Last push, monti, last push.
Where is the venison? Time's ticking down.
We gotta get plates out.
It is not easy, three of us running an entire kitchen dinner service.
One minute to go.
Come on.
Becky, another venison up.
All I know is what is front of me, what I'm plating, what I'm doing.
And that's all I'm concentrating on.
Blue team, your last table, one branzino, one venison.
30 seconds to go.
Come on, guys.
Come on, let's go.
You got mushrooms? I've got your mushrooms right here.
I know our food tastes really good.
I tasted everything, seasoned everything.
I'm just hoping that these customers leave here satisfied.
Five, four Last plate, chef.
Please, service.
Three, two, one, and stop.
Wow.
Red team, blue team, well done.
Finally, the grueling dinner service is over.
Come here.
Well done, team.
Well done.
Truly well done.
Both teams have successfully completed all 44 diners' orders.
Whoo! Brilliant.
Being able to finish this dinner service with all the bumps that we hit, I'm really, really proud of what we did.
Knew that was gonna be a tough one.
This was a high-volume situation with high stakes.
We've got customer comment cards from every diner that you cooked for tonight.
We've also consulted with Quinn and Karen.
Now, Joe, Graham, and I are gonna spend the next few hours analyzing which team won this challenge and which team will face that pressure test.
That's right, one of you will be leaving this competition.
Good night.
Good night, chef.
I'm nervous.
Being in a pressure test, especially at this level in the competition, that's nerve-racking beyond belief.
My biggest regret right now is that I think that V.
I.
P.
Croque madame went out without the perfect beurre blanc on it, so I think that's gonna hurt us.
All three of us are trying to fry bread.
We should've been on that from the beginning, man.
From the beginning, dude.
Yeah.
There's only six of us, so everything's on the line.
I really believe that our food tastes better.
I still think the girls have it.
They were so backed up on everything.
You just don't know.
At this point, it could be anybody's game.
The final six contestants return to the masterchef kitchen Let's go, please.
To find out who won yesterday's restaurant takeover and who will face the daunting pressure test.
Going into that challenge last night, we did tell you, the decision doesn't lie in the hands of the owners of hatfield's.
The ultimate decision comes down to Joe, Graham, and myself.
It was a team challenge, and the winner will not face this terrifying pressure test.
The winner of this challenge Is The red team.
Oh, my God.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Oh, my God.
Thank God, thank God.
Becky, you're a natural.
I see you in the kitchen, I'm surprised that you haven't worked as a line cook.
You know how to move back there.
You took control of your team and delivered the goods.
Christine, I told my two fellow judges that with your handicap, I thought it would be dangerous to have you in there.
I didn't think you would be able to, quite frankly, do anything.
And that was completely, categorically wrong.
So congratulations on your performance.
Thank you.
Clearly, you're now safe.
Head up to the gallery.
Thank you, ch-- thank you, judges.
I was the leader, and I led us to victory.
So I'm so proud of myself.
It's great.
It's the greatest feeling in the world.
Okay, Josh, David, Frank, let's break it down.
We struggled to get food out.
You have got to work as a team.
Let me let you in on a little secret.
The restaurant world is a balance between the back of the house and the front of the house.
Rule number one, don't make 'em wait.
When they get hungry, they get angry.
When they get angry, they don't enjoy the food.
And there's only so many mistakes I can cover up, only so many excuses I can make, only so many times I can pour another glass of wine and ask people to stay.
So you blew it.
I didn't delegate responsibilities effectively.
And as a result, we hit bumps and fires have to be put out.
And that's my fault.
Frank, if we gave you an opportunity to save a member from your team based on last night's performance, including yourself, and allow them to join the balcony and enter the top five of masterchef, who would you save? If I had to pick one person? Please.
I think that Josh did an excellent job.
And if I had to save somebody, it would definitely be Josh.
Admirable.
As the team captain, why wouldn't you save yourself? I felt like I was playing catch-up the whole time.
I really don't deserve to be up on that balcony.
Frank, here's the news.
You do have the ability to save one individual.
That is your privilege.
You could take yourself out of this dangerous challenge, or you could send one of your teammates to safety.
Think about it.
I mean, I know I said I would send Josh up there, but I gotta go upstairs, guys.
Ooh.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, bro.
That's really hard.
God, that's really hard.
Frank is a jerk.
I think the fact that you can do a leadership job and have your team lose and take advantage of the opportunity to be saved is kind of bogus.
During the entire time in the masterchef kitchen, we have provided you with the best of the best ingredients, and today is no exception.
The team of today's pressure test is the most amazing-- Filet mignon, I knew it.
I knew it.
Filet mignon.
You guys each have three stunning usda choice filet steaks.
Again, generously provided by Walmart, which sells the highest quality choice steak.
So tonight, your challenge is to cook three cuts of steak three different ways.
The first way we'll ask you to prepare a steak is the way I enjoy to eat my steaks, and that's rare.
Now rare does not mean raw.
It means slightly above body temperature with a deep, Ruby red center, and then radiating all the way outwards to a char.
Got it? Got it.
Yes, chef.
The second steak is prepared the way that most people in this country enjoy it.
That temperature is medium-rare.
You have a Ruby red in the middle, slowly turning into brick red, a little pinkish, and the sear on the outside.
Now with medium rare, the way you prepare it is searing it on all sides and then putting it in the oven.
The key is the amount of time you leave it in the oven and resting it for half that amount of time at least, so that the blood and juices can actually go back into the muscle evenly.
The third temperature you'll be cooking this evening is one that even professional chefs struggle with, and that's a well-done steak.
The secret of a well-done steak is to have it beautifully seared, basting constantly, and finishing it in the oven.
But the most important part is, it has to be moist.
You squeeze, you can see the actual texture of that amazing filet.
That's the secret.
Got it? Yes, chef.
Got it, chef.
Please, head back to your stations.
I think Josh is the better cook.
David's hit or miss more, whereas Josh is a little bit more consistently good.
Having spoken to David, he said his best steak that he's ever had came out of his own kitchen.
So I'm thinking, if he's that confident, that he would win this challenge.
Three spectacular filets, three different cooking temperatures, and 30 minutes to do them all to perfection.
Only one in five steaks are good enough to be called Walmart choice steaks, so we expect nothing but your best.
Your 30 minutes starts now.
Josh thinks right now he should be standing in Frank's shoes.
The captain praises you for the performance.
All the sudden-- oh, by the way, bang.
You're benched.
Golden parachute, takes it himself.
That's hardcore.
Yeah, I think I see revenge coming down the line.
I'm totally fired up right now.
This is my pressure test to win.
I'm gonna be better than David Martinez's crap, whatever he pulled out of his.
And after that, Frank is going home.
Frank has no idea what's coming for him.
Are you the next masterchef? Go to fox.
Com and apply for season four now.
Josh and David are facing off in a pressure test, and the stakes have never been higher.
At the end of this pressure test, one of them will be in the top five, and the other will be going home.
I mean, Josh knows how to handle pressure best.
I think that Josh is gonna take this.
I think he's gonna give 'em an incredible flavor.
But David nailed those rib eye in the cowboy challenge.
Brilliant.
My money's on David.
Secret to the steaks, it's all about timing, huh? Timing, exactly that.
First off, you start with the well-done.
Right? Get it beautifully seared, season it, a little garlic, a little Rosemary.
It needs help 'cause you're overcooking the meat.
A little more flavor can cover a mistake in temperature.
So salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil can be your life preserver.
Front pan's smoking, Josh.
Yeah, I know.
Josh, you're in control? Feeling good, chef.
Ten minutes gone, just under 20 minutes to go.
Come on, focus.
Oh, I'm feeling good.
My confidence level is through the roof right now, as always.
I got my well-done working right now.
I think I got a beautiful sear on it.
I got medium rare working.
I'm not really worried about David Martinez.
Chances are, he's gonna shooting himself in the foot anyway.
David's got some really great Going on right now.
I was just like,.
I am actually gonna finish the well on top here, instead of trying to play with oven temperatures.
The only one that I'm putting in the oven is the medium.
All right, guys, ten minutes to go.
I think we are seeing the best of Josh right now.
I love the way the sear looks.
He's cooking with confidence.
I mean, David's smells incredible, even from here.
Mmm.
Wow.
David and Josh, you're now entering your last two minutes.
And for one of you, your last two minutes in the masterchef kitchen.
The steak that David has resting on the board without a rack will continue to poach in its own juice.
Right, you'll lose the sear.
You'll lose the sear and it'll become mushy, big mistake for David.
Yeah.
Last ten seconds.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, stop.
Well done.
I need to stay in the masterchef kitchen so badly that it pains me to even think about it.
This will propel me to achieving my dream of becoming a chef in a real kitchen.
I need to win this whole entire thing.
So we'll start with David's.
This is your rare? Yes, chef.
So the outside is nice.
You have a good caramelization.
Now inside, when I open it, I'm gonna need to see a thumbprint worth of Ruby dark red.
David, do you think that's what we have in there? Yes, chef.
Let's find out.
It's probably a little bit more to the medium rare than a perfect rare.
It's seasoned garlic-flavored aggressively, which might be a little bit challenging for some people.
Okay, Josh's, same thing.
Let's hope I get more of that Ruby red.
Do you think I'm gonna get that? Yes.
Is it better than David's? Yes, I believe so.
Let's take a look, Josh.
That is about as close to a perfect rare as you can get.
Thank you.
Let's try it.
Now, if you are a rare eater, that is exactly what you're looking for.
Congratulations, Josh.
Interesting.
All right, good.
Josh, one.
David, zero.
Next steak.
Medium-rare.
So, David, first, the sear is lacking.
It's actually seared more on one side than the other.
Again, we're looking for a little bit of Ruby in the middle turning into pink.
You produced a medium- to mid-well steak.
Unevenly seared.
Let's see if we can redeem ourselves with the flavor.
It tastes good.
It's seasoned aggressively.
You did achieve that melt-in-your-mouth, almost sensual, silky quality that a mid-rare deserves.
Josh.
Yes? The sear on your steak is absolutely beautiful all the way around.
Thank God.
Josh, you ready to see your handiwork? Yes, chef.
I'd say this is leaning more towards medium.
Aah.
Let's taste.
David's is much more delicious with the seasoning.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Thank you.
Thank you, chef.
Both overcooked.
Both missed the temp.
Incredible.
Yeah.
Damn, it's close.
David's seasoning is aggressive and very good.
Yeah, but it worked on that.
Right now, I still have a chance.
It all comes down to the well-done steak, the one that is the hardest to cook.
Okay, there's an art in cooking a well-done steak.
Great sear, well-done, but moist in the center.
That is difficult to pull off.
No.
I can tell just by touching them.
They are nowhere near well-done.
In this pressure test, Josh and David battled to cook Walmart steaks at three different temperatures, but the judges are split.
Now, it comes down to the well-done steaks.
No.
I can tell just by touching them.
They are nowhere near well-done.
There's an art in cooking a well-done steak.
A lot of chefs disregard the importance of cooking it to perfection.
No blood in the center.
No pinkness jumping out.
David, there's pink in the middle.
This steak has just been cooked above medium, on the verge of medium-well.
It's a great sear.
Thank you, chef.
Lovely caramelization.
However, that is not a well-done steak.
It's all coming down to Josh's steak.
If his steak is perfect, I'm going home.
If it's not, then I still have a fighting chance.
Josh.
Oh, man, please be cooked a little bit more than David's, just a little bit more.
Again, pink in the middle.
It's seasoned nicely, but that is not a well-done steak.
We need some time.
I would like David to win.
This kid has gotten shot down so many times, and he gets back up.
I'm sweating like a hog in heat.
Both their well-dones are less cooked than their mid-rares.
So the rare steaks-- Josh really nailed his rare steak.
Nailed it.
So the medium rares? David's is slightly more saltier.
It tasted good, that salt brings out that natural flavor.
Can I just also say, there's something about the amount of garlic that David used - on all three steaks.
- Yeah.
Josh, please step forward.
You've already left masterchef once on the back of a pressure test.
Oh, my God.
Josh It's time to leave here again.
But this time, you're going up to the balcony.
Good luck, bro.
Thank you, man.
Now I'm back in the competition.
I'm gonna have to take Frank down.
He's outta here.
David, three steaks, you did not nail those temperatures perfectly, and too much garlic.
But let me tell you something, big boy.
You came in here with the fear of going back to South side Chicago and falling back into the doldrums of what you wanted to get out of.
Let me tell you, you're going back a different man.
David, back in Chicago, there's gonna be something waiting for you.
And that is a job, a position in my restaurant in either grahamwich or G.
E.
B.
, whichever you'd like to work at.
That's amazing.
David, man, do it, bro.
You've grown so much.
You've learned.
You've taken that knowledge.
You've applied it.
I think you spend some time in the kitchen, that's your new journey.
That's your path.
Oh, man, um, this is what I wanted.
This--jumping into a kitchen is what I wanted.
And to have the opportunity is such a huge achievement at this point in my life.
Thank you so much.
Come on, big man.
Thank you for the opportunity, chef.
I just springboarded myself to a position at a Graham Elliot restaurant.
It's huge.
It's something that professionals in the culinary industry beg for on a daily basis.
And so I feel absolutely, absolutely overjoyed by that.
Before you go-- one, two, three, four, five.
Who is gonna win masterchef? Um, I can't wait to buy my Italian kitchen by Frank Mirando.
Wow.
You guys all have a lot of talent and a lot of knowledge, but in this kitchen, no one has more work than Frank.
And that's my honest opinion.
Good job, David.
Thank you.
David, well done.
Leaving the masterchef kitchen, I feel absolutely more confident than ever.
And look at me, you know? With great risk comes great reward.
And if you love something, you should fight for it, tooth and nail.
This is one of the best things I've tasted in a long time.
Do you know how much that means coming from you? Oh, my God.
Life is a journey, and you can't worry about your mistakes.
And so I'm never gonna give up on this.
I am gonna take this opportunity, and I think people will see big things of me in the near future.
Take it easy, bro.
Next week on masterchef No! Come on.
Please.
It's never gonna be that easy.
A mystery box twist throws the contestants off course.
What the hell is fish sauce, and why does it taste like death? And it's a battle to the finish as the final five become the final four Oh,.
I cannot believe I just did that.
As one more masterchef hopeful says good-bye.
For the first time in this competition, I'm lost for words.
After a nationwide search, the best home cooks in America were brought together to face three of the biggest names in the culinary world: Graham Elliot, Joe Bastianich, and Gordon ramsay.
But only the top 18 went on to compete in the masterchef kitchen.
I'm in the top 18! Lift your boxes now.
From there, they faced the ultimate test of culinary endurance.
Epic challenges pressed each home cook beyond their limits.
Can you help me? The strong survived Red team.
And the weak That is disgusting.
Were eliminated.
Now, only six remain: Josh, the army contractor from Mississippi.
You could win this thing.
That's the plan.
I was blessed to have a second chance to be back in the masterchef kitchen, and I feel unstoppable.
Christine, the blind graduate student from Texas.
You cook like an angel.
I want this title more than anything I've ever wanted in my life.
I'm gonna go all the way.
Becky, the food photographer from Kansas.
You've done us proud.
Great job.
Oh, my God.
I am going to be masterchef, and I'll fight tooth and nail to get that title.
Frank, the stockbroker from New York.
It's absolutely delicious.
Yeah! I'm very competitive.
I came here to win.
Oh, my God.
You can put my name on the trophy right now 'cause it's mine.
And monti, the single mom from Los Angeles.
There's something quite magical about the way you connect with food.
There is no plan "B.
" I came here to win this for my baby boy.
Only one of these six home cooks can become this year's masterchef.
the remaining six home cooks have been summoned to one of Los Angeles's top fine dining restaurants for a team challenge that will test their culinary skills and palates more than ever before.
Welcome to Hatfield's.
Wow.
Hatfield's, it's breathtakingly gorgeous, white linens, tall humongous wine glasses.
I see it in magazines all the time.
Hatfield's is one of the city's most talked about restaurants.
It has a michelin star.
Tonight, you won't be sitting in the dining room.
You'll be running the kitchen.
None of us are real chefs.
We're just six really good home cooks.
And now we're expected to take over one of the fanciest kitchens in the country.
No pressure.
Becky, Frank, you had the best dishes in the previous challenge, so you will be the team captains.
Please, put on your aprons.
Becky and I are going head to head.
She's my top competitor.
I gotta show her up.
You know, this is serious.
I gotta bring my "a" game today.
Becky, you had the most outstanding dish.
That comes with a huge advantage.
You get to pick first.
The person that I'm gonna choose first is someone that I feel understands a more elevated flavor profile.
And for that, I'm going to choose Christine.
Yay.
Yes.
Christine? From being last pick in two different challenges to becoming first pick, it feels good.
I feel like maybe people are starting to believe in me.
Uh, good choice.
Frank? This person, in past challenges, we've jived perfectly, David.
David Martinez, wow.
Interesting.
Becky, another privileged position because you're picking for both teams now.
It's a really hard decision, but I think the person that I'm going to choose will really be a team player.
And for that, I'm going to choose monti.
Monti, wow.
Thank you.
I feel really strong about our team.
I think we all get along.
We respect each other, and we're just gonna try to do our best.
Three girls versus three guys.
Guys versus girls, we'll see how this turns out.
My prediction is we win.
What you do in this kitchen tonight will have huge consequences.
And because of that, tonight we've got someone with bags of experience to run the pass.
I'll be expediting.
Holy.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, my God.
Wow.
The expediter is the most important position in a kitchen.
They're the ones that's gonna be organizing tickets, calling out what needs to be done.
Having chef ramsay expedite for us is more than a little nerve-racking.
You'll cook two of hatfield's signature appetizers and two of hatfield's signature entrees.
from the red team, and 22 will be ordering from the blue team.
And remember, you must match the standard of a michelin star restaurant.
Got it? Yes, chef.
Good.
Let's go into the kitchen and meet the owners, who also happen to be the head chefs.
Red team, blue team, say hello to hatfield's Karen and Quinn.
Hello.
How you doing, guys? The restaurant's owners Karen and Quinn hatfield will demo four of their complex signature dishes: Appetizers croque madame and handmade agnolotti along with entrees braised venison and baked branzino.
This is the agnolotti.
It's a filled pasta similar to a ravioli.
This is a filling that we make with blanched peas, housemade ricotta.
Based on feedback from the diners and performance in the kitchen, the judges will decide the winning team.
It's gonna take about six minutes to cook.
The losing team will face the dreaded pressure test, where one home cook will be forced to take off their masterchef apron for good.
A normal croque madame would be ham and cheese.
This is hamachi and prosciutto.
Each one of these dishes has an exorbitant amount of components.
I'll start the quail egg.
It's a little intimidating because I can't obviously see what he's doing.
So the actual frying of the bread is the hard part.
The butter's very foamy inside.
Becky's doing a really good job of narrating everything.
But at the same time, there's still a lot of things that are unclear to me.
So I really have to use all of my other senses.
The trick to this is maintaining the color of that butter.
Under-fried is gonna be soggy.
Over-fried's gonna start getting dark.
That's what you're looking for.
Chef Quinn makes it look like a walk in the park.
I'm thinking to myself, "damn.
" It's really an overwhelming experience.
Okay, so this is our branzino.
Celery root goes on the plate.
And he has his green beans going down straight in the center.
The topping is fried caper, fried parsley, dried apricot, and roasted almond.
Just watch the plating now.
He just cut his venison chop in half.
And it looks ridiculously stunning.
It would be a task to learn all these dishes in a week's time, let alone, like, ten minutes.
That's your dish.
Okay, guys.
It's beyond gorgeous.
Red team, blue team, I hope you've been watching very carefully.
You'll have one hour prep before the doors of hatfield's open.
Got it? Yes, chef.
Your time starts now.
Off you go.
Okay, so first thing we gotta do is we gotta prep.
The home cooks must get organized quickly to prep for these highly complex dishes.
Diners tonight will have a choice between appetizers: The croque madame or agnolotti pasta.
And then, between the entrees: Baked branzino or the venison.
I wanna prep these agnolotti.
I can handle that.
Got it.
Now, the beurre blanc-- I'm comfortable with making a beurre blanc.
Got it.
Okay.
I can work on the fish station, no problem.
All right, dude.
Let's do it, boys.
Thanks, bro.
While Frank's blue team is focused on the task at hand, the red team immediately runs into communication problems.
I want you to do the pasta if you're comfortable with that, yeah? Okay.
No, that's okay.
So I'm gonna have you do the pasta.
Monti's hearing is not all there, so Becky has to really amp up her communication because she's got team Helen Keller.
Are you comfortable slicing the hamachi? Um, I can do it, yes.
Okay.
All in.
Girl power.
All in.
Girl power.
Let's kick some ass.
One, two, three.
Whoo! Four of these in each thing? Yeah.
Okay.
Thank you.
I can't see.
I have no idea where anything is.
I have no idea how it's set up.
Right here? Yeah.
Cindy, my aid, she is my set of eyes, and I'm hoping that I can play my part on the team.
Here you go.
I was amazed that Becky went straight for Christine.
Amazing.
Huge.
I mean, I think that just speaks volumes for the fact that Christine's palate is so refined.
Christine, I would like you to taste this.
It's good.
Where you put her in a situation like this? I would have her at the end, finishing a dish.
Definitely coat check room.
No, come on.
She can't see, damn it.
Have you seen how she puts food on a plate? Yeah.
This is a live kitchen, michelin starred restaurant.
She can't do it.
She's a liability.
No.
No.
Let's see what she does.
What do you want me to start first? Sear the venison first, or do the brussels sprouts first? Yeah, you're gonna sear the venison first.
Okay.
We got those mushrooms frying yet? I'm about to put 'em in.
With Italian Frank at the helm, the blue team has almost finished prepping their agnolotti pasta appetizer.
Frank, how many portions have you made? Ten.
You're nearly halfway there.
And how many portions are you making? I wanna do at least 15.
Yeah, maximum.
How many portions you got, monti? Six portions, sir.
You've only made six portions? Yes, sir.
I make pasta at home all the time.
But this is, like, a folded pasta, and it's got, like, tricky folds.
One mistake and the whole thing could be over.
So I'm doing as best as I can.
Monti, please.
Just come here.
Yes, sir.
Look at me.
Come here.
Look at the organization.
He's banging out seven, eight portions at a time.
And look at this bombshell.
Come on.
If your work is, you're gonna produce.
Monti! Yes, sir? You are not throwing that on the floor.
Look--madame.
Look, seriously, no.
This is a kitchen.
Yes, sir.
We're not cooking for cowboys now.
And you're throwing it like it's cow dung with dog all over the floor.
I'm running out of time, so I'm starting to get pretty stressed out.
Good evening, welcome.
Enjoy your dinner.
Guys, the dining room's filling up.
Let's go.
Let's go, guys, start working double speed.
As the restaurant guests take their seats, things are getting heated for the blue team.
Beurre blanc's boiling.
Work the, come on.
The hour of prep is like a blink of an eye.
This is the most difficult challenge we've done.
I thought you made the beurre blanc.
I did, chef, it wasn't enough-- Look, stop.
I know.
No, no, no, no, you don't know.
Every time you put plastic on the stove, what happens? It melts, chef.
Right.
Right now, everything's a big mess.
I'm shaking.
I'm sweating bullets.
If that goes on there, Frank, not only will be lose the michelin star, we'll burn the place down.
All right, well, let's not do that then, bro.
Concentrate.
You're like Shrek right now.
Composure, okay? Yes, chef.
Honestly, I just wanna crawl under a rock right now and die.
Welcome to hatfield's.
Nice to see you.
Enjoy your dinner.
Dinner service has begun at the michelin star awarded hatfield's restaurant in Los Angeles.
Blue team, on order, three croque madame, one agnolotti.
Entree, two venison, two branzino.
The challenge will be won by the team whose performance impresses Graham, Joe, and Gordon most.
May I have a response, please? Yes, chef.
Thank you.
It's three boys versus three girls in this challenge to replicate the restaurant's signature dishes for 22 guests on the red side of the dining room and 22 guests on the blue side.
Blue team, three croque madame, one agnolotti.
Yes, chef.
On order, red team, one croque madame, one agnolotti.
Can I have an answer, please? What? One agnolotti, one croque madame.
Can I have an answer, please? One venison, one sea bass, yes? Heard, chef, thank you.
Thank you.
As soon as chef ramsay starts calling orders, it just kinda hits you all at once, like, "okay, this is intense.
" Monti can't really hear, and Christine can't see.
So it's gonna be me being the eyes and ears of the operation.
Red team, an order, one croque madame, one agnolotti.
Entree, one venison, one branzino.
Red team, Becky? Chef? I'm calling out another table.
Yes, chef.
Nobody's even acknowledging me.
Listen to ramsay.
With all the noises going on, it's difficult for me to figure out exactly who's speaking to me.
We have two croque madame, and we have two agnolotti.
Monti? Monti, do you hear me? Becky, stop.
Bring your team up to the front here.
Yes, chef.
That's the fourth ticket, and not you or Christine have called back anything.
- Can you at least acknowledge me? - Yes, chef.
Thank you.
Let's go.
Chef, coming to the window.
Good girl.
Well done.
Service, please.
Pick up.
Great job on the appetizers.
Keep it going.
Love it.
Love it, you guys.
Despite their communication issues, go, go, go, go, go.
Captain Becky rallies the red team, and they quickly get their appetizers out to diners.
Mmm.
It's good, right? Mm-hmm.
It's crunchy.
It's perfect.
The egg gooed out perfectly as well.
Wow.
I was also really impressed by the texture of my agnolotti.
Wow.
But over on the blue team, Josh is struggling with the butter-basted bread for the croque madame appetizer.
They still haven't sent a single order out.
Frank, I'm dying.
Please.
We gotta get these croque madame out, man.
Josh is handling the bread, and he keeps on having to throw it out, so now we're backed up.
Josh, I've got to tell Joe.
We're 22 minutes in, and nothing's coming out.
Ten more minutes, please.
Two more minutes.
Ten.
Ten? No, no, no ten minutes.
They've been in there forever.
Ah, dude.
At this point, Josh has up the bread, and we're falling behind so fast that it's making my head spin a little bit.
Well, here's the thing, all of the milk solids in there have already burned.
You gotta start over.
You know what I mean? Look at that.
You gotta get a new one.
You gotta get a new one.
All right, got it, chef.
Blue team, we're half an hour in, and I've got no appetizers out.
And I need it coming together.
This is a disaster, dude.
It's not enough butter in there.
That's why it keeps burning.
It has to deep-fry.
Remember, yeah, you're deep-frying in this butter.
You're not sauteing bread.
While the blue team continues to struggle with their fried bread, their diners are growing increasingly impatient.
We have been waiting A long time.
A long time.
How long? Definitely too long.
Too long.
I'm sorry about the wait, guys.
How we doing over here? Up in ten, or-- no, I'm-- ten more minutes? Frank, I'm waiting on three croque-- these people-- these people are pissed.
I really feel like we're never get through these appetizers.
Wipe it, and get more butter on the pan.
I have to step in and start working on frying the bread at this point, so we can at least get this first dish out.
Coming, chef.
Three on, chef.
Hallelujah.
It's one hour into service as the already frazzled blue team finally gets their first appetizers out to diners.
So sorry about the wait.
I hope you're enjoying the croques.
Are they good? Good, it was totally worth the wait.
Oh, really, worth the wait? It's amazing, yeah.
How were your agnolotti, good? It tastes amazing.
Really? Wow.
Melts in your mouth.
But the pressure isn't letting up.
Gordon announces than an order has come in from the restaurant owners.
On order, two couples wait, table four.
V.
V.
I.
P.
, the owners of the restaurant.
Yes, chef.
Frank? Yes, chef? Can you fast-track one agnolotti, one croque with Becky, please? They've asked to try both the red and blue teams' dishes at the same time.
So captains Frank and Becky need to coordinate timing.
Frank, how long on your V.
I.
P.
, sir? We need 10, 15 minutes.
The blue team is behind, and we cannot serve the V.
I.
P.
S at different times, so it's a huge Thorn in my side.
This freaking hamachi is dying.
Frank, please, how long? Two minutes.
Come on, guys.
These dishes are crucial.
They're literally the most important dishes that we're gonna put out today because they're the ones that are going to the people that created these dishes.
I have some beautiful hamachi that's absolutely dying right now.
You're killing me, you guys.
You're killing me right now.
Come on, guys, please?.
Can you open your mouth? It's not hot.
What does it need? Still a little bit more salt.
More salt, got it.
Dinner service is in full swing at the michelin star awarded hatfield's restaurant.
Where are we on the V.
I.
P.
Table? Talk to Frank.
Frank, please, how long? Two minutes.
Are you serious? Is it a hard two minutes? The teams have just received a V.
I.
P.
Order from the restaurant owners and must coordinate timing so that all dishes are delivered together.
This is a disaster, dude.
I don't know why it's not coming off.
I'm just overwhelmed with all the different facets on each one of these dishes.
Frank, talk to me.
I need to tell Joe something.
They're coming right now.
I'm plating 'em.
This is the most important table of the night.
This ticket has to be perfect.
So finally, we push the order out.
Okay, chef, this is V.
I.
P.
Table.
You could've told me when you were coming to the window with that, okay? So I look over at Frank, I'm like, "okay.
Thanks for the warning.
" I wasn't prepared.
So now we're having to hustle.
Now it looks like we're behind.
Agnolotti.
Monti, talk to me.
Yes, sir.
Coming through.
Coming through.
Go.
Okay, come on.
Let's go.
Let's go.
Urgently, for the owners.
At last, both team's dishes head out to the restaurant owners.
Their feedback, along with customer comment cards will help the judges decide which team wins the challenge.
What do you think of the blue team's agnolotti? I think it could have been cooked a hair more.
Undercooked.
Slightly.
The red team did-- did a nice job.
The pasta's rolled nicely.
The peas look beautiful.
Well, these look like frozen peas, right? And those look like beautiful, fresh English peas.
Exactly.
It is visually much, much more together.
Okay, let's try the croques next.
I mean, the blue team's croque is surprisingly good.
The bread was fried pretty well.
There's a good balance of fish.
Mm-hmm.
The red team is definitely lacking sauce.
The fish is completely overpowering the dish.
Okay, let's taste the branzino of the blue team and the red team.
I think there's definitely some finesse in both of these dishes.
I think for me, the blue team's branzino comes together a little better flavor-wise.
The venison? The red team definitely overcooked the venison.
It's gray.
It's tough.
The blue team came very, very close to nailing a perfect medium-rare.
Very difficult to do.
Yeah.
Wow.
So let's go then, three branzino, three venison.
Though the restaurant owners preferred the blue team's dishes, not all the diners agree.
In my opinion, the entree was not-- it wasn't worth the wait.
I could tell that I was waiting for something that also was waiting for me.
Venison.
Service, please.
Thank you.
I had the venison for dinner.
And the sauce was very good, and the presentation was beautiful.
Last two tables, red team, let's go.
Last push, monti, last push.
Where is the venison? Time's ticking down.
We gotta get plates out.
It is not easy, three of us running an entire kitchen dinner service.
One minute to go.
Come on.
Becky, another venison up.
All I know is what is front of me, what I'm plating, what I'm doing.
And that's all I'm concentrating on.
Blue team, your last table, one branzino, one venison.
30 seconds to go.
Come on, guys.
Come on, let's go.
You got mushrooms? I've got your mushrooms right here.
I know our food tastes really good.
I tasted everything, seasoned everything.
I'm just hoping that these customers leave here satisfied.
Five, four Last plate, chef.
Please, service.
Three, two, one, and stop.
Wow.
Red team, blue team, well done.
Finally, the grueling dinner service is over.
Come here.
Well done, team.
Well done.
Truly well done.
Both teams have successfully completed all 44 diners' orders.
Whoo! Brilliant.
Being able to finish this dinner service with all the bumps that we hit, I'm really, really proud of what we did.
Knew that was gonna be a tough one.
This was a high-volume situation with high stakes.
We've got customer comment cards from every diner that you cooked for tonight.
We've also consulted with Quinn and Karen.
Now, Joe, Graham, and I are gonna spend the next few hours analyzing which team won this challenge and which team will face that pressure test.
That's right, one of you will be leaving this competition.
Good night.
Good night, chef.
I'm nervous.
Being in a pressure test, especially at this level in the competition, that's nerve-racking beyond belief.
My biggest regret right now is that I think that V.
I.
P.
Croque madame went out without the perfect beurre blanc on it, so I think that's gonna hurt us.
All three of us are trying to fry bread.
We should've been on that from the beginning, man.
From the beginning, dude.
Yeah.
There's only six of us, so everything's on the line.
I really believe that our food tastes better.
I still think the girls have it.
They were so backed up on everything.
You just don't know.
At this point, it could be anybody's game.
The final six contestants return to the masterchef kitchen Let's go, please.
To find out who won yesterday's restaurant takeover and who will face the daunting pressure test.
Going into that challenge last night, we did tell you, the decision doesn't lie in the hands of the owners of hatfield's.
The ultimate decision comes down to Joe, Graham, and myself.
It was a team challenge, and the winner will not face this terrifying pressure test.
The winner of this challenge Is The red team.
Oh, my God.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
Oh, my God.
Thank God, thank God.
Becky, you're a natural.
I see you in the kitchen, I'm surprised that you haven't worked as a line cook.
You know how to move back there.
You took control of your team and delivered the goods.
Christine, I told my two fellow judges that with your handicap, I thought it would be dangerous to have you in there.
I didn't think you would be able to, quite frankly, do anything.
And that was completely, categorically wrong.
So congratulations on your performance.
Thank you.
Clearly, you're now safe.
Head up to the gallery.
Thank you, ch-- thank you, judges.
I was the leader, and I led us to victory.
So I'm so proud of myself.
It's great.
It's the greatest feeling in the world.
Okay, Josh, David, Frank, let's break it down.
We struggled to get food out.
You have got to work as a team.
Let me let you in on a little secret.
The restaurant world is a balance between the back of the house and the front of the house.
Rule number one, don't make 'em wait.
When they get hungry, they get angry.
When they get angry, they don't enjoy the food.
And there's only so many mistakes I can cover up, only so many excuses I can make, only so many times I can pour another glass of wine and ask people to stay.
So you blew it.
I didn't delegate responsibilities effectively.
And as a result, we hit bumps and fires have to be put out.
And that's my fault.
Frank, if we gave you an opportunity to save a member from your team based on last night's performance, including yourself, and allow them to join the balcony and enter the top five of masterchef, who would you save? If I had to pick one person? Please.
I think that Josh did an excellent job.
And if I had to save somebody, it would definitely be Josh.
Admirable.
As the team captain, why wouldn't you save yourself? I felt like I was playing catch-up the whole time.
I really don't deserve to be up on that balcony.
Frank, here's the news.
You do have the ability to save one individual.
That is your privilege.
You could take yourself out of this dangerous challenge, or you could send one of your teammates to safety.
Think about it.
I mean, I know I said I would send Josh up there, but I gotta go upstairs, guys.
Ooh.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, bro.
That's really hard.
God, that's really hard.
Frank is a jerk.
I think the fact that you can do a leadership job and have your team lose and take advantage of the opportunity to be saved is kind of bogus.
During the entire time in the masterchef kitchen, we have provided you with the best of the best ingredients, and today is no exception.
The team of today's pressure test is the most amazing-- Filet mignon, I knew it.
I knew it.
Filet mignon.
You guys each have three stunning usda choice filet steaks.
Again, generously provided by Walmart, which sells the highest quality choice steak.
So tonight, your challenge is to cook three cuts of steak three different ways.
The first way we'll ask you to prepare a steak is the way I enjoy to eat my steaks, and that's rare.
Now rare does not mean raw.
It means slightly above body temperature with a deep, Ruby red center, and then radiating all the way outwards to a char.
Got it? Got it.
Yes, chef.
The second steak is prepared the way that most people in this country enjoy it.
That temperature is medium-rare.
You have a Ruby red in the middle, slowly turning into brick red, a little pinkish, and the sear on the outside.
Now with medium rare, the way you prepare it is searing it on all sides and then putting it in the oven.
The key is the amount of time you leave it in the oven and resting it for half that amount of time at least, so that the blood and juices can actually go back into the muscle evenly.
The third temperature you'll be cooking this evening is one that even professional chefs struggle with, and that's a well-done steak.
The secret of a well-done steak is to have it beautifully seared, basting constantly, and finishing it in the oven.
But the most important part is, it has to be moist.
You squeeze, you can see the actual texture of that amazing filet.
That's the secret.
Got it? Yes, chef.
Got it, chef.
Please, head back to your stations.
I think Josh is the better cook.
David's hit or miss more, whereas Josh is a little bit more consistently good.
Having spoken to David, he said his best steak that he's ever had came out of his own kitchen.
So I'm thinking, if he's that confident, that he would win this challenge.
Three spectacular filets, three different cooking temperatures, and 30 minutes to do them all to perfection.
Only one in five steaks are good enough to be called Walmart choice steaks, so we expect nothing but your best.
Your 30 minutes starts now.
Josh thinks right now he should be standing in Frank's shoes.
The captain praises you for the performance.
All the sudden-- oh, by the way, bang.
You're benched.
Golden parachute, takes it himself.
That's hardcore.
Yeah, I think I see revenge coming down the line.
I'm totally fired up right now.
This is my pressure test to win.
I'm gonna be better than David Martinez's crap, whatever he pulled out of his.
And after that, Frank is going home.
Frank has no idea what's coming for him.
Are you the next masterchef? Go to fox.
Com and apply for season four now.
Josh and David are facing off in a pressure test, and the stakes have never been higher.
At the end of this pressure test, one of them will be in the top five, and the other will be going home.
I mean, Josh knows how to handle pressure best.
I think that Josh is gonna take this.
I think he's gonna give 'em an incredible flavor.
But David nailed those rib eye in the cowboy challenge.
Brilliant.
My money's on David.
Secret to the steaks, it's all about timing, huh? Timing, exactly that.
First off, you start with the well-done.
Right? Get it beautifully seared, season it, a little garlic, a little Rosemary.
It needs help 'cause you're overcooking the meat.
A little more flavor can cover a mistake in temperature.
So salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil can be your life preserver.
Front pan's smoking, Josh.
Yeah, I know.
Josh, you're in control? Feeling good, chef.
Ten minutes gone, just under 20 minutes to go.
Come on, focus.
Oh, I'm feeling good.
My confidence level is through the roof right now, as always.
I got my well-done working right now.
I think I got a beautiful sear on it.
I got medium rare working.
I'm not really worried about David Martinez.
Chances are, he's gonna shooting himself in the foot anyway.
David's got some really great Going on right now.
I was just like,.
I am actually gonna finish the well on top here, instead of trying to play with oven temperatures.
The only one that I'm putting in the oven is the medium.
All right, guys, ten minutes to go.
I think we are seeing the best of Josh right now.
I love the way the sear looks.
He's cooking with confidence.
I mean, David's smells incredible, even from here.
Mmm.
Wow.
David and Josh, you're now entering your last two minutes.
And for one of you, your last two minutes in the masterchef kitchen.
The steak that David has resting on the board without a rack will continue to poach in its own juice.
Right, you'll lose the sear.
You'll lose the sear and it'll become mushy, big mistake for David.
Yeah.
Last ten seconds.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, stop.
Well done.
I need to stay in the masterchef kitchen so badly that it pains me to even think about it.
This will propel me to achieving my dream of becoming a chef in a real kitchen.
I need to win this whole entire thing.
So we'll start with David's.
This is your rare? Yes, chef.
So the outside is nice.
You have a good caramelization.
Now inside, when I open it, I'm gonna need to see a thumbprint worth of Ruby dark red.
David, do you think that's what we have in there? Yes, chef.
Let's find out.
It's probably a little bit more to the medium rare than a perfect rare.
It's seasoned garlic-flavored aggressively, which might be a little bit challenging for some people.
Okay, Josh's, same thing.
Let's hope I get more of that Ruby red.
Do you think I'm gonna get that? Yes.
Is it better than David's? Yes, I believe so.
Let's take a look, Josh.
That is about as close to a perfect rare as you can get.
Thank you.
Let's try it.
Now, if you are a rare eater, that is exactly what you're looking for.
Congratulations, Josh.
Interesting.
All right, good.
Josh, one.
David, zero.
Next steak.
Medium-rare.
So, David, first, the sear is lacking.
It's actually seared more on one side than the other.
Again, we're looking for a little bit of Ruby in the middle turning into pink.
You produced a medium- to mid-well steak.
Unevenly seared.
Let's see if we can redeem ourselves with the flavor.
It tastes good.
It's seasoned aggressively.
You did achieve that melt-in-your-mouth, almost sensual, silky quality that a mid-rare deserves.
Josh.
Yes? The sear on your steak is absolutely beautiful all the way around.
Thank God.
Josh, you ready to see your handiwork? Yes, chef.
I'd say this is leaning more towards medium.
Aah.
Let's taste.
David's is much more delicious with the seasoning.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Thank you.
Thank you, chef.
Both overcooked.
Both missed the temp.
Incredible.
Yeah.
Damn, it's close.
David's seasoning is aggressive and very good.
Yeah, but it worked on that.
Right now, I still have a chance.
It all comes down to the well-done steak, the one that is the hardest to cook.
Okay, there's an art in cooking a well-done steak.
Great sear, well-done, but moist in the center.
That is difficult to pull off.
No.
I can tell just by touching them.
They are nowhere near well-done.
In this pressure test, Josh and David battled to cook Walmart steaks at three different temperatures, but the judges are split.
Now, it comes down to the well-done steaks.
No.
I can tell just by touching them.
They are nowhere near well-done.
There's an art in cooking a well-done steak.
A lot of chefs disregard the importance of cooking it to perfection.
No blood in the center.
No pinkness jumping out.
David, there's pink in the middle.
This steak has just been cooked above medium, on the verge of medium-well.
It's a great sear.
Thank you, chef.
Lovely caramelization.
However, that is not a well-done steak.
It's all coming down to Josh's steak.
If his steak is perfect, I'm going home.
If it's not, then I still have a fighting chance.
Josh.
Oh, man, please be cooked a little bit more than David's, just a little bit more.
Again, pink in the middle.
It's seasoned nicely, but that is not a well-done steak.
We need some time.
I would like David to win.
This kid has gotten shot down so many times, and he gets back up.
I'm sweating like a hog in heat.
Both their well-dones are less cooked than their mid-rares.
So the rare steaks-- Josh really nailed his rare steak.
Nailed it.
So the medium rares? David's is slightly more saltier.
It tasted good, that salt brings out that natural flavor.
Can I just also say, there's something about the amount of garlic that David used - on all three steaks.
- Yeah.
Josh, please step forward.
You've already left masterchef once on the back of a pressure test.
Oh, my God.
Josh It's time to leave here again.
But this time, you're going up to the balcony.
Good luck, bro.
Thank you, man.
Now I'm back in the competition.
I'm gonna have to take Frank down.
He's outta here.
David, three steaks, you did not nail those temperatures perfectly, and too much garlic.
But let me tell you something, big boy.
You came in here with the fear of going back to South side Chicago and falling back into the doldrums of what you wanted to get out of.
Let me tell you, you're going back a different man.
David, back in Chicago, there's gonna be something waiting for you.
And that is a job, a position in my restaurant in either grahamwich or G.
E.
B.
, whichever you'd like to work at.
That's amazing.
David, man, do it, bro.
You've grown so much.
You've learned.
You've taken that knowledge.
You've applied it.
I think you spend some time in the kitchen, that's your new journey.
That's your path.
Oh, man, um, this is what I wanted.
This--jumping into a kitchen is what I wanted.
And to have the opportunity is such a huge achievement at this point in my life.
Thank you so much.
Come on, big man.
Thank you for the opportunity, chef.
I just springboarded myself to a position at a Graham Elliot restaurant.
It's huge.
It's something that professionals in the culinary industry beg for on a daily basis.
And so I feel absolutely, absolutely overjoyed by that.
Before you go-- one, two, three, four, five.
Who is gonna win masterchef? Um, I can't wait to buy my Italian kitchen by Frank Mirando.
Wow.
You guys all have a lot of talent and a lot of knowledge, but in this kitchen, no one has more work than Frank.
And that's my honest opinion.
Good job, David.
Thank you.
David, well done.
Leaving the masterchef kitchen, I feel absolutely more confident than ever.
And look at me, you know? With great risk comes great reward.
And if you love something, you should fight for it, tooth and nail.
This is one of the best things I've tasted in a long time.
Do you know how much that means coming from you? Oh, my God.
Life is a journey, and you can't worry about your mistakes.
And so I'm never gonna give up on this.
I am gonna take this opportunity, and I think people will see big things of me in the near future.
Take it easy, bro.
Next week on masterchef No! Come on.
Please.
It's never gonna be that easy.
A mystery box twist throws the contestants off course.
What the hell is fish sauce, and why does it taste like death? And it's a battle to the finish as the final five become the final four Oh,.
I cannot believe I just did that.
As one more masterchef hopeful says good-bye.
For the first time in this competition, I'm lost for words.