Masterchef (2010) s05e02 Episode Script
Top 22 Compete
After a nation wide search MasterChef, MasterChef! we brought the best home cooks in the country to compete in America's favorite kitchen.
But for the 22 that remain, it's only the beginning.
Come on.
- As the competition heats up - Whoo! the home cooks will have to endure some of the most ambitious Here they come! and explosive challenges in MasterChef history.
Whoo! I need you to look at me! Come here! Some will rise to the occasion You're playing the game at a high level.
This made my night.
Others will crash and burn.
Do the honors.
It's a battle for the title of MasterChef, $1/4 million, and their very own cookbook.
In the end, only one will be crowned America's next MasterChef.
What MasterChef would do for me is propel me to being a writer of what I really love, which is cookbooks.
Welcome, everybody.
Winning MasterChef would give me the opportunity to open a small, like, American nouveau cafe.
The dream is to open up my own restaurant And maybe you know, maybe be the MasterChef in it one day.
Great to see you all.
You are now all officially part of the biggest cooking competition in the entire world.
To win this competition, you'll have to be the last one standing here in the MasterChef kitchen.
Make sure that you bring us your "A" game every single time you put something on a plate.
Understood? - Yes, chef.
- Yes, sir.
Please, go to your stations.
It's time for the world's biggest cooking competition to truly begin with the very first mystery box challenge.
You'll each have 90 minutes to prepare, cook, and present one amazing dish using the ingredients hidden under those boxes.
As with all mystery boxes, we will be tasting everything as you cook.
On the count of three, carefully lift your boxes.
One Two Three.
- Wow.
- Yes! In front of you, you have chocolate, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, brandy, ladyfingers, all kinds of extracts, honey, and ground coffee.
I am so happy.
I love desserts.
I am very sweet, I must say.
One more thing At the end of this challenge, at least one of you will be going home.
The judges are going to eliminate somebody during this round and it's not even the elimination challenge? That's a really big deal.
Is everyone ready? Yes, chef.
Your 90 minutes starts Now.
So mystery box, season five, we start with desserts.
Technical.
Complete different ability.
It's gonna help us weed out those that really don't belong here, because you do have to be well-balanced to get sweet and savory.
What's the biggest mistake we see with mystery boxes like this one? This one? Overcomplication.
As you get more and more experienced as a cook or a chef, it's all about putting less on the plate.
I think here, you're gonna see people start trying to add every single thing possible, and we all know that that just muddles it.
I'm going to be making a honey bee cake with some crushed pecans on top with a honey caramel glaze.
It's gonna be beautiful, and I can't wait to present this to the judges.
I'm making a spicy gingerbread cake trio.
I live in a huge house with 13 people, and this is how we come together.
Let's go eat! I'm the only one that cooks.
My grandma don't cook.
My mama don't cook.
My auntie all she can do is boil water.
I am the cook of the family.
Excuse me, y'all.
My baby want her food.
To win MasterChef, it would mean a lot, because I have a lot of people riding on me succeeding, and I want to prove that to my nieces and my nephews that with drive and determination that they can do anything.
My confidence level in baking is, like, 2,000.
Ooh, that smells good.
Cutter, what do you do for a living? I'm a petroleum landman, sir.
So why are you here? It's an opportunity to go through a new door.
I've always taken opportunities in my life, you know, whether it be joining the military What'd you do in the military? I was a search and rescue swimmer.
Jumped out of helicopters for a living.
What are you making? So I'm trying to do a little cappuccino pudding with a vanilla whipped cream with some biscotti dipping chocolate on the side.
- Good luck, man.
- Thanks.
Appreciate it.
Astrid, how are you feeling? Nervous.
I don't bake, chef.
You've never baked? Mum of four, really? - No.
- Okay.
What are you doing? Lemon bars.
So what is that, a shortcrust? What's the flavor there, lavender, thyme? Lavender.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
All right, sweetheart.
Good luck in there.
Have to win this one.
I definitely do.
I'll be kind of embarrassed if I don't.
I'm a bakery assistant from Queens, New York.
Cooking is my life.
I know that I'm good at it, and I know it's basically the only thing I'm good at.
Bon appetit.
Growing up in a small town, it sucked.
I love riding bikes.
I was the black sheep, and I didn't have many friends.
I got bullied.
It wasn't fun.
It definitely destroyed my confidence, so I'm trying to work on that still.
I'm here because I wanted to change my life, and I really think that this opportunity could do that for me.
What are you making? I'm making a chocolate pecan brownie.
So we know you're a bakery assistant, and we're thinking that maybe you have a big advantage today.
Yeah.
And look.
Wow.
You got a mixer on your thigh.
That's dedication right there.
Thank you.
Elizabeth, what are you making? I'm making a strawberry balsamic cake.
With a honey mascarpone icing in between.
I'm calling it a strawberry tall cake.
Who's gonna screw up tonight? - Leslie.
- Why leslie? Because he's 'Cause he likes to flap his jaws and not cook so much.
So he talks too much Talks too much.
- Good luck.
- Thank you so much.
Perfect.
You've now got I've never said anything to you, Elizabeth.
- Never once.
- Shh.
You want to get ugly? Let's get ugly.
You don't know where the hell I've been.
You [bleep.]
live in Malibu.
Oh.
You want to know why I live in Malibu, sweetheart? It's because I worked my ass off.
You know what work is? Okay? Shh, please stop yelling at me.
No, no, I got where I got because I work.
I know.
Oh, I worked so hard to get where I am.
Obviously your [bleep.]
wife works, and you don't.
Don't run your [bleep.]
mouth to me about where I live.
Figure out how I got there.
Earmuffs.
I worked.
You want drama? I'll give it to you.
You ain't [bleep.]
yet.
Leslie, what's going on? I've never even spoke to this girl, and they say all I do is talk, talk, talk.
Because I talk to other people and I don't talk to them, they're jealous.
Here's the thing: The oldest, one of the most mature.
Start showing it.
I apologize.
- I'm sorry.
- Pull this back.
I'm sorry.
Apology accepted.
Mmm, that is good.
The last 60 seconds, and for one of you, your last minute in the MasterChef kitchen.
Do not forgot what's at stake here.
Ah! Leslie's plate look at that.
Last ten seconds.
Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Stop.
Hands in the air.
Well done.
All of you.
After observing and tasting throughout the challenge, the judges now take one final look to determine which dishes stand out.
That was an intense 90 minutes, let me tell you, and there are some phenomenal dishes out there.
One of you will win a huge advantage in the next stage of the competition.
Would the following two people please bring up their dishes? Cutter Yes.
and Astrid.
I'm thinking, "Yeah," you know, "Here we go.
" I have a good shot at actually taking this first challenge.
We also want to see the dishes from another two home cooks.
Courtney and Big Willie.
I don't see Courtney as the baker, so when they call both of us together, it was like, "What is going on?" Like, all my confidence dropped.
There are four home cooks in front of us.
Two of you are in contention for the worst dish And two of you are in contention for the best dish.
The two worst dishes belong to There are four home cooks in front of us.
Two of you are in contention for the worst dish And two of you are in contention for the best dish.
The two worst dishes belong to Cutter and Astrid.
Time to taste them both and then decide which one will be going home.
Cutter, you're shaking your head.
I ain't gonna lie, chef.
The first time I've ever tried something like this, man.
I thought I did damn good on it.
Step up.
Show me what you got.
I did a play on a cappuccino with a coffee pudding and a vanilla whipped cream and some caramel and cinnamon on top.
You know what hurts me? A proper kick in the [bleep.]
.
You stuck a MasterChef logo.
Trying to honor the show, sir.
Serious? Yes, chef.
So you got the paste cream there.
Whipped cream.
Whipped cream on top.
Underneath that, you got what? And then I've got caramel and cinnamon.
Come on.
Honestly? To anyone, it doesn't look like a dessert.
- Roger that.
- Man.
Do you know what "biscotti" stands for? No, I don't, sir.
"Bis" means "twice.
" "Cotti" means "cooked.
" So I flipped it.
No, you would normally you would cut these and then individually bake them again.
The whole concept of biscotti.
And that brings me to my point for the entire room.
This is the MasterChef kitchen.
Dishes have standards.
We're here to distinguish who has a future in this kitchen and who doesn't.
Yes, sir.
Thanks, Cutter.
Astrid, let's go, please.
Describe your dish.
Lemon tart with lavender.
That's raw, yeah? I imagine so.
You imagine so.
If something's not cooked, what would you do? You don't serve it.
Leave it in the oven.
I'm struggling to understand where we can go with you, because I don't think there's much potential.
I've never seen it like that.
This tiny, little corner looks cooked, so I know that pastry might not be your strength, but to win the competition, you need to be able to come in and understand, whether it's dessert or fish, how to still step up and make it happen.
Absolutely.
I think that you know, they're somebody that you can work with and show some ideas to.
Cutter, Astrid, unfortunately, for one of you, the journey ends tonight.
Between me an Astrid, I think I'm better than her.
I mean, it's nothing against her as a person.
I just think in the kitchen, I'm a better I'm better than her.
I don't want to go home.
I'm not ready to go home.
I came here to learn and to grow and to win that title.
The person whose journey will continue in MasterChef is Cutter.
Congratulations.
Back to your station.
Thank you, gentlemen.
- Cutter.
- Yes, chef.
Get a grip.
Astrid, you may have the passion.
We don't feel the desire.
Please take your apron off and leave the MasterChef kitchen.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Wow, it sucks to be eliminated, but at the end of the day, I understand.
I own it.
Maybe I should have read some more recipes and practiced baking, because that is my weakness.
Now it is time to taste the top two dishes of the night.
One of you will win a huge advantage in the next stage of the competition.
First, Courtney.
Tell me what we have here.
A honey cake topped with toasted pecans and a honey caramel on top of a mixed berry coulis with a vanilla whip.
I mean, it looks like a restaurant dish.
Did you use salt in anything? Yes, I actually put a little bit of salt in everything, including the whip.
It's really smart.
The honey can sometimes be so overpowering and sweet, and when you get those together, it's very harmonious.
- Thank you, chef.
- Good job.
Thank you.
Love the crunch.
Thank you, sir.
Honey can be too much of an overkill sometimes, and you got the balance absolutely right.
We would easily put that in any of our restaurants.
If that is a sign of what's to come, good luck to the people standing behind you.
- Great job.
- Thank you, chef.
Willie, bring it on up.
Describe your dish.
It is a spicy gingerbread cake topped with a orange coffee mascarpone cream and a spicy berry compote with cayenne pepper.
It's beautiful.
It's well-presented, small, dainty, shows a lot of finesse, and then there's you.
What can I say? Wow.
It's really, really good.
No, I'm very, very impressed.
Both by the presentation, the dimension, the flavor.
Thank you.
If I had to make one slight criticism, the contrast between the orange and the coffee is a little bit shocking to my palate, but great continuity, great effort.
Watch out for Willie.
He's here to bake.
That is amazing, 'cause it's alive.
It's you know, it's a party in my mouth, Willie.
Good job.
Thanks, chef.
Two stunning desserts tonight, but only one can be the winner and join us in the MasterChef pantry.
The person who made the best dessert Congratulations The person who made the best dessert Congratulations Courtney, great job.
- Well done.
- Thank you.
- Courtney, are you ready to see - Yes, chef? inside that amazing pantry? Yes, chef.
And on top of that, you are in for a huge advantage.
- Okay.
- Courtney, this way, please.
- Oh, my god.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
- That was delicious.
Seriously.
As the winner of the mystery box challenge, Courtney is in control of the first elimination test.
Welcome to the MasterChef pantry.
Courtney now gets to choose the dish that her competitors must cook.
This room is where the MasterChef competition is won and lost.
To win, you have to use every advantage that you get.
We've had our dessert, but now it's time for the main course, made with one of the country's most popular ingredients Ground meat.
Ground meat is probably something every American has cooked with in the past week, so we're asking you to choose between three classic American dishes.
Okay.
First up is something that is very near and dear to my Italian heritage The much loved meatballs.
Yes.
Every culture has their version of meatballs, Asian, European, latin American.
The meatball was a poor man's dish that has recently been elevated to superstar status on every menu throughout this country.
Next up, my favorite ground meat dish Meat loaf.
Yes! While meatballs are something that's used around the world, I think America's probably the only country that makes a gigantic loaf of meat.
So we want to see a meat loaf dish worthy of MasterChef.
Finally, the most popular ground meat dish in America, possibly even the world, hamburger.
Yes! Nothing says America like the classic hamburger.
Well, fortunately for you, Courtney, you don't have to cook in this upcoming challenge.
Yes! That's your first advantage for winning the mystery box.
Everyone is going to hate me.
For your second advantage, you get to choose which one of these ground meat dishes your competitors will have to cook.
I feel like I could change the entire game with my decision.
This is where it starts.
Plant the seed.
Wait for a bomb to go off.
Is it gonna be a meatball, the meat loaf, or the humble burger? I've made my decision, and I choose for winning the first mystery box competition, Courtney got some huge advantages.
The first advantage is that she does not have to cook tonight.
And for Courtney's second advantage, she got to decide what everybody else has to cook tonight.
Courtney now gets a third advantage, which she doesn't even know about yet.
There are 20 fierce competitors out there.
Only half of them will have to cook tonight.
Wow.
And guess who decides which ten are safe? Courtney, it's time to tell us who you'd like to save from elimination.
So first pick? I believe that later down in the competition, I can beat this person, and if I can't beat them, they'll do themselves in.
I'm saving Leslie, chef.
Leslie, head upstairs, please.
Thank you, Courtney.
The second person I'm going to save I've seen what they can do, and it's not very impressive to me.
That person is Jaimee.
Jaimee, wow.
I guess, thank you.
This is like playing chess.
She's a pawn.
Boom.
Go away.
I would like to save Gordon.
Gordon, let's go.
Elise.
Cutter, Francis.
Kira.
- Interesting strategy.
- Hmm.
And I would like to save Ahran.
Interesting.
Like, I should've really been the first person to be called, because me and Courtney were the top two people in the baking challenge.
I would like to save this person because I think it would be in my best interest to be on their good side.
Hmm.
Elizabeth.
You know, like they always say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
So as far as Courtney knows, we're besties.
I mean, personally, the 11 standing in front of us, clearly Courtney fears you the most.
You've got one pick left.
Who are you saving? I want to save this person because they want to win this as much as I do, and it would be fun to compete against them.
Christian.
I look around, and I said, "This is the top ten.
" We're the strongest competitors here, and that's exactly why she left us down here to cook.
Please go and join your friends, and I'm sure you're dying to give Courtney a big hug.
As I walk up to the balcony, I feel like a puppet master.
I'm holding all of the other competitors in my hands, and I'm going to play them like chess pieces.
Checkmate.
Okay, it's time to find out what Courtney chose for you all to cook in this, your first elimination challenge.
Courtney chose A stunning meat loaf.
I make a mean meat loaf.
Me and ground beef we go way back.
I got this.
To stay in this competition, You will have to cook us one stunning version of that amazing meat loaf.
Your one hour to make us the most amazing, incredible meat loaf dish starts Now.
Whoo! Do we have bread? Sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes.
I don't need Courtney to save me.
I know I'm good enough to get up on the balcony all on my own.
A lot of people do see me as a food snob, and I wholeheartedly embrace it.
Snobbery to me just means I've had better, and I expect better, and I will make better.
Fight like it's your last meal.
A magical meat loaf there's an art to it, right? Exactly, I mean, it can't be a giant meatball.
It can't be a hamburger formed into a square.
It's got to be its own thing.
What would you do? So I would do something modern.
I would line my mold with the bacon.
The actual mixture of the meat loaf Pork, beef, veal.
I love adding roasted mushrooms and also some garlic that's been toasted up and bread crumbs, but just enough to bind it.
I don't want a super heavy, dense meat loaf.
What do you think the biggest mistake that these home cooks will make with the meat loaf tonight? If they don't taste the seasoning Mm-hmm.
of the patty before they start cooking.
Make your blend, Get your seasoning in there, and then fry off a small amount before you bake it.
And then adjust accordingly, because you cannot season the meat loaf after it's been cooked.
Right.
Dan, what are you making, apart from a mess? I'm gonna go a little sort of Southern Asian.
I'm gonna go a little bit of bourbon, a little of fish sauce and ketchup.
Dan, you've got to keep yourself in the competition.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Okay, Stephani, how's it coming? You excited? Yeah, everything's going well.
Couscous, wow, that's interesting.
I've never seen that with meat loaf.
That's a bleu cheese cream sauce.
What are you doing with that? Putting it on top of my lamb meat loaf.
Wait, that's that's That's very nontraditional.
Have you ever made this before? No.
Are you out of your mind? I might be, but, you know, I'm trying to win, so Did you want to go home? I wanted you to taste my food.
I didn't want to be up there looking pretty.
I'm not just a pretty face.
I am here to win this competition and show America what I'm about, which is cooking.
In this elimination challenge, mystery box winner Courtney has selected ten home cooks to prepare an American classic.
A stunning meat loaf.
At the end of this challenge, at least one home cook will leave the MasterChef kitchen.
This is kind of new, this particular combo, but Higher risk, higher the reward.
Francis B, how are you doing? Good, chef.
How are you? Talk about your meat loaf.
Doing a short rib and lamb.
I'm gonna kind of put some cheese inside this too, so hopefully the cheese melts as it's cooking.
So you're putting cheese inside the meat loaf.
I was thinking about it.
I might not anymore.
- Good luck.
- All right, thanks, chef.
I feel that we all are pretty good down here, so I feel like she kept some of the strongest players down here.
I'm from Columbus, Ohio, and I'm a call center representative.
Welcome to my home.
I went to culinary school.
It's been my dream since I was a kid.
I didn't finish because of finances.
Winning MasterChef and the $1/4 million would give me the opportunity to finish culinary school, to live out my dreams.
I am the next MasterChef.
I'm just making kind of a A little Asian-style meat loaf with a mango glaze.
And I make meat loaf a lot, so I'm pretty confident my meat loaf I know it's gonna be juicy.
And I've never done this twist on it before, but I'm sure it'll be pretty good.
Let's go, boys and girls.
Good job, guys.
Good job.
Big Willie, how's the big meat loaf? It's pretty good.
What's the blend? It's ground pork and ground beef with cinnamon.
Ooh, that is good.
Whoo! I thought Courtney was sending a message to everybody.
She's not sending nothing.
She's just running her mouth.
I think you're sending a message.
- Thank you, chef.
- Good luck.
Less than five minutes to go.
What an array of meat loaf out there.
Dan Wu, I think he's going in an Asian direction.
Maybe do a hoisin glaze, some kind of oyster sauce.
I like that.
I'm excited to try that one.
Francis has a romesco sauce and some bok choy and also burrata going through the meat loaf.
And that's great, provided it can stick together.
Yeah, doesn't fall apart.
- Doesn't crumble.
- Exactly.
and for one of you, your last 30 seconds in the MasterChef kitchen.
Come on, baby.
Taste everything you put on a plate.
We want to see beautiful restaurant-quality dishes, guys.
Come on, guys.
Clean those plates.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop! Hands in the air.
Well done, guys.
Good job.
Great job.
Cannot wait to start tasting them.
First up, Francis.
I took a big risk doing something I've never done before.
I'm looking down at my dish, and it looks amazing.
Describe the dish, please.
It's a burrata-stuffed meat loaf using short rib and lamb, charred bok choy, oyster and mushroom caps on top of romesco.
When was the last time you tried meat loaf and burrata together? - Um, today.
- Wow, seriously? Yes, chef.
I saw it earlier.
I thought, "Mm, burrata? Why would you take that and stick that inside a meat loaf?" Bold move.
And it worked.
It's a dish that you just want to eat more and more and more.
Great job.
Well done.
Thanks, chef.
That's great.
You know, this is something that'd be screaming, like, you know, at home, "Mom, meat loaf.
Come on, mom.
Meat loaf now!" - Great job.
Thanks.
- Thank you.
Tell me about this.
So it's a romesco sauce.
Now, that is a MasterChef idea, taking a staple out of spanish food culture, making a meat loaf, stuffing it with burrata.
You're playing the game at a high level.
Thank you, chef.
Keep an eye on this one, guys.
Good job! Next up, Stephani, please.
So describe the dish, please.
It's an herbed lamb meat loaf.
It has couscous, pepper ribbons, and a bleu cheese cream sauce.
Bleu cheese and couscous, that classic combo.
Wow.
Yeah.
Oh, sorry.
There's no way on Earth I can swallow that.
Very dry combination.
I got lots of chili flakes.
Bleu cheese and chili, couscous and lamb.
Where are you going on this? Well, I took a risk, and, um - No.
- You don't like it.
H-o-m-e.
That's where you should be heading.
Wow.
Yeah.
Oh, sorry.
There's no way on Earth I can swallow that.
You don't like it? You don't cheese sauce with a meat loaf.
You don't serve couscous with meat loaf, and you've got this one so wrong that I cannot tell you enough.
Seriously disappointing.
Thank you.
I feel like crap.
I have never been told that my food is not good.
I just want to crawl under the nearest oven.
Next up, please, Whitney.
I glace over at Whitney's dish, and it looks pretty pedestrian, honestly.
Didn't look like there was a whole lot going on with her plate.
So tell me exactly what we have here.
Caribbean, Asian, Cajun style meat loaf.
I used some lemongrass, soy, some garlic and ginger, and also I have a sweet potato mash and green beans.
The issue I'm having is, the meat loaf itself has the mushrooms going through it and these other things, but it doesn't really taste like anything.
And I'm getting the sweet potato and then that sweet glaze, and it's just, like, honey and the mango.
That's all I really get.
It could be, like, a weird meat dessert creation somehow.
Okay.
I can't think anything worse to go in a meat loaf, Lemongrass and mango for the sauce.
The meat is dry.
It's way overcooked.
It's bland.
You know, you brought it up.
The first thing that came to mind for me was a tv dinner, But unfortunately, you've taken a tv dinner and turned it into a tv disaster.
My apologies - Chef.
- to the meat loaf.
Next up, Christine.
What do we have? It's a veal and pork meat loaf topped with a dried egg and some basil-fennel pesto.
The flavor of the meat loaf's awesome.
I love the pesto.
Not sure the egg is needed, but good job.
Thank you.
Jordan.
This is a pork and veal meat loaf with roast tomato and cream sauce.
Hmm.
You can't season the meat loaf after it's cooked.
It's impossible.
You know, you are the youngest guy in this competition.
Tonight, I think it shows.
Daniel.
We have a lamb and ground beef meat loaf served on top of sweet potato mash.
I like the roasted carrots.
I like the mushrooms.
I like everything about this dish.
Thank you, sir.
Next up, big Willie.
Um, Willie, describe the dish, please.
It is a pork and beef meat loaf with creamy mashed potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts with bacon and pine nuts.
The seasoning is absolutely spot on.
I mean, it's really good.
Even the sour cream in the mash, the black pepper, the caramelized sprouts.
You're a strong contender, Willie.
- Great effort.
- Thank you.
- Well done.
Next up, Dan Wu, please.
Thank you.
I think the plate looks beautiful.
There's some great colors on it.
I'm actually pretty confident.
So describe that, please.
It's ground veal, pork, and short ribs, some carrots, onions, shitakes, and then I've got a quick kimchi of brussels sprouts, swiss chard, and bok choy.
That is absolutely Disgusting.
The blend is way too wet.
Not a big fan of raw brussels sprouts.
That is one of the worst meat loafs I've ever eaten.
When chef Ramsay says "Your food is disgusting", it's the worst thing you can hear.
It's absolutely devastating.
Tonight, there were a few standout dishes, but there was just one dish that stood out just a little above the rest.
It used more than one kind of meat, and it had a very sophisticated sauce that really made it shine.
My meat loaf was perfect.
There's no competition.
I got this.
Tonight's best meat loaf I kind of, like, want to go ahead and just yell, because I know it's mine.
Belongs to Francis.
Congratulations, Francis.
You will have a huge advantage in the next challenge.
Thank you, chefs.
And now the three worst dishes.
At least one of these three will be leaving the world's biggest culinary competition.
The first dish had a bizarre choice of flavors that just didn't blend.
The texture was wrong, and it was just a ill-conceived dish.
Please step down here, Stephani.
The second dish was simply all over the place.
The next home cook tried to use exotic flavors that did not work.
Please step forward, Dan.
Being on the bottom three I'm not feeling great at all.
I let my ego get a little bit further past my ability.
This could send me home.
And the next home cook plated, quite frankly, a horrendous meat loaf, and it wasn't just the meat loaf.
It was the sides.
It was the execution of the plate.
Please step forward, Whitney.
None of you did a meat loaf justice.
One of you three will be leaving MasterChef tonight.
Please step forward, Dan.
Dan, you cooked out of control this evening.
You absolutely humiliated a meat loaf, and you got far too cocky for your own good.
I'm sorry That there were two dishes worse than yours.
Get a grip, get focused, and step up a gear.
I won't disappoint you guys again.
I promise.
Back to your station.
Congratulations, Dan.
Wow.
Courtney, do you know who we're about to send home and why? One of the most important things about food is passion and love, and I think that that person was lacking.
I believe you're going to send home Whitney.
Courtney, tonight you are consistent beyond belief.
Whitney, unfortunately your time is done in the MasterChef competition.
Chef.
Stephani, back to your station.
Whitney, food's about passion.
it's about energy.
It's about creativity and flair.
Tonight, you didn't bring that.
Please take off your apron, place it on your bench, and leave the kitchen.
Good night.
I'm also upset that I had to leave this early due to something so simple as meat loaf.
Even though I didn't win MasterChef, I'm gonna go back home, and I'm gonna continue working, saving up money so I can finish culinary school, 'cause I still want to finish.
Next time on MasterChef, It's the biggest Most explosive team challenge in MasterChef history.
Here they come! You don't realize what 500 soldiers looks like.
As the home cooks go to war Hurry up, guys! To feed American heroes.
Come on! And one more MasterChef hopeful is cut from the ranks.
But for the 22 that remain, it's only the beginning.
Come on.
- As the competition heats up - Whoo! the home cooks will have to endure some of the most ambitious Here they come! and explosive challenges in MasterChef history.
Whoo! I need you to look at me! Come here! Some will rise to the occasion You're playing the game at a high level.
This made my night.
Others will crash and burn.
Do the honors.
It's a battle for the title of MasterChef, $1/4 million, and their very own cookbook.
In the end, only one will be crowned America's next MasterChef.
What MasterChef would do for me is propel me to being a writer of what I really love, which is cookbooks.
Welcome, everybody.
Winning MasterChef would give me the opportunity to open a small, like, American nouveau cafe.
The dream is to open up my own restaurant And maybe you know, maybe be the MasterChef in it one day.
Great to see you all.
You are now all officially part of the biggest cooking competition in the entire world.
To win this competition, you'll have to be the last one standing here in the MasterChef kitchen.
Make sure that you bring us your "A" game every single time you put something on a plate.
Understood? - Yes, chef.
- Yes, sir.
Please, go to your stations.
It's time for the world's biggest cooking competition to truly begin with the very first mystery box challenge.
You'll each have 90 minutes to prepare, cook, and present one amazing dish using the ingredients hidden under those boxes.
As with all mystery boxes, we will be tasting everything as you cook.
On the count of three, carefully lift your boxes.
One Two Three.
- Wow.
- Yes! In front of you, you have chocolate, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, brandy, ladyfingers, all kinds of extracts, honey, and ground coffee.
I am so happy.
I love desserts.
I am very sweet, I must say.
One more thing At the end of this challenge, at least one of you will be going home.
The judges are going to eliminate somebody during this round and it's not even the elimination challenge? That's a really big deal.
Is everyone ready? Yes, chef.
Your 90 minutes starts Now.
So mystery box, season five, we start with desserts.
Technical.
Complete different ability.
It's gonna help us weed out those that really don't belong here, because you do have to be well-balanced to get sweet and savory.
What's the biggest mistake we see with mystery boxes like this one? This one? Overcomplication.
As you get more and more experienced as a cook or a chef, it's all about putting less on the plate.
I think here, you're gonna see people start trying to add every single thing possible, and we all know that that just muddles it.
I'm going to be making a honey bee cake with some crushed pecans on top with a honey caramel glaze.
It's gonna be beautiful, and I can't wait to present this to the judges.
I'm making a spicy gingerbread cake trio.
I live in a huge house with 13 people, and this is how we come together.
Let's go eat! I'm the only one that cooks.
My grandma don't cook.
My mama don't cook.
My auntie all she can do is boil water.
I am the cook of the family.
Excuse me, y'all.
My baby want her food.
To win MasterChef, it would mean a lot, because I have a lot of people riding on me succeeding, and I want to prove that to my nieces and my nephews that with drive and determination that they can do anything.
My confidence level in baking is, like, 2,000.
Ooh, that smells good.
Cutter, what do you do for a living? I'm a petroleum landman, sir.
So why are you here? It's an opportunity to go through a new door.
I've always taken opportunities in my life, you know, whether it be joining the military What'd you do in the military? I was a search and rescue swimmer.
Jumped out of helicopters for a living.
What are you making? So I'm trying to do a little cappuccino pudding with a vanilla whipped cream with some biscotti dipping chocolate on the side.
- Good luck, man.
- Thanks.
Appreciate it.
Astrid, how are you feeling? Nervous.
I don't bake, chef.
You've never baked? Mum of four, really? - No.
- Okay.
What are you doing? Lemon bars.
So what is that, a shortcrust? What's the flavor there, lavender, thyme? Lavender.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
All right, sweetheart.
Good luck in there.
Have to win this one.
I definitely do.
I'll be kind of embarrassed if I don't.
I'm a bakery assistant from Queens, New York.
Cooking is my life.
I know that I'm good at it, and I know it's basically the only thing I'm good at.
Bon appetit.
Growing up in a small town, it sucked.
I love riding bikes.
I was the black sheep, and I didn't have many friends.
I got bullied.
It wasn't fun.
It definitely destroyed my confidence, so I'm trying to work on that still.
I'm here because I wanted to change my life, and I really think that this opportunity could do that for me.
What are you making? I'm making a chocolate pecan brownie.
So we know you're a bakery assistant, and we're thinking that maybe you have a big advantage today.
Yeah.
And look.
Wow.
You got a mixer on your thigh.
That's dedication right there.
Thank you.
Elizabeth, what are you making? I'm making a strawberry balsamic cake.
With a honey mascarpone icing in between.
I'm calling it a strawberry tall cake.
Who's gonna screw up tonight? - Leslie.
- Why leslie? Because he's 'Cause he likes to flap his jaws and not cook so much.
So he talks too much Talks too much.
- Good luck.
- Thank you so much.
Perfect.
You've now got I've never said anything to you, Elizabeth.
- Never once.
- Shh.
You want to get ugly? Let's get ugly.
You don't know where the hell I've been.
You [bleep.]
live in Malibu.
Oh.
You want to know why I live in Malibu, sweetheart? It's because I worked my ass off.
You know what work is? Okay? Shh, please stop yelling at me.
No, no, I got where I got because I work.
I know.
Oh, I worked so hard to get where I am.
Obviously your [bleep.]
wife works, and you don't.
Don't run your [bleep.]
mouth to me about where I live.
Figure out how I got there.
Earmuffs.
I worked.
You want drama? I'll give it to you.
You ain't [bleep.]
yet.
Leslie, what's going on? I've never even spoke to this girl, and they say all I do is talk, talk, talk.
Because I talk to other people and I don't talk to them, they're jealous.
Here's the thing: The oldest, one of the most mature.
Start showing it.
I apologize.
- I'm sorry.
- Pull this back.
I'm sorry.
Apology accepted.
Mmm, that is good.
The last 60 seconds, and for one of you, your last minute in the MasterChef kitchen.
Do not forgot what's at stake here.
Ah! Leslie's plate look at that.
Last ten seconds.
Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.
Stop.
Hands in the air.
Well done.
All of you.
After observing and tasting throughout the challenge, the judges now take one final look to determine which dishes stand out.
That was an intense 90 minutes, let me tell you, and there are some phenomenal dishes out there.
One of you will win a huge advantage in the next stage of the competition.
Would the following two people please bring up their dishes? Cutter Yes.
and Astrid.
I'm thinking, "Yeah," you know, "Here we go.
" I have a good shot at actually taking this first challenge.
We also want to see the dishes from another two home cooks.
Courtney and Big Willie.
I don't see Courtney as the baker, so when they call both of us together, it was like, "What is going on?" Like, all my confidence dropped.
There are four home cooks in front of us.
Two of you are in contention for the worst dish And two of you are in contention for the best dish.
The two worst dishes belong to There are four home cooks in front of us.
Two of you are in contention for the worst dish And two of you are in contention for the best dish.
The two worst dishes belong to Cutter and Astrid.
Time to taste them both and then decide which one will be going home.
Cutter, you're shaking your head.
I ain't gonna lie, chef.
The first time I've ever tried something like this, man.
I thought I did damn good on it.
Step up.
Show me what you got.
I did a play on a cappuccino with a coffee pudding and a vanilla whipped cream and some caramel and cinnamon on top.
You know what hurts me? A proper kick in the [bleep.]
.
You stuck a MasterChef logo.
Trying to honor the show, sir.
Serious? Yes, chef.
So you got the paste cream there.
Whipped cream.
Whipped cream on top.
Underneath that, you got what? And then I've got caramel and cinnamon.
Come on.
Honestly? To anyone, it doesn't look like a dessert.
- Roger that.
- Man.
Do you know what "biscotti" stands for? No, I don't, sir.
"Bis" means "twice.
" "Cotti" means "cooked.
" So I flipped it.
No, you would normally you would cut these and then individually bake them again.
The whole concept of biscotti.
And that brings me to my point for the entire room.
This is the MasterChef kitchen.
Dishes have standards.
We're here to distinguish who has a future in this kitchen and who doesn't.
Yes, sir.
Thanks, Cutter.
Astrid, let's go, please.
Describe your dish.
Lemon tart with lavender.
That's raw, yeah? I imagine so.
You imagine so.
If something's not cooked, what would you do? You don't serve it.
Leave it in the oven.
I'm struggling to understand where we can go with you, because I don't think there's much potential.
I've never seen it like that.
This tiny, little corner looks cooked, so I know that pastry might not be your strength, but to win the competition, you need to be able to come in and understand, whether it's dessert or fish, how to still step up and make it happen.
Absolutely.
I think that you know, they're somebody that you can work with and show some ideas to.
Cutter, Astrid, unfortunately, for one of you, the journey ends tonight.
Between me an Astrid, I think I'm better than her.
I mean, it's nothing against her as a person.
I just think in the kitchen, I'm a better I'm better than her.
I don't want to go home.
I'm not ready to go home.
I came here to learn and to grow and to win that title.
The person whose journey will continue in MasterChef is Cutter.
Congratulations.
Back to your station.
Thank you, gentlemen.
- Cutter.
- Yes, chef.
Get a grip.
Astrid, you may have the passion.
We don't feel the desire.
Please take your apron off and leave the MasterChef kitchen.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Wow, it sucks to be eliminated, but at the end of the day, I understand.
I own it.
Maybe I should have read some more recipes and practiced baking, because that is my weakness.
Now it is time to taste the top two dishes of the night.
One of you will win a huge advantage in the next stage of the competition.
First, Courtney.
Tell me what we have here.
A honey cake topped with toasted pecans and a honey caramel on top of a mixed berry coulis with a vanilla whip.
I mean, it looks like a restaurant dish.
Did you use salt in anything? Yes, I actually put a little bit of salt in everything, including the whip.
It's really smart.
The honey can sometimes be so overpowering and sweet, and when you get those together, it's very harmonious.
- Thank you, chef.
- Good job.
Thank you.
Love the crunch.
Thank you, sir.
Honey can be too much of an overkill sometimes, and you got the balance absolutely right.
We would easily put that in any of our restaurants.
If that is a sign of what's to come, good luck to the people standing behind you.
- Great job.
- Thank you, chef.
Willie, bring it on up.
Describe your dish.
It is a spicy gingerbread cake topped with a orange coffee mascarpone cream and a spicy berry compote with cayenne pepper.
It's beautiful.
It's well-presented, small, dainty, shows a lot of finesse, and then there's you.
What can I say? Wow.
It's really, really good.
No, I'm very, very impressed.
Both by the presentation, the dimension, the flavor.
Thank you.
If I had to make one slight criticism, the contrast between the orange and the coffee is a little bit shocking to my palate, but great continuity, great effort.
Watch out for Willie.
He's here to bake.
That is amazing, 'cause it's alive.
It's you know, it's a party in my mouth, Willie.
Good job.
Thanks, chef.
Two stunning desserts tonight, but only one can be the winner and join us in the MasterChef pantry.
The person who made the best dessert Congratulations The person who made the best dessert Congratulations Courtney, great job.
- Well done.
- Thank you.
- Courtney, are you ready to see - Yes, chef? inside that amazing pantry? Yes, chef.
And on top of that, you are in for a huge advantage.
- Okay.
- Courtney, this way, please.
- Oh, my god.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
- That was delicious.
Seriously.
As the winner of the mystery box challenge, Courtney is in control of the first elimination test.
Welcome to the MasterChef pantry.
Courtney now gets to choose the dish that her competitors must cook.
This room is where the MasterChef competition is won and lost.
To win, you have to use every advantage that you get.
We've had our dessert, but now it's time for the main course, made with one of the country's most popular ingredients Ground meat.
Ground meat is probably something every American has cooked with in the past week, so we're asking you to choose between three classic American dishes.
Okay.
First up is something that is very near and dear to my Italian heritage The much loved meatballs.
Yes.
Every culture has their version of meatballs, Asian, European, latin American.
The meatball was a poor man's dish that has recently been elevated to superstar status on every menu throughout this country.
Next up, my favorite ground meat dish Meat loaf.
Yes! While meatballs are something that's used around the world, I think America's probably the only country that makes a gigantic loaf of meat.
So we want to see a meat loaf dish worthy of MasterChef.
Finally, the most popular ground meat dish in America, possibly even the world, hamburger.
Yes! Nothing says America like the classic hamburger.
Well, fortunately for you, Courtney, you don't have to cook in this upcoming challenge.
Yes! That's your first advantage for winning the mystery box.
Everyone is going to hate me.
For your second advantage, you get to choose which one of these ground meat dishes your competitors will have to cook.
I feel like I could change the entire game with my decision.
This is where it starts.
Plant the seed.
Wait for a bomb to go off.
Is it gonna be a meatball, the meat loaf, or the humble burger? I've made my decision, and I choose for winning the first mystery box competition, Courtney got some huge advantages.
The first advantage is that she does not have to cook tonight.
And for Courtney's second advantage, she got to decide what everybody else has to cook tonight.
Courtney now gets a third advantage, which she doesn't even know about yet.
There are 20 fierce competitors out there.
Only half of them will have to cook tonight.
Wow.
And guess who decides which ten are safe? Courtney, it's time to tell us who you'd like to save from elimination.
So first pick? I believe that later down in the competition, I can beat this person, and if I can't beat them, they'll do themselves in.
I'm saving Leslie, chef.
Leslie, head upstairs, please.
Thank you, Courtney.
The second person I'm going to save I've seen what they can do, and it's not very impressive to me.
That person is Jaimee.
Jaimee, wow.
I guess, thank you.
This is like playing chess.
She's a pawn.
Boom.
Go away.
I would like to save Gordon.
Gordon, let's go.
Elise.
Cutter, Francis.
Kira.
- Interesting strategy.
- Hmm.
And I would like to save Ahran.
Interesting.
Like, I should've really been the first person to be called, because me and Courtney were the top two people in the baking challenge.
I would like to save this person because I think it would be in my best interest to be on their good side.
Hmm.
Elizabeth.
You know, like they always say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
So as far as Courtney knows, we're besties.
I mean, personally, the 11 standing in front of us, clearly Courtney fears you the most.
You've got one pick left.
Who are you saving? I want to save this person because they want to win this as much as I do, and it would be fun to compete against them.
Christian.
I look around, and I said, "This is the top ten.
" We're the strongest competitors here, and that's exactly why she left us down here to cook.
Please go and join your friends, and I'm sure you're dying to give Courtney a big hug.
As I walk up to the balcony, I feel like a puppet master.
I'm holding all of the other competitors in my hands, and I'm going to play them like chess pieces.
Checkmate.
Okay, it's time to find out what Courtney chose for you all to cook in this, your first elimination challenge.
Courtney chose A stunning meat loaf.
I make a mean meat loaf.
Me and ground beef we go way back.
I got this.
To stay in this competition, You will have to cook us one stunning version of that amazing meat loaf.
Your one hour to make us the most amazing, incredible meat loaf dish starts Now.
Whoo! Do we have bread? Sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes.
I don't need Courtney to save me.
I know I'm good enough to get up on the balcony all on my own.
A lot of people do see me as a food snob, and I wholeheartedly embrace it.
Snobbery to me just means I've had better, and I expect better, and I will make better.
Fight like it's your last meal.
A magical meat loaf there's an art to it, right? Exactly, I mean, it can't be a giant meatball.
It can't be a hamburger formed into a square.
It's got to be its own thing.
What would you do? So I would do something modern.
I would line my mold with the bacon.
The actual mixture of the meat loaf Pork, beef, veal.
I love adding roasted mushrooms and also some garlic that's been toasted up and bread crumbs, but just enough to bind it.
I don't want a super heavy, dense meat loaf.
What do you think the biggest mistake that these home cooks will make with the meat loaf tonight? If they don't taste the seasoning Mm-hmm.
of the patty before they start cooking.
Make your blend, Get your seasoning in there, and then fry off a small amount before you bake it.
And then adjust accordingly, because you cannot season the meat loaf after it's been cooked.
Right.
Dan, what are you making, apart from a mess? I'm gonna go a little sort of Southern Asian.
I'm gonna go a little bit of bourbon, a little of fish sauce and ketchup.
Dan, you've got to keep yourself in the competition.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Okay, Stephani, how's it coming? You excited? Yeah, everything's going well.
Couscous, wow, that's interesting.
I've never seen that with meat loaf.
That's a bleu cheese cream sauce.
What are you doing with that? Putting it on top of my lamb meat loaf.
Wait, that's that's That's very nontraditional.
Have you ever made this before? No.
Are you out of your mind? I might be, but, you know, I'm trying to win, so Did you want to go home? I wanted you to taste my food.
I didn't want to be up there looking pretty.
I'm not just a pretty face.
I am here to win this competition and show America what I'm about, which is cooking.
In this elimination challenge, mystery box winner Courtney has selected ten home cooks to prepare an American classic.
A stunning meat loaf.
At the end of this challenge, at least one home cook will leave the MasterChef kitchen.
This is kind of new, this particular combo, but Higher risk, higher the reward.
Francis B, how are you doing? Good, chef.
How are you? Talk about your meat loaf.
Doing a short rib and lamb.
I'm gonna kind of put some cheese inside this too, so hopefully the cheese melts as it's cooking.
So you're putting cheese inside the meat loaf.
I was thinking about it.
I might not anymore.
- Good luck.
- All right, thanks, chef.
I feel that we all are pretty good down here, so I feel like she kept some of the strongest players down here.
I'm from Columbus, Ohio, and I'm a call center representative.
Welcome to my home.
I went to culinary school.
It's been my dream since I was a kid.
I didn't finish because of finances.
Winning MasterChef and the $1/4 million would give me the opportunity to finish culinary school, to live out my dreams.
I am the next MasterChef.
I'm just making kind of a A little Asian-style meat loaf with a mango glaze.
And I make meat loaf a lot, so I'm pretty confident my meat loaf I know it's gonna be juicy.
And I've never done this twist on it before, but I'm sure it'll be pretty good.
Let's go, boys and girls.
Good job, guys.
Good job.
Big Willie, how's the big meat loaf? It's pretty good.
What's the blend? It's ground pork and ground beef with cinnamon.
Ooh, that is good.
Whoo! I thought Courtney was sending a message to everybody.
She's not sending nothing.
She's just running her mouth.
I think you're sending a message.
- Thank you, chef.
- Good luck.
Less than five minutes to go.
What an array of meat loaf out there.
Dan Wu, I think he's going in an Asian direction.
Maybe do a hoisin glaze, some kind of oyster sauce.
I like that.
I'm excited to try that one.
Francis has a romesco sauce and some bok choy and also burrata going through the meat loaf.
And that's great, provided it can stick together.
Yeah, doesn't fall apart.
- Doesn't crumble.
- Exactly.
and for one of you, your last 30 seconds in the MasterChef kitchen.
Come on, baby.
Taste everything you put on a plate.
We want to see beautiful restaurant-quality dishes, guys.
Come on, guys.
Clean those plates.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, and stop! Hands in the air.
Well done, guys.
Good job.
Great job.
Cannot wait to start tasting them.
First up, Francis.
I took a big risk doing something I've never done before.
I'm looking down at my dish, and it looks amazing.
Describe the dish, please.
It's a burrata-stuffed meat loaf using short rib and lamb, charred bok choy, oyster and mushroom caps on top of romesco.
When was the last time you tried meat loaf and burrata together? - Um, today.
- Wow, seriously? Yes, chef.
I saw it earlier.
I thought, "Mm, burrata? Why would you take that and stick that inside a meat loaf?" Bold move.
And it worked.
It's a dish that you just want to eat more and more and more.
Great job.
Well done.
Thanks, chef.
That's great.
You know, this is something that'd be screaming, like, you know, at home, "Mom, meat loaf.
Come on, mom.
Meat loaf now!" - Great job.
Thanks.
- Thank you.
Tell me about this.
So it's a romesco sauce.
Now, that is a MasterChef idea, taking a staple out of spanish food culture, making a meat loaf, stuffing it with burrata.
You're playing the game at a high level.
Thank you, chef.
Keep an eye on this one, guys.
Good job! Next up, Stephani, please.
So describe the dish, please.
It's an herbed lamb meat loaf.
It has couscous, pepper ribbons, and a bleu cheese cream sauce.
Bleu cheese and couscous, that classic combo.
Wow.
Yeah.
Oh, sorry.
There's no way on Earth I can swallow that.
Very dry combination.
I got lots of chili flakes.
Bleu cheese and chili, couscous and lamb.
Where are you going on this? Well, I took a risk, and, um - No.
- You don't like it.
H-o-m-e.
That's where you should be heading.
Wow.
Yeah.
Oh, sorry.
There's no way on Earth I can swallow that.
You don't like it? You don't cheese sauce with a meat loaf.
You don't serve couscous with meat loaf, and you've got this one so wrong that I cannot tell you enough.
Seriously disappointing.
Thank you.
I feel like crap.
I have never been told that my food is not good.
I just want to crawl under the nearest oven.
Next up, please, Whitney.
I glace over at Whitney's dish, and it looks pretty pedestrian, honestly.
Didn't look like there was a whole lot going on with her plate.
So tell me exactly what we have here.
Caribbean, Asian, Cajun style meat loaf.
I used some lemongrass, soy, some garlic and ginger, and also I have a sweet potato mash and green beans.
The issue I'm having is, the meat loaf itself has the mushrooms going through it and these other things, but it doesn't really taste like anything.
And I'm getting the sweet potato and then that sweet glaze, and it's just, like, honey and the mango.
That's all I really get.
It could be, like, a weird meat dessert creation somehow.
Okay.
I can't think anything worse to go in a meat loaf, Lemongrass and mango for the sauce.
The meat is dry.
It's way overcooked.
It's bland.
You know, you brought it up.
The first thing that came to mind for me was a tv dinner, But unfortunately, you've taken a tv dinner and turned it into a tv disaster.
My apologies - Chef.
- to the meat loaf.
Next up, Christine.
What do we have? It's a veal and pork meat loaf topped with a dried egg and some basil-fennel pesto.
The flavor of the meat loaf's awesome.
I love the pesto.
Not sure the egg is needed, but good job.
Thank you.
Jordan.
This is a pork and veal meat loaf with roast tomato and cream sauce.
Hmm.
You can't season the meat loaf after it's cooked.
It's impossible.
You know, you are the youngest guy in this competition.
Tonight, I think it shows.
Daniel.
We have a lamb and ground beef meat loaf served on top of sweet potato mash.
I like the roasted carrots.
I like the mushrooms.
I like everything about this dish.
Thank you, sir.
Next up, big Willie.
Um, Willie, describe the dish, please.
It is a pork and beef meat loaf with creamy mashed potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts with bacon and pine nuts.
The seasoning is absolutely spot on.
I mean, it's really good.
Even the sour cream in the mash, the black pepper, the caramelized sprouts.
You're a strong contender, Willie.
- Great effort.
- Thank you.
- Well done.
Next up, Dan Wu, please.
Thank you.
I think the plate looks beautiful.
There's some great colors on it.
I'm actually pretty confident.
So describe that, please.
It's ground veal, pork, and short ribs, some carrots, onions, shitakes, and then I've got a quick kimchi of brussels sprouts, swiss chard, and bok choy.
That is absolutely Disgusting.
The blend is way too wet.
Not a big fan of raw brussels sprouts.
That is one of the worst meat loafs I've ever eaten.
When chef Ramsay says "Your food is disgusting", it's the worst thing you can hear.
It's absolutely devastating.
Tonight, there were a few standout dishes, but there was just one dish that stood out just a little above the rest.
It used more than one kind of meat, and it had a very sophisticated sauce that really made it shine.
My meat loaf was perfect.
There's no competition.
I got this.
Tonight's best meat loaf I kind of, like, want to go ahead and just yell, because I know it's mine.
Belongs to Francis.
Congratulations, Francis.
You will have a huge advantage in the next challenge.
Thank you, chefs.
And now the three worst dishes.
At least one of these three will be leaving the world's biggest culinary competition.
The first dish had a bizarre choice of flavors that just didn't blend.
The texture was wrong, and it was just a ill-conceived dish.
Please step down here, Stephani.
The second dish was simply all over the place.
The next home cook tried to use exotic flavors that did not work.
Please step forward, Dan.
Being on the bottom three I'm not feeling great at all.
I let my ego get a little bit further past my ability.
This could send me home.
And the next home cook plated, quite frankly, a horrendous meat loaf, and it wasn't just the meat loaf.
It was the sides.
It was the execution of the plate.
Please step forward, Whitney.
None of you did a meat loaf justice.
One of you three will be leaving MasterChef tonight.
Please step forward, Dan.
Dan, you cooked out of control this evening.
You absolutely humiliated a meat loaf, and you got far too cocky for your own good.
I'm sorry That there were two dishes worse than yours.
Get a grip, get focused, and step up a gear.
I won't disappoint you guys again.
I promise.
Back to your station.
Congratulations, Dan.
Wow.
Courtney, do you know who we're about to send home and why? One of the most important things about food is passion and love, and I think that that person was lacking.
I believe you're going to send home Whitney.
Courtney, tonight you are consistent beyond belief.
Whitney, unfortunately your time is done in the MasterChef competition.
Chef.
Stephani, back to your station.
Whitney, food's about passion.
it's about energy.
It's about creativity and flair.
Tonight, you didn't bring that.
Please take off your apron, place it on your bench, and leave the kitchen.
Good night.
I'm also upset that I had to leave this early due to something so simple as meat loaf.
Even though I didn't win MasterChef, I'm gonna go back home, and I'm gonna continue working, saving up money so I can finish culinary school, 'cause I still want to finish.
Next time on MasterChef, It's the biggest Most explosive team challenge in MasterChef history.
Here they come! You don't realize what 500 soldiers looks like.
As the home cooks go to war Hurry up, guys! To feed American heroes.
Come on! And one more MasterChef hopeful is cut from the ranks.