MasterChef Junior (2013) s05e15 Episode Script
The Semi Finals
1 Announcer: Previously, when the competition hit high gear Captain, four scallops away, table one! All: Yes, Chef! the pressure of running a pop-up restaurant Flip, go, go, go.
I can't flip these.
I can't flip them.
Cydney, are you okay? I'm not sure if she can handle the stress.
- Is it burnt? - proved too much Terrible! Adam, take over.
for Cydney and the red team Yesterday, it was sink or swim.
- as she joined Evan - Bye, guys.
on the "MasterChef Junior" chopping block.
Tonight, it's the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
In a two-hour "MasterChef" special Gordon: This is it! the top four battle it out for a place in the ultimate showdown, where they'll face culinary legends Please welcome, Wolfgang Puck and Martha Stewart! for the title of America's MasterChef Junior.
The winner is - Yeah! - Oh, my God, there's only four of you! Shayne: This is huge! I'm in the semifinals of the biggest cooking competition in the world! I'm one step closer to the Super Bowl.
Let's go, let's go, let's go! Oh, my God, there's, like, no people.
Justise: I've done so many big things this competition.
I've won more challenges than anybody, but this is the semifinals.
I've got my work cut out for me with these three other chefs.
Shayne, Adam, Jasmine, Justise, you have all officially made it to the semifinals of "MasterChef Junior.
" Well done! Now, your first challenge of the semifinal revolves around an ingredient that I love, you love, and all of America loves.
And it's the foundation for so many treasured - desserts.
- Aww! What is it? Christina: It is ( squealing ) - Chocolate! - ( squealing ) ( laughs ) Shayne, does it taste good? Mm-hmm.
( chuckles ) Gordon: Amazing.
Now, before we give you your challenge tonight, Christina and I wanted to treat you for all your hard work.
( gasping ) - What are we gonna eat? - You know I'm hungry.
Ooh, buddy.
Please, come around and have a seat.
- Out of my way.
- ( laughing ) ( all gasping ) Prepare to be inspired.
- ( shrieking ) - Oh, my gosh! Gordon: Now you each have a very decadent, delicious, chocolate molten lava cake with a berry coulis.
Oh, yeah! Adam: This lava cake is beautiful.
I just want to dive right in.
All of you, dig in.
Adam: Thank you! ( laughs ) Jasmine: Oh, yeah.
Shayne: Oh, ho, ho.
Look at all that oozy goodness.
Shayne: It's like a chocolate bath.
Jasmine: Something is telling me that we could be making this chocolate molten lava cake, so I'm picking up all the tiny and small details.
Right, how delicious was that? Can I get a to-go box? So I hope you were all enjoying that dark chocolate molten lava cake with your palates on high alert, because what you just ate, you'll now have to recreate to perfection.
Please, head to your stations.
Making a molten lava cake is like a science experiment.
You have to have the right proportions.
You have to have the right temp on the oven.
You have to have it cooked for the proper amount of time, and if one of those things go wrong, you blow up your lab.
Christina: Now, the winner of this challenge will get a huge advantage.
It could very well win you a spot in the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
Now you'll all have just 35 minutes to make us one flawless, MasterChef-worthy molten lava cake.
So your desserts need to be down here at the end of 35 minutes.
Understood? All: Yes, Chef! Your 35 minutes starts now! These are four of the most talented youngsters we've ever had in this kitchen.
At this point I've got no idea which two are gonna make the grand finale.
I think that's a little bit too much.
Gordon: Now, Christina, how do you master this molten lava cake? Christina: Right off the bat, these home cooks need to prepare their batter.
Almost there.
Cream the butter, the sugar, add the eggs.
- Oh, gosh.
- Mix in luscious melted milk chocolate.
It's baked in the oven for 15 minutes.
Strategy is key.
You've got two ovens, four ramekins, and a batch of molten lava cake batter.
I'm using both ovens, and I am staggering the time with which those molten lava cakes go in.
You've got four tries to get it right.
Putting all four in at the same time, you've left yourself no room for error.
- How you going, Jasmine? - Good, you? Good.
Right, young lady, how you feeling? - I am feeling great, Chef.
- Here's the thing, you left this competition on baking.
You came back with a vengeance.
- We're into the semifinal.
- Yes, Chef.
Is this your time now, do you think? Yes, Chef, I definitely think that it's my time, and I'm gonna show you guys that I can bake, I can cook, and that I deserve to win.
- Good luck, young lady.
- Thank you.
Christina: Adam.
- Hi! - In my mind, you are the technician of this competition.
So, this challenge is yours to win if you nail it.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Gordon: 15 minutes to go, guys.
Christina: Guys, those ramekins need to go in the ovens here in the next minute or two.
Otherwise, you will not have a molten lava anything.
Justise is still filling her molds up.
Justise, they've got to go in the oven.
Right, young man, how you feeling? - Good, Chef.
- Tell me about the molten lava cake.
- You got two in each oven? - Yes, Chef.
My strategy is do two different batches.
If something goes wrong, I want to be able to have a backup plan.
- Good luck.
Let's go.
- Thank you.
All right, Justise.
Semifinals, molten lava cake.
Now, strategy, what did you do? Two ovens, staggered times, what do you got? Well, I planned on doing that, but I didn't have enough time.
I got them all in at the same time.
- So they're not staggered-- - One oven, the same time? Yes, Chef.
- All four? - Yes, Chef.
I just, I didn't have enough time to get them into different ovens.
I'm worried for you, because you don't have an insurance policy.
Yes, I know.
- I'm not a big baker.
- All right.
- Stay confident, stay steady.
- Yes, Chef.
- You can do this.
- Yes, Chef.
Christina: Just over five minutes to go, guys.
This is it.
I mean, incredible.
Christina: I'll tell you, I thought Justise was the all-around home cook.
That took a while.
But baking has thrown the girl for a tailspin.
- Jasmine.
- Where's the ice? Adam: In the bottom of the fridge.
I mean, the girl left this competition on baking, and now, back with a vengeance.
I mean, come on, seriously? I need the lid.
Shayne.
This guy's an amazing savory chef.
His desserts is a bit of an Achilles heel for him, so I'm seriously concerned.
Christina: Adam, our technician, he makes molten lava cakes at home all the time.
Now sometimes that can turn you inside out in one of these kitchens because the heat of the competition is tricky.
Gordon: This is it! 60 seconds remaining.
- Let's go.
- It's not even coming out.
Christina: Guys, you gotta move.
Nobody is out yet of the oven.
Shayne, forget the berries! Focus on the molten lava cake.
Powdered sugar dusting.
You've got to be down on the front.
Look, Jasmine's is out.
They look beautiful.
Gordon: 30 seconds to go.
Take it to your plates! Come on, Justise! Invert it, invert it! Come on, you can do it! Gordon: You gotta tip it out, Justise.
Well done, Jasmine.
Christina: You gotta move, guys.
Gordon: Let's go.
Let's go, Shayne! Come on, go, go, go! I couldn't even.
It just fell apart.
Gordon: Ten, nine, eight Shayne, get up here! Six! Come on, Shayne! - Go, go, go, go, go, go! - Judges: Three, two, one! Gordon: This is it! You've got to be down on the front.
Ten, nine, eight Shayne, get up here! Six! Come on, Shayne! - Go, go, go, go, go, go! - Judges: Three, two, one! Gordon: And stop! Man! - Gordon: Shayne the Train! - Christina: Shayne! That is the fastest train I've seen move.
Well done! Oh, my God, look at mine.
( panting ) I think that I did a pretty good job.
I got all the components on the plate, but it all comes down to that chocolate molten lava cake.
You don't know how it looks until you take that first slice.
If this cut isn't perfect, it could ruin my chance of winning this advantage, and I need it.
Well done, all of you.
Okay, first up, Shayne.
First of all, half a second to go, and you got down here.
Well done.
- How you feeling? - I'm feeling really good, but I did not get the fruit on the plate.
Okay.
How long was it cooked for? Uh, 12 minutes.
Did you cook them all at the same time or did you separate them? I separated them.
Some may cook faster than the others, and I wanted to have a backup plan in case one doesn't turn out the way I want it to.
Smart boy.
- Let's get in there, shall we? - Yes, Chef.
Already the spoon feels like it's going into a bathtub of chocolate.
( chuckles ) That is stunning.
That, young man is delicious.
Great job.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Amazing.
Good job, bud.
All right, over to Jasmine.
Jasmine, up and down this table the most beautiful molten lava cake that I can see.
Now, which molten lava cake is on this plate and which ones are left at your station? I have the 12-minute molten lava cake on the plate right now.
My 14 minute lava cakes are left at my station.
They weren't off the rims like I wanted them to, so I knew that they wouldn't come off easily.
- Smart girl.
- So when I saw that this looked pretty good, I was thinking "I'll just go with this one.
" Now, Jasmine, let's do this.
Yes, Chef.
- Beautiful.
- Where did you come from? It's gooey.
It's perfectly molten lava.
- Thank you.
- Young lady, we asked you to bring it tonight and you brought it.
Thank you.
This is gonna be close.
- Thank you.
- Good job.
Good job to you, too.
Now young man, I'm gonna get straight to the point.
We wouldn't send that in our restaurants.
What happened, big man? My batter, like, it just was refusing to set.
Yeah.
Here's the thing.
You know, when you've got five minutes to go, and you look in the oven, and it's not working, what do you do? - Turn up the heat.
- Exactly that.
And you didn't do that.
- Yes.
- Right.
Let's dig in, shall we? Damn.
Undercooked.
Here's the thing, Adam.
You know, plate, garnish, coulis-- beautiful.
- But what's the hero? - The molten lava cake.
And that's sadly not up to the MasterChef standards.
Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
Justise.
I-- you know, I can tell just by looking at it it didn't work out.
I can see in your eyes that your upset.
You're making me upset.
What happened? It was just hard.
What was hard? Everything.
I tried to flip it.
It was very hot.
I burned myself.
I think it just got to me.
How long did this bake for? About 12 minutes, but then I flipped it and it just kind of, like, fell.
I didn't have a backup plan.
I just had to, like, let it go, but I didn't have time, so I just had to bring it up here.
Okay.
It's not over.
It's really all about the flavor at this point.
Batter's delicious.
It's nice and smooth and creamy.
Flavor-wise, I don't really have a bad thing to say about it.
The issue is it just needed a lot more time to bake.
You know, for me it's a shock, and it's only because you've been strong and confident this entire competition.
Tonight, it didn't work out.
But there's one thing I know from you, it's that you know how to fight, and you know how to recover.
Stay with it, okay? ( whispering ) Gordon: Okay, all four of you.
That was tough.
But only one of you will be the recipient of this game-changing advantage that puts you in the driver's seat, and literally dictates the rest of this competition.
The person who will get a huge advantage in the second part of the "MasterChef Junior" semifinals, congratulations Two of you really impressed us, but the person who will get a huge advantage in the second part of the "MasterChef Junior" semifinals Congratulations Jasmine.
Thank you.
Picture perfect.
Master class.
You nailed it.
All of you, well done.
But there's no time to waste.
We have another huge challenge tonight that will determine which two home cooks will make it through to the grand finale of "MasterChef Junior.
" Let's go.
I am so disappointed in myself right now.
but I'm definitely gonna use my struggle from the lava cake to be my ammunition to push me through this next challenge.
Wow, Jasmine.
Congratulations on winning the most important challenge so far in this entire competition.
- Thank you.
- This the semifinal of "MasterChef Junior," and you, young lady, are now firmly in control of what happens next.
In front of us we have four incredibly talented young home cooks.
Four different boxes.
Four strategic choices.
Tonight, each home cook will have to take one of the most popular meats in the entire world and turn it into a delicious dish that is so good that it will catapult you into the grand finale of "MasterChef Junior.
" - Yeah! - The first animal protein, it's one of the most versatile proteins a chef can hope to work with.
- Beef! - Yeah! - Christina: Beef.
- Yes! A stellar protein to work with.
It holds a bunch of different temperatures.
It's incredibly versatile, but whoever's cooking beef tonight, they have to nail their technique, and they have to hone in on that flavor.
The next choice is something I just love to pig out on.
- Pork.
- Pork! A blank canvas for nice, light, brighter flavors.
The thing about pork is that everyone knows there's only one temperature with pork, and that is perfection.
Gordon: The next one may surprise you.
Approximately 200 million pounds of this meat is sold - every year in the US.
- ( whistles ) I'm talking about - lamb.
- I love lamb.
Incredible protein.
However, unforgiving.
Turns dreadfully gray the minute you overcook it, and a very tough protein to nail.
- Yes! - Now, the last choice, based on the number of people across the world that eat it, this delicious, incredible meat is the most popular protein on the planet.
I'm talking about - Goat! - Oh, my gosh.
It can hold flavor.
It's robust.
But cooked perfectly? A showstopper.
Get it wrong, and it may just get you your ticket home.
Oh, my gosh! Have any of you ever cooked with goat before? - No.
- Gordon: Never? Ever tasted it before? Shayne: People walk goats up and down our street, but people don't eat goats in Texas.
I mean, that's just not a thing.
- Gordon: Jasmine.
- Yes, Chef.
You, of course, do have to cook in this next challenge.
But you do have a major advantage, young lady.
It's gonna be up to you to decide on who cooks with what protein.
- Really? - Yes.
Now, Jasmine, it's time to make your choices.
- Yes, Chef.
- First up is yourself.
Christina: Think about your strategy very carefully, Jasmine.
Think about setting yourself up for success.
Jasmine: It's go big or go home.
I'm here to win this competition and make it to the top two, so I'm going to take all the risks that I can to get there.
Young lady, place your name on the protein you would like.
- Wow.
- Dang it.
I wanted that lamb.
Even though I know that lamb is one of the most difficult meats in this challenge, it is easy to elevate.
- Good pick, Jasmine.
- Right.
Next up, Adam.
Jasmine: I definitely think that Adam is a front-runner in this competition and I think that he has wonderful potential to make it to the finale and even win.
I'm giving Adam beef, even though it's one of the easiest cuts of meat here.
I think that he'll stick with a classic, but not really something that is out of the box to impress the judges.
Gordon: Now, clearly, you're picking for both because wherever you place Justise, automatically know what Shayne's picking up.
Shayne, do not stare her out.
Let her make her own decision.
We have pork and goat.
Goat is a nightmare.
Pork you can do with your eyes closed.
Young lady, where are you going? Now, Jasmine, just Shayne and Justise remain.
Goat is on the table.
Pork is on the table.
So what are you thinking? I am giving Justise this cut of meat because I want to see her in the finale and I think that she can do a good job with it.
Gordon: Off you go.
- Yes! - Yes! - Yes! - Hold on a minute.
Justise, you're saying "Yes!" Why? I want to get into the finale, and I think that I can do a lot with that goat.
Gordon: Wow.
Next up, you know exactly where it's going.
Walk up and place it down, please.
Thank you, my darling.
Ha ha ha! Gordon: Shayne, how do you feel? Happy! I love pork! - No, you don't.
- Yes, I do! Right, you'll all have 60 minutes tonight to create one stunning dish that can get you a spot in the grand finale of "MasterChef Junior," using the protein that Jasmine assigned you all.
- Is everybody ready? - Yes, Chef! Your time starts - Now! Let's go.
- Go, go, go, go! Move, Shayne.
Move, Shayne! - Gordon: Let's go.
- Take the bottom one.
Adam, get your meat.
Adam: I know.
I can't believe I'm actually touching goat right now.
Where's the butcher paper? Adam: I absolutely did not want the beef.
It's, like, the hardest cut to elevate, so I'm going to need to take some risks.
I'm going to have to pick the most daring cut of beef Let's go! I need mushrooms.
Mushrooms.
pick some pretty daring sides Where's balsamic vinegar? and do something super special with the sauce.
Where is the-- ugh! - Let's go, guys.
- Go, go, go, go! - Gordon: Okay.
- Aah, I can barely carry this! Okay, good.
Wow.
- Oh, my.
- Boiling water! Jasmine: Go, go, go, go, go Pressure cooker, I need it now.
I need the pressure cooker, like, now.
Now, Gordon, come on.
Jasmine was given full control of what each home cook cooked tonight, and she gave herself lamb, Though it's a bold move, you've gotta put your best foot forward, and I don't know that it was the smartest move on Jasmine's behalf.
I disagree.
I think it's a very smart move.
She's gonna take one of the most difficult proteins to nail, and that says a lot about her.
She's trying to send a message out to everyone.
Christina: But listen, she gave beef, for me, the easiest, most beautiful protein there to nail, to Adam, who I believe is one of her strongest competitors.
- Why, oh, why? - It's almost like a slap in the face.
"Take the beef, the easiest one.
" But it can't be boring.
It needs to be restaurant quality, MasterChef finale-worthy, so I think he may end up taking it too comfortably.
- Ooh! - Christina: Now, goat.
- My favorite.
- Most consumed meat in the world, - but not a protein - Huge.
that Justise, who's cooking with it tonight, is at all familiar with.
Goat is one of the most delicious proteins if you get it right, but does she know how to get it tender? Does she understand the gaminess that you find in goat? - And that's what worries me.
- But if she gets this right, that girl deserves her spot in the finale.
- How you doing, Jasmine? - Good, you? - Good.
- Christina: Shayne she gave pork.
Now come on.
Mr.
Bacon.
- Yep.
- If this guy knows one protein, - it's pork.
- Sure.
Now he's cooked it thousands of times.
He's eaten it thousands of times, and he loves it.
But here's the thing: does he know enough to elevate it beyond what he knows? Come on.
Of course he does! Do not underestimate Shayne the Train.
That train has left the station and he is coming at you full speed.
20 minutes down, 40 minutes to go.
We are looking for the most high-end best dish you have ever cooked in this kitchen tonight.
And for two of you, a spot in the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
Let's go.
All right, Shayne, tell me what's on the dish.
Tonight I am making a grilled pork chop with maple soy glaze, - chipotle sweet potato mash.
- Okay.
I'm also going to make an apple coleslaw.
- Now why the chop? - Because, when I think of pork chops, I think of a relaxing Sunday night, - Yeah.
- with the family, but I really-- But you can't go there tonight.
I can't, so I really have to step it up, and make sure that everything is perfect.
- Okay.
- When I get going, there's no stopping me.
Keep it going, bud.
Good luck.
Thank you.
Young lady, you've taken lamb, one of the most difficult things to get right.
There's no going back.
Once it's cooked, it's done.
Why didn't you make it a little bit easier for yourself tonight? Well, because if you want to go easy, then there's really no reason for you to be here in this competition.
- What's the dish? - So, today you have a Mediterranean-style rack of lamb, pickled bell peppers and shallots, herb couscous, and an olive purée.
I really want to show you guys something different, and not just stick with my Jamaican flavor that I have.
Right.
Confident you could nail this one? - Yes, Chef.
- Good luck.
Thank you.
Gordon: 18 minutes remaining.
Taste everything, and ask yourself this: "Is what I'm doing good enough to get me into the grand finale?" - Christina: Adam.
- Hey.
Beef.
Easily the home run protein to be cooking with tonight.
Now what's this dish? So I'm doing the seared rib cap with a mushroom ragout, some seared asparagus, a fennel purée, and endive three ways.
Now have you ever cooked this cut of beef before? Never.
Why choose that protein going in blind? It has such beautiful marbling, and I feel that it's got a ton of flavor.
- Okay, good luck.
- Thank you.
- Right, young lady, how you feeling? - Hi.
Really, really, really good.
Pressure cooker.
Cooking blind? Because I think that the pressure cooker is gonna give it lots of juices and flavor.
- What's the dish? - I'm making vadouvan goat curry, with cilantro-scented rice, - Right.
- and I'm going to top it off with - crispy fried shallots.
- Why vadouvan? I really kind of like that flavor, and I think it's just great-- You've never cooked goat before.
- I know, I know.
- What does it taste of? - You haven't tasted it.
- No, Chef.
Tell me you've got the rack.
You've got something nice and rich and sumptuous.
- I got the leg.
- What? Seriously? I've cooked this a thousand times, and it takes hours to get right.
Why leg in 60 minutes? Are you crazy? Why leg in 60 minutes? Are you crazy? - No, Chef.
- So you're cooking me something.
You're hoping to get into the finale.
- You haven't tasted it.
- Yes, Chef.
No, Chef.
Why not go for the rack, cook a little bit off, taste it and then evolve the dish? I don't know, I think the leg just caught my attention.
You have, young lady, 15 minutes, yeah? - Yes, Chef.
- You're going left, home, or right, into the finale.
Where you going? - Right.
- Right on.
Let's go.
Wow, four fantastic dishes.
Incredible.
So Jasmine's doing this Mediterranean take of a rack of lamb.
The marinade, the herbs, the fragrance.
It sounds incredible, but it's gonna be a tough one to pull off.
Shayne is working with a pork chop tonight.
- Gordon: Wow.
- He's grilled these pork chops beautifully, and he's making a slaw.
Is it elevated enough? - He can't fall into his comfort level.
- Sure.
Totally agree.
Justise, you know, she's got work cut out.
A goat curry? I mean, good curry needs two or three hours to mature, so I'm really nervous about her.
This looks delicious.
Christina: Now Adam is very well aware that he needed to take a risk, which is why he's cooking the rib cap.
Rib cap? It's so difficult to get right.
Christina: It's very difficult to get tender.
- There's sinew and fat running through it, - That's right.
which can be very delicious, if treated properly.
Gordon: That's my worry.
Five minutes remaining.
This is it.
Perfection only will get you into the finale.
What is that? Is he cooking it again? Oh, no.
- Let it rest.
- That's not how it works.
Gordon: Shayne's pork chops are out of the oven.
They look beautiful.
Cut, let's go.
Jasmine has cut through her lamb.
- Is it cooked, Christina? - I hope so.
60 seconds remaining, and for two of you, your last minute inside the MasterChef kitchen.
Come on, guys.
Come on, guys.
You can do this.
Gordon: Let's go.
Why is he poking the pork chop with the thermometer? He has two pork chops.
He can test one.
Why would you cook two if you're not gonna cut into one? Ten Judges: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, - one! - Gordon: And stop! Judges: Hands in the air! Well done.
Now, tonight, we asked Jasmine to assign all of you one of the world's most popular meats.
It's time to find out which two young home cooks are going into the MasterChef grand finale.
Let's start with the girl who had everyone's fate in their hands, Jasmine.
( applause ) So, Jasmine, what's the dish? So today, you have a Mediterranean-style rack of lamb, herb couscous, an olive purée, and some pickled bell peppers.
Now how did you cook this beautiful rack of lamb? Well, I pan-seared it, and then I basted it with some butter and some garlic.
This cut of meat, it's so difficult to get right, so I knew that if I was just able to watch over it and care for it, I knew that it would cook perfectly.
If you've nailed it, you could have a place in the finale.
- It's beautiful.
- Thank you.
Nice even sear all the way around.
You can still see those juices.
Let's take a bite.
Mmm! That olive tapenade is such a welcoming flavor.
It's bright.
The fennel is so smart.
What would I do differently? I think that your peppers here could be sliced a lot more thin.
But, girl, you nailed the lamb.
- Thank you.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
- ( applause ) Okay, young lady.
Every time I see couscous it's served with a neck of lamb, but never really with a rack, so, bit of a weird combination.
However, tapenade, beautiful, and the lamb is just breathtaking.
It's definitely one of the best cooked proteins ever in this competition.
Well done.
- Thank you.
- Justise: Good job, Jas! - Good job, Jas.
- Thanks.
Gordon: Next up, Adam, please.
Let's go.
Adam: I took a risk using the rib cap tonight because I really want to prove to the judges that I can really elevate and make a complex piece of meat.
Describe the dish, please.
It is a grilled rib cap with mushroom ragout sauce, endive two ways, fennel endive purée, and pan seared asparagus.
Bold move.
Great choice, rib cap.
One of my favorites.
But you did something really strange earlier, when you took it off the grill and then put it on a tray and sort of baked it.
- See these white bits of fat on there? - Yes.
It's not the kind of meat you bake.
It's the kind of meat you baste to get this fat rendered down.
Adam, here's the thing.
Adam, meat not cooked the way it should be.
The endive needs more seasoning.
It's a very tough vegetable to get right, and I'd never purée an endive.
It breaks my heart to say this, but this is one of your weakest performances.
All right, Adam.
Now why endive? I really like the way the crispiness of the endive pairs with the butteriness of rib cap.
Hmm.
I think that you have some really elegant elements on this plate.
That mushroom jus, that sauce, is delicious.
It's beautiful.
The sort of Asian braised endive is nice.
The asparagus is beautiful and green, which I love, but the steak needs to be the star, and I think you got a little lost.
But overall, really nice job.
Thank you.
Adam: I'm upset with myself.
I knew I needed to take risks, but it didn't pay off.
To come to the semifinals and not get into the finale, it would be heartbreaking.
Next up, please.
Justise, let's go.
Even though I've never cooked or even eaten goat before, I think that this is gonna be my redemption from my molten lava cake.
I had the hardest protein, so if I nailed it and the judges love the flavors, I've definitely got myself in the finale.
Right, young lady, describe the dish, please.
You have vadouvan goat curry, with cilantro scented rice topped off with crispy shallots.
The color of that meat is beautiful.
How long did you cook it for? Well, first off I seared it, very quickly, and then I let it sit in the pressure cooker for a little over 30 minutes.
You made this in an hour? Yes, Chef.
- Justise.
- ( exhales ) The meat is incredible.
- Thank you.
- It is fragrant.
It is spicy.
It is sweet.
It is sour.
It is absolutely phenomenal.
Honestly, I think that's one of your best dishes so far.
- Amazing job.
Well done.
- Thank you.
Christina: All right, Justise.
- You nailed it.
- Thank you.
You took something that is not normally elevated and you brought it to another level.
That micro sorrel on top, those fried shallots, that showed that you put finesse into every single element.
And the flavors don't lie.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
Next up, Shayne, please.
Let's go.
Shayne: Jasmine gave a country boy who eats pork all the time pork.
She basically was handing me a finale spot.
Okay, young man, describe the dish, please.
So I did a grilled pork chop with a maple soy glaze, chipotle sweet potato mash, and an apple slaw.
Right.
You did something earlier, young man.
- You cooked two chops.
- Yes, Chef.
You put one on a plate.
You didn't even cut into the other one.
You didn't even check to see if it was cooked properly.
So if I open this pork chop, and it's undercooked, and you've got a spare one sat on your bench, I'm gonna kick you up the butt.
- Yes, Chef.
- Because you could have put it back in the oven - if it was undercooked.
- Yes, Chef.
Let's go.
What color am I looking for? It should be white and glistening in the middle.
Turn around, please.
Shayne, look at the pork.
Shayne, look at the pork.
Beautiful.
I mean, really beautiful.
It's glistening, it's juicy.
I mean, seriously, that's fit to go in any top restaurant in New York, let alone London or Paris.
What was the seasoning on the pork? I did salt and pepper, but then I also glazed it with maple syrup, soy sauce, and juice of an orange.
Mmm.
Wow, let's get one thing right.
The actual protein you've nailed, young man.
The glaze, beautiful.
Love the fact that you've even gone out of your way to crisscross underneath and on top.
Unfortunately, I was let down with the sides.
When you've got a pork chop like that, the last thing you do is stick a slaw on there.
- Yes, Chef.
- But - the hero is what? - The pork.
The hero is you, young man.
Great job.
- Thank you.
- Well done.
Amazing.
- Whoo! - ( applause ) The slaw, I struggle with.
It already, just on the plate, just looks a little messy.
It doesn't look as refined as it could be.
And then the sweet potato purée, I wish it had more seasoning.
But the pork chop is delicious.
- You nailed the star.
- ( chuckles ) You're gonna be a real contender for them.
Shayne: Thank you.
Gordon: All of you, please, step down to the front.
Let's go.
Right, you four, well done.
Right now, Christina and I need a minute to determine who is going in to the MasterChef finale.
Please excuse us.
I don't know.
Christina: I can't-- I mean-- I know, I know.
- This is not easy, Gordon.
- No.
Adam, the rib cap.
Christina: He was given the easiest piece of protein to cook, and he didn't use it to his advantage.
- Gordon: Yeah, but-- - No matter what happens after this, we made it into the top four.
Justise nailed that curry.
Goat, a protein that no one knows in America, and she comes up with curry.
That's not a fluke.
Jasmine and I, we're the exact same.
We nailed our protein and our sides were so-so.
For me, it's between Jasmine and Shayne.
Gordon: They both did a great job.
Christina: Jasmine, rack of lamb.
Gordon: Cooked like a pro.
Garnish could have been a little bit more exciting.
- Couscous, tapenade.
- Finesse on that dish for me, ehh.
It needed a little bit more, but beautifully done.
- Good job, Shayne.
- You too.
- Christina: Shayne.
- Gordon: He focused so much on that pork chop, he forgot everything else around it.
And we have to judge him for everything he puts on that plate.
But, Gordon, the star of the dish was the pork chop, and he nailed it.
No matter what happens, you did good.
You did good, you did good, and I did good.
Christina, only two can go into the grand finale.
Let's go.
Tonight reaffirms we have four incredible, talented individuals in the semifinal.
Unfortunately, only two of you can move in to the finale of "MasterChef Junior.
" Our first finalist, based on those dishes, congratulations goes to Justise.
Congratulations.
Yay! I am so proud of myself right now.
Earlier tonight, I was at my lowest, but now I'm the first finalist in the finale! Sadly, there's only room for one more young home cook in the finale.
There was one dish that stood out just a little bit above the rest tonight.
The other home cook headed into the finale, of the biggest cooking competition in the world congratulations Jasmine.
Jasmine: Thank you.
Oh, my gosh.
Jasmine, you are officially a finalist.
How do you feel? It's just a dream come true, and I'm just so happy that I'm in the finale, and I'm really, really excited.
Gordon: Jasmine, please take a place next to your fiercest competitor.
- Christina: Adam, Shayne, - ( sniffling ) I mean, my heart is breaking right now.
You both are incredible young men.
You are testaments to your incredible families.
Adam, your ability, your desire to want to take risks and challenge the rules is really impressive.
I have no doubt that your dream for your test kitchen is going to come true.
Gordon: Shayne, you know, not only are you one of the most lovable characters, but you and I have got a big connect.
Do you know why? 'Cause you put your heart and soul into everything you do.
This is why we started this competition, based on boys like you, you know that.
Good man.
Come on up here.
Come here, bud.
Oh, man.
I'll see you in Texas, buddy.
We'll gonna go hunting together.
- Promise? - Yes, Chef.
Yes, Chef.
Oh, man! - Promise you won't stop, yeah? - Thank you.
You are an outstanding human being.
- Thank you.
- Okay? You remember that.
- Thank you.
- Give me a hug before you leave.
- Thank you.
- Good night, guys.
You're welcome.
Take care.
( sighs ) You did really good in this competition, guys.
Good job, guys.
- Come on, Adam.
We're fine.
- ( sniffling ) I'm sad to be leaving the MasterChef kitchen.
- Adam.
- Thank you.
But this is definitely going to be a time of my life that I'll never forget.
- Snake! - ( girls scream ) False alarm! I've grown so much since I first came here.
I've never done anything close to what he's doing right now.
- I'm very impressed.
- I've gone from being 12-year-old science guy from Sacramento, California, to being a bona fide chef.
Edward Lee: He's actually taking the salmon and scoring it.
That's a pro move.
Shayne: I've put my heart and soul into everything in this competition.
- Huh! - I represented Texas as best as I can.
Try the moo-moo.
- Moo! - Mmm! That's how you cook beef the right way.
Thank you, Chef.
I mean, who thought a little kid from Texas would make the best vegan burger? If I was you, I'd turn vegan.
No, Chef.
Adam: I'm really proud of myself.
I've done so much more than I ever thought I could.
- Gordon: Look at that.
- Wow.
I've gotten to cook with some of the greatest chefs in the world.
Whoa! Now I have friends all over the country, even though we had our bumps in the road.
- Wake up, then! - Yes, Chef! ( squealing ) I've had so much fun, win or lose.
It smells good, Adam.
three, red team! - Oh, my gosh! - ( giggling ) All in all, how many kids can say they got into the semifinals of the biggest cooking competition in the world? Not many.
God had a plan no matter what happened, so I really think that if it was my time to go Good-bye! it's my time to go.
Announcer: Coming up This is the "MasterChef Junior" finale! Jasmine and Justise go head to head in the ultimate culinary showdown.
Justise: I am steps away from the trophy, steps away from the title.
Announcer: But only one will win $100,000 This is easily the most beautiful dish.
It is so delicious.
and the title of America's MasterChef Junior.
Jasmine: I have to win this competition.
This could change my entire life.
- Congratulations - ( cheering )
I can't flip these.
I can't flip them.
Cydney, are you okay? I'm not sure if she can handle the stress.
- Is it burnt? - proved too much Terrible! Adam, take over.
for Cydney and the red team Yesterday, it was sink or swim.
- as she joined Evan - Bye, guys.
on the "MasterChef Junior" chopping block.
Tonight, it's the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
In a two-hour "MasterChef" special Gordon: This is it! the top four battle it out for a place in the ultimate showdown, where they'll face culinary legends Please welcome, Wolfgang Puck and Martha Stewart! for the title of America's MasterChef Junior.
The winner is - Yeah! - Oh, my God, there's only four of you! Shayne: This is huge! I'm in the semifinals of the biggest cooking competition in the world! I'm one step closer to the Super Bowl.
Let's go, let's go, let's go! Oh, my God, there's, like, no people.
Justise: I've done so many big things this competition.
I've won more challenges than anybody, but this is the semifinals.
I've got my work cut out for me with these three other chefs.
Shayne, Adam, Jasmine, Justise, you have all officially made it to the semifinals of "MasterChef Junior.
" Well done! Now, your first challenge of the semifinal revolves around an ingredient that I love, you love, and all of America loves.
And it's the foundation for so many treasured - desserts.
- Aww! What is it? Christina: It is ( squealing ) - Chocolate! - ( squealing ) ( laughs ) Shayne, does it taste good? Mm-hmm.
( chuckles ) Gordon: Amazing.
Now, before we give you your challenge tonight, Christina and I wanted to treat you for all your hard work.
( gasping ) - What are we gonna eat? - You know I'm hungry.
Ooh, buddy.
Please, come around and have a seat.
- Out of my way.
- ( laughing ) ( all gasping ) Prepare to be inspired.
- ( shrieking ) - Oh, my gosh! Gordon: Now you each have a very decadent, delicious, chocolate molten lava cake with a berry coulis.
Oh, yeah! Adam: This lava cake is beautiful.
I just want to dive right in.
All of you, dig in.
Adam: Thank you! ( laughs ) Jasmine: Oh, yeah.
Shayne: Oh, ho, ho.
Look at all that oozy goodness.
Shayne: It's like a chocolate bath.
Jasmine: Something is telling me that we could be making this chocolate molten lava cake, so I'm picking up all the tiny and small details.
Right, how delicious was that? Can I get a to-go box? So I hope you were all enjoying that dark chocolate molten lava cake with your palates on high alert, because what you just ate, you'll now have to recreate to perfection.
Please, head to your stations.
Making a molten lava cake is like a science experiment.
You have to have the right proportions.
You have to have the right temp on the oven.
You have to have it cooked for the proper amount of time, and if one of those things go wrong, you blow up your lab.
Christina: Now, the winner of this challenge will get a huge advantage.
It could very well win you a spot in the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
Now you'll all have just 35 minutes to make us one flawless, MasterChef-worthy molten lava cake.
So your desserts need to be down here at the end of 35 minutes.
Understood? All: Yes, Chef! Your 35 minutes starts now! These are four of the most talented youngsters we've ever had in this kitchen.
At this point I've got no idea which two are gonna make the grand finale.
I think that's a little bit too much.
Gordon: Now, Christina, how do you master this molten lava cake? Christina: Right off the bat, these home cooks need to prepare their batter.
Almost there.
Cream the butter, the sugar, add the eggs.
- Oh, gosh.
- Mix in luscious melted milk chocolate.
It's baked in the oven for 15 minutes.
Strategy is key.
You've got two ovens, four ramekins, and a batch of molten lava cake batter.
I'm using both ovens, and I am staggering the time with which those molten lava cakes go in.
You've got four tries to get it right.
Putting all four in at the same time, you've left yourself no room for error.
- How you going, Jasmine? - Good, you? Good.
Right, young lady, how you feeling? - I am feeling great, Chef.
- Here's the thing, you left this competition on baking.
You came back with a vengeance.
- We're into the semifinal.
- Yes, Chef.
Is this your time now, do you think? Yes, Chef, I definitely think that it's my time, and I'm gonna show you guys that I can bake, I can cook, and that I deserve to win.
- Good luck, young lady.
- Thank you.
Christina: Adam.
- Hi! - In my mind, you are the technician of this competition.
So, this challenge is yours to win if you nail it.
- Good luck.
- Thank you.
Gordon: 15 minutes to go, guys.
Christina: Guys, those ramekins need to go in the ovens here in the next minute or two.
Otherwise, you will not have a molten lava anything.
Justise is still filling her molds up.
Justise, they've got to go in the oven.
Right, young man, how you feeling? - Good, Chef.
- Tell me about the molten lava cake.
- You got two in each oven? - Yes, Chef.
My strategy is do two different batches.
If something goes wrong, I want to be able to have a backup plan.
- Good luck.
Let's go.
- Thank you.
All right, Justise.
Semifinals, molten lava cake.
Now, strategy, what did you do? Two ovens, staggered times, what do you got? Well, I planned on doing that, but I didn't have enough time.
I got them all in at the same time.
- So they're not staggered-- - One oven, the same time? Yes, Chef.
- All four? - Yes, Chef.
I just, I didn't have enough time to get them into different ovens.
I'm worried for you, because you don't have an insurance policy.
Yes, I know.
- I'm not a big baker.
- All right.
- Stay confident, stay steady.
- Yes, Chef.
- You can do this.
- Yes, Chef.
Christina: Just over five minutes to go, guys.
This is it.
I mean, incredible.
Christina: I'll tell you, I thought Justise was the all-around home cook.
That took a while.
But baking has thrown the girl for a tailspin.
- Jasmine.
- Where's the ice? Adam: In the bottom of the fridge.
I mean, the girl left this competition on baking, and now, back with a vengeance.
I mean, come on, seriously? I need the lid.
Shayne.
This guy's an amazing savory chef.
His desserts is a bit of an Achilles heel for him, so I'm seriously concerned.
Christina: Adam, our technician, he makes molten lava cakes at home all the time.
Now sometimes that can turn you inside out in one of these kitchens because the heat of the competition is tricky.
Gordon: This is it! 60 seconds remaining.
- Let's go.
- It's not even coming out.
Christina: Guys, you gotta move.
Nobody is out yet of the oven.
Shayne, forget the berries! Focus on the molten lava cake.
Powdered sugar dusting.
You've got to be down on the front.
Look, Jasmine's is out.
They look beautiful.
Gordon: 30 seconds to go.
Take it to your plates! Come on, Justise! Invert it, invert it! Come on, you can do it! Gordon: You gotta tip it out, Justise.
Well done, Jasmine.
Christina: You gotta move, guys.
Gordon: Let's go.
Let's go, Shayne! Come on, go, go, go! I couldn't even.
It just fell apart.
Gordon: Ten, nine, eight Shayne, get up here! Six! Come on, Shayne! - Go, go, go, go, go, go! - Judges: Three, two, one! Gordon: This is it! You've got to be down on the front.
Ten, nine, eight Shayne, get up here! Six! Come on, Shayne! - Go, go, go, go, go, go! - Judges: Three, two, one! Gordon: And stop! Man! - Gordon: Shayne the Train! - Christina: Shayne! That is the fastest train I've seen move.
Well done! Oh, my God, look at mine.
( panting ) I think that I did a pretty good job.
I got all the components on the plate, but it all comes down to that chocolate molten lava cake.
You don't know how it looks until you take that first slice.
If this cut isn't perfect, it could ruin my chance of winning this advantage, and I need it.
Well done, all of you.
Okay, first up, Shayne.
First of all, half a second to go, and you got down here.
Well done.
- How you feeling? - I'm feeling really good, but I did not get the fruit on the plate.
Okay.
How long was it cooked for? Uh, 12 minutes.
Did you cook them all at the same time or did you separate them? I separated them.
Some may cook faster than the others, and I wanted to have a backup plan in case one doesn't turn out the way I want it to.
Smart boy.
- Let's get in there, shall we? - Yes, Chef.
Already the spoon feels like it's going into a bathtub of chocolate.
( chuckles ) That is stunning.
That, young man is delicious.
Great job.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Amazing.
Good job, bud.
All right, over to Jasmine.
Jasmine, up and down this table the most beautiful molten lava cake that I can see.
Now, which molten lava cake is on this plate and which ones are left at your station? I have the 12-minute molten lava cake on the plate right now.
My 14 minute lava cakes are left at my station.
They weren't off the rims like I wanted them to, so I knew that they wouldn't come off easily.
- Smart girl.
- So when I saw that this looked pretty good, I was thinking "I'll just go with this one.
" Now, Jasmine, let's do this.
Yes, Chef.
- Beautiful.
- Where did you come from? It's gooey.
It's perfectly molten lava.
- Thank you.
- Young lady, we asked you to bring it tonight and you brought it.
Thank you.
This is gonna be close.
- Thank you.
- Good job.
Good job to you, too.
Now young man, I'm gonna get straight to the point.
We wouldn't send that in our restaurants.
What happened, big man? My batter, like, it just was refusing to set.
Yeah.
Here's the thing.
You know, when you've got five minutes to go, and you look in the oven, and it's not working, what do you do? - Turn up the heat.
- Exactly that.
And you didn't do that.
- Yes.
- Right.
Let's dig in, shall we? Damn.
Undercooked.
Here's the thing, Adam.
You know, plate, garnish, coulis-- beautiful.
- But what's the hero? - The molten lava cake.
And that's sadly not up to the MasterChef standards.
Yes, Chef.
Thank you.
Justise.
I-- you know, I can tell just by looking at it it didn't work out.
I can see in your eyes that your upset.
You're making me upset.
What happened? It was just hard.
What was hard? Everything.
I tried to flip it.
It was very hot.
I burned myself.
I think it just got to me.
How long did this bake for? About 12 minutes, but then I flipped it and it just kind of, like, fell.
I didn't have a backup plan.
I just had to, like, let it go, but I didn't have time, so I just had to bring it up here.
Okay.
It's not over.
It's really all about the flavor at this point.
Batter's delicious.
It's nice and smooth and creamy.
Flavor-wise, I don't really have a bad thing to say about it.
The issue is it just needed a lot more time to bake.
You know, for me it's a shock, and it's only because you've been strong and confident this entire competition.
Tonight, it didn't work out.
But there's one thing I know from you, it's that you know how to fight, and you know how to recover.
Stay with it, okay? ( whispering ) Gordon: Okay, all four of you.
That was tough.
But only one of you will be the recipient of this game-changing advantage that puts you in the driver's seat, and literally dictates the rest of this competition.
The person who will get a huge advantage in the second part of the "MasterChef Junior" semifinals, congratulations Two of you really impressed us, but the person who will get a huge advantage in the second part of the "MasterChef Junior" semifinals Congratulations Jasmine.
Thank you.
Picture perfect.
Master class.
You nailed it.
All of you, well done.
But there's no time to waste.
We have another huge challenge tonight that will determine which two home cooks will make it through to the grand finale of "MasterChef Junior.
" Let's go.
I am so disappointed in myself right now.
but I'm definitely gonna use my struggle from the lava cake to be my ammunition to push me through this next challenge.
Wow, Jasmine.
Congratulations on winning the most important challenge so far in this entire competition.
- Thank you.
- This the semifinal of "MasterChef Junior," and you, young lady, are now firmly in control of what happens next.
In front of us we have four incredibly talented young home cooks.
Four different boxes.
Four strategic choices.
Tonight, each home cook will have to take one of the most popular meats in the entire world and turn it into a delicious dish that is so good that it will catapult you into the grand finale of "MasterChef Junior.
" - Yeah! - The first animal protein, it's one of the most versatile proteins a chef can hope to work with.
- Beef! - Yeah! - Christina: Beef.
- Yes! A stellar protein to work with.
It holds a bunch of different temperatures.
It's incredibly versatile, but whoever's cooking beef tonight, they have to nail their technique, and they have to hone in on that flavor.
The next choice is something I just love to pig out on.
- Pork.
- Pork! A blank canvas for nice, light, brighter flavors.
The thing about pork is that everyone knows there's only one temperature with pork, and that is perfection.
Gordon: The next one may surprise you.
Approximately 200 million pounds of this meat is sold - every year in the US.
- ( whistles ) I'm talking about - lamb.
- I love lamb.
Incredible protein.
However, unforgiving.
Turns dreadfully gray the minute you overcook it, and a very tough protein to nail.
- Yes! - Now, the last choice, based on the number of people across the world that eat it, this delicious, incredible meat is the most popular protein on the planet.
I'm talking about - Goat! - Oh, my gosh.
It can hold flavor.
It's robust.
But cooked perfectly? A showstopper.
Get it wrong, and it may just get you your ticket home.
Oh, my gosh! Have any of you ever cooked with goat before? - No.
- Gordon: Never? Ever tasted it before? Shayne: People walk goats up and down our street, but people don't eat goats in Texas.
I mean, that's just not a thing.
- Gordon: Jasmine.
- Yes, Chef.
You, of course, do have to cook in this next challenge.
But you do have a major advantage, young lady.
It's gonna be up to you to decide on who cooks with what protein.
- Really? - Yes.
Now, Jasmine, it's time to make your choices.
- Yes, Chef.
- First up is yourself.
Christina: Think about your strategy very carefully, Jasmine.
Think about setting yourself up for success.
Jasmine: It's go big or go home.
I'm here to win this competition and make it to the top two, so I'm going to take all the risks that I can to get there.
Young lady, place your name on the protein you would like.
- Wow.
- Dang it.
I wanted that lamb.
Even though I know that lamb is one of the most difficult meats in this challenge, it is easy to elevate.
- Good pick, Jasmine.
- Right.
Next up, Adam.
Jasmine: I definitely think that Adam is a front-runner in this competition and I think that he has wonderful potential to make it to the finale and even win.
I'm giving Adam beef, even though it's one of the easiest cuts of meat here.
I think that he'll stick with a classic, but not really something that is out of the box to impress the judges.
Gordon: Now, clearly, you're picking for both because wherever you place Justise, automatically know what Shayne's picking up.
Shayne, do not stare her out.
Let her make her own decision.
We have pork and goat.
Goat is a nightmare.
Pork you can do with your eyes closed.
Young lady, where are you going? Now, Jasmine, just Shayne and Justise remain.
Goat is on the table.
Pork is on the table.
So what are you thinking? I am giving Justise this cut of meat because I want to see her in the finale and I think that she can do a good job with it.
Gordon: Off you go.
- Yes! - Yes! - Yes! - Hold on a minute.
Justise, you're saying "Yes!" Why? I want to get into the finale, and I think that I can do a lot with that goat.
Gordon: Wow.
Next up, you know exactly where it's going.
Walk up and place it down, please.
Thank you, my darling.
Ha ha ha! Gordon: Shayne, how do you feel? Happy! I love pork! - No, you don't.
- Yes, I do! Right, you'll all have 60 minutes tonight to create one stunning dish that can get you a spot in the grand finale of "MasterChef Junior," using the protein that Jasmine assigned you all.
- Is everybody ready? - Yes, Chef! Your time starts - Now! Let's go.
- Go, go, go, go! Move, Shayne.
Move, Shayne! - Gordon: Let's go.
- Take the bottom one.
Adam, get your meat.
Adam: I know.
I can't believe I'm actually touching goat right now.
Where's the butcher paper? Adam: I absolutely did not want the beef.
It's, like, the hardest cut to elevate, so I'm going to need to take some risks.
I'm going to have to pick the most daring cut of beef Let's go! I need mushrooms.
Mushrooms.
pick some pretty daring sides Where's balsamic vinegar? and do something super special with the sauce.
Where is the-- ugh! - Let's go, guys.
- Go, go, go, go! - Gordon: Okay.
- Aah, I can barely carry this! Okay, good.
Wow.
- Oh, my.
- Boiling water! Jasmine: Go, go, go, go, go Pressure cooker, I need it now.
I need the pressure cooker, like, now.
Now, Gordon, come on.
Jasmine was given full control of what each home cook cooked tonight, and she gave herself lamb, Though it's a bold move, you've gotta put your best foot forward, and I don't know that it was the smartest move on Jasmine's behalf.
I disagree.
I think it's a very smart move.
She's gonna take one of the most difficult proteins to nail, and that says a lot about her.
She's trying to send a message out to everyone.
Christina: But listen, she gave beef, for me, the easiest, most beautiful protein there to nail, to Adam, who I believe is one of her strongest competitors.
- Why, oh, why? - It's almost like a slap in the face.
"Take the beef, the easiest one.
" But it can't be boring.
It needs to be restaurant quality, MasterChef finale-worthy, so I think he may end up taking it too comfortably.
- Ooh! - Christina: Now, goat.
- My favorite.
- Most consumed meat in the world, - but not a protein - Huge.
that Justise, who's cooking with it tonight, is at all familiar with.
Goat is one of the most delicious proteins if you get it right, but does she know how to get it tender? Does she understand the gaminess that you find in goat? - And that's what worries me.
- But if she gets this right, that girl deserves her spot in the finale.
- How you doing, Jasmine? - Good, you? - Good.
- Christina: Shayne she gave pork.
Now come on.
Mr.
Bacon.
- Yep.
- If this guy knows one protein, - it's pork.
- Sure.
Now he's cooked it thousands of times.
He's eaten it thousands of times, and he loves it.
But here's the thing: does he know enough to elevate it beyond what he knows? Come on.
Of course he does! Do not underestimate Shayne the Train.
That train has left the station and he is coming at you full speed.
20 minutes down, 40 minutes to go.
We are looking for the most high-end best dish you have ever cooked in this kitchen tonight.
And for two of you, a spot in the "MasterChef Junior" finale.
Let's go.
All right, Shayne, tell me what's on the dish.
Tonight I am making a grilled pork chop with maple soy glaze, - chipotle sweet potato mash.
- Okay.
I'm also going to make an apple coleslaw.
- Now why the chop? - Because, when I think of pork chops, I think of a relaxing Sunday night, - Yeah.
- with the family, but I really-- But you can't go there tonight.
I can't, so I really have to step it up, and make sure that everything is perfect.
- Okay.
- When I get going, there's no stopping me.
Keep it going, bud.
Good luck.
Thank you.
Young lady, you've taken lamb, one of the most difficult things to get right.
There's no going back.
Once it's cooked, it's done.
Why didn't you make it a little bit easier for yourself tonight? Well, because if you want to go easy, then there's really no reason for you to be here in this competition.
- What's the dish? - So, today you have a Mediterranean-style rack of lamb, pickled bell peppers and shallots, herb couscous, and an olive purée.
I really want to show you guys something different, and not just stick with my Jamaican flavor that I have.
Right.
Confident you could nail this one? - Yes, Chef.
- Good luck.
Thank you.
Gordon: 18 minutes remaining.
Taste everything, and ask yourself this: "Is what I'm doing good enough to get me into the grand finale?" - Christina: Adam.
- Hey.
Beef.
Easily the home run protein to be cooking with tonight.
Now what's this dish? So I'm doing the seared rib cap with a mushroom ragout, some seared asparagus, a fennel purée, and endive three ways.
Now have you ever cooked this cut of beef before? Never.
Why choose that protein going in blind? It has such beautiful marbling, and I feel that it's got a ton of flavor.
- Okay, good luck.
- Thank you.
- Right, young lady, how you feeling? - Hi.
Really, really, really good.
Pressure cooker.
Cooking blind? Because I think that the pressure cooker is gonna give it lots of juices and flavor.
- What's the dish? - I'm making vadouvan goat curry, with cilantro-scented rice, - Right.
- and I'm going to top it off with - crispy fried shallots.
- Why vadouvan? I really kind of like that flavor, and I think it's just great-- You've never cooked goat before.
- I know, I know.
- What does it taste of? - You haven't tasted it.
- No, Chef.
Tell me you've got the rack.
You've got something nice and rich and sumptuous.
- I got the leg.
- What? Seriously? I've cooked this a thousand times, and it takes hours to get right.
Why leg in 60 minutes? Are you crazy? Why leg in 60 minutes? Are you crazy? - No, Chef.
- So you're cooking me something.
You're hoping to get into the finale.
- You haven't tasted it.
- Yes, Chef.
No, Chef.
Why not go for the rack, cook a little bit off, taste it and then evolve the dish? I don't know, I think the leg just caught my attention.
You have, young lady, 15 minutes, yeah? - Yes, Chef.
- You're going left, home, or right, into the finale.
Where you going? - Right.
- Right on.
Let's go.
Wow, four fantastic dishes.
Incredible.
So Jasmine's doing this Mediterranean take of a rack of lamb.
The marinade, the herbs, the fragrance.
It sounds incredible, but it's gonna be a tough one to pull off.
Shayne is working with a pork chop tonight.
- Gordon: Wow.
- He's grilled these pork chops beautifully, and he's making a slaw.
Is it elevated enough? - He can't fall into his comfort level.
- Sure.
Totally agree.
Justise, you know, she's got work cut out.
A goat curry? I mean, good curry needs two or three hours to mature, so I'm really nervous about her.
This looks delicious.
Christina: Now Adam is very well aware that he needed to take a risk, which is why he's cooking the rib cap.
Rib cap? It's so difficult to get right.
Christina: It's very difficult to get tender.
- There's sinew and fat running through it, - That's right.
which can be very delicious, if treated properly.
Gordon: That's my worry.
Five minutes remaining.
This is it.
Perfection only will get you into the finale.
What is that? Is he cooking it again? Oh, no.
- Let it rest.
- That's not how it works.
Gordon: Shayne's pork chops are out of the oven.
They look beautiful.
Cut, let's go.
Jasmine has cut through her lamb.
- Is it cooked, Christina? - I hope so.
60 seconds remaining, and for two of you, your last minute inside the MasterChef kitchen.
Come on, guys.
Come on, guys.
You can do this.
Gordon: Let's go.
Why is he poking the pork chop with the thermometer? He has two pork chops.
He can test one.
Why would you cook two if you're not gonna cut into one? Ten Judges: Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, - one! - Gordon: And stop! Judges: Hands in the air! Well done.
Now, tonight, we asked Jasmine to assign all of you one of the world's most popular meats.
It's time to find out which two young home cooks are going into the MasterChef grand finale.
Let's start with the girl who had everyone's fate in their hands, Jasmine.
( applause ) So, Jasmine, what's the dish? So today, you have a Mediterranean-style rack of lamb, herb couscous, an olive purée, and some pickled bell peppers.
Now how did you cook this beautiful rack of lamb? Well, I pan-seared it, and then I basted it with some butter and some garlic.
This cut of meat, it's so difficult to get right, so I knew that if I was just able to watch over it and care for it, I knew that it would cook perfectly.
If you've nailed it, you could have a place in the finale.
- It's beautiful.
- Thank you.
Nice even sear all the way around.
You can still see those juices.
Let's take a bite.
Mmm! That olive tapenade is such a welcoming flavor.
It's bright.
The fennel is so smart.
What would I do differently? I think that your peppers here could be sliced a lot more thin.
But, girl, you nailed the lamb.
- Thank you.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
- ( applause ) Okay, young lady.
Every time I see couscous it's served with a neck of lamb, but never really with a rack, so, bit of a weird combination.
However, tapenade, beautiful, and the lamb is just breathtaking.
It's definitely one of the best cooked proteins ever in this competition.
Well done.
- Thank you.
- Justise: Good job, Jas! - Good job, Jas.
- Thanks.
Gordon: Next up, Adam, please.
Let's go.
Adam: I took a risk using the rib cap tonight because I really want to prove to the judges that I can really elevate and make a complex piece of meat.
Describe the dish, please.
It is a grilled rib cap with mushroom ragout sauce, endive two ways, fennel endive purée, and pan seared asparagus.
Bold move.
Great choice, rib cap.
One of my favorites.
But you did something really strange earlier, when you took it off the grill and then put it on a tray and sort of baked it.
- See these white bits of fat on there? - Yes.
It's not the kind of meat you bake.
It's the kind of meat you baste to get this fat rendered down.
Adam, here's the thing.
Adam, meat not cooked the way it should be.
The endive needs more seasoning.
It's a very tough vegetable to get right, and I'd never purée an endive.
It breaks my heart to say this, but this is one of your weakest performances.
All right, Adam.
Now why endive? I really like the way the crispiness of the endive pairs with the butteriness of rib cap.
Hmm.
I think that you have some really elegant elements on this plate.
That mushroom jus, that sauce, is delicious.
It's beautiful.
The sort of Asian braised endive is nice.
The asparagus is beautiful and green, which I love, but the steak needs to be the star, and I think you got a little lost.
But overall, really nice job.
Thank you.
Adam: I'm upset with myself.
I knew I needed to take risks, but it didn't pay off.
To come to the semifinals and not get into the finale, it would be heartbreaking.
Next up, please.
Justise, let's go.
Even though I've never cooked or even eaten goat before, I think that this is gonna be my redemption from my molten lava cake.
I had the hardest protein, so if I nailed it and the judges love the flavors, I've definitely got myself in the finale.
Right, young lady, describe the dish, please.
You have vadouvan goat curry, with cilantro scented rice topped off with crispy shallots.
The color of that meat is beautiful.
How long did you cook it for? Well, first off I seared it, very quickly, and then I let it sit in the pressure cooker for a little over 30 minutes.
You made this in an hour? Yes, Chef.
- Justise.
- ( exhales ) The meat is incredible.
- Thank you.
- It is fragrant.
It is spicy.
It is sweet.
It is sour.
It is absolutely phenomenal.
Honestly, I think that's one of your best dishes so far.
- Amazing job.
Well done.
- Thank you.
Christina: All right, Justise.
- You nailed it.
- Thank you.
You took something that is not normally elevated and you brought it to another level.
That micro sorrel on top, those fried shallots, that showed that you put finesse into every single element.
And the flavors don't lie.
- Nice job.
- Thank you.
- Good job.
- Thank you.
Next up, Shayne, please.
Let's go.
Shayne: Jasmine gave a country boy who eats pork all the time pork.
She basically was handing me a finale spot.
Okay, young man, describe the dish, please.
So I did a grilled pork chop with a maple soy glaze, chipotle sweet potato mash, and an apple slaw.
Right.
You did something earlier, young man.
- You cooked two chops.
- Yes, Chef.
You put one on a plate.
You didn't even cut into the other one.
You didn't even check to see if it was cooked properly.
So if I open this pork chop, and it's undercooked, and you've got a spare one sat on your bench, I'm gonna kick you up the butt.
- Yes, Chef.
- Because you could have put it back in the oven - if it was undercooked.
- Yes, Chef.
Let's go.
What color am I looking for? It should be white and glistening in the middle.
Turn around, please.
Shayne, look at the pork.
Shayne, look at the pork.
Beautiful.
I mean, really beautiful.
It's glistening, it's juicy.
I mean, seriously, that's fit to go in any top restaurant in New York, let alone London or Paris.
What was the seasoning on the pork? I did salt and pepper, but then I also glazed it with maple syrup, soy sauce, and juice of an orange.
Mmm.
Wow, let's get one thing right.
The actual protein you've nailed, young man.
The glaze, beautiful.
Love the fact that you've even gone out of your way to crisscross underneath and on top.
Unfortunately, I was let down with the sides.
When you've got a pork chop like that, the last thing you do is stick a slaw on there.
- Yes, Chef.
- But - the hero is what? - The pork.
The hero is you, young man.
Great job.
- Thank you.
- Well done.
Amazing.
- Whoo! - ( applause ) The slaw, I struggle with.
It already, just on the plate, just looks a little messy.
It doesn't look as refined as it could be.
And then the sweet potato purée, I wish it had more seasoning.
But the pork chop is delicious.
- You nailed the star.
- ( chuckles ) You're gonna be a real contender for them.
Shayne: Thank you.
Gordon: All of you, please, step down to the front.
Let's go.
Right, you four, well done.
Right now, Christina and I need a minute to determine who is going in to the MasterChef finale.
Please excuse us.
I don't know.
Christina: I can't-- I mean-- I know, I know.
- This is not easy, Gordon.
- No.
Adam, the rib cap.
Christina: He was given the easiest piece of protein to cook, and he didn't use it to his advantage.
- Gordon: Yeah, but-- - No matter what happens after this, we made it into the top four.
Justise nailed that curry.
Goat, a protein that no one knows in America, and she comes up with curry.
That's not a fluke.
Jasmine and I, we're the exact same.
We nailed our protein and our sides were so-so.
For me, it's between Jasmine and Shayne.
Gordon: They both did a great job.
Christina: Jasmine, rack of lamb.
Gordon: Cooked like a pro.
Garnish could have been a little bit more exciting.
- Couscous, tapenade.
- Finesse on that dish for me, ehh.
It needed a little bit more, but beautifully done.
- Good job, Shayne.
- You too.
- Christina: Shayne.
- Gordon: He focused so much on that pork chop, he forgot everything else around it.
And we have to judge him for everything he puts on that plate.
But, Gordon, the star of the dish was the pork chop, and he nailed it.
No matter what happens, you did good.
You did good, you did good, and I did good.
Christina, only two can go into the grand finale.
Let's go.
Tonight reaffirms we have four incredible, talented individuals in the semifinal.
Unfortunately, only two of you can move in to the finale of "MasterChef Junior.
" Our first finalist, based on those dishes, congratulations goes to Justise.
Congratulations.
Yay! I am so proud of myself right now.
Earlier tonight, I was at my lowest, but now I'm the first finalist in the finale! Sadly, there's only room for one more young home cook in the finale.
There was one dish that stood out just a little bit above the rest tonight.
The other home cook headed into the finale, of the biggest cooking competition in the world congratulations Jasmine.
Jasmine: Thank you.
Oh, my gosh.
Jasmine, you are officially a finalist.
How do you feel? It's just a dream come true, and I'm just so happy that I'm in the finale, and I'm really, really excited.
Gordon: Jasmine, please take a place next to your fiercest competitor.
- Christina: Adam, Shayne, - ( sniffling ) I mean, my heart is breaking right now.
You both are incredible young men.
You are testaments to your incredible families.
Adam, your ability, your desire to want to take risks and challenge the rules is really impressive.
I have no doubt that your dream for your test kitchen is going to come true.
Gordon: Shayne, you know, not only are you one of the most lovable characters, but you and I have got a big connect.
Do you know why? 'Cause you put your heart and soul into everything you do.
This is why we started this competition, based on boys like you, you know that.
Good man.
Come on up here.
Come here, bud.
Oh, man.
I'll see you in Texas, buddy.
We'll gonna go hunting together.
- Promise? - Yes, Chef.
Yes, Chef.
Oh, man! - Promise you won't stop, yeah? - Thank you.
You are an outstanding human being.
- Thank you.
- Okay? You remember that.
- Thank you.
- Give me a hug before you leave.
- Thank you.
- Good night, guys.
You're welcome.
Take care.
( sighs ) You did really good in this competition, guys.
Good job, guys.
- Come on, Adam.
We're fine.
- ( sniffling ) I'm sad to be leaving the MasterChef kitchen.
- Adam.
- Thank you.
But this is definitely going to be a time of my life that I'll never forget.
- Snake! - ( girls scream ) False alarm! I've grown so much since I first came here.
I've never done anything close to what he's doing right now.
- I'm very impressed.
- I've gone from being 12-year-old science guy from Sacramento, California, to being a bona fide chef.
Edward Lee: He's actually taking the salmon and scoring it.
That's a pro move.
Shayne: I've put my heart and soul into everything in this competition.
- Huh! - I represented Texas as best as I can.
Try the moo-moo.
- Moo! - Mmm! That's how you cook beef the right way.
Thank you, Chef.
I mean, who thought a little kid from Texas would make the best vegan burger? If I was you, I'd turn vegan.
No, Chef.
Adam: I'm really proud of myself.
I've done so much more than I ever thought I could.
- Gordon: Look at that.
- Wow.
I've gotten to cook with some of the greatest chefs in the world.
Whoa! Now I have friends all over the country, even though we had our bumps in the road.
- Wake up, then! - Yes, Chef! ( squealing ) I've had so much fun, win or lose.
It smells good, Adam.
three, red team! - Oh, my gosh! - ( giggling ) All in all, how many kids can say they got into the semifinals of the biggest cooking competition in the world? Not many.
God had a plan no matter what happened, so I really think that if it was my time to go Good-bye! it's my time to go.
Announcer: Coming up This is the "MasterChef Junior" finale! Jasmine and Justise go head to head in the ultimate culinary showdown.
Justise: I am steps away from the trophy, steps away from the title.
Announcer: But only one will win $100,000 This is easily the most beautiful dish.
It is so delicious.
and the title of America's MasterChef Junior.
Jasmine: I have to win this competition.
This could change my entire life.
- Congratulations - ( cheering )