Masterchef (2010) s06e06 Episode Script
What Happens In Vegas Steaks In Vegas
Previously on MasterChef Watch your fingers.
Oh, my God.
Crabs put the home cooks in a pinch.
Ouch! So gross.
And a very simple ingredient This as a dessert could be game over.
Left the MasterChef kitchen divided Sweet or savory, let's weed out the runts right now.
Ending with Justin's exit Was that canned corn in the center? From the competition.
Tonight Vegas, baby! Your entertainers are in the building! It's a high-stakes team challenge Pick your star players or your star ingredient.
But when the home cooks bet big We're opening in 60 seconds.
And look at this [bleep.]
.
Whose gamble will pay off and who will lose it all in the dreaded pressure test? Come on! Don't even cut it! Just bring it! Hey, you, what are you doing? Look at me.
Calm down Or I'll throw you in the [bleep.]
pool.
The best home cooks in America have arrived in Sin City to double down for their next high-stakes team challenge.
Here I am in the middle of this overwhelming avalanche of glitz, glamour, and action, and I think I blend right in.
Las Vegas is a big food city.
Anybody who's anybody has a restaurant in Las Vegas.
I've come to Vegas many times and I've never lost in Vegas, and I am not gonna lose tonight.
Welcome, guys.
Come on down.
- Whoa.
- This is awesome.
Everything is stunning.
We're on a rooftop in Vegas at night and it's, like, top notch, so I know that we have to be right here.
Welcome, everyone, to fabulous Las Vegas.
Now, we're here at Drai's Beach Club, a nightclub on top of the stunning Cromwell hotel.
Obviously we can all see that there is one home cook missing.
Unfortunately Dan had to leave and is no longer in the competition.
He's absolutely fine and he's headed back to Chicago, but the good news is that there's one less person now standing in your way.
Now, who's feeling lucky? Americans come to Las Vegas to be entertained.
But who takes care of the entertainers? Who shows them a good time? Tonight, that will be you.
You're going to have to cook an incredible meal for 101 Las Vegas entertainers.
These people are used to, like, the best dishes there are.
I mean, Gordon Ramsay's got four restaurants in Vegas.
They probably eat the best food there is.
Stephen, Shelly.
Since you had the winning dishes in the last elimination challenge, you will be the team captain.
Stephen, you had the best dish.
Thank you.
So, now you have to make a very important decision.
You can either pick your whole team first, or you can decide which protein each team will cook with tonight.
Vegas is all about luxury, indulgence, and first up is a protein that truly defines Las Vegas.
Fresh live lobster.
It's clearly expensive.
It's luxurious.
But it can also be very tricky to cook, especially when you're cooking over 100 of them.
Lobster says Las Vegas.
It's what is going to win this challenge.
So I want that lobster, but I don't want Shelly to know that I want it.
Stephen, big fan of lobster? Yeah, it's hard to cook, you know? That's a tough one.
Now, under this cloche is America's everyday favorite protein.
The most amazing chicken tenders.
Far more commonplace and much simpler to work with than the lobster.
But it's not a kid's party.
Let's get that right.
You need to take these tenders and turn it into something delicious that really belongs on a Vegas table.
So, Stephen, you now have a decision to make.
You pick either your star players or your star ingredient.
I'm going to play some mind games here.
The smarter captain's gonna come out on top, and I'm going to out-think Shelly.
I'll pick my team.
Shelly, that means you have to pick the most amazing glamorous lobster or the chicken tenders.
As a single mom from Brooklyn, Shelly's going to be more comfortable with cooking chicken, something that she cooks every day.
I know I'm going to get everything I want, my dream team and that beautiful lobster.
We're in Vegas, baby.
You've got to gamble to win it all.
You know, I don't come from a lot, so I know chicken.
Hook, line, and sinker, baby.
She fell for it.
Stephen, how are you feeling about the lobster, because I didn't think that was your favorite protein.
No, I want to do it.
- You want the lobster? - Absolutely.
- Right.
- It's the Jedi thing going.
Time to pick your team.
I'm hoping Stephen does not pick my dream team.
Amanda Amanda.
Charlie Charlie.
Jesse I'm going to go with Jesse.
And Sara.
I'm going to take Sara.
It's like someone punched me in my stomach.
I'm going to choose Olivia.
Tommy right there.
Let's go Kerry.
Stephen picked four out of my five top picks.
And I'm thinking in my head, like, don't pick Nick, don't pick Nick, don't pick Nick.
Final pick.
I need people who can work together and make it happen.
I'm gonna go with Nick.
So, Shelly, your Blue Team consists of Claudia, Christopher, Hetal, Ailsa, Veronica, Katrina, and Derrick.
You guys are gonna have just 60 minutes to prep, cook, and plate your dishes, and then another 60 minutes to serve them.
The winning team will be safe from elimination.
The losing team will be facing the dreaded pressure test where at least one of you will be going home.
Right, Red Team, Blue Team, are you ready? Yes! - Your time starts now.
- Go, go! Both teams will now have just 60 minutes to conceive and prep an upscale entrée for 101 Las Vegas entertainers.
- All right, guys.
- Hey, Shelly.
I want to do something that's elegant, so what I'm thinking is we're going to do, like, a saffron butter sauce at the bottom with a classic remoulade.
Hold on.
We should not be hammering out chicken.
- We don't have time for that.
- We can do it.
Inside the remoulade we're going to have some mangoes, some kale, some goat cheese, so those big pops of flavor.
Mango's going to take a long time to peel and cut.
Oh, please, I do that in my sleep.
Yeah, we have so many people.
I'm an island girl, too.
Okay.
I voiced my opinion.
I was shot down by team captain.
All right, you guys, ready to go to work? This dish is the worst idea.
One, two, three, Blue! Whoo! While Blue Team preps Captain Shelly's complicated chicken roulade We're going to go with a fresh lobster herb salad and then a little bit of smashed Yukon potatoes.
We're going to marry that with this lobster that I'm grilling.
Over on the Red Team, Captain Stephen is taking a simple, no-nonsense approach.
Jesse, Charlie, you're on lobster.
Tommy and Nick, you're on vegetables, all right? You, I want an herb salad.
I want tabouli minus the grain.
A good team has a great leader.
And great leaders control their team.
What are you guys talking about? We're talking about our plans individually.
No, there is no individual.
Okay, here, no.
Listen to me for just one second.
I'm going to piss you off today, all right? But if you believe in me and if you have faith in me, I will keep you out of the pressure test, all right? Right now, if Stephen told me to scale off the side of a building and clean a window, I'm going to clean a window.
- Let's go, let's go, let's go! - Rock and roll, rock and roll.
Get your bowls going.
Start cutting your vegetables there.
Wow.
Stephen, I mean, he rolled the dice.
Ignored the protein and went for the dream team scenario.
But can you make over 100 portions of perfect lobster? - Yeah, consistently - That'sthere you go.
That's Shelly's big advantage tonight.
Chicken holds, granted, but you've got to elevate that a little bit.
What they're underestimating is how finicky these entertainers are.
Because they want something special.
They see it all the time.
Just 20 minutes in, and the Blue Team is already questioning Shelly's leadership and her dish.
Don't you just want to toothpick these? It's taking way too much time.
Make it simple, make it quick.
Let's roll through them.
Come on, guys.
All right.
All right, Captain Shelly.
Yes, Chef.
Tell me about the dish.
What are you doing? Right now we are going to do a remoulade with mango It's a roulade, not a remoulade.
- Roulade, sorry.
- It's a roulade.
So, a rolled chicken.
You have time to get that done? Way too complicated.
Way, way, way too complicated.
Shelly has no idea what she's doing.
Derrick, you stuffed the chicken, so it's going to take so much so much longer to cook.
I know.
So, whose idea was it with the stuffed roulade? What is Shelly thinking? I'm just beyond baffled.
[bleep.]
hell.
We are so screwed.
We're going down in flames.
Whoo! The MasterChef home cooks have just 20 minutes before they have to serve dinner to 101 VIP guests.
All right, keep going, keep going.
Red Team, Blue Team, your Vegas entertainers are arriving.
Oh, my God! Whoo! - Look behind you! - Whoo! From the Rio and Chippendales! With all entertainers scheduled to perform this evening, the pressure to serve dishes on time is greater than ever.
The Jubilee showgirls.
You see showgirls, you see magicians, comedians, and I'm thinking, we've got to feed them.
They're about to sit down.
Red Team, Blue Team, your Vegas entertainers have arrived.
They are in the building.
Eight minutes to go.
- Right, Stephen.
- Yes, sir.
Explain the dish, please.
Okay, I have a variation of a piccata sauce on top of this lobster that I'm grilling.
And then a little bit of smashed Yukon potatoes with olive oil and a slice of truffle butter.
Listen, great effort.
Now it's just down to the execution and making sure, Stephen, you got over 100 exactly like that.
- Okay? - All right.
- Good.
Well done.
- Thank you.
While Red Team's grilled lobster looks to be an early odds-on favorite That's perfecto! The Blue Team, led by Shelly, are rolling the dice with their complicated take on the more humble chicken protein.
Wow.
Blue Team, all of you, come here, quickly.
That is what we've just been given after 60 minutes.
We are about to start service.
And look at this [bleep.]
.
If I was you, I'd have a meeting and get your [bleep.]
together.
Quickly.
We're opening in 60 seconds.
- Yes, Chef.
- Yes, Chef.
This is my worst nightmare right now.
We have to serve and we have nothing.
Oh, my lord.
You guys, we need to pick it up.
And we're open, guys.
- You guys, full speed ahead.
- All right, let's go.
Whenever you want to go, we're ready to serve.
We're ready to roll.
- Let's go.
- All right, let's go, guys.
It's ready right now.
Well done.
Service, please.
All right, keep going, keep going.
As soon as they take those plates, get six more going.
All right, we got it.
Red Team plates start flying out of the kitchen Okay.
Oh, damn it.
It's not done.
Stop pulling them so early.
Get them in that back pan.
But the Blue Team is unable to produce any chicken roulade plates.
Blue Team, our guests are expecting to be served.
- We're not ready, chef.
- This is incredible.
We're not going to be able to do it.
There ain't no time to tie these off.
Chicken, guys.
I need at least one pan.
How many portions of chicken have we got? As of right now, Chef? Ready, zero.
Oh, my God.
But en route, are we 100 yet? Um, no, we're just under at 74.
- 74.
That's 25 to go.
- Yes, 25 to go, Chef.
Hey, we're not playing [bleep.]
bingo.
[bleep.]
.
As the Blue Team struggles to get their first completed dish out Hey, we're ahead of the game, so we can make them shine.
Stephen's Red Team is a stacked deck of all-star cooks.
But at the plating station, Tommy seems to be in over his head.
Tommy.
Tommy, stop throwing food on the plate.
Place it on there.
Come on, Tommy.
- Less is more.
Less.
- It's about finesse.
Finesse.
Get your glasses back on.
Tommy's on the line.
His portions are over-sized, sloppy.
You got a [bleep.]
dessert spoon in your hand.
I don't know what planet he went to.
Tommy, wipe the plates.
This is not working.
Tommy, wipe the plates! The plates? Are you all right? Look at me.
Look at me.
Calm down or I'll throw you in the [bleep.]
pool.
Things are starting to go down quick, so that's it.
Tommy, you're fired.
Sara, come up here.
- Unbelievable.
- Tommy, you go make potatoes.
Sara, come here, please.
Good move getting rid of Tommy at the front here, by the way.
I'm going to put him on potatoes.
I know he can't screw that up.
Don't burn them, Tommy.
I won't burn them.
Yeah, don't.
Please, God, Tommy.
I'm not going to burn potatoes.
I don't burn food.
While the Red Team attempts to get back on track, Christina checks in with the guests to see if they're enjoying the Red Team's lobster with roasted vegetables and smashed Yukon potatoes.
All right, what's happening down here? Are you guys lobster fans? The lobster was amazing.
I loved the potatoes.
- I wanted to lick the plate.
- Okay.
I loved it.
The Blue Team is cooking chicken.
As you can tell, they're a little bit behind.
I'm hoping that it gets out to you.
You can't vote for something you don't taste.
Halfway through service, the Blue Team still hasn't produced a single dish.
Come on, this is embarrassing.
Oh, my God.
Come on, guys.
Oh, my God.
This is a disaster.
Somebody take control, please.
Someone has to take charge, so I have to do it.
I'm gonna do the chicken.
I got this, okay? All right, gotcha.
We will catch up.
Thank you, Derrick.
Now I'm in takeover mode.
I'm gonna fix this.
I'm going to get plates out.
Service, please.
These two here.
Beautiful.
Keep pushing, guys.
Keep pushing.
Service, please.
Shelly has just checked out.
I'm sorry, I'm not strong enough.
And now I feel like I'm team captain.
Here, you follow me and wipe the plates.
Make sure they're clean and looking good, okay? Yes, sir! - Well, food's getting out.
- Yay! That's important! Christopher is trying to sear the chicken, putting it in the oven, he's watching the veg.
He's the one guy cooking.
Right behind.
Excuse me! Right behind.
Move.
Thank you, Chris.
You're our rock star.
And Derrick's the one guy plating.
Honest to God, you could get rid of every other person and you wouldn't know.
You wouldn't notice at all.
Let's keep pushing.
I'm working, I'm working oven, I'm braising, I'm working stove.
As Derrick rallies his Blue teammates to a strong finish You guys are rocking.
Keep pushing! On the Red Team, Tommy is once again testing Stephen's patience.
Hey, hey, you.
Tommy! - Yes? - Not so brown on the potatoes.
- Okay.
- Get 'em out, get 'em out.
What are you doing? Turn off the burner.
Turn the burner on medium, at least.
Oh, for God's sakes.
- Tommy! Tommy! - Yes? - Wake up a little bit.
- I am awake.
We only have this many potatoes left.
I can't believe my eyes.
As soon as I send Tommy back to the potatoes, he's burned the potatoes.
We don't have very many potatoes left.
We can't afford to burn any potatoes.
- Are you okay? - I'm good.
Or are you just trying to sabotage? No, I'm not trying to sabotage.
You got kicked off the line.
Look at me.
You're standing in front of the [bleep.]
potatoes.
I thought that's how they're supposed to look.
You are kidding me.
Oh, Tommy.
Oh, I feel sorry for you.
Not that black.
Hey, Tommy.
You go away.
Everywhere I go, I'm just getting full-on volcanic hatred from everybody.
Get away from here.
Go stand in the back.
Just stand in the back.
I'm just trying to help, and all I'm getting is stabbed in the eyeballs with a sharp stick.
Hey.
Hey, you.
Tommy.
You go away.
Get away from here.
Go clean the kitchen.
I can't afford mistakes right now.
We need to be spot-on with every dish.
We don't need sub-par here.
Here we go, Stephen.
Last call.
So this is where it really counts.
Getting those votes.
As the Red Team bids to rebound from Tommy's burnt potatoes, Blue Team's Derrick has taken control and is leading his team back.
Perfect.
We got a rhythm.
Derrick, we got momentum now? We do, chef.
We're on a roll.
Now we're on track and we're getting food out.
And I think, we have a chance.
Get over here! Everyone! All hands on deck.
Thank you, Derrick.
All hands on deck! There's still a little luck left in Vegas.
Despite the early stumbles, the Blue Team's chicken roulade seems to have hit the jackpot with the guests.
I love the Blue Team's chicken.
- Worth the wait.
- Okay.
I did enjoy the chicken more than I did the lobster.
All right, let's get these out.
With Tommy relegated to dishwasher We got this, guys.
The Red Team is back to looking like a professional kitchen.
We are rocking and rolling back here! Is this the last one? We're done.
I don't think we've ever seen a performance like this.
They crushed it.
Crushed it.
eight minutes to hang out and high-five each other.
Finishing early is great, but none of that matters if the guests don't like our food.
Just because we're done doesn't mean we won.
- Yeah.
- We stay humble.
Six and half minutes to go, Blue Team.
Okay, chicken.
You're going.
Chicken.
You've still got 24 guests to serve, guys.
- 24! - I need shallots! Give it to me.
Give it to me! - Got to go.
- Push them forward.
- Service! - Oh, my God, we're running out.
- We need chicken! - Two and a half minutes to go.
Do we have more chicken? Come on! Don't even cut it.
- Just bring it.
- More plates.
Every plate you don't serve is a lost vote.
Don't panic.
Breathe.
- Ten - Stay in order.
- Nine eight seven - Service.
- Six five four - Hurry, hurry.
- Three two one - Service! Service! And stop.
Service is over.
Service is over.
Oh, Blue Team.
We have eight plates on the table that we weren't able to get out.
Eight plates is eight votes.
I'm just hoping at this point that the food we put out tastes 100 times better than the Red Team's.
I trust you had an enjoyable dinner.
Ladies and gentlemen, please begin the voting.
Thank you.
Each of the will now cast their vote with either a blue or red playing card.
Each performer is coming through and, like, doing their little thing and then giving their vote, and I'm seeing, like, red, red, red, and I'm like, yeah, obviously.
I started seeing all these blue cards, and I'm like, dude, what? We're shocked.
We're shocked.
There's a lot of blue cards that are being put in the box.
And if we lose to the blue team, then Lady Luck is a real bitch.
I'm seeing a lot of blue cards.
Way more blue cards than I expected.
We might have this.
Red Team, Blue Team.
Of the 101 votes cast, there are just three votes separating both teams.
This has to be the closest ever.
The winning team with against 49, the winners are congratulations the Red Team! Well done, Red Team.
Ladies and gentlemen, give 'em a big round of applause.
Blue Team, you will be facing the dreaded pressure test, where at least one of you will be going home.
Now, one last thing you should know.
You won't all be facing the pressure test.
Just four members of the Blue Team will face the pressure test.
Captain Shelly, you were the team captain and you are not facing the pressure test.
You will be picking three of them to be safe.
Shelly has an opportunity here to go two different ways.
She can reward the hard-working, deserving people and keep the lesser in the pressure test, or she can flop it and put really strong, hard-working, good cooks in the pressure test.
We'll see.
Going into this pressure test, I don't know if I want to save people based off their performance, or based off who is a threat in this competition.
And here I am, entering one of the most prestigious chop houses in the world.
It's thrilling, it's nerve-wracking.
I just hoping that I don't get into my own head and screw myself over.
Blue Team.
Your pressure test is going to take place in one of the finest restaurants in all of Las Vegas.
Gordon Ramsay Steak, here in Paris, Las Vegas.
To stay in the competition, you will be cooking steak.
And there's only one person on the planet that can judge a Gordon Ramsay steak challenge.
The big boss man himself.
Gordon Ramsay.
Godfather of steak, Gordon Ramsay, is going to be judging us.
I've never cooked steak in my life.
I'm a vegetarian.
So if Shelly doesn't save me, I know I'm going home today.
There are eight of you in front of me.
You lost last night's big team challenge and now you have to face the dreaded pressure test.
Shelly, your performance last night was lackluster.
Where did it start going wrong? Claudia? Um, I think right from the beginning.
I tried to make some changes and tried to suggest certain things that I felt could potentially help our dish become a complete dish, but you know, it wasn't a complete entree.
Katrina, what did you see? I thought stuffing a chicken was a bad idea.
We didn't have the time to do it.
Right now, my team is completely throwing me under the bus.
And the wheels of blame just keeps going over my back repeatedly.
She had a great idea for a dish, but it's not a dish that can be executed in 60 minutes for 101 people.
I feel bashed over the head right now and I have to say something.
Okay, chef.
Was I a flawless leader? No.
We were not time-efficient in a lot of things.
I feel that everybody worked hard.
Did I know they were going to throw me under the bus? Of course I did, because they were under their breaths talking the entire time.
I've done this dish once in my life, but I knew it was an elevated dish.
Then why was that what you suggested? - Cause I know it's an elev - If you've done it one time, why would you suggest that? This is the voices.
This is it.
This is how it was going.
We know, being the strongest ones here, you're going to throw us in.
Shelly, you will now have to name the three people based on the performance that will join the Red Team on the balcony, safe from elimination.
This person worked extremely hard, gave input, shifted around when things went awry, so the first person I want to save is Hetal.
Hetal, please.
Head upstairs.
Thank you.
Thank you.
What did Hetal do? You're saving the person that did the least amount of work on our team? Where are we right now? So, Shelly, your second choice.
This person impressed me during the challenge, because she just had her head down and kept going.
Veronica.
Veronica.
Please.
Join the Red Team up on the balcony.
Bizarre.
Shelly, your third and final choice.
This person worked hard, got things on the plate, and was overall a big part of the team.
Katrina.
Katrina, please.
Head upstairs.
Shelly has just saved the weakest three people on our team, and I realize this is a direct hit.
Fine, girl.
That's what you want? Bring it.
- Shelly.
- Yes, chef.
Please, head upstairs.
I won't forget it.
It's a competition.
I'm putting the four strongest competitors in the pressure test.
'Cause I want to knock them out.
Claudia, Derrick, Christopher, Ailsa.
Please, pick up your aprons.
Thank you.
You are all about to face the fire of this pressure test.
And one more thing.
It's not just one pressure test.
It's two.
Oh.
In the first half of this pressure test, you will all have to cook steak to the temperature that Gordon demands.
Then, in a one-on-one battle for survival, the remaining two will do it all over again with a different cut and a different temperature.
Service, please.
Thank you.
First up, I would like a New York strip.
One of the most popular steaks available.
One of my favorite steaks, and I want it cooked medium-rare.
You will each have 20 minutes to make a perfect medium-rare New York strip steak.
Gordon will taste all four steaks blind.
He will not know which of you cooked which steak.
The two home cooks who get closest to steak perfection will be saved.
Is everyone ready to fire up those steaks? Yes, chef.
Your 20 minutes starts now.
- Go.
- Come on, guys.
This pressure test is a bucket list pressure test.
We're cooking in a professional kitchen in the nicest restaurant in Las Vegas.
Thanks, Shelly.
Of all pressure tests, this is where I'm gonna shine.
I hope Claudia and Ailsa pull it off.
Come on.
So, Gordon.
What are you looking for with a mid-rare New York strip? The secret behind this one tonight is the sear.
There's a big line of fat opposite the bone, and that needs to be rendered.
So if they're smart, they'll cook fat side down first, render that fat down, and that will then tenderize the steak.
But that first cut is pivotal.
I want to see it juicy.
I want to see it pink in the middle.
I'm not getting that sear on the [bleep.]
steak.
Mine neither.
Let's go, guys.
Ten minutes remaining.
If you don't get that perfect, caramelized sear, then you will never achieve the perfect steak.
It's so important that nothing goes wrong when you're cooking a New York strip, bone-in, medium rare, for Gordon Ramsay, in 20 minutes.
Because if there's a single misstep, like, it's game over.
Good job, kid.
- Oh, [bleep.]
.
- What? I didn't sear the fat side down.
To render it.
It's too late.
Too [bleep.]
late.
It's coming up to five minutes now for a perfect medium rare.
During the cook of this New York strip, I'm second-guessing myself with when I should take it out.
And I think I took it out a little too early.
I think it's a little under.
Guys, just one minute remaining.
Great sear.
Really good sear, buddy.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one.
In the window.
Thank you.
Service, please.
This is a very intense moment.
The pressure's on.
I'm glad it's not me.
You ever seen Goodfellas? Somebody's getting whacked tonight.
Gordon, you have your four New York strip steaks.
Medium rare, as you requested.
We are looking for the two best.
This one.
Great sear.
Whoever cooked this New York strip cooked it with finesse.
Cooked beautifully.
Mid-rare in the center, mid-rare throughout.
Delicious.
I served Gordon Ramsay a perfect steak in Gordon Ramsay Steak.
I can't believe it.
Like, my mom would be freaking flipping out right now.
Second steak.
Visually, Graham, Christina, you can see from there.
White fat running through.
The sear underneath in need of color.
No color means no flavor.
Really important that the steak's cooked evenly both sides.
This is embarrassing.
As a restaurant manager, if I can't cook a steak properly for Gordon Ramsay, I might as well just go home.
It's a sign of a very lazy chef when they just sear on top and forget underneath.
This could stifle my career.
No one's going to want to work at a restaurant with me.
I'm doomed.
I'm doomed, doomed, doomed, doomed, doomed.
Second steak.
White fat running through.
It's a sign of a very lazy chef when they just sear on top and forget underneath.
I know my steak is a dud and I'm freaking out now.
Yeah.
This is rare.
Nowhere near cooked.
Actually tastes better than it looks.
Unfortunately, that would have been sent back within a heartbeat.
Steak number three.
No seasoning.
Insufficient color.
And underneathoh, dear.
- Wow.
- Wow, it's meaty.
Now, that looks like boiled beef.
Not touched.
There I mean, that's embarrassing.
Wow.
I'm amazed.
Undercooked, just trying to get in.
Inside is raw.
The only thing missing on this one is its horns.
Yeah, that's hard to swallow.
That one would never leave the kitchen.
Finally.
Steak number four.
Great sear on the edges here.
I want more of that.
That's exactly what we're looking for.
The sear underneath.
Equal sear underneath.
Cut, and there you can see.
Two minutes short and slightly undercooked.
Decent flavor.
Saving grace behind this one is that you've got the sear underneath, the seasoning is correct.
It's just two minutes short of cooking time.
What a shame.
It's not perfect, but I'm hoping that this steak gets me safe and up on that balcony.
Gordon, can you please identify the first steak that will save the home cook from elimination? There's one steak tonight, Christina, that's head and shoulders above the rest.
This steak.
Will the home cook that prepared this steak reveal themselves to Gordon? Good job, dude.
I had a target on my back.
Now I've validated it.
Congratulations.
Great job.
- Thank you, chef.
- Amazing.
And I can just feel Shelly's energy.
She knows she messed up.
I can't wait to take her out.
We have three steaks remaining.
Can you please identify the final steak good enough to save that home cook from elimination? I just cooked a steak for Gordon Ramsay and he liked it.
This Latina is on fire.
Congratulations.
Thank you so much, chef.
I'm so glad I don't have to go into that second pressure test.
I wouldn't want to be in Christopher or Ailsa's shoes right now.
Christopher and Ailsa, please come forward and find out your final challenge.
Wow, the stakes are really high.
And I'm not talking about the one we're cooking.
I'm talking about this next particular cut of meat that I'm making could be worth $1/4 million.
One final steak stands between you and elimination.
Gordon, what are they going to have to make? In the industry we call this the Rolls-Royce of steaks, and certainly one of the most expensive cuts anywhere.
Filet.
An incredible filet mignon.
This one takes more finesse than any other steak combined.
I would like my filet mignon cooked rare.
For one of you, the end is coming.
You will each have 15 minutes to cook Gordon a rare filet mignon.
The person with the most delicious steak will live to cook another day in this competition.
Ailsa, Christopher, your 15 minutes starts now.
It's down to Ailsa and Chris.
And I have my fingers crossed.
Come on, Ailsa, pull this out and send Chris home.
So, filet mignon cooked rare in 15 minutes? Christina, one of the most difficult to get right.
There's hardly any fat running through that filet mignon, so you need to, you know, introduce new textures with basting every 30 seconds.
And roll it around so it sears evenly.
Ooh, baby.
You know, it's got to be rare in the center, but warm.
Biggest mistake any home cook would make is they'll cook it rare but it's cold.
- I'm worried about this one.
- Yeah.
This is the most difficult steak to cook.
What do I want, what do I want, what do I want? My strategy is to get a nice sear on all sides.
And then, have lots of butter and oil in there to make sure it doesn't dry out.
And then stick it in the oven so it doesn't lose any of its juiciness.
Can I have time, please? Okay, guys, seven minutes remaining.
Seven minutes? Okay.
Thank you.
When I was cooking the New York strip, I was in survival mode.
While cooking this filet mignon, I'm in fighting mode.
I'm looking for revenge, I'm pissed.
I need to make the best steak possible.
I've got to really make sure that I'm searing well and basting well, and getting that steak in the oven in a timely manner, because if I don't, it's not gonna have enough time to rest, and my steak's going to be ruined.
Feel good? Confident? I feel good.
I got a nice sear, I think.
I'm second-guessing myself, and my brain is just running 800 miles a minute.
I can see right away that I didn't sear it off well enough and I have to do something.
What is he doing in the pan? Why would you take a filet out of the oven And then put it back on the stove? And put it back on the stove? Yeah, now I'm totally getting into my head.
I'm so stupid.
Three minutes to go.
Can't be on the heat.
It needs to be on a rack.
[bleep.]
.
I'm going to sear my steak, and I look down, and my steak is on fire.
What am I doing? Oh, I'm so [bleep.]
.
I'm just hoping, praying, wishing that Ailsa's steak is worse than mine.
Sucks.
I'm going home.
What am I doing? Oh, I'm so [bleep.]
.
Three minutes to go.
It can't be on the heat.
It needs to be on a rack.
[bleep.]
.
I'm freaking out.
My steak is on fire.
If I don't fix this, I'm going home.
Sucks.
I'm so stupid.
Four minutes to go, guys.
Oh, now I'm sure I've killed this steak.
Based on what you're seeing right now, who do you think is going home? I think Christopher's going home.
Really? Damn it, I screwed up.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, Stop.
In the window.
Christopher and Ailsa, please join us in the restaurant.
I literally could not have made a better filet.
But I think we're both good competitors.
I think it's going to be pretty neck and neck.
Christopher and Ailsa.
Gordon does not know which steak belongs to which home cook.
On the underside of each plate is your name.
Whichever dish that Gordon ultimately prefers, that home cook is safe from elimination.
Gordon, please.
Let's start off with this one.
Could do with a touch more color there.
Nice seasoning around the steak, which is good to see.
Now, the most important part.
Rare should be strong pink running through.
Slightly undercooked.
This part here is cold.
However, that's a strong effort.
This one.
See where it's sort of starting to caramelize, which is nice.
And now for the moment of truth.
It's a strong, steady pink throughout.
Slightly heavy on the sear.
Whoever cooked it, Well done.
And this is a tough one to call.
This plate, seasoned nicely.
Even color, top and the bottom.
Could do with 30 seconds more in terms of basting just to get that slight chill out of the center.
This one could do with Seasoning was finished with strong salt on top.
However, two well-executed filet mignons.
One has the slight edge.
Ah, damn.
If this is your plate, your time is done.
Ailsa.
You're going home.
- Christopher.
- Chef.
Congratulations.
A near-perfect filet mignon.
- Thank you, chef.
- Well done.
Head upstairs, please.
Shelly definitely made a mistake today.
I think that she's the one who should be going home.
Shelly's the one who led us to failure.
Ailsa, feel proud of what you've done.
Stand strong with your ambitions and continue to strive for what you want out of this industry because you've had some great moments in this competition.
Thank you.
Please place your apron on my table and leave.
Thank you.
I wanted to send Chris and Derrick home.
- Love you, babe! - Love you! But my gamble, it didn't play off.
I sent the wrong person packing tonight.
Next time on MasterChef It's a breakfast mystery box.
The most important meal of the day has the top 16 scrambling to impress the judges.
Stop! All of you will get a chance to cook with one of the greatest chefs in America.
What? And then A TV dinner! Endorsed by a pretty good looking chef.
In their toughest challenge yet only the home cooks who think outside the box will survive.
Take your apron off now, if that's your best.
Oh, my God.
Crabs put the home cooks in a pinch.
Ouch! So gross.
And a very simple ingredient This as a dessert could be game over.
Left the MasterChef kitchen divided Sweet or savory, let's weed out the runts right now.
Ending with Justin's exit Was that canned corn in the center? From the competition.
Tonight Vegas, baby! Your entertainers are in the building! It's a high-stakes team challenge Pick your star players or your star ingredient.
But when the home cooks bet big We're opening in 60 seconds.
And look at this [bleep.]
.
Whose gamble will pay off and who will lose it all in the dreaded pressure test? Come on! Don't even cut it! Just bring it! Hey, you, what are you doing? Look at me.
Calm down Or I'll throw you in the [bleep.]
pool.
The best home cooks in America have arrived in Sin City to double down for their next high-stakes team challenge.
Here I am in the middle of this overwhelming avalanche of glitz, glamour, and action, and I think I blend right in.
Las Vegas is a big food city.
Anybody who's anybody has a restaurant in Las Vegas.
I've come to Vegas many times and I've never lost in Vegas, and I am not gonna lose tonight.
Welcome, guys.
Come on down.
- Whoa.
- This is awesome.
Everything is stunning.
We're on a rooftop in Vegas at night and it's, like, top notch, so I know that we have to be right here.
Welcome, everyone, to fabulous Las Vegas.
Now, we're here at Drai's Beach Club, a nightclub on top of the stunning Cromwell hotel.
Obviously we can all see that there is one home cook missing.
Unfortunately Dan had to leave and is no longer in the competition.
He's absolutely fine and he's headed back to Chicago, but the good news is that there's one less person now standing in your way.
Now, who's feeling lucky? Americans come to Las Vegas to be entertained.
But who takes care of the entertainers? Who shows them a good time? Tonight, that will be you.
You're going to have to cook an incredible meal for 101 Las Vegas entertainers.
These people are used to, like, the best dishes there are.
I mean, Gordon Ramsay's got four restaurants in Vegas.
They probably eat the best food there is.
Stephen, Shelly.
Since you had the winning dishes in the last elimination challenge, you will be the team captain.
Stephen, you had the best dish.
Thank you.
So, now you have to make a very important decision.
You can either pick your whole team first, or you can decide which protein each team will cook with tonight.
Vegas is all about luxury, indulgence, and first up is a protein that truly defines Las Vegas.
Fresh live lobster.
It's clearly expensive.
It's luxurious.
But it can also be very tricky to cook, especially when you're cooking over 100 of them.
Lobster says Las Vegas.
It's what is going to win this challenge.
So I want that lobster, but I don't want Shelly to know that I want it.
Stephen, big fan of lobster? Yeah, it's hard to cook, you know? That's a tough one.
Now, under this cloche is America's everyday favorite protein.
The most amazing chicken tenders.
Far more commonplace and much simpler to work with than the lobster.
But it's not a kid's party.
Let's get that right.
You need to take these tenders and turn it into something delicious that really belongs on a Vegas table.
So, Stephen, you now have a decision to make.
You pick either your star players or your star ingredient.
I'm going to play some mind games here.
The smarter captain's gonna come out on top, and I'm going to out-think Shelly.
I'll pick my team.
Shelly, that means you have to pick the most amazing glamorous lobster or the chicken tenders.
As a single mom from Brooklyn, Shelly's going to be more comfortable with cooking chicken, something that she cooks every day.
I know I'm going to get everything I want, my dream team and that beautiful lobster.
We're in Vegas, baby.
You've got to gamble to win it all.
You know, I don't come from a lot, so I know chicken.
Hook, line, and sinker, baby.
She fell for it.
Stephen, how are you feeling about the lobster, because I didn't think that was your favorite protein.
No, I want to do it.
- You want the lobster? - Absolutely.
- Right.
- It's the Jedi thing going.
Time to pick your team.
I'm hoping Stephen does not pick my dream team.
Amanda Amanda.
Charlie Charlie.
Jesse I'm going to go with Jesse.
And Sara.
I'm going to take Sara.
It's like someone punched me in my stomach.
I'm going to choose Olivia.
Tommy right there.
Let's go Kerry.
Stephen picked four out of my five top picks.
And I'm thinking in my head, like, don't pick Nick, don't pick Nick, don't pick Nick.
Final pick.
I need people who can work together and make it happen.
I'm gonna go with Nick.
So, Shelly, your Blue Team consists of Claudia, Christopher, Hetal, Ailsa, Veronica, Katrina, and Derrick.
You guys are gonna have just 60 minutes to prep, cook, and plate your dishes, and then another 60 minutes to serve them.
The winning team will be safe from elimination.
The losing team will be facing the dreaded pressure test where at least one of you will be going home.
Right, Red Team, Blue Team, are you ready? Yes! - Your time starts now.
- Go, go! Both teams will now have just 60 minutes to conceive and prep an upscale entrée for 101 Las Vegas entertainers.
- All right, guys.
- Hey, Shelly.
I want to do something that's elegant, so what I'm thinking is we're going to do, like, a saffron butter sauce at the bottom with a classic remoulade.
Hold on.
We should not be hammering out chicken.
- We don't have time for that.
- We can do it.
Inside the remoulade we're going to have some mangoes, some kale, some goat cheese, so those big pops of flavor.
Mango's going to take a long time to peel and cut.
Oh, please, I do that in my sleep.
Yeah, we have so many people.
I'm an island girl, too.
Okay.
I voiced my opinion.
I was shot down by team captain.
All right, you guys, ready to go to work? This dish is the worst idea.
One, two, three, Blue! Whoo! While Blue Team preps Captain Shelly's complicated chicken roulade We're going to go with a fresh lobster herb salad and then a little bit of smashed Yukon potatoes.
We're going to marry that with this lobster that I'm grilling.
Over on the Red Team, Captain Stephen is taking a simple, no-nonsense approach.
Jesse, Charlie, you're on lobster.
Tommy and Nick, you're on vegetables, all right? You, I want an herb salad.
I want tabouli minus the grain.
A good team has a great leader.
And great leaders control their team.
What are you guys talking about? We're talking about our plans individually.
No, there is no individual.
Okay, here, no.
Listen to me for just one second.
I'm going to piss you off today, all right? But if you believe in me and if you have faith in me, I will keep you out of the pressure test, all right? Right now, if Stephen told me to scale off the side of a building and clean a window, I'm going to clean a window.
- Let's go, let's go, let's go! - Rock and roll, rock and roll.
Get your bowls going.
Start cutting your vegetables there.
Wow.
Stephen, I mean, he rolled the dice.
Ignored the protein and went for the dream team scenario.
But can you make over 100 portions of perfect lobster? - Yeah, consistently - That'sthere you go.
That's Shelly's big advantage tonight.
Chicken holds, granted, but you've got to elevate that a little bit.
What they're underestimating is how finicky these entertainers are.
Because they want something special.
They see it all the time.
Just 20 minutes in, and the Blue Team is already questioning Shelly's leadership and her dish.
Don't you just want to toothpick these? It's taking way too much time.
Make it simple, make it quick.
Let's roll through them.
Come on, guys.
All right.
All right, Captain Shelly.
Yes, Chef.
Tell me about the dish.
What are you doing? Right now we are going to do a remoulade with mango It's a roulade, not a remoulade.
- Roulade, sorry.
- It's a roulade.
So, a rolled chicken.
You have time to get that done? Way too complicated.
Way, way, way too complicated.
Shelly has no idea what she's doing.
Derrick, you stuffed the chicken, so it's going to take so much so much longer to cook.
I know.
So, whose idea was it with the stuffed roulade? What is Shelly thinking? I'm just beyond baffled.
[bleep.]
hell.
We are so screwed.
We're going down in flames.
Whoo! The MasterChef home cooks have just 20 minutes before they have to serve dinner to 101 VIP guests.
All right, keep going, keep going.
Red Team, Blue Team, your Vegas entertainers are arriving.
Oh, my God! Whoo! - Look behind you! - Whoo! From the Rio and Chippendales! With all entertainers scheduled to perform this evening, the pressure to serve dishes on time is greater than ever.
The Jubilee showgirls.
You see showgirls, you see magicians, comedians, and I'm thinking, we've got to feed them.
They're about to sit down.
Red Team, Blue Team, your Vegas entertainers have arrived.
They are in the building.
Eight minutes to go.
- Right, Stephen.
- Yes, sir.
Explain the dish, please.
Okay, I have a variation of a piccata sauce on top of this lobster that I'm grilling.
And then a little bit of smashed Yukon potatoes with olive oil and a slice of truffle butter.
Listen, great effort.
Now it's just down to the execution and making sure, Stephen, you got over 100 exactly like that.
- Okay? - All right.
- Good.
Well done.
- Thank you.
While Red Team's grilled lobster looks to be an early odds-on favorite That's perfecto! The Blue Team, led by Shelly, are rolling the dice with their complicated take on the more humble chicken protein.
Wow.
Blue Team, all of you, come here, quickly.
That is what we've just been given after 60 minutes.
We are about to start service.
And look at this [bleep.]
.
If I was you, I'd have a meeting and get your [bleep.]
together.
Quickly.
We're opening in 60 seconds.
- Yes, Chef.
- Yes, Chef.
This is my worst nightmare right now.
We have to serve and we have nothing.
Oh, my lord.
You guys, we need to pick it up.
And we're open, guys.
- You guys, full speed ahead.
- All right, let's go.
Whenever you want to go, we're ready to serve.
We're ready to roll.
- Let's go.
- All right, let's go, guys.
It's ready right now.
Well done.
Service, please.
All right, keep going, keep going.
As soon as they take those plates, get six more going.
All right, we got it.
Red Team plates start flying out of the kitchen Okay.
Oh, damn it.
It's not done.
Stop pulling them so early.
Get them in that back pan.
But the Blue Team is unable to produce any chicken roulade plates.
Blue Team, our guests are expecting to be served.
- We're not ready, chef.
- This is incredible.
We're not going to be able to do it.
There ain't no time to tie these off.
Chicken, guys.
I need at least one pan.
How many portions of chicken have we got? As of right now, Chef? Ready, zero.
Oh, my God.
But en route, are we 100 yet? Um, no, we're just under at 74.
- 74.
That's 25 to go.
- Yes, 25 to go, Chef.
Hey, we're not playing [bleep.]
bingo.
[bleep.]
.
As the Blue Team struggles to get their first completed dish out Hey, we're ahead of the game, so we can make them shine.
Stephen's Red Team is a stacked deck of all-star cooks.
But at the plating station, Tommy seems to be in over his head.
Tommy.
Tommy, stop throwing food on the plate.
Place it on there.
Come on, Tommy.
- Less is more.
Less.
- It's about finesse.
Finesse.
Get your glasses back on.
Tommy's on the line.
His portions are over-sized, sloppy.
You got a [bleep.]
dessert spoon in your hand.
I don't know what planet he went to.
Tommy, wipe the plates.
This is not working.
Tommy, wipe the plates! The plates? Are you all right? Look at me.
Look at me.
Calm down or I'll throw you in the [bleep.]
pool.
Things are starting to go down quick, so that's it.
Tommy, you're fired.
Sara, come up here.
- Unbelievable.
- Tommy, you go make potatoes.
Sara, come here, please.
Good move getting rid of Tommy at the front here, by the way.
I'm going to put him on potatoes.
I know he can't screw that up.
Don't burn them, Tommy.
I won't burn them.
Yeah, don't.
Please, God, Tommy.
I'm not going to burn potatoes.
I don't burn food.
While the Red Team attempts to get back on track, Christina checks in with the guests to see if they're enjoying the Red Team's lobster with roasted vegetables and smashed Yukon potatoes.
All right, what's happening down here? Are you guys lobster fans? The lobster was amazing.
I loved the potatoes.
- I wanted to lick the plate.
- Okay.
I loved it.
The Blue Team is cooking chicken.
As you can tell, they're a little bit behind.
I'm hoping that it gets out to you.
You can't vote for something you don't taste.
Halfway through service, the Blue Team still hasn't produced a single dish.
Come on, this is embarrassing.
Oh, my God.
Come on, guys.
Oh, my God.
This is a disaster.
Somebody take control, please.
Someone has to take charge, so I have to do it.
I'm gonna do the chicken.
I got this, okay? All right, gotcha.
We will catch up.
Thank you, Derrick.
Now I'm in takeover mode.
I'm gonna fix this.
I'm going to get plates out.
Service, please.
These two here.
Beautiful.
Keep pushing, guys.
Keep pushing.
Service, please.
Shelly has just checked out.
I'm sorry, I'm not strong enough.
And now I feel like I'm team captain.
Here, you follow me and wipe the plates.
Make sure they're clean and looking good, okay? Yes, sir! - Well, food's getting out.
- Yay! That's important! Christopher is trying to sear the chicken, putting it in the oven, he's watching the veg.
He's the one guy cooking.
Right behind.
Excuse me! Right behind.
Move.
Thank you, Chris.
You're our rock star.
And Derrick's the one guy plating.
Honest to God, you could get rid of every other person and you wouldn't know.
You wouldn't notice at all.
Let's keep pushing.
I'm working, I'm working oven, I'm braising, I'm working stove.
As Derrick rallies his Blue teammates to a strong finish You guys are rocking.
Keep pushing! On the Red Team, Tommy is once again testing Stephen's patience.
Hey, hey, you.
Tommy! - Yes? - Not so brown on the potatoes.
- Okay.
- Get 'em out, get 'em out.
What are you doing? Turn off the burner.
Turn the burner on medium, at least.
Oh, for God's sakes.
- Tommy! Tommy! - Yes? - Wake up a little bit.
- I am awake.
We only have this many potatoes left.
I can't believe my eyes.
As soon as I send Tommy back to the potatoes, he's burned the potatoes.
We don't have very many potatoes left.
We can't afford to burn any potatoes.
- Are you okay? - I'm good.
Or are you just trying to sabotage? No, I'm not trying to sabotage.
You got kicked off the line.
Look at me.
You're standing in front of the [bleep.]
potatoes.
I thought that's how they're supposed to look.
You are kidding me.
Oh, Tommy.
Oh, I feel sorry for you.
Not that black.
Hey, Tommy.
You go away.
Everywhere I go, I'm just getting full-on volcanic hatred from everybody.
Get away from here.
Go stand in the back.
Just stand in the back.
I'm just trying to help, and all I'm getting is stabbed in the eyeballs with a sharp stick.
Hey.
Hey, you.
Tommy.
You go away.
Get away from here.
Go clean the kitchen.
I can't afford mistakes right now.
We need to be spot-on with every dish.
We don't need sub-par here.
Here we go, Stephen.
Last call.
So this is where it really counts.
Getting those votes.
As the Red Team bids to rebound from Tommy's burnt potatoes, Blue Team's Derrick has taken control and is leading his team back.
Perfect.
We got a rhythm.
Derrick, we got momentum now? We do, chef.
We're on a roll.
Now we're on track and we're getting food out.
And I think, we have a chance.
Get over here! Everyone! All hands on deck.
Thank you, Derrick.
All hands on deck! There's still a little luck left in Vegas.
Despite the early stumbles, the Blue Team's chicken roulade seems to have hit the jackpot with the guests.
I love the Blue Team's chicken.
- Worth the wait.
- Okay.
I did enjoy the chicken more than I did the lobster.
All right, let's get these out.
With Tommy relegated to dishwasher We got this, guys.
The Red Team is back to looking like a professional kitchen.
We are rocking and rolling back here! Is this the last one? We're done.
I don't think we've ever seen a performance like this.
They crushed it.
Crushed it.
eight minutes to hang out and high-five each other.
Finishing early is great, but none of that matters if the guests don't like our food.
Just because we're done doesn't mean we won.
- Yeah.
- We stay humble.
Six and half minutes to go, Blue Team.
Okay, chicken.
You're going.
Chicken.
You've still got 24 guests to serve, guys.
- 24! - I need shallots! Give it to me.
Give it to me! - Got to go.
- Push them forward.
- Service! - Oh, my God, we're running out.
- We need chicken! - Two and a half minutes to go.
Do we have more chicken? Come on! Don't even cut it.
- Just bring it.
- More plates.
Every plate you don't serve is a lost vote.
Don't panic.
Breathe.
- Ten - Stay in order.
- Nine eight seven - Service.
- Six five four - Hurry, hurry.
- Three two one - Service! Service! And stop.
Service is over.
Service is over.
Oh, Blue Team.
We have eight plates on the table that we weren't able to get out.
Eight plates is eight votes.
I'm just hoping at this point that the food we put out tastes 100 times better than the Red Team's.
I trust you had an enjoyable dinner.
Ladies and gentlemen, please begin the voting.
Thank you.
Each of the will now cast their vote with either a blue or red playing card.
Each performer is coming through and, like, doing their little thing and then giving their vote, and I'm seeing, like, red, red, red, and I'm like, yeah, obviously.
I started seeing all these blue cards, and I'm like, dude, what? We're shocked.
We're shocked.
There's a lot of blue cards that are being put in the box.
And if we lose to the blue team, then Lady Luck is a real bitch.
I'm seeing a lot of blue cards.
Way more blue cards than I expected.
We might have this.
Red Team, Blue Team.
Of the 101 votes cast, there are just three votes separating both teams.
This has to be the closest ever.
The winning team with against 49, the winners are congratulations the Red Team! Well done, Red Team.
Ladies and gentlemen, give 'em a big round of applause.
Blue Team, you will be facing the dreaded pressure test, where at least one of you will be going home.
Now, one last thing you should know.
You won't all be facing the pressure test.
Just four members of the Blue Team will face the pressure test.
Captain Shelly, you were the team captain and you are not facing the pressure test.
You will be picking three of them to be safe.
Shelly has an opportunity here to go two different ways.
She can reward the hard-working, deserving people and keep the lesser in the pressure test, or she can flop it and put really strong, hard-working, good cooks in the pressure test.
We'll see.
Going into this pressure test, I don't know if I want to save people based off their performance, or based off who is a threat in this competition.
And here I am, entering one of the most prestigious chop houses in the world.
It's thrilling, it's nerve-wracking.
I just hoping that I don't get into my own head and screw myself over.
Blue Team.
Your pressure test is going to take place in one of the finest restaurants in all of Las Vegas.
Gordon Ramsay Steak, here in Paris, Las Vegas.
To stay in the competition, you will be cooking steak.
And there's only one person on the planet that can judge a Gordon Ramsay steak challenge.
The big boss man himself.
Gordon Ramsay.
Godfather of steak, Gordon Ramsay, is going to be judging us.
I've never cooked steak in my life.
I'm a vegetarian.
So if Shelly doesn't save me, I know I'm going home today.
There are eight of you in front of me.
You lost last night's big team challenge and now you have to face the dreaded pressure test.
Shelly, your performance last night was lackluster.
Where did it start going wrong? Claudia? Um, I think right from the beginning.
I tried to make some changes and tried to suggest certain things that I felt could potentially help our dish become a complete dish, but you know, it wasn't a complete entree.
Katrina, what did you see? I thought stuffing a chicken was a bad idea.
We didn't have the time to do it.
Right now, my team is completely throwing me under the bus.
And the wheels of blame just keeps going over my back repeatedly.
She had a great idea for a dish, but it's not a dish that can be executed in 60 minutes for 101 people.
I feel bashed over the head right now and I have to say something.
Okay, chef.
Was I a flawless leader? No.
We were not time-efficient in a lot of things.
I feel that everybody worked hard.
Did I know they were going to throw me under the bus? Of course I did, because they were under their breaths talking the entire time.
I've done this dish once in my life, but I knew it was an elevated dish.
Then why was that what you suggested? - Cause I know it's an elev - If you've done it one time, why would you suggest that? This is the voices.
This is it.
This is how it was going.
We know, being the strongest ones here, you're going to throw us in.
Shelly, you will now have to name the three people based on the performance that will join the Red Team on the balcony, safe from elimination.
This person worked extremely hard, gave input, shifted around when things went awry, so the first person I want to save is Hetal.
Hetal, please.
Head upstairs.
Thank you.
Thank you.
What did Hetal do? You're saving the person that did the least amount of work on our team? Where are we right now? So, Shelly, your second choice.
This person impressed me during the challenge, because she just had her head down and kept going.
Veronica.
Veronica.
Please.
Join the Red Team up on the balcony.
Bizarre.
Shelly, your third and final choice.
This person worked hard, got things on the plate, and was overall a big part of the team.
Katrina.
Katrina, please.
Head upstairs.
Shelly has just saved the weakest three people on our team, and I realize this is a direct hit.
Fine, girl.
That's what you want? Bring it.
- Shelly.
- Yes, chef.
Please, head upstairs.
I won't forget it.
It's a competition.
I'm putting the four strongest competitors in the pressure test.
'Cause I want to knock them out.
Claudia, Derrick, Christopher, Ailsa.
Please, pick up your aprons.
Thank you.
You are all about to face the fire of this pressure test.
And one more thing.
It's not just one pressure test.
It's two.
Oh.
In the first half of this pressure test, you will all have to cook steak to the temperature that Gordon demands.
Then, in a one-on-one battle for survival, the remaining two will do it all over again with a different cut and a different temperature.
Service, please.
Thank you.
First up, I would like a New York strip.
One of the most popular steaks available.
One of my favorite steaks, and I want it cooked medium-rare.
You will each have 20 minutes to make a perfect medium-rare New York strip steak.
Gordon will taste all four steaks blind.
He will not know which of you cooked which steak.
The two home cooks who get closest to steak perfection will be saved.
Is everyone ready to fire up those steaks? Yes, chef.
Your 20 minutes starts now.
- Go.
- Come on, guys.
This pressure test is a bucket list pressure test.
We're cooking in a professional kitchen in the nicest restaurant in Las Vegas.
Thanks, Shelly.
Of all pressure tests, this is where I'm gonna shine.
I hope Claudia and Ailsa pull it off.
Come on.
So, Gordon.
What are you looking for with a mid-rare New York strip? The secret behind this one tonight is the sear.
There's a big line of fat opposite the bone, and that needs to be rendered.
So if they're smart, they'll cook fat side down first, render that fat down, and that will then tenderize the steak.
But that first cut is pivotal.
I want to see it juicy.
I want to see it pink in the middle.
I'm not getting that sear on the [bleep.]
steak.
Mine neither.
Let's go, guys.
Ten minutes remaining.
If you don't get that perfect, caramelized sear, then you will never achieve the perfect steak.
It's so important that nothing goes wrong when you're cooking a New York strip, bone-in, medium rare, for Gordon Ramsay, in 20 minutes.
Because if there's a single misstep, like, it's game over.
Good job, kid.
- Oh, [bleep.]
.
- What? I didn't sear the fat side down.
To render it.
It's too late.
Too [bleep.]
late.
It's coming up to five minutes now for a perfect medium rare.
During the cook of this New York strip, I'm second-guessing myself with when I should take it out.
And I think I took it out a little too early.
I think it's a little under.
Guys, just one minute remaining.
Great sear.
Really good sear, buddy.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, and one.
In the window.
Thank you.
Service, please.
This is a very intense moment.
The pressure's on.
I'm glad it's not me.
You ever seen Goodfellas? Somebody's getting whacked tonight.
Gordon, you have your four New York strip steaks.
Medium rare, as you requested.
We are looking for the two best.
This one.
Great sear.
Whoever cooked this New York strip cooked it with finesse.
Cooked beautifully.
Mid-rare in the center, mid-rare throughout.
Delicious.
I served Gordon Ramsay a perfect steak in Gordon Ramsay Steak.
I can't believe it.
Like, my mom would be freaking flipping out right now.
Second steak.
Visually, Graham, Christina, you can see from there.
White fat running through.
The sear underneath in need of color.
No color means no flavor.
Really important that the steak's cooked evenly both sides.
This is embarrassing.
As a restaurant manager, if I can't cook a steak properly for Gordon Ramsay, I might as well just go home.
It's a sign of a very lazy chef when they just sear on top and forget underneath.
This could stifle my career.
No one's going to want to work at a restaurant with me.
I'm doomed.
I'm doomed, doomed, doomed, doomed, doomed.
Second steak.
White fat running through.
It's a sign of a very lazy chef when they just sear on top and forget underneath.
I know my steak is a dud and I'm freaking out now.
Yeah.
This is rare.
Nowhere near cooked.
Actually tastes better than it looks.
Unfortunately, that would have been sent back within a heartbeat.
Steak number three.
No seasoning.
Insufficient color.
And underneathoh, dear.
- Wow.
- Wow, it's meaty.
Now, that looks like boiled beef.
Not touched.
There I mean, that's embarrassing.
Wow.
I'm amazed.
Undercooked, just trying to get in.
Inside is raw.
The only thing missing on this one is its horns.
Yeah, that's hard to swallow.
That one would never leave the kitchen.
Finally.
Steak number four.
Great sear on the edges here.
I want more of that.
That's exactly what we're looking for.
The sear underneath.
Equal sear underneath.
Cut, and there you can see.
Two minutes short and slightly undercooked.
Decent flavor.
Saving grace behind this one is that you've got the sear underneath, the seasoning is correct.
It's just two minutes short of cooking time.
What a shame.
It's not perfect, but I'm hoping that this steak gets me safe and up on that balcony.
Gordon, can you please identify the first steak that will save the home cook from elimination? There's one steak tonight, Christina, that's head and shoulders above the rest.
This steak.
Will the home cook that prepared this steak reveal themselves to Gordon? Good job, dude.
I had a target on my back.
Now I've validated it.
Congratulations.
Great job.
- Thank you, chef.
- Amazing.
And I can just feel Shelly's energy.
She knows she messed up.
I can't wait to take her out.
We have three steaks remaining.
Can you please identify the final steak good enough to save that home cook from elimination? I just cooked a steak for Gordon Ramsay and he liked it.
This Latina is on fire.
Congratulations.
Thank you so much, chef.
I'm so glad I don't have to go into that second pressure test.
I wouldn't want to be in Christopher or Ailsa's shoes right now.
Christopher and Ailsa, please come forward and find out your final challenge.
Wow, the stakes are really high.
And I'm not talking about the one we're cooking.
I'm talking about this next particular cut of meat that I'm making could be worth $1/4 million.
One final steak stands between you and elimination.
Gordon, what are they going to have to make? In the industry we call this the Rolls-Royce of steaks, and certainly one of the most expensive cuts anywhere.
Filet.
An incredible filet mignon.
This one takes more finesse than any other steak combined.
I would like my filet mignon cooked rare.
For one of you, the end is coming.
You will each have 15 minutes to cook Gordon a rare filet mignon.
The person with the most delicious steak will live to cook another day in this competition.
Ailsa, Christopher, your 15 minutes starts now.
It's down to Ailsa and Chris.
And I have my fingers crossed.
Come on, Ailsa, pull this out and send Chris home.
So, filet mignon cooked rare in 15 minutes? Christina, one of the most difficult to get right.
There's hardly any fat running through that filet mignon, so you need to, you know, introduce new textures with basting every 30 seconds.
And roll it around so it sears evenly.
Ooh, baby.
You know, it's got to be rare in the center, but warm.
Biggest mistake any home cook would make is they'll cook it rare but it's cold.
- I'm worried about this one.
- Yeah.
This is the most difficult steak to cook.
What do I want, what do I want, what do I want? My strategy is to get a nice sear on all sides.
And then, have lots of butter and oil in there to make sure it doesn't dry out.
And then stick it in the oven so it doesn't lose any of its juiciness.
Can I have time, please? Okay, guys, seven minutes remaining.
Seven minutes? Okay.
Thank you.
When I was cooking the New York strip, I was in survival mode.
While cooking this filet mignon, I'm in fighting mode.
I'm looking for revenge, I'm pissed.
I need to make the best steak possible.
I've got to really make sure that I'm searing well and basting well, and getting that steak in the oven in a timely manner, because if I don't, it's not gonna have enough time to rest, and my steak's going to be ruined.
Feel good? Confident? I feel good.
I got a nice sear, I think.
I'm second-guessing myself, and my brain is just running 800 miles a minute.
I can see right away that I didn't sear it off well enough and I have to do something.
What is he doing in the pan? Why would you take a filet out of the oven And then put it back on the stove? And put it back on the stove? Yeah, now I'm totally getting into my head.
I'm so stupid.
Three minutes to go.
Can't be on the heat.
It needs to be on a rack.
[bleep.]
.
I'm going to sear my steak, and I look down, and my steak is on fire.
What am I doing? Oh, I'm so [bleep.]
.
I'm just hoping, praying, wishing that Ailsa's steak is worse than mine.
Sucks.
I'm going home.
What am I doing? Oh, I'm so [bleep.]
.
Three minutes to go.
It can't be on the heat.
It needs to be on a rack.
[bleep.]
.
I'm freaking out.
My steak is on fire.
If I don't fix this, I'm going home.
Sucks.
I'm so stupid.
Four minutes to go, guys.
Oh, now I'm sure I've killed this steak.
Based on what you're seeing right now, who do you think is going home? I think Christopher's going home.
Really? Damn it, I screwed up.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, Stop.
In the window.
Christopher and Ailsa, please join us in the restaurant.
I literally could not have made a better filet.
But I think we're both good competitors.
I think it's going to be pretty neck and neck.
Christopher and Ailsa.
Gordon does not know which steak belongs to which home cook.
On the underside of each plate is your name.
Whichever dish that Gordon ultimately prefers, that home cook is safe from elimination.
Gordon, please.
Let's start off with this one.
Could do with a touch more color there.
Nice seasoning around the steak, which is good to see.
Now, the most important part.
Rare should be strong pink running through.
Slightly undercooked.
This part here is cold.
However, that's a strong effort.
This one.
See where it's sort of starting to caramelize, which is nice.
And now for the moment of truth.
It's a strong, steady pink throughout.
Slightly heavy on the sear.
Whoever cooked it, Well done.
And this is a tough one to call.
This plate, seasoned nicely.
Even color, top and the bottom.
Could do with 30 seconds more in terms of basting just to get that slight chill out of the center.
This one could do with Seasoning was finished with strong salt on top.
However, two well-executed filet mignons.
One has the slight edge.
Ah, damn.
If this is your plate, your time is done.
Ailsa.
You're going home.
- Christopher.
- Chef.
Congratulations.
A near-perfect filet mignon.
- Thank you, chef.
- Well done.
Head upstairs, please.
Shelly definitely made a mistake today.
I think that she's the one who should be going home.
Shelly's the one who led us to failure.
Ailsa, feel proud of what you've done.
Stand strong with your ambitions and continue to strive for what you want out of this industry because you've had some great moments in this competition.
Thank you.
Please place your apron on my table and leave.
Thank you.
I wanted to send Chris and Derrick home.
- Love you, babe! - Love you! But my gamble, it didn't play off.
I sent the wrong person packing tonight.
Next time on MasterChef It's a breakfast mystery box.
The most important meal of the day has the top 16 scrambling to impress the judges.
Stop! All of you will get a chance to cook with one of the greatest chefs in America.
What? And then A TV dinner! Endorsed by a pretty good looking chef.
In their toughest challenge yet only the home cooks who think outside the box will survive.
Take your apron off now, if that's your best.