I cannot believe I've made it all the way
to the top four in this competition.
My plates used to look like they came out
of a little country kitchen,
and now they look like they're coming out
of five-star restaurants.
- Gordon: Well done, guys. - Shaun: All right.
As a DJ, my food dream is to combine my two passions--
high-end dining and high-energy music
to give people the time of their lives in my restaurant.
Welcome back.
I thought I was going to retire at the bank
and now my dreams are right within reach.
- This is amazing. - Congratulations.
You have all made it to the top four
of the biggest cooking competition in the entire world.
I've been fortunate to have a very successful career in poker
so I'm not here for the $250,000.
I'm here for that MasterChef title.
Listen carefully. Tonight, we have
some very, very special guests joining us for dinner
inside the amazing MasterChef restaurant.
Guests that when they come to any of our restaurants,
they terrify us.
That's right, even me.
- ( chuckles ) - Tonight, you'll be cooking
for some of America's most powerful,
most intimidating, most influential...
- food critics. - Whew.
Whew.
Christina: Tonight's food critics,
they come from the heavy hitters.
"New York Magazine," "Wall Street Journal,"
"The Washington Post," "Vogue."
And if you thought we were tough on you...
- Whew. - ...our opinions will seem like a bedtime story
compared to how these critics will review your dishes.
Wow.
But, you won't be in it alone.
Because you'll be cooking in two teams of two.
Whew.
Brandi, because you won the last challenge,
you now get the crucial advantage
of picking your teammate.
Come and stand over here, please.
Brandi: I know that if my team loses, whoever I pick,
I'm probably going to be facing this person in the pressure test.
I could give myself an awesome advantage right now,
or I could stab myself in the foot with my choice.
I want someone that's strong,
I want someone who knows flavors, who knows plating.
I want someone who's gonna help me make a phenomenal dish.
- So I'm choosing Shaun. - Richard: Wow.
( whispers ) Yeah.
Please, step up and pick up your aprons.
Tanorria: I've seen David upset in this MasterChef kitchen
more times than I want to.
I can't let that happen tonight,
because if he loses his cool, one of us will go home.
Richard: Tonight, we will have
17 of America's most powerful food critics.
And in your teams of two, you'll have 90 minutes
to prep and cook a stunning, restaurant-quality entrée
for all of them.
Then each critic will write a brief review of each team's dish.
Seriously-- if they're all coming
into my restaurant this evening,
trust me, I'll be crapping myself.
Now, at your stations, you'll find
two identical boxes of ingredients
that we personally selected
for you to work with tonight.
- Are you all ready? - Let's do this.
'Cause your 90 minutes starts...
- now. - ( ticks )
Shaun: Let's go, let's go.
Whoo, let's see what's in this box.
Oh, wow. Look at this.
- Shaun: Aw, man. - We've got some beautiful proteins in here.
I see some duck, I see some lamb, I see some halibut.
- Brandi: This halibut looks really nice. - - Yeah, I like the halibut too.
- Is there something we can crust it in? - Hazelnuts.
I love duck.
Like, duck to me is like the "pork of the sky."
Yeah, that skin has got to be on point.
I'm likin' this purple cauliflower too.
Oh, that adds so much color.
There's the purple asparagus, cauliflower.
Yeah, let's do like a little study in purple.
This is my favorite, polenta.
- Let's do a polenta cake instead of that creamy mush. - We have to it elegant.
- That way we don't want a mush on a plate. - Yeah.
- A really nice... - Take a nice polenta cake.
- Okay. - Parsnip purée, cauliflower purée.
It's gonna be so bright on a plate.
- You ready? - Both: Red team.
Let's rock this thing. Whoo!
( ticks )
Gordon: Five minutes gone.
Start working out your timing
- and making sure the execution is perfect. - Let's do this.
Tanorria: You get that reduction started,
I'm gonna get started on the polenta.
Shaun: I'm gonna do both cauliflower at the same time.
Brandi: Good, good, good. That'll save time.
Wow, the most daunting challenge.
Every table in there tonight is a critic.
You know, we always say in the restaurant,
- "Treat every plate like it's a food critic." - Yeah.
Tonight, that's literally the case.
Can you imagine food critics loving this dish?
David: That's it, that means we made it.
They can fill your restaurant up for six years,
and they can shut your restaurant down in six months.
Gordon: Both boxes have the identical ingredients.
But there's two proteins there
that I would give my right arm to cook.
- Those look nice. - Yes, they do.
- The lamb and the duck. - Uh-uh.
- Seriously? No. - Hmm-mm.
- I'm coatin' the fish in hazelnut right now. - Sounds good.
I wouldn't go anywhere near that halibut.
- The most unforgiving fish anywhere in the sea. - Beautiful.
Christina: I know what a risk halibut is,
but I think a beautifully done halibut will speak volumes.
Richard, what would you choose? What would you go for?
Yeah, listen, I think I would grab
quite honestly the rack of lamb.
The duck is challenging because a lot of young
- or novice cooks, they undercook duck. - Gordon, Christina: Yeah.
Tanorria: David, how's the duck looking?
Yeah, I gotta regulate this temperature.
Make sure you get that duck skin so incredibly crispy.
Low and slow, baby, low and slow.
- ( ticks ) - Gordon: 35 minutes gone.
55 minutes remaining, guys.
Let's go.
- Brandi, I think I'm good on this. - Yep, that's good.
I'm killing my time on these cranberries.
All right, cauliflower is in.
This polenta cooking liquid has got to come to a boil.
David: Sounds like you're movin' fast.
Almost done with these Brussels sprouts.
Whoo. I'm about to start on my purple purée.
- Duck is renderin' nicely. - Gordon: Red team, blue team.
Whatever you do, don't look up on the balcony.
Our food critics are now arriving.
Wow, wow, wow!
Gordon: Jeffrey Steingarten from "Vogue."
- Holy ( bleep ). - Beth Kracklauer from "The Wall Street Journal."
Eddie Lin from "The Los Angeles Times."
Insanity.
These food critics are spread out across the whole balcony.
Focus, Tanorria. Don't let it get you out of your zone, though.
Crap. This is a big deal.
Adam Platt from "New York Magazine."
Larry Olmsted from "USA Today" and "Forbes."
Stephanie Gordon from "The Huffington Post."
Lesley Suter from "LA Magazine."
Tim Carman from "The Washington Post."
Bethany Jean Clement from "The Seattle Times."
These critics are stone-cold killers.
That is any restaurateur's nightmare up there.
Whoo. I feel the eyes watchin'.
Brandi: I can just feel their death stares glaring at me,
watching every single move I make
and waiting for me to make a mistake.
Ladies and gentlemen, it's an absolute honor
and a pleasure to have such esteemed critics here with us today.
Would you kindly all make your way
through to the MasterChef restaurant, please?
Your table awaits you. Thank you.
( giggles ) I hate this.
- Richard: Wow. - Gordon: I mean, come on, seriously. Hey, listen.
If one's bad enough, 17?
There is a bit of good news to this this evening--
every other restaurant in the country
have got nothing else to worry about,
except the MasterChef restaurant.
I'm really excited about this home cooking.
People have written for years
about how the home cooking is dead.
And now we see MasterChef kind of reviving it.
I've reviewed all types of restaurants--
Fine dining, casual, hole-in-the-wall spots.
But this is MasterChef
On top of that, we're down to the final four.
So the food better be four times as good.
- ( ticks ) - 35 minutes to go, guys.
Ramp it up now. Start speeding up, guys, please.
- Right, Brandi. - Yes, Chef.
- Our critics are in the dining room. - Yes.
They are waiting for magic to happen.
- Confident? - They're gonna get magic tonight.
- They're gonna get magic? - Yes, I'm super confident.
Right, Shaun. Tell me about the dish.
Hazelnut-crusted halibut.
- Gordon: Halibut? - Yeah.
Why? Lamb, duck... why halibut?
If we get halibut right, it's gonna be beautiful
and these guys are gonna go crazy for it.
Okay, fine. But it's a tough fish to pull off.
We're not gonna get it wrong, Chef.
Talk me through the rest of the dish.
We're gonna do a Meyer lemon beurre blanc.
We're gonna do a play on purple
with some purple microgreens, some purple asparagus.
- A play on purple? - It's gonna be delicious.
And we got a purple purée coming out too.
It's a restaurant full of critics, not a kindergarten.
- Absolutely, and it's gonna be... - - Brandi: You're gonna love it.
- No play on purple. - It's gonna be beautiful.
You tell us to take risks and this is a risk.
- If we can nail it, then... - Yeah, but not right now.
When? When, then? If I don't take risks right now,
- when am I gonna do it? - Young lady, are you crazy?
Oh, I'm a little crazy. This competition's
- made me a little crazy. - You are, aren't you?
Yeah. I'm gonna bring it.
- You know, you all tell us to take risks. - Yeah, get him, Brandi.
If there's one night to just keep it safe
and delicious and simple,
- it would be tonight. - Absolutely not. Absolutely not.
These critics are gonna know my name
when they leave here tonight.
Right. Good luck.
- All right, Tanorria. - Yes, Chef.
What have you got goin' on?
We are making a pan-seared, Ras el hanout duck.
- Ras el hanout? - Ooh.
With a Brussels sprout salad with a beautiful vinaigrette,
polenta cake,
as well as a pomegranate - molasses port reduction.
Here's the thing about Ras el hanout, Tanorria.
- I hate to tell you this. - Mm-hmm?
- It's perfect with duck. - Thank you.
- You get me every time! Shame on you! - I do get you.
What does a girl from Tennessee know about polenta, though? Come on.
You know what? This girl knows her grits.
I know polenta, I know cream and butter,
and it's all up in there tonight.
And she knows how to get some duck fat in there.
Oh, my gosh, I'm so excited to have duck fat tonight.
- Christina: Duck is a tricky protein to cook. - Tanorria: It is.
- Especially for 17 very finicky food critics. - Absolutely.
Our goal tonight is to show off how well it's cooked.
So when they see it on the plate,
they're gonna see that it's beautifully cooked.
They're not gonna have to wait until they cut into it.
- Okay, good luck. - Thank you.
Gordon: It smells incredible.
I've never seen such great coordination from both teams.
Christina: I gotta say, they're working
like professional chefs right now.
Richard: They don't sound like home cooks.
Gordon: No, exactly right.
- Mm. - Good.
- Ms. Mudd, I love you. - Yes!
Blue team, their halibut is still out on the bench.
They're gonna plate half the ingredients,
and then cook the fish,
put the rest of the ingredients on, and fish goes on last.
This is a dangerous game, guys.
I mean, they have to cook the fish at the last second so,
- Gordon: Last second. - Christina: That's just the nature of cooking fish.
Per-fection.
Red team, they have a critic dream dish.
A duck dish.
'Cause the critics know how hard that is to pull off.
- Duck is rendering nicely. - Tanorria: Wonderful.
You know what I love about the sound
of the red team's dish? It feels like them.
- It feels homey like Tanorria... - Gordon: Yep.
it feels elegant, like David.
I think it's gonna be stunning.
- Guys, comin' up to 15 minutes to go. - Yes, Chef.
Start executing your plates, please.
All right, we gotta go, we gotta go.
Tanorria: Is it time to drop the cranberries?
- We gotta get those cranberries in there. - All right.
Brandi: Everything okay over there with plating?
Shaun: Yeah, looking beautiful.
Tanorria: David, I really need my sauce, hon.
David: Needs to reduce a tad bit more.
- David, it's gotta go fast. - Yep, I'm gonna put it on high.
Just gotta make sure we nail that duck.
Shaun: Come on, Brandi. Get that sauce over here.
I'm going, I'm going, I'm going.
Brandi and Shaun, they started to put things down
on the blue team's dishes right now.
The red team, they still have more things they need to do.
They need to sear the cake.
They need to slice the duck.
David, give me an ETA on the duck--
what's the rest time, what's the slice time?
David: First ones will be ready to get sliced
and they're all staggered
so by the time I slice them, they'll all be comin' ready.
I got 'em in order.
Christina: I'm worried that the red team's underestimating
what they can accomplish in these last 10 minutes.
- Ah, that one's a little raw. - Correct it, David.
- Brandi: Okay, where's the cauliflower? - - ( bleep ) the cauliflower.
- Get the purées on. - Okay.
Oh, my God. Not tonight.
David, how's it going back there with the duck?
Uh-hh...
Guys, you have eight minutes to go.
How many are completed, David?
David: They're all a little under.
He's served them too hot a pan
so they're all rare in the middle.
I have no idea what the ( bleep ) is happening.
Man, not tonight.
Tanorria: Just calm down.
It's ( bleep ) raw.
Oh-hh...
It's a ( bleep ) nightmare.
We are so ( bleep ).
It's ( bleep ) raw.
Tanorria: Just calm down.
Oh-hh...
I have no idea what the ( bleep ) is happening.
There's five minutes to go. There's no way on earth
they're gonna these plated on time.
It's a ( bleep ) nightmare.
David, chill out, dude.
This one might be a little underdone too.
The rest of these feel pretty good, David.
Wow.
I've got quite a few good ones.
We just need to recover on those other ones.
- ( ticks ) - Three minutes remaining.
Blue team, you've got to get your halibut on the plate.
- Yes, Chef. - Brandi, bring it.
I'm bringin' it right now. Here we come.
- Christina: Oh, my God. - Oh.
Tanorria: Right behind you with the sauce, David.
- How's the duck looking? - Duck looks good--
- Good. - --the ones we got.
Shaun: Keep going faster, go faster.
Gordon: If they don't move their ass,
at this rate, there'll be food critics
- without dishes to critique. - ( ticks )
One minute, guys. Let's go.
Finish your plates.
- Watch out, Brandi. I gotta get in here. - Okay.
- Here, trade me. - All right, David. I'm going with almonds.
- You go behind me and clean plates. - You got it.
Gordon: Come on, guys, please. Finishing touches, now!
- Here we go. Ten... - ( ticking )
Judge: Nine, eight, seven,
six, five, four,
three, two, one.
- Gordon: Stop. Well done. - Christina: Hands in the air!
Sorry.
Oh, Brandi Mudd.
- We did it. - ( sighs )
- You're good. You're good. - Ah, it's the duck. The duck.
You almost went there,
but I woulda knocked you out if you did.
So we're good.
Well done, guys. Waiters, please?
They look as good as we could ask for.
I'm pumped up about this dish.
It looks spectacular.
- I can't believe we pulled that one off. - They look beautiful.
Shaun: The flavor of the sauce is beautiful.
The halibut is cooked perfectly.
And those little dots of white and purple purée
are probably the sexiest thing I've ever seen on a plate.
Critic #1: Thank you. Delicious.
Critic #2: Doesn't look like home cookin' to me.
- Critic #3: Very spring. - Critic #4: I know, very springy.
Critic #3: Yes. It's beautiful.
- It's pretty good, actually. - I agree.
David and I did a really great job working together.
And we put out a beautiful, colorful, flavorful plate.
I would absolutely order this off a menu
in a fine-dining restaurant.
Chef Ramsay, stick this on your menu.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the MasterChef restaurant.
I don't think across 25 years of cooking
I've ever welcomed one critic in, let alone, 17.
( laughter )
So now we'd like to introduce you
to our home cooks for the evening.
Please welcome the red team and the blue team.
This is an opportunity of a lifetime.
Yes, these critics are intimidating
and they're powerful and I wanna impress them.
But if anything, I'm honored and humbled right now,
to be standing in front of people
that could pick my food apart.
Christina: Red team, Tanorria, David.
Please describe your dish to the food critics.
Today we have for you a pan-seared duck
finished with ras el hanout,
a Brussels sprout slaw with a grainy mustard vinaigrette,
a crispy polenta cake,
finished with a pomegranate-molasses port reduction.
And the blue team.
We have for you a hazelnut crusted halibut,
on top of a Meyer lemon beurre blanc,
and then beside it we have a play on purple--
we have a parsnip, celery root brown butter purée,
a purple cauliflower purée,
and asparagus pills marinated in a Meyer lemon vinaigrette.
To our guests of honor, as you dine,
please gather your thoughts on the notecards
that we've laid in front of you.
Once we've had a chance to read all of your reviews,
we will decide on a winning team tonight.
Red team, blue team, head on back
into the MasterChef kitchen and clean up.
Our esteemed critics, bon appétit.
Please, enjoy. Thank you.
- That was a little scary. - Yeah. No smiles whatsoever.
Yeah. Ain't nothing gonna charm them to victory.
Shaun: We definitely killed that.
I mean, we got our plates pretty much as close
as we could get 'em to the way we wanted 'em.
Gordon: Right, let's start off with the blue team's halibut.
Christina: Let's see what we've got here.
Got a nice crisp cut there.
- It's beautiful. - Gordon: Just the way you want it.
Wow.
I think the fish is cooked beautifully.
It needs a touch more seasoning.
Hazelnut's delicious, but there's a lot of 'em.
Richard: Yeah, I mean, I think the proportions are off a little bit.
More sauce, more cauliflower.
Makes me anxious to see what the critics think.
The blue team's halibut was a little overcooked,
but I loved the crust. I loved the little salad.
It's actually fancy to the point of prissiness.
Stephanie Kordan: It had just a hint of the beurre blanc
which was done with such restraint
that it really enchanted the fish,
rather than overwhelming it.
It's really easy to screw up a fish like that
so I'm actually impressed that they were able to do
as well as they did with a fish that stinky.
Eddie Lin: The purple-white dollops
belong on a nine-year-old's birthday cake
and didn't make sense.
Gordon: Now, red team's duck.
Now that duck was set up for success.
The problem they've got there, it needs another
four, five minutes in the oven.
We'll take the end of the duck there. Mmm.
I have to say, for what they lacked in execution,
they made up for in the concept of flavor profile.
Yeah. I love what they did with the polenta.
I love the fact that they laced it with duck fat.
That's a very "cheffy" thing to do.
I just wish that they'd cooked that duck
four, five minutes longer, and I'm hoping
our critics haven't got raw duck.
I love the fact that the duck
was rare and decadent and sexy.
Could they-- had they jazzed up the seasoning
perhaps a little bit.
But I have to say, this plate all came together very nicely.
Amanda Hesser: I feel like I've seen a dish like this many times.
Um, the dish completely lacks soul.
The duck breasts are seasoned well
and the fat was rendered well.
My main complaint is that they used a pomegranate sauce on it,
- which is out of season. - Overall, I actually thought
the most flavorful thing on the plate
was the polenta cake, but I wanted the supporting components
to come together and do something with the protein.
But I felt more like I was just eating
big, maybe slightly underseasoned hunks of duck.
I still think it's two very strong efforts.
I think it's still either team's game at this point.
Tonight, sadly, there can be only one winning team.
Can't wait to study those reviews
and then come to consensus and nominate our winning team
based on your feedback.
Once again, a sincere thank you.
Thank you, my darling.
Thank you. Thank you.
- Thank you, sir. - Yes. Good to see you. Thank you.
- Thank you for allowing us to serve you. - Well, I voted for you guys.
- Tanorria: Thank you, sir. - Thank you, sir.
- Steingarten: The polenta cake was delicious. - David: That's her specialty.
- Jeffrey...? - You're getting in trouble, sir.
- Jeffrey! - Hello. I'm sorry.
- Thank you. Thank you, sir. - Tanorria: Thank you.
- David: Thank you. - ( Tanorria giggles )
- Gordon: She's not single. - Yes, I am!
- ( laughing ) - Gordon: All of you, please, follow us
into the MasterChef kitchen.
Brandi: I am so full of anxiety right now.
We just had 17 food critics taste our food.
We've never been under this type of scrutiny before.
So, whoever wins, deserves a spot in the top three.
Home cooks, both teams did a remarkable job tonight.
But unfortunately, there can be only one winning team.
Whew.
Before we announce the winning team,
we have some very big news to share.
For the first time in MasterChef history,
in this year's finale...
there will be three home cooks.
- Shaun: Oh, man. - Tanorria: Oh, boy.
( David exhales ) Whew, God.
For the first time in MasterChef history,
in this year's finale...
there will be three home cooks.
- Shaun: Oh, man. - Tanorria: Oh, boy.
( exhales ) Whew, God.
Christina: One team won't just be safe tonight,
they will be guaranteed a place
in next week's MasterChef three-way finale.
Sad news is, of course, that the other team
is gonna have to fight it out head-to-head
for that final spot.
- Tonight's winning team... - ( Shaun groans )
...the team that is officially in the Master Chef finale...
- Whew. - ...is...
- the blue team. - ( gasps )
( thumps )
Christina: Brandi, Shaun...
( Shaun sobs ) Oh, my God.
- Absolutely incredible. - ( sobs )
Gordon: Brandi, how are you feeling?
I don't even know what to feel right now. I'm--
When I came into this, I never in a million years
thought I would be goin' to the finale.
And I'm so proud of myself and I'm so proud
that my students and my kids get to see this--
that, you know, dreams come true.
Shaun, how do you feel?
I am so proud right now.
Um, ahem--
I wish my dad was still here with me.
I did this for him and my mom.
Whew.
That performance was legendary.
- Whew. Thank you, Chef. - Brandi: Thank you.
So, blue team-- Shaun and Brandi,
congratulations. Please head on up to the balcony.
Shaun: Thank you, Chefs.
( Shaun sobs, chuckles )
( sighs ) I can't believe this.
David, Tanorria, you were defeated
very narrowly tonight. The critics loved the idea,
the concept of the dish.
But the quantity of sauce,
the cook on some of the duck, not all of the duck--
those were just the little details
that set you back and gave the blue team the edge tonight.
Richard: Before we go any further,
you each need one of these.
Tanorria: It's David's fault we're in this pressure test.
David's main responsibility was duck.
I mean, it hurts, bad.
In this difficult pressure test
you'll be cooking with the most widely-eaten meat in the world.
and you'll be taking this phenomenal protein
to a MasterChef level.
Not once, not twice...
- But three times. - Whew.
You're going to have to replicate three of our favorite dishes...
revolving around a classic protein
that every chef loves to work with.
Juicy, flavorful...
pork.
Underneath this cloche is the cut of pork
that I absolutely love.
Pork tenderloin.
Here we have my harissa-spiced pork tenderloin
with charred eggplant purée,
zucchini ribbons, olive petals
and a beautiful herb salad.
Richard: There is one cut of pork that chefs like me
love more than any other,
because it's a moneymaker.
Pork belly.
My signature preparation of pork is braised pork belly
with creamed onion, roasted fennel,
butternut squash and date and orange relish.
Gordon: I think there is one cut of pork
unlike any other.
- a stunning double-cut pork chop. - Looks good.
Now here we have my Chinese five-spiced grilled pork chop,
sat on a bed of bok choy
with sautéed Okinawa potatoes,
pickled shiitake,
and lightly dusted for that togarashi spice
lotus chips.
The technique on this pork chop
needs to be executed perfectly,
or your dish... will be a travesty.
Wow.
All right. You will have just 75 minutes
to complete all three of our signature pork dishes.
- The finale is this close. - Whew.
Please head to your stations.
I'm pissed right now, because I feel like it's my fault
that we're both down here. Now, me,
and someone I have respect for and view as a friend
have to battle because of my shortcomings.
Christina: At your stations, you'll find
all the ingredients you need
to make our three of our intricate pork dishes.
Gordon: Shaun and Brandi,
final words of encouragement or good luck?
- Have fun. - "Have fun"?
- Yeah. - Seriously?
It's fun down there.
Right, David, Tanorria...
your 75 minutes...
starts... now.
Here we go.
So, three difficult dishes across 75 minutes--
this is a tough one to pull off.
Christina: So, let's talk about ideal timing.
- So, the first thing you do-- pork belly. - Christina: Yes.
Gordon: Into the pressure cooker, get it going.
After that, get that pork chop seared,
rendered, and cooked just above rare
so you can reheat it with literally 10 minutes to go.
And then you'll be cooking your tenderloin
right at the very last minute. Not too early,
because that can't sit and hang around.
- Christina: No. Absolutely. - Gordon: It goes too dry.
Now, my pork tenderloin, it's a lean cut of meat.
It's not very forgiving. Gotta cook it
to a medium-medium rare.
And they shouldn't really touch that pork tenderloin
until they've got 35 minutes to go.
- ( ticks ) - But they need to char the heck outta that eggplant
to get that nice smokiness
and those zucchini should just "kiss" that sauté pan.
You don't want 'em to wilt.
- I have the beef stock reducing. - So, Christina,
- your dish is like a ballet, right? - ( chuckles )
I mean, there's just so much finesse about it.
Mine's more like a rock show.
( hissing )
Pork belly has to cook at least 30 minutes
under pressure. You want the melting fat
of the pork belly, and then this crisp exterior.
If it's not cooked, it's gonna be rubbery and chewy.
My double-cut pork chop
needs serious attention to detail.
The jeopardy there is rendering that fat down on the back
and making sure you've got that wonderful temperature
running from the beginning right through to the bone.
It needs to be medium, not rare.
- ( sizzling ) - ( ticks )
Less than 50 minutes remaining.
( bubbling )
Okay, David. How you feeling?
- ( bleep ) - What? Why?
I don't like to fail and I don't like to lose.
You're not gonna throw the towel in now?
No, I'm not gonna throw the towel in. I'm just gonna do my best.
Start believin' in yourself a little bit more.
- Can you do this? - Yes, Chef.
- Top four. - Top four is not good enough.
Well, there you go. That's the David I wanna hear.
You get your head out your ass and start coming back a little bit.
- Yes, Chef. - Good luck.
- Thank you, Chef. - Let's go.
Whiny-baby David's back.
All right, Tanorria.
How are you feeling?
I feel composed right now.
- And you look organized. - That's really, really important--
I don't wanna forget anything.
How confident are you that you can beat David?
I have no choice but to be confident.
If I wasn't confident, I would curl up in the fetal position
and hide under my station, and that's not happening today.
- That cannot happen. - Can you beat him?
You know, David is really, really strong,
but I think I'm a little bit more focused than David.
And that might be what puts me over the edge.
- ( ticks ) - Christina: Less than 30 minutes to go.
I think we're gettin' a visitor.
- Brandi: Wow. - Gordon: Uh, brilliant job.
- Shaun: Thank you, Chef. - Now, there's one more that's gonna be joining you.
Which one do you want-- Tanorria or David?
- David. - ( clatters )
I forgot that was hot.
I think he's gonna be easier to beat in the finale
because his emotions get the best of him,
like they're doin' right now.
Tsk. It's great news.
Beef stock just turned to syrup.
- Gordon: And Shaun? - I'd rather Tanorria.
- Mmm. That's good. - I don't think she'll take enough risks
to be able to pull it off. No, I think she's gotta stay
- right in her comfort zone. - Tanorria: I feel really good about that.
And you know, I said from day one I wanna be the top Vegas guy,
so the earlier Davis can go-- David can go.
- Thank you. - Thank you, Chef.
- ( ticks ) - Gordon Less than 20 minutes to go, guys.
Where's Tanorria's pork tenderloin?
David's got his pork tenderloin in the pan.
Tanorria's is still out there, untouched.
( whispers ) She's gotta cook that pork tenderloin.
Tenderloin.
It looks like the pork tenderloin is not even on the map right now.
Does she not see it?
I don't know what the hell Tanorria's doin.'
Her pork tenderloin is just sitting there, raw.
She hasn't even heated up a damn pan for it yet.
- What is she doin'? - If she doesn't get this thing cooking right now,
David's takin' this one and joinin' me and Brandi in the finale.
What are you doin'?
- Gordon Less than 20 minutes to go, guys. - ( ticks )
Three stunning pork dishes...
but just one spot remaining
- in the grand finale. - ( sizzling )
Make sure it's you.
Guys, I think Tanorria has forgotten about her pork tenderloin.
Tenderloin.
It looks like the pork tenderloin is not even on the map right now.
( whispers ) She's gotta cook that pork tenderloin.
I don't know if Tanorria doesn't know where her tenderloin is
or she just forgot she has to make a tenderloin,
but it needs to rest for at least 15 minutes
and she only has 15 minutes left and she hasn't started cooking it.
She's gonna be completely screwed on this meat.
- ( sizzling ) - Finally.
Don't just stand there. She's just standin' there.
She's just standin' there holding the pork.
- 12 minutes remaining. - ( ticks )
Tanorria's pork chop, I worry, is undercooked.
The hell happened to this guy?
David's belly doesn't look like it's cooked properly.
- Six minutes, guys. - Let's go, come on. Get platin'.
( sizzling )
Christina: David's pork chop's out of the oven.
Gordon: Great sear on it.
Just get it on.
- ( ticks ) - Three minutes, guys. Here we go.
Christina: Here we go, guys. Here we go, here we go.
Let's go, Tanorria. Come on.
Tanorria's tenderloin is raw. ( sighs )
( Brandi clapping ) Let's go, guys.
Tanorria, you've got nothing down in the front.
- I need to see some food. - ( ticks )
Come on, Tanorria. Push to the end.
- Here we go. Ten, nine... - ( ticks )
...eight, seven, six,
five, four, three,
two, one, and stop! Hands in the air.
- ( clapping ) - Shaun: Good job, guys.
Yeah. Well done!
Gonna be interesting.
Christina: Tanorria and David.
Time to taste all three of your pork dishes.
I'm gonna start with the tenderloin.
As a whole, Tanorria's pork tenderloin dish
looks better, but her pork tenderloin is way raw.
Hopefully, the judges value that over some garnish.
Tanorria, what do you think of your dish?
I think it looks great.
I'm a little concerned about the cook of the pork.
The temp is a little bit under, maybe.
How'd you season this tenderloin?
Um, I rubbed it in the harissa
and a little bit of salt.
David, how do you feel your pork tenderloin dish came out?
Uh, the dish is missing the eggplant purée
and the garnish-- the chive and the other herbs.
Other than that, I'm happy with the rest of the dish.
The cook, I think, is exactly where I wanted it to be.
Tanorria, if these two dishes
landed in front of you at a restaurant,
which would you prefer?
I would not be as appetized for David's.
It doesn't look like it's a dish that I'm excited to eat.
I'm not really excited about raw pork.
Tanorria's is undercooked.
She admittedly has a beautiful dish,
but David's pork tenderloin is cooked to perfection.
All right, so next up-- the pork belly dishes.
Okay, so visually, David, give me your assessment--
one plate versus the other.
I think they're very close and similar.
I believe the color on my pork looks a little more appetizing
but mine is obviously missing the date relish.
Tanorria, what do you think about David
missing a couple elements?
I mean, you really need sweetness from the date relish
to cut the fattiness of the pork.
So, it should be disappointing to him
and maybe for your bite.
( whispers ) Oh, listen to her.
All right, so I'm gonna get in here.
Okay, so you tell me, how do you think we did
- on the cook there? - I think that cook looks really tender,
- really juicy. - David, what do you think?
Looks a little dry. You had to saw through it.
Actually, a lotta bit dry.
Wow.
( faintly ) Okay.
All right, so, David,
what am I to expect when I cut into your pork belly here?
A nice, crispy skin, and a juicy interior.
So, Tanorria, assess David's.
Not as juicy as he expected.
Juicier than hers.
( whispers ) Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. The two of them.
- It's undercooked. - What was that, Tanorria?
From my take on butternut squash,
and the beautiful, velvety texture it should have in the middle,
- that's undercooked. - Wow.
This is a pork challenge. It's all about the pork,
and when I order pork belly, I'm sure the garnish is nice,
but what I care about is the pork.
Taking a look at this pork from the side, it just looks dry--
almost like a dry pot roast.
Neither of the pork bellies are perfect.
They're both a little chewy.
David's is a little bit more crispy on top,
but David's veg is really undercooked.
Tanorria's belly is a little more tender than David's.
Next up, the double pork chop.
Whew.
Nice. Tanorria...
how long did you cook the chop for?
- Maybe seven to eight minutes in the oven. - Right.
Let's go inside.
I'm looking for a nice...
medium throughout.
But with raw fat on the back of the chop,
I'm expecting the center to be undercooked.
- Okay. - I hope it's not.
( murmurs )
- What do you think? - I do get the sense of medium.
And it's extremely juicy, Chef.
Mmm. Thank you.
David, so we're missing the bok choy.
At such a critical moment, why?
There's no reason. No excuse other than just being panicked
with everything else going on.
( sighs )
Pork.
- How's that cooked? - Perfect medium, Chef.
Gordon: So you say it's perfect?
Yes, Chef.
Because that can make the difference between joining Brandi
and Shaun in the finale, or going home.
( sighs ) Pork.
- How's that cooked? - Perfect medium, Chef.
Gordon: You confident it's cooked in the middle?
David: Yes, Chef.
David: My pork was cooked better in all three dishes,
and this pressure test was about pork.
David's sear on the pork is incredible.
There's no exposed white fat,
but it's cooked to perfection.
Tanorria's pork chop does need a touch more cooking inside.
Bok choy, delicious. Sauce, delicious.
All done beautifully.
Tanorria: There's a lot of elements missing from David's plates,
and I got every single one of them on there tonight.
I excelled compared to David.
Whew. David, Tanorria...
we've come to a consensus, but that was a very tough decision.
Christina, two well-executed
pork tenderloin dishes.
In your mind, which one had the edge?
Tanorria, your pork tenderloin
as an entire dish was more composed--
more of the elements were there.
But your pork was undercooked.
David, your dish was less complete,
but that pork tenderloin, you nailed.
So, your pork tenderloin got my vote.
Thank you, Chef.
Richard, which pork belly dish
- had the advantage? - David, Tanorria,
I mean, this one just came down to the tiniest of margins.
The dish that I preferred...
was Tanorria's.
Gordon: So, that means it comes down
to the double pork chop.
Two well-executed dishes,
and I can only go on what you give me,
not what's been left behind on the bench.
You both know that.
The dish...
that had... a slight edge...
and the final person in the MasterChef finale...
is...
David.
Congratulations. You are now in
the MasterChef finale.
Just think of the ups and downs
and what you've done in this competition.
- And now, you've got one final cook-off - Whew.
- You up for it? - I'm ready, Chefs.
Then get your ass upstairs, quickly.
- David: I'm so sorry. - No, don't apologize.
Oh, Tanorria.
You know, you introduced me
to quite possibly the best shrimp and grits
I've ever eaten in my entire life.
And no matter where I go, what restaurant I'm sat in,
no one is ever gonna come close to what you gave me.
- Thank you. - Please come up here and say goodbye.
Oh, gosh!
Good job. Oh, man.
( Tanorria chuckles )
- Bye. - Tanorria: Thank you... ( murmurs, chuckles )
- Gordon: Thank you, my darling. - Tanorria: Thank you.
Coming into this competition,
I cooked American comfort food.
That, for me, will go down in history
- as the best shrimp and grits. - No way.
- I'm tellin' you now. - Whew! Wow!
But now, I know
how to plate a restaurant-quality dish
with refinement and finesse and beauty.
Christina: You've arrived. This is it.
- It's beautiful. - Thank you.
Tanorria: I've learned how to build even more flavor,
which is something that I thought that I already had.
I might actually take a few in my pocket for later.
You take as many as you want.
There's some more at my station, You want those, too?
Blue team, congratulations!
( cheering )
Congratulations, blue team!
Yes!
Tanorria: I absolutely plan to pursue
my food dream of feeding the homeless.
- Shaun: Good job, Tanorria. - Brandi: Bye, Tanorria.
David: Love you, T.
- ( applauding ) - Tanorria: A lot of people
spend their entire lives wondering
what they're meant to do on earth.
I know, now.
Announcer: Next week...
it's the two-hour MasterChef finale.
Joining us tonight, two of the biggest names...
- Oh--! - ...in the culinary world.
Daniel Bolud and Wolfgang Puck? It's go big or go home.
Announcer: The world's biggest cooking competition...
- ( whirring ) - ...comes to an end,
as David, Shaun, and Brandi...
- Whoo! - ...face off for a quarter of a million dollars...
- Let go! - Announcer: their own cookbook,
and the MasterChef title.
- The winner of MasterChef is... - ( cheering )
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