- Announcer: Previously... - Service!
a high-end breakfast challenge...
Reba: You're burning your eggs.
left the blue team scrambled.
Where's my two and two?
And a shocking twist...
Aarón: You two will have to cook
in a fight for your lives in this kitchen.
sent Yachecia and Jennifer...
Gordon: Fish and chips.
into an intense pressure test...
That is not your best performance.
that proved too difficult for Jennifer.
Gordon: Gonna miss you, Jennifer.
ending her "MasterChef" journey.
- Tonight... - Christina: Please welcome...
- ( lowing ) - ...Daisy the cow!
Daisy looks like she needs milking really bad.
it's a mystery box challenge...
( chuckles )
that requires "udder" perfection.
- Very nice job. - Gordon: It's delicious.
It's one of the best things you've cooked.
- And then... - Oh, my God...
the "steaks" are higher than ever before,
- as an elimination test... - Gordon: Speed up, guys! Let's go.
leads to a performance so shocking...
I'm confused.
I don't understand what's going on.
it leaves the judges speechless.
Whoo!
Top 15!
It's just amazing to be in the top 15.
Here we go. We're feeling good.
But at the same time, I've been kind of riding in the middle,
and now it's time that I have to
put the iron to the horse
and get to the front of the pack.
- Line up! Welcome. - Yes!
Gordon: Let's go.
I'm a preacher from Detroit,
and one day I want to open up a nice little small bistro,
and then once a month, I want to bring in homeless people,
and be able to serve them a beautiful home-cooked meal.
I am ready to make my culinary dream come true.
Welcome back to the MasterChef kitchen.
Only one of you will be leaving here with the ultimate prize:
a quarter of a million dollars
and a guaranteed spot on the next MasterChef cruise,
and the title of MasterChef.
Before we get started,
we've a very special guest joining us.
The blinds are going up.
Oh, my God.
"MasterChef" is always bringing in the top-tier chefs
throughout the world, but I don't know who it is.
Who's gonna be coming out behind that door?
Christina: Please welcome...
( lowing )
( laughter )
- Daisy the cow! - I want him!
All of you say a good evening
to this giant of the culinary world, Daisy.
- Newton: Hey, Daisy. - ( applause )
Now, American cattle produce about
24 billion pounds of beef every year.
And not to mention the nine million dairy cows like Daisy,
who every day are producing staples
like incredible butter, cheeses, and of course, milk.
Now, so many incredible cuts come from this cow.
You know the strip loin backs on to the rib eye.
Tucked underneath that sirloin, of course,
you've got an amazing filet.
The chuck, the short ribs,
and then of course, if Daisy was a David,
under that sac are two huge, delicious,
testicles.
- ( laughs ) - Gordon: Now, let's go, baby.
- ( smooching ) - Cate: Bye, Daisy!
- Adam: Oh, my gosh. - Newton: Bye, Daisy.
Now it's time to begin your next mystery box challenge.
Oh, snap.
Each one of these boxes has inside one ingredient
that comes from a cow.
Each of you's gonna come up and grab a box at random.
Whatever ingredient you find in that little mystery box,
that needs to be the star of your dish.
Jason: There is a lot riding on this one little mystery box,
but at the same time, this is a perfect opportunity
to show the judges that I am well-rounded in all areas
and that I deserve to be here.
Gordon: As you can see, there is one box left,
entirely at random.
We'll worry about this one later.
Now the person with the best dish in this mystery box challenge
will get the biggest advantage
in the competition so far.
Christina: It's time to find out what's inside your mystery boxes.
- All right. - One.
- ( mutters ) - Two.
Three. Lift.
Each one of you has a different ingredient
that comes to us courtesy of a cow,
and not necessarily all meat.
Oh, awesome.
Aarón: You guys will have 60 minutes
to make us an incredible dish
using whatever you have right in front of you.
As always in a mystery box challenge,
you will have access to a staple pantry box.
Gordon: Additionally, we'll be giving you access
to the most beautiful pantry in the entire world.
Aarón: All right, is everyone ready?
Your 60 minutes
starts now.
Daniel: All right, let's go, let's go, guys.
All right, where these baskets at?
- Ooh. - Yeah, baby.
I'm nervous. I got kidneys, man.
- Least you don't got balls like me. - ( chuckles )
Gabriel: Out of anything I could have picked, I have kidneys.
I've never worked with kidneys, I've never seen kidneys.
I've never eaten the kidneys.
So I'm just grabbing anything I know that pairs well with beef.
I really want to show the judges that I can deliver a dish
that looks like something I would want to eat,
and I don't even eat meat.
Um, so I'm gonna do a Vietnamese-style flank steak
with some herb salad and also a little slaw.
I'm making this dish because when I was growing up
my mom cooked flank steak like this,
so I'm going to try recreating that
and see if I can put my own spin on it.
Ugh.
I am making a morel and porcini rub ribeye,
and I'm gonna finish it off with a little sauté of wild mushrooms.
After we go turkey hunting in my family,
we always go mushroom hunting after,
so I'm taking this back home today.
Top 15. They've been through it.
Are they gonna rise to the occasion and really nail these dishes?
Now each of these cuts is different products of the cow.
Which cut would you love to cook with tonight?
Gordon: The filet. A chef's dream.
There's not a restaurant anywhere in the country
that doesn't feature filet mignon.
For me, I guess it would have to be the beef testicles.
Shockingly enough, the actual testicle's a delicacy.
Gordon: We want to see those cuts elevated
to restaurant-quality, MasterChef-worthy dishes.
Necco, I love you. Keep going.
So I got beef tongue today.
I've never worked with it before.
What I'm gonna do is make a nice little sauce vierge today.
Then we're gonna braise it, put it on top of that
with some pickled vegetables,
and then top with a little bit of chili oil to give it some spice.
I know that I can elevate it,
and, uh, I'm confident.
- Right, Newton. - Yes, sir.
Now, what are you doing with this porterhouse?
I've seasoned it with mustard seed, a little bit of clove,
a little coriander, a little bit of paprika,
and then a fleur de sel.
And then I will serve it with a red onion marmalade.
You need to bounce back, young man.
You need to come back like you started this competition.
If I don't get this right,
I'm gonna change clothes, change disguise,
and move away from Texas, to be honest.
Yes. Good luck.
Brien O'Brien, what's your ingredient?
I got the chuck roast today, Chef.
It's been a while since I've cooked a chuck roast,
but I think I can nail it.
I'm gonna do cubes of stewed chuck roast,
I'm gonna do a cauliflower purée,
and a fresh frisée salad with honey mustard.
Since your last mystery box win,
you've kind of fallen flat.
Is this dish gonna be big enough to impress us?
Absolutely, Chef. I aim to come back strong.
- Good luck. - Thank you, Chef.
30 minutes remaining!
- Eboni. - Yes, Chef.
- Testicles. - Yeah!
How you cooking them? Where you going with it?
I'm gonna do something called a Rocky Mountain soul roast.
I'm gonna fry 'em. I'm gonna put 'em inside
an egg roll shell with macaroni and cheese and greens,
and then make a spicy sauce for it.
Who taught you how to cook testicles like this?
My husband's grandmother.
She invites me over when she cooks a different dish,
and she'll cook it and say, "Hey, you want to learn how to make it?"
I'll go, "Yeah," and then we'll go from there.
- ( laughs ) - Good luck.
- Jeff. - Hello.
What cut are you cooking with tonight?
Going with a skirt steak over here.
We got a chili-espresso rub,
Mexican-style street corn,
with the sweet potato hash.
Back home in Tampa, I love entertaining people,
and this is a dish that I've done for family and friends,
so I think I can be able to duplicate that again here.
- Jeff, good luck. - Thank you so much.
Wow, it smells incredible.
Yep. A lot of really great flavors.
Gordon: Newton is doing this incredible rub.
He's in his element, let me tell you.
How can he not be with that porterhouse?
Now Brien O'Brien's got the chuck roast,
and he's going to cut that into a beautiful chuck stew.
I think that's an elegant, rustic way to approach that.
60 seconds remaining.
Remember, a huge, game-changing advantage for one of you.
15 seconds remaining.
- Gordon: Ten... - Judges: Nine...
eight, seven, six,
five, four, three,
two, one.
- Gordon: And stop! - Christina: Hands in the air!
Aarón: Good job, guys. Good job.
Gordon: Elevate your protein
and let those steaks be the hero.
Judges: Five, four, three,
two, one.
- Gordon: And stop! - Christina: Hands in the air!
Aarón: Good job, guys. Good job.
As you know, across these 60 minutes,
we watched and tasted everything you were doing.
Tonight, there were three dishes
that we'd like to take a much closer look at.
This individual, they were the recipient of a much-favored cut.
There are so many elements on this plate
working with great harmony.
First up, Newton. Head on up here, let's go.
Newton: This old rancher from Texas
just rode his horse all the way in to the top three.
I'm like an old locomotive.
I'm a little slow to get started,
but it's gonna be hard as hell to stop me.
Right, cowboy, describe the dish, please.
I made an aromatic herb-crusted porterhouse
finished off with a little bit of lemon and a compound butter.
Then as a side item, we did a red onion chipotle jalapeño marmalade,
braised greens with a little smoky flavor,
and then underneath the steak we did a chipotle mashed potatoes.
Man, that's a cowboy's dinner.
It is.
I wanted the steak to speak for itself,
and be me, personally me, presented on this plate.
What do I love? The color,
the glistening of this porterhouse.
What was the seasoning on top?
It was mustard seed, coriander seed,
smoked paprika, black pepper,
and just a little bit of clove.
The porterhouse is delicious.
Absolutely spot-on.
The caramelization's beautiful,
really nice caramelized onions,
nice shiny, silky texture.
The only problem I have with this dish
is that the 14 people standing behind you
can't taste how delicious it is.
This is finally you at your best.
- Welcome back, cowboy. - Thank you.
Newton, how do you typically cook your steak at home?
You know, I cook mine rare to medium rare.
Bust the horns off, wipe its rear end,
and run it through a brush fire.
Man, I think it's such a smart dish.
The steak is the star. You get that earthy heat
from your chipotle mashed potatoes.
That Swiss chard, it has an earthiness to it, but a sweetness,
and that plugs right into the heat.
What would I do differently?
Maybe in the presentation end,
make it feel less like steak plus three,
but very nice job.
Thank you.
Cate: Good job, Newton! Whoo hoo!
The second dish that we'd like to examine further
is from a home cook who's already established himself
as a force in this kitchen.
This home cook elevated a humble cut of meat
and made something spectacular with it.
Please step forward...
Jeff.
Jeff: Yes. I feel great.
This is now my second time being in the top three,
and it shows everybody else that I'm still a threat
and I can become America's next MasterChef.
Explain to me a little bit what you got going on here, buddy.
So I have for you a chili-espresso rub skirt steak,
with a sweet potato and pepper quartet,
a charred tomatillo, a poblano salsa verde,
and my take on a Mexican-style street corn.
I love the composition of the dish.
The hash and the salsa and the corn,
this is inviting.
Now talk to me about that corn.
I kept the husk on, 'cause that was always
the way my dad always did it.
As a little boy, that was always a treat
was to always get that little bit of a note
of the grill coming off of it.
That steak right there is beautiful and medium rare.
That's the way you should have skirt steak.
The steak tastes fantastic.
It's rich, it's seasoned properly.
The salsa itself, it's bold.
It's rustic. You left it chunky, which I like.
The fact that you roasted all the peppers,
they're coming through, but they're not overpowering.
The corn is a little bit underdone.
I do like the flavor of it,
so you nailed it as far as the accuracy on the seasoning.
But that steak right there? Mmm!
- Dynamite. - Thank you.
Why the coffee-chili?
Just to bring a little bit of depth to it.
Always brings out a little bit of a smokiness to it there,
a little bit of the sweet coffee flavors, if you will.
Here's the thing. It's cooked beautifully.
You've respected the cut.
The temperature, heat, acidity, the texture-- you've nailed.
Salsa's nice. Got a vibrancy in that, an excitement.
Corn's slightly undercooked,
but I think it's one of the best things you've cooked.
- It's a good dish. - Thank you.
All right, the third and final choice.
This home cook was able to create a plate
that is really packed with flavor.
Please bring up your dish, Brien O'Brien.
- Good job, bro. - Yes!
Of course, it's me.
I know I deserve it because my dish
is beautiful and decadent,
and all the dishes around me don't even compare.
Brien O'Brien, what'd you make?
Today I made a braised chuck roast
with a red wine reduction glaze,
a cauliflower purée, and a fresh frisée salad.
To be properly braised, that really means that that cooking liquid
is really going to have to have permeated the entire roast.
And what did you season that cauliflower purée with?
Wanted it to be pretty straightforward.
Just a little butter, a little heavy whipping cream,
and, uh, salt.
It's tender, it's flavorful.
It's so juicy in the middle.
I mean, look at that. You can see how the glaze has permeated down.
I think the cauliflower purée is a super smart pairing,
because you want the lightness of the cauliflower purée
when you have the sort of stewed meat nature of the chuck roast.
That frisée salad brings a very fresh element,
but I think the cherry tomatoes
bring a sweetness that you don't want.
I think you only want the sweetness in the glaze here.
But I appreciate the approach between heavier and lighter.
- Impressive dish. - Thank you, Chef.
Is this something that you love to cook at home?
My brother called me over to watch football one day,
and he said, "I got two big steaks for you to grill when you get here."
Turns out they were chuck roasts.
And I, you know, made some failures with that meat,
so I knew I needed to tenderize that tough piece of meat.
You know what? The chuck roast, it's bold.
I think it has a great amount of heat.
The color I really love.
That cauliflower purée, it's a really great relief.
It's rich, and it really helps kind of mellow out
some of the heat from the rub.
But the presentation was kind of clunky.
The chuck roast is a very hard beef to manipulate
and get tender and you did that.
Thank you, Chef.
- Nice job. - Nice job.
Nice job.
Each and every one of you
highlighted your culinary styles tonight.
So well done, gentlemen.
But there can only be one winner of this mystery box challenge.
It's a home cook that's gonna get a huge advantage.
Tonight's winning home cook is...
There can only be one winner of this mystery box challenge.
It's a home cook that's gonna get a huge advantage.
Tonight's winning home cook is...
- Newton. Great job. - Yeah, Netwon!
Please, come and stand up here.
It's kind of a euphoric moment
that I get to be the number one out of the top three.
All right, everyone, please, all of you, come down to the front.
These young kids, they'd better watch out.
They'd better cinch up their belts,
tighten it up,
because they got a competitor here,
and I'm gonna kick their ass.
Finally, you are starting to emerge.
Now, because you won the mystery box challenge,
you are safe and you do not have to compete
in the elimination challenge.
- Congratulations. - Thank you.
You'll have a huge advantage.
14 home cooks stand before us,
but some of them will also be spared
from elimination tonight.
And who that is is up to you, Newton.
Aarón: We're gonna ask you to separate
these 14 home cooks into two groups:
the seven strongest, and the seven weakest.
Let's start with the weakest.
Who do you think the weakest cook is here?
Jenny.
Gordon: Right, Jenny. First choice, why?
- Lack of self-confidence. - Interesting.
Jenny: This is ridiculous.
It's insulting being called one of the weakest.
Whatever. At this point, it's just more fuel to my fire,
and I am not going out without a fight.
Second choice.
- Caitlin. - Wow.
Why do you see Caitlin in the bottom seven?
I think just inexperience.
Wow, Newton thinks I'm one of the weakest
home cooks in this competition.
You know what? I'm perfectly cool with that,
because I know how strong of a home cook I am,
and it's the judges' opinion that matters to me.
- The third choice. - Dino.
Quite frankly, I know who performs and who doesn't perform.
- Who's your fourth weakest? - Reba.
- Wow. - I have no qualms doing this.
This is competition.
- Adam. - Interesting.
Daniel.
And if someone takes it personal,
then strike me off your Christmas card list.
You've got one more that you consider to be
the final individual in the weakest seven in this competition.
Who's that person?
- Brien. - Wow.
He's missing a little bit of that finesse
to take 'em to where they need to be.
It's comical that Newton thinks I'm in the bottom seven.
He knows I'm one of the best chefs here.
He might be trying to get in my head.
Please, all of you, come and stand over here.
Line up, please. Thank you.
So, according to Newton tonight,
you seven are the weakest.
We've also discovered who Newton thinks are the strongest--
Cate, Jeff, Necco, Eboni, Jason,
Yachecia, and Gabriel.
Newton, you are about to receive an incredible advantage.
All 14 of your fellow home cooks' fate is in your hands.
You will either save the seven weakest individuals
or the seven strongest from tonight's grueling elimination.
So, Newton, who do you want to see cooking
in tonight's elimination challenge?
I want to choose...
the strongest competition to duke it out.
So that means the seven weakest home cooks, by Newton's assessment,
you're all safe from elimination tonight.
You can all head up to the balcony with Newton.
Thank you, Chef.
Eboni: Newton's gunning for me, but you know what?
You can't get rid of me.
I'm like a fly on ( bleep ).
I'm not going nowhere.
Now earlier tonight, you all attempted to honor
incredible ingredients that came from a cow.
We saw 15 of them earlier tonight.
But one box remained at random.
Yep.
Whatever part of the cow is inside here,
is what all of you will have to cook with tonight.
It is hanger steak.
It's a very prized cut, but very temperamental.
Cook it the wrong way, and it's chewy, inedible,
and you've just destroyed one of the most prized assets of the cow.
Now, tonight, you'll just have one hour
to make us an incredible hanger steak dish.
- Now, everybody ready? - Yes, Chef.
Your 60 minutes starts now. Let's go.
Necco: Shop smart, guys. Shop smart.
- Okay, what am I doing? - I got red onions.
Being from Oklahoma, we have a lot of cows.
But I don't eat a lot of meat,
so it's a little nerve-racking
to get something that I've never cooked before.
but I want to show the judges that I can cook whatever they give me.
I've gotta come out on top.
I'm gonna make a hanger steak.
I'm gonna roast mushrooms and tomato down
with some prosciutto, and I'm going to do
two potatoes two type of ways.
One honey butter sweet potato,
and a chunky mashed potato with dill, parsley, and garlic in it.
I don't typically make hanger steak.
This is another first for me,
but I'm gonna try to rock it today.
I'm making my fiancée's favorite dish,
hanger steak with caramelized onions,
a white cheddar mashed potatoes,
and some pan-seared Brussels sprouts.
I'm not going home.
Gonna make sure that I get the best dish out there.
Right, hanger steak. Now this is the prize jewel.
It's one of the most sought-after cuts.
Aarón: The hanger is the perfect sponge.
It can take on everything from a red wine sauce.
It can take a rub on as well.
It's a great versatile piece of protein.
But it's a temperamental cut.
Oh, God.
Undercooked, and it's like chuck steak.
Cooked beautifully, rested, and it's like filet.
That looks good, Cate.
All right, Miss Cate, my Chicago gal,
what do you got going on here?
I got a little smoking gun action going on.
Gonna smoke some almonds and give a nice toast to them.
So I am making a marinated hanger steak
with a Romesco sauce,
and I'm gonna do a stuffed shishito pepper.
Do you use gadgets like a smoking gun at home in Chicago?
Last Father's Day, I bought my dad a smoker,
so we've been in the backyard smoking everything you can.
- All right, good luck, mama. - Thanks.
Make sure that hanger steak is cooked to perfection.
Thank you. It will be.
- Gonna give us a masterpiece, Necco? - Here's hoping, kid.
- Necco. - Yes, Chef.
Hanger steak, ever cooked it before?
No, I've never made a hanger steak before,
but I feel pretty good about it.
You know, it's a very tough, difficult, tempestuous piece of protein.
I actually read a book recently that said
it's not a terribly difficult thing to work with.
I'm not worried about this challenge one bit.
- I'm feeling quite comfortable. - Wow.
Listen, it's a tough, demanding, awkward meat to get right,
so it needs to be the sort of mid-rare.
Get it right, it's the dish of the night.
Well, it's just grilling a piece of meat, right?
So how hard can it really be?
Caitlin: Necco's not listening to Gordon at all,
and that shows the judges you're not willing to learn,
you're not willing to grow.
I know that I know temperatures,
and I feel confident in it,
and I think I'm just doing me.
Ooh, ( bleep ).
Gordon: Necco, hanger steak,
it needs to be the sort of mid-rare.
Get it right, it's the dish of the night.
I know that I know temperatures,
and I feel confident in it,
and I think I'm just doing me.
Ooh, ( bleep ).
- What does that mean? - You know,
I want to make sure I'm doing what I need to do
to get this cooked properly,
and try to bring out the beauty in this product as a whole.
And it's gonna be a beautiful steak. I'm really confident.
- So I'm not worried about it. - Gotcha.
- Mr. Humble, good luck. - I appreciate it.
Less than 30 minutes, everyone.
All right, let's do this thing.
- All right, Gabriel. - Yes, Chef.
Talk to me about what you're making.
Today I'm gonna do a simple herb and smoked salt-crusted hanger steak
with a little bit of balsamic pomegranate glazed carrots,
and then I'm going to do my take on a potato dauphinoise.
Have you made a potato dauphinoise before?
Never before, Chef. I got 'em in the oven now,
and hopefully, it's gonna work out.
Your spot in the competition is at risk here.
Is this the right time to put all your cards on the table?
If I can't prove to y'all that I can do stuff out of my comfort zone,
- what am I doing here? - There's a lot riding on this dish.
Make sure that every element is spot on.
- You got it, Chef. - Good luck.
Thank you, Chef.
- Jason. - Chef Ramsay.
- How are you feeling? - I'm feeling very well.
Tell me about the dish. What are you doing?
I'm gonna channel my Asian roots
with a little bit of five-spiced powder on a hanger steak
with French fries, and I'm gonna be serving it with broccoli rabe.
Sort of a semi-fusion. Bit of a French classic,
Chinese five spice to bring in that Asian influence.
- Oh, yeah. - Now, Newton thinks you're a threat.
Are you nervous?
I think, you know, when I'm in the classroom,
or if I'm performing music,
there's always an element of nerves.
If you're not nervous, you're not ready to go.
So I'm just gonna try to move efficiently,
and tonight I'm the conductor, and I'm gonna make it work.
- Good luck. - Thank you.
Christina: 18 minutes to go, guys.
Taste, taste, taste!
Mm-hmm.
- Yachecia. - Yes, Chef.
- How you doing, darling? - I'm doing pretty good, Chef.
Talk to me a little bit about your dish.
I have a marinated hanger steak with sautéed mushrooms
and asparagus and a polenta cake.
All right, so, Newton, in essence, put you down here
'cause he views you as strong competition.
Correct, Chef, because he knows
once I get down in this kitchen, I'm an assassin.
- I'm strong. - You're an assassin.
I've been through a lot of ups and downs in life,
and so, I had to focus on getting my son through school,
and I can't do it with being soft.
I gotta be tough enough to take it.
- Keep your eye on the prize, all right? - Yes, Chef.
- Good luck to you, okay, Miss Yachecia? - Thank you, Chef.
Gordon: Ten minutes remaining.
Remember, your hanger steak needs to rest. Come on.
So, who are the potential standouts?
Cate. She is making a Romesco with some smoked almonds.
- Perfect. - I'm glad that she's really challenging herself
over these 60 minutes.
Jason's combining French elements with Asian.
It sounds interesting. It may be a little bit too complicated.
I'd be a little worried.
That's just not gonna work out.
Gordon: I'm slightly worried about Necco.
He's a little bit overconfident,
but he's all over the place.
Look at him, he doesn't know what he's doing.
Just not there yet.
Oh. It's not there yet.
Gordon: Two minutes remaining.
Your plates have got to ooze finesse.
Damn.
Think, think, think, Gabe. Think, Gabe. Think, Gabe.
Oh, Gabriel just put his steak back in! He thinks it's raw!
Not now, not now, not now.
Christina: He doesn't have time!
Keep going, Gabe. Let's go, guys.
- Come on, Jason. - Garnish!
Brien: This is it, guys, crunch time.
Gordon: 60 seconds remaining!
Last minute! For one of you,
your last minute inside the MasterChef kitchen.
Almost there, guys. Stay focused, stay focused.
Aarón: Come on, Eboni, let's go.
- Gordon: Ten... - Judges: Nine...
eight, seven, six,
five, four, three,
two, one!
- Gordon: Stop! - Christina: Hands in the air!
Gordon: Well done!
Now, all of you, bring your dishes down to the front.
Newton: You know, having the top seven compete was a great idea,
because one of the strongest competitors is going home today,
and I'm a-okay with that.
You know, less competition for me.
Now, it's time for the most important part:
the tasting of those incredible hanger steaks.
Right, Jason, describe the dish, please.
So I have for you today
a Chinese five spice rub hanger steak
with eryngii or king trumpet mushrooms,
and with seared broccolini, French fries,
with a cilantro aioli.
Visually, it looks like a chef's dish.
- How long did you cook it for? - Four minutes per side,
and I flipped it a little bit.
I know it's a coarser texture,
so I wanted to keep it very rich and very tender.
With such a temperamental cut,
the less you cook it, the worse it can taste.
That's my worry. Let's get in there, shall we?
Now, inside, it should be medium rare, pink.
Let's get in there, shall we?
Now, inside, it should be medium rare, pink.
Now, it is definitely on the rare side.
- Oh, wow, - It's that raw.
So, how long did you marinate it for?
It was marinated probably at least 10, 15 minutes.
That could be the saving grace.
You are... lucky.
The steak is undercooked,
but it's as tender as anything,
and that's because you had the sense to marinate it.
The fries are good, the sauce is good.
However, what's the hero tonight?
Hanger steak.
It's not a protein that should be served rare.
Thank you, Chef.
Jeff, describe to me your dish.
So we have a hanger steak that's done up
over a white cheddar mashed potatoes,
with caramelized onions and pan-seared Brussels sprouts
with pancetta chips.
I have to be honest. Looking at this...
a little slovenly.
It looks like something you'd get at a buffet.
Now, before you start beating yourself up,
- that is medium rare right there. - Yes, it is.
You have cabbage in there as well or just onion?
No, just some caramelized red onions
and then that nice red wine tomato sauce.
I gotta say, this is a perfect example
of when a dish doesn't look good,
- and it tastes fantastic. - Thank you.
It's warm, it's rich, it's seasoned properly.
The vegetables are cooked correctly.
That right there is dynamite.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
- Good job. - Thank you.
- Miss Eboni. - Hi, Chef.
What'd you make?
I made a dry-rubbed lemon-crusted hanger steak
with dill and parsley mashed potato
with roasted mushrooms and sweet potato.
Visually, I think it looks...
a little rudimentary.
The sort of circular shapes, and then the square shape,
and then the rectangular shape
feels like I'm in kindergarten class.
Now, how confident are you that this is medium rare?
Scale of nine to ten?
- Nine. - Okay.
There's only one way to find out.
I'm gonna slice in,
and I wanna see a nice pink.
- It's cooked beautifully. - Thank you, Chef.
( whistles )
Now, how did you end up cooking the steak?
I did a dry rub on it and I pan seared it.
The hanger steak is delicious.
It's beautiful. It's perfectly cooked.
It's so juicy in the middle.
You nailed the cook on this.
Now, let's talk about these potatoes.
- Yes. - Pretty dry.
This part of the dish, the star of the dish, is beautiful.
This part of the dish is not good.
But overall, really nice job.
Right, Gabriel. Describe the dish.
So you have a pan-seared hanger steak,
with some beef stock caramelized carrots,
and some crispy potatoes.
Something I've come to admire about you
- is that you're fearless. - Yes, Chef.
But that just looks plain to me.
The meat is seared, but I'm worried about the temperature.
- What have you gone for? - I was going for medium rare, Chef.
Come on, baby.
Oh, young man.
That thing's minutes away from being put back in the field.
Oh, Gabriel. Gabriel, Gabriel, Gabriel.
What did you marinate it in?
- I didn't marinate it, Chef. - You didn't marinate it.
No, Chef, I did a dry rub.
It's so undercooked,
even the seasoning hasn't had a chance
to sort of disintegrate and work its magic.
I'm completely pissed at myself, Chef.
That's not something I want to serve anybody,
let alone serve to somebody of your stature.
You know, potatoes, beautifully done,
carrots, beautifully glazed, sauce not too thick.
You can cook,
but what pains me is that you've got
so much potential in this competition
and over the years I've seen so much talent
disappear through those doors
through silly mistakes like that.
- Yes, Chef. - ( sighs )
Cate, talk to me about your dish.
This is a marinated and grilled hanger steak
with a red pepper Romesco, grilled asparagus,
stuffed shishito peppers, finished with smoked almonds.
I could get all these ingredients
in a ten-acre radius of my dad's farm,
so this is me on a plate.
When I cut that steak, what is it supposed to look like inside?
This is gonna be a beautiful medium.
Okay.
That is a thing of beauty.
It really is.
It has the cook all the way through.
This is how you cook hanger steak.
- Thank you, Chef. - What did you stuff the shishitos with?
With a little bit of goat cheese,
and then I caramelized some shallots and garlic.
- That is dynamite. - Yay!
It's cooked perfectly.
The asparagus is perfect.
The shishito peppers is a cute little idea.
And based on this dish,
I think you're well beyond
a lot of the people in this room.
- Can I get a high-five? - There you go.
Thank you so much.
All right, Necco.
What's going on here?
I'm confused. What-- what is this?
All right, Necco.
What's going on here?
Uh, we have a marinated, grilled hanger steak.
Necco, I'm confused. What-- what is this?
I'm not-- I don't understand what's going on.
It looks a little bit like a sausage patty with hash browns.
This makes me feel like it's food for, like, a little dollhouse.
I don't think so.
I feel like my presentation is hands-down the best,
and my flavors mend well together.
Maybe I'm not really understanding the inspiration.
Tell me what you made.
We have a marinated, grilled hanger steak,
with morels sautéed in brown butter,
a stuffed tomato and a potato cake.
I felt that the plating was nice this way.
Okay. Temperature-wise, what were you going for?
I was hoping for a medium rare.
Let's see what we got.
Ooh. It's undercooked. Look at that.
- What happened there? - I feel it's not deep red.
But I got a big ol' blood line coming in there.
You need more time searing this
and you didn't give it enough time to rest.
You know, Necco, you didn't nail any element on the plate.
Presentation is disappointing. I'm sorry.
- Yachecia. - Yes, Chef.
Okay, describe the dish, please.
It is an herb-marinated hanger steak
with sautéed mushrooms, polenta cake,
and roasted asparagus.
Visually, um, you got that wow factor.
I love the finesse, the creativity, the colors.
You've got the blend right. What temperature have you gone for on the steak?
Medium, Chef. Marinated with a little bit of oil, some fresh thyme,
- and garlic. - You've nailed the cook.
- The cook looks beautiful. - Thank you, Chef.
And it packs moisture,
almost where it's just oozing.
Thank you, Chef.
Wow. Holy ( bleep ).
- I know you can't say that in church. - No, Chef.
But we're not in ( bleep ) church.
- O.M.G. It's delicious. - Thank you, Chef.
Beyond cooking the hanger steak to perfection,
polenta cake, the grilled asparagus,
and then those mushrooms with the peppers
actually taste quite nice all together.
I think Newton missed big time.
- Good job. - Thank you, Chef.
- Hallelujah. - Hallelujah.
Great job, Yachecia.
All right, will everyone please come around to the front?
Jason: I'm really scared.
This steak could totally send me home.
I do not want to go home today.
According to Newton,
you are the seven best home cooks in this kitchen.
We think that he was certainly right
about two home cooks tonight.
Cate and Yachecia. Nice job to both of you.
You are safe. Please head up to the balcony.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
- Good job, ladies. - Come on up, guys.
Thanks, Newton, for giving me an opportunity to shine right now,
because if you hadn't have left me down here,
I wouldn't have had this opportunity to wow the judges,
so I'm super happy.
Aarón: Two other home cooks did just enough
to prove that Newton was right.
Jeff and Eboni,
- please head up to the balcony. - Thank you, Chef.
- Good job, guys! - Nice job, Eboni.
( laughs )
Newton, you better watch out,
'cause you threw me down here in this fire
and you thought I was gonna get burned.
I walked away.
( vocalizing )
You better hope the roles don't get reversed.
You goin' home. Yee-haw to that.
Gordon: Jason, Gabriel, and Necco,
all three of you unsuccessfully
cooked that protein.
Ultimately, our decision comes down
to who learns from their mistakes better?
The person leaving the MasterChef kitchen...
is...
Necco.
Jason, Gabriel, say goodnight to Necco,
and head on upstairs.
( muttering )
Necco, the fact that you presented a dish like that tonight,
and then proclaimed how good it is,
it's almost like you cannot fathom
the fundamental errors that you made.
It's a great shame, because you are a talented individual.
Unfortunately, your time is done on "MasterChef."
Please put your apron on the bench and say goodnight.
- Thank you. - Thank you, Chef.
- Love you, Necco. - Bye, guys.
I'm super disappointed to leave this competition.
Newton's plan worked.
Looks like he's sending home one of the strongest
competitors in the game right now.
Love you, Necco.
When I first came into the MasterChef kitchen,
I was just another guy
from a small town in South Carolina.
But today, I'm leaving an accomplished home cook,
with a foundation to create so much more
in the world of cooking.
Announcer: Next time...
the MasterChef restaurant opens its doors
to its most important guests yet.
Aarón: These hard-working people
are the backbone of the culinary world.
And in a challenge
where the ingredients take center stage...
You're cooking with their product.
If we don't get it right, it could ruin the entire dish.
which team will steal the spotlight...
You need two gallons of polenta. Get it done.
and who will take their final curtain call?
- Gordon: Ricotta with halibut. - Aarón: Fish and cheese.
Ricotta and halibut do not go together.
Sync: Ajvngou www.addic7ed.com
>> Gordon: TONIGHT ON "THE F WORD," IT IS
LICENSE TO GRILL. VERSUS CHOP IT LIKE IT'S HOT.
>> NOTHING IS GOING TO STAND IN OUR WAY.
>> Gordon: THEY WILL BE COOKING AN AMAZING GRILLED STEA
STEAK. BOTH TEAMS WILL BE CHALLENGED TO
COME UP WITH ONE SPECIAL ELEMENT TO MAKE THE DISH UNIQUE.
>> TOO MUCH OIL. I'M NOT THAT HAPPY WITH THE
SALAD. IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK.
>> Gordon: TWO TEAMS. THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE WINNER.
"THE F WORD" IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
[CHEERING] WELCOME TO "THE F WORD."
THESE TWO TEAMS ARE FIGHTING IN MY KITCHEN.
TONIGHT IT'S STEAK. THEY ARE MAKING SKIRT STEAK WITH
CHIMICHURRI. WE HAVE CHOP IT LIKE IT'S HOT.
BOTH TEAMS HAVE TO SERVE 50 DINERS.
THEY WILL DECIDE WHICH THEY LIKE BETTER.
IT'S TIME TO MEET THE TEAMS. TEAM CAPTAIN, LICENSE TO GRILL.
LOVE THE NAME. HOW MANY TIMES A WEEK DO YOU
GRILLED TOGETHER? >> FOUR OR FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK.
>> Gordon: WOW. >> THIS IS AMANDA.
SHE HAS ON PLATING, MAKING EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL.
BRAD IS ON THE BEANS AND THE FRICASSEE.
JAY IS ON THE STEAK STATION GRILLING THE MEAT.
>> Gordon: HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING?
>> HAVE-NOTS. >> Gordon: WE'VE SEEN
TREMENDOUS FAMILIES. WHAT SEPARATES YOU?
WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT YOU? >> WE DO EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
THE KIDS ARE STILL UNDER OUR ROOF.
WE PUT THEM THROUGH COLLEGE. >> Gordon: WHAT SKILLS ARE YOU
BRINGING? >> I'M A PRECISION MACHINIST.
I BRING THE MANUFACTURING. WE CAN MANUFACTURE THE MEAL,
REPEAT THE PROCESS. >> Gordon: AMAZING.
HOW MUCH DOES IT MEAN FOLLOWING IN YOUR DAD'S FOOTSTEPS?
>> MEANS EVERYTHING TO ME. MY DAD, MY BEST FRIEND, MY WHOLE
FAMILY. TO GET THE TORCH PASSED TO ME,
IT'S EXCITING. >> Gordon: GOOD LUCK.
YOU ARE THE TEAM CAPTAIN. INTRODUCE US.
>> THIS IS MY COUSIN, MY LITTLE BROTHER, AND ANOTHER COUSIN.
WE GREW UP LIKE SIBLINGS. >> Gordon: GIVE US AN INSIGHT
TO FAMILY LIFE IN CHICAGO? >> WE ARE GREAT, BIG, FUN,
ENERGETIC MEXICAN FAMILY. GRANDMA IS ALWAYS COOKING FOR U
US. >> Gordon: WHO STARTED THIS
ENERGY? >> I LOVE HAVING FUN.
I LOVE LAUGHING. I DON'T TAKE EVERYTHING SERIOUS.
I'M HERE TO HAVE FUN. >> Gordon: I LOVE THAT.
YOU HAVE THE MOST EXPERIENCE, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A LIVING?
>> I AM A SERVER AND A HOST AT A VERY BUSY RESTAURANT.
I AM USED TO WORKING UNDER PRESSURE.
>> Gordon: ARE YOU CONFIDENT? >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> Gordon: YOU GUYS HAVE WHITNEY.
THEY CAN'T DO IT FOR YOU. WE ARE LIVE.
GO, GO, GO. TONIGHT, IN ADDITION TO MAKING A
SKIRT STEAK WITH A DELICIOUS CHIMICHURRI, I HAVE CHALLENGED
THE TEAMS TO COME UP WITH THE SPECIAL ELEMENT AND OF THE
DISH -- ADD TO THE DISH TO MAKE IT UNIQUELY THEIR OWN.
>> THE NEWS THAT WAS BROKEN WAS THAT WE GET TO ADD SOMETHING.
KIND OF A LOT OF PRESSURE. TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S
GOING TO COMPLEMENT THE DISH. >> WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY'RE
GOING TO BE DOING? BECAUSE WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING
AUTHENTIC. >> MAKE IT OR BREAK IT.
WE HAVE ONE CHANCE TO PREVAIL. WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH
SOMETHING RISKY BUT THAT WE KNOW WE CAN PULL OFF.
>> STILL NOT THERE, NEEDS MORE SALT.
>> WE ARE TRYING MEXICAN INGREDIENTS, RUNNING OUT OF
TIME. WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WERE
GOING TO USE. SEEK I'M REALLY NOT THAT HAPPY.
WE'VE GOT TO HURRY UP AND GET IT