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00:00Where's our girl, Janie?
00:01I don't know.
00:02Previously on America's Tets Kitchen,
00:04The Next Generation.
00:06I'm on a road!
00:08We want you to utilize high-end ingredients
00:11to make a bomb dish.
00:13There is a lot of money on this table.
00:16Oh my God, how do I cut this beautiful meat?
00:20Don't be mad at me.
00:22It got away from me.
00:23What was your protein,
00:23and what did you make for her and him?
00:26Where's Lon?
00:28The winner of today's test is Alex.
00:32Unfortunately, there were two of you today
00:34whose dishes just didn't stack up.
00:36Annabelle, that Iberico got a little bit lost
00:39and wasn't conveying the luxury we were hoping for.
00:42David, the flavors were a little confusing,
00:44and the execution wasn't quite there.
00:46The cook who is leaving the Tets Kitchen today is Annabelle.
00:51Hi, guys.
00:54I'm just trying to, like, keep it together.
00:57It's just a lot.
01:01Congratulations, cooks.
01:02Our fabulous four.
01:13Cooking is my passion.
01:14I love cooking.
01:15I love cooking when it's timed.
01:17Open it.
01:18OK, there's no pots.
01:19I'm extremely happy to be top four in this competition.
01:23Top four, y'all.
01:24But last week, I totally missed the mark on the rabbit.
01:28It could have been cooked a little more consistently,
01:29and the flavor could have been much stronger.
01:31There's not a lot of us.
01:33Like, we can all fit.
01:34This is so weird.
01:35I got to step it up if I want to win this competition.
01:38We made it this far, y'all.
01:40Hi, guys.
01:40Hi.
01:42Good to see you guys.
01:44You too.
01:45Hello, Final Four.
01:46Hey.
01:47You're all within arm's reach of a cookbook option,
01:53$100,000, and becoming the next face of America's Test Kitchen.
02:00So let's get our judges in here.
02:03Hey.
02:05Hello.
02:06Hi, guys.
02:07Y'all look very fancy.
02:08Y'all fancy today.
02:09Right?
02:09Let's go, outfits.
02:11Cooks, please welcome back ATK Chief Creative Officer, Jack Bishop.
02:18She's a silent food stylist.
02:21Elle Simone Scott.
02:23And our illustrious head judge, Dan Souza.
02:27Cooks, there's no task, just one test challenge.
02:32At the end of this challenge, one of you will be going home.
02:36Before I dish on what you'll be cooking today, are you ready to meet our guest judge?
02:41Yeah.
02:41He's a successful chef, restaurateur, television personality, and a James Beard-nominated cookbook
02:48author.
02:49It's Richard Blaze.
02:52What is up?
02:53Oh, my gosh.
02:54It's so cool to see Richard Blaze here.
02:56I've seen him on TV so many times, so I really hope I can impress him today.
03:00Welcome, Richard.
03:01Thank you so much.
03:03We're so happy to have you here.
03:04Cooks, today we're asking you to prepare for us a three-course meal that tells us who you are.
03:12Richard, any advice on how to create a stellar three-course meal?
03:16I have a saying, and it's, uh, salads don't win championships.
03:20Let me rethink that.
03:22In today's challenge, view your three-course meal as a full story.
03:26That means there's a beginning, a middle, and an end.
03:28I have one more special guest to introduce to you today.
03:32You know what?
03:32Let me go get them.
03:33I'll be right back.
03:35Oh, Lord.
03:36Dan, what have you done?
03:38Um, judges?
03:39A little help, Blaze?
03:41Do you need some help?
03:42Literally, what is happening?
03:44What in the world?
03:45Okay, yes, there we go.
03:46What is, what are you going to do?
03:48There we go.
03:49Holy cow.
03:50Holy cow.
03:52She's big.
03:53Please welcome a cornerstone employee here at ATK.
03:58Betsy!
03:59Hi, Betsy.
04:01She's always down for a good time.
04:03She loves a spicy margarita.
04:06And welcomes all of our guests at the front door.
04:09She's also pretty good with IT.
04:11Laptop issues.
04:13Jackie of all trades.
04:15Cooks, for your challenge today, you have to create a three-course meal.
04:19And in one of those dishes, you must include a beef cut that you'll get directly from Betsy.
04:25You're going to have to incorporate one of the lesser cuts from old Betsy here into one of your dishes.
04:32We have round, chuck, sirloin, and brisket.
04:35That means we're taking all the other cuts.
04:39To work here, we need to know that you can make magic with any ingredient at any price point.
04:46All right, to decide the order, we're drawing spoons.
04:49Up first.
04:52Alex.
04:53Sorry again, guys.
04:55Something about this stroke of luck, Alex.
04:58I'm going to go chuck.
04:59Mother chucker.
05:01Nice, you can chew.
05:03Lauren.
05:04Thanks, Lauren.
05:05All right.
05:07David.
05:08I'm not afraid of some humps, so we're going to go with the round.
05:13Because I was going to say, have I had a round?
05:15You will today.
05:16Oh!
05:18So, Ashley, by default, that means you're up.
05:21Claim your brisket.
05:22So much.
05:25I've cooked brisket before, but on a barbecue pit, in a backyard, with hours and hours to spare.
05:32Ashley, how do you feel with the brisket?
05:34We're going to see what time y'all give us, because I know we have to break that all the
05:37way down.
05:38You're from Texas.
05:39Don't do that.
05:40Don't do that.
05:41I'm just saying.
05:42Don't do that.
05:43A big challenge means more time.
05:46So, cooks, we're giving you a total of four hours to make your three-course meal.
05:53I've had issues with time management before.
05:55It's not going to happen today.
05:57Girl, you got this.
05:58We got time.
05:58That means you'll have 60 minutes to prep for all of your dishes,
06:01and then 60 minutes to cook each individual course.
06:05We'll be judging you on taste, creativity, presentation, technique, and how creatively you use your cut of beef.
06:11The winner of today's challenge will not only go to the finale, but will receive one of our best prizes
06:18yet.
06:18A guest spot on America's Test Kitchen.
06:21You'll be going on camera in a head-to-head battle on Jack's Blind Taste Test segment against our very
06:28own Julia Collin Davison.
06:30Oh, I'm already fangirling.
06:33Julia is who I get to interact with on Jack's show, which means I automatically get to come back to
06:38ATK.
06:39Sold.
06:39Like, any opportunity to come back means even if you don't get to the finale, you still get to come
06:44back.
06:45That's very cool.
06:46All right, cooks.
06:47Your four hours start now.
06:56Oh, thank you.
06:57That's so sweet.
06:58You know, this is where's the end, so I got to be nice to you.
07:02Scallops in there.
07:03I took them.
07:04I'm sorry.
07:05You took them?
07:06Are you using all of them?
07:07Um, probably.
07:09Oh, man.
07:10I'm pretty annoyed.
07:12My plan was scallops, and Alex has them, so here we are.
07:15I'm sorry.
07:16It's okay.
07:17We pivot.
07:17Once again, I have to pivot.
07:19That's what I do.
07:21Pivoting is the name of our game.
07:23Being in the final three in the finale would be huge.
07:27With the $100,000, I would want to open my retail store with high-quality ingredients from all over
07:31the world that I've fallen in love with that I could not imagine cooking without.
07:36Winning this competition would really make my dreams come true.
07:39I'm going to leave that meat there for a second.
07:41I can't wait.
07:42This kitchen feels so empty.
07:44It feels empty, and it's quiet.
07:46Right?
07:47Where is everyone?
07:49The theme of my meal is Sunday dinner at grandma's.
07:52Growing up, she and my grandfather would have us pick all the vegetables from the garden and help them.
07:57I still call my grandmother to this day to ask her about recipes.
08:01Hopefully, I can invoke her passion and seasoning, and we have a good dish.
08:06Taste, taste, taste.
08:07That's what I've been dinged on.
08:09So we're tasting everything every step of the way.
08:11So for my appetizer today, I'm making a jumbled up crab cake with a compressed tomato and arugula salad.
08:18Oh, this crab cake?
08:19Yeah.
08:19That is the appetizer.
08:20Ooh, this is good.
08:21You're going kind of southern a little bit.
08:23That's a nice contrast with the heirloom tomatoes and the crab cake.
08:25Exactly.
08:25Okay, so that's for the abs.
08:26What are we having for the round?
08:27I'm going to do this really thin, really flat chicken fried steaks.
08:30Oh.
08:31Yep.
08:32Okay.
08:32And then I need to get a cake in the oven.
08:34That's what I'm talking about.
08:35So I'm just trying to figure out this cut of meat.
08:37Affordable cuts of meat usually take a long time to break down.
08:41I need to make sure it gets nice and tender so I can cook it in a manageable time.
08:46There are so many jokes to be put into this.
08:52How you doing, Alex?
08:54Grinding this beef chuck because it's a tough cut so it'll break down connective tissue.
08:58I picked chuck because I knew I wanted to make a pasta and I know I can grind this and
09:02braise it
09:02to make an awesome pasta filling.
09:05The theme for my meal is Alex's restaurant.
09:08I always come back to the feedback from Dan telling me it feels like he's eating at my restaurant
09:13and that's the energy I'm trying to bring with all of my dishes.
09:17This is my second course but need to start it now so I can have time to rest before I
09:22roll it out.
09:23I'm trying to put my personality into my food.
09:26It's elegant but not pretentious, very technique driven and I love pulling from all kinds of
09:32cuisines to make new and inventive food.
09:34My appetizer is going to be a seared scallop with fried capers.
09:38My main is a braised beef chuck tortelli.
09:42And then what are you making for dessert?
09:43I'm going to do a whipped goat cheese stuffed churro with a pink peppercorn honey.
09:49Okay.
09:49All right, Alex, you got 58 minutes left.
09:52Good luck.
09:52All right.
09:52We'll see you soon.
09:56For the record, this is my favorite cut of beef.
10:00Get out of here, bro.
10:01Period.
10:01You always come over here bringing the drama.
10:03I'm offended that everybody is good at the brisket because this is my favorite.
10:06What are you making here?
10:07Well, I mean, brisket takes a long time to break down and I don't have a barbecue pit on me
10:12today so
10:12first thing we're going to do is fight with this instapot.
10:16If something takes 12-ish hours like a brisket would, I know I can cook faster in the instapot.
10:22Hopefully, one to two hours we can get it done.
10:25What's the appetizer?
10:26Oh, appetizer is going to be hush puppies.
10:27You know, we're going to go back to the south and stay there.
10:30For my three course meal, I want to indulge in my southern treats.
10:35I go back to whatever I learned from my mom or my grandmother and maybe just elevate it a little
10:40bit.
10:40So I'm calling this the taste of Texas.
10:43Steak and potatoes for Maine.
10:45Yeah.
10:46Dessert is?
10:47Southern Baptist.
10:48I'm calling it church pound cake.
10:50I mean, it sounds like a country down home cooked meal.
10:52Did you see the judges dress up for your meal?
10:54They did.
10:54I saw Dan and his little loafers.
10:56Right.
10:56I was like, we're ankles.
10:57We're getting some ankles out.
10:59Dan got his ankles out today.
11:05Lauren, how you doing over there, girl?
11:07I had a plan in mind and I'm having to pivot.
11:09I have the last minute split decision to make some focaccia.
11:13I think it's going to be a really special element to my first course.
11:16Okay.
11:19As long as this oven works.
11:23Wow.
11:23You're getting to the good stuff right now.
11:25I'm going with sort of an Italian theme.
11:27I'm going to actually do a carpaccio in the first course.
11:32Okay.
11:33Have you ever made a carpaccio before?
11:35I haven't made one, but I've had some really good ones.
11:37I think first course has got to have bread.
11:39Okay.
11:39Warm bread.
11:40Sure.
11:40What's the main course?
11:41For my entree, I was going to do scallops, Jeannie.
11:43Yeah.
11:44Really?
11:44Alex got my scallops.
11:46He did.
11:46Alex got the scallops.
11:47Damn it.
11:47That's still sort of evolving.
11:49Okay.
11:49And then what did you say was the third course?
11:51I'm going to do a crostata.
11:53We'll see what happens.
11:53This is a fancy meal.
11:54My strategy is to get the meat course out of the way,
11:57put it on a carpaccio plate.
11:59Then I'm going to ignore it for the rest of my meal.
12:03You got this.
12:04Thanks, Jeannie.
12:05Bye.
12:0630 minutes, cook.
12:07It's almost time to serve the first course.
12:08Let's go.
12:09Ashley, what you working on right now?
12:11I'm working on my appetizer.
12:13I'm making crab hush puppies, and I'm trying to elevate them
12:16by adding some fresh herbs as well as mascarpone cheese.
12:19What you working on?
12:20Searing my crab cakes up, and I'm going to finish them
12:22in the oven.
12:22Nice.
12:23Gray minds think alike because David is making an appetizer
12:26that's featuring crabs.
12:27So now it's a battle of the crab.
12:29I'm compressing some tomatoes and a little bit of herby mixture
12:32with some dill.
12:34So I'm thinking, is mine elevated enough?
12:37The stakes just get so much higher.
12:38And then I'm going to make like a little relish
12:40to go on top of this.
12:41A little relish.
12:42Only 15 minutes left, cooks.
12:47Alex, you're sizzling and popping over there.
12:48What's going on?
12:49Sizzling.
12:51He's so quiet back there.
12:52You know Alex's quiet.
12:53Quiet killer.
12:54For my appetizer course, I need to cut my scallops in half
12:58so they can all sear as quickly as possible.
13:00My plan is to dress this arugula with my lemon emulsion.
13:04Get that on the plate first, then lay my scallops in the middle of it.
13:08How are you feeling?
13:09You feeling good?
13:10Pulling them out of the grease.
13:11All right.
13:12Got to make 25 of them.
13:16I'm looking at my focaccia and it's just not doing what I want it to do.
13:20Oh my God.
13:21I set the oven to 425 and didn't press start.
13:26Wait, that's the bottom.
13:27So it was hovering around 300.
13:30Come on, man.
13:32I'm so angry.
13:33This is a disaster.
13:35I've never made this mistake before.
13:37I cannot believe this is happening.
13:39God.
13:43I'm Dan Souza and this is a Dan's skill drill.
13:45Today we're talking about inexpensive cuts of meat.
13:48Expensive cuts of meat can be really festive and wonderful for a special occasion.
13:52Like this bone-in center cut pork loin.
13:54This is about $7 a pound.
13:56Compare that to this $3 a pound pork shoulder roast.
13:59Some cheaper cuts can actually be just as tender and oftentimes more flavorful than the expensive cuts.
14:04We're not made of money, people.
14:06So I'll show you how to do it.
14:07For my rub, I have kosher salt and I have brown sugar.
14:10Both of these ingredients are going to change the muscle structure a little bit
14:13so they can hold on to more moisture.
14:14So I'll wrap this in plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge at least overnight.
14:17During that time, it absolutely transforms.
14:20After that overnight cure, I put it into a 325 degree oven for four to five hours.
14:26I would never cook this lean pork loin for four to five hours.
14:30We want to cut against the grain.
14:32Oh man, that is so juicy, so soft.
14:35I think this may be the ultimate technique for home cooks,
14:38to take a $3 a pound roast and transform it into something
14:41that beats the pants off of that more expensive roast.
14:44Look at that wobble.
14:45That's exactly what you're looking for.
14:51I want this at every holiday meal,
14:53and every weekday meal, breakfast.
15:03You got one minute left.
15:06Ugh, oh my god.
15:08I've made focaccia a million times, but it's turning out pale.
15:12It's not complete.
15:13It's not cooked.
15:15I just have to serve it.
15:17Get everything on your plate, cooks.
15:23Five, four, three, two, one.
15:27Your appetizer time is up.
15:31All right.
15:34All right, it's time to serve the first course.
15:37Alex, you're up first.
15:39All right.
15:41I feel good about my appetizer.
15:43Maybe this is a salad, but there's scallops and beef fat mayonnaise,
15:46so I don't think the judges are going to be that mad.
15:50Hello, judges.
15:52Here's our first course here.
15:54There's been a recurring theme of Dan saying he feels like he's eating at my restaurant,
15:59so I'm just going to go off that and using technique to really amplify them.
16:04So my first course is a seared scallop with some compressed cucumber
16:08and Fresno pepper, fried capers, and some arugula,
16:12and I made mayonnaise aioli out of the rendered beef fat from my beef chuck,
16:16and that's what I dressed on the arugula.
16:18You're welcome. Enjoy.
16:20It feels so weird to just serve the judges and have to walk away.
16:23I'm so used to getting immediate feedback,
16:25and now I just can't stop thinking about what they think about it.
16:28You know, at first glance, I thought he brought us a salad.
16:31When it landed, I was like, what's Richard thinking right now?
16:34Like, it's like, is this intentional disrespecting the guest judge?
16:38But like, in a way that says, like, I'm so good.
16:40Look, I can give you a salad that you love.
16:42Is this a salad? I think this might be the big debate for this dish.
16:49It is a scallop salad, and I'm okay with it.
16:52I'm not sure about the scallops. They're only cooked on one side.
16:55If you're going to do scallops, you got to nail them in this kind of application.
16:58So I feel like there was a little bit of a miss there.
17:00I'm tasting that savory umami, which I think must be coming from the rendered beef fat.
17:04I think it's really clever to use. I'm assuming we're going to see beef in the next course,
17:07and this isn't the only use of the beef.
17:10I think it's a very simple dish, and so I'm wanting to know how this is telling me
17:14who Alex is this person, unless he's saying I'm a simple guy.
17:20Hi judges. How are you all today?
17:22Good.
17:22Good.
17:23The cut of beef that I had was sirloin.
17:25With my top sirloin, I'm going sort of with an Italian theme.
17:28So I did a sirloin carpaccio, and then on the side, I've got just a very simple salad
17:33to kind of brighten up the plate with a little orange zest in there as well.
17:36You each have your individual focaccia. Enjoy.
17:39Great. Thank you.
17:41It's quite a spread to put out as your first course.
17:44You did three of the courses right here.
17:46We got another salad.
17:54I kind of love the focaccia. It's slightly under.
17:57Maybe if it had been the oven two or three minutes longer, it would be a little better,
18:00but it's so fluffy, and the herbs are so forward in this dish.
18:05I kind of wouldn't want to share this because I'm eating all of this.
18:08I think the beef is under-seasoned, but I just think this is really, really
18:12impressive stuff here, even with the lack of salt on the beef.
18:15She didn't have to worry about cooking the meat, so I think my expectation on this focaccia
18:20is a little higher, right? Like, this was her cooked component.
18:23This, to me, should have been finished.
18:28Oh, hello, my friends. How are we doing?
18:32It's good.
18:32My cooking style is fun, simple, comfort food, a little more elevated,
18:38so a little country, but bringing it to the Midwest.
18:40So you all have a jumbled up crab cake with a compressed tomato and avocado
18:45slaw I made with a little bit of buttermilk, a little bit of creme fraiche.
18:48There's some Creole mustard in there as well, on top of an arugula salad.
18:52Thank you, David.
18:53Thank you, guys.
18:53Thanks for having me.
18:54Thanks, David.
18:54Thanks.
19:00I love this crab cake. I think it's absolutely delicious.
19:02It's got a really nice mix of moisture and huge pieces of crab.
19:06I think you did a really good job of preserving those and not mixing it up too much.
19:09David avoided the number one sin of crab cakes, which is to hide the crab.
19:13There's nothing worse than, like, okay, this is a lot of breadcrumbs.
19:15It's true.
19:16Or a lot of extraneous flavors, so the crab cake, A+.
19:18But I feel like the arugula's not doing anything here.
19:21I want some sort of interesting, highly acidic sauce at the bottom of the plate.
19:25I agree.
19:28It was serious.
19:29It was so serious.
19:30Hey.
19:31Hey, guys.
19:33Today, I think I'm going for the theme of, like, the taste of Texas.
19:36I'm from the South. I want to indulge in my Southern treats.
19:41So, what's a hush puppy in the South?
19:43Basically, just a little sweet cornbread.
19:45I threw some jumbo lump crab in there and then whipped up the butter on the side
19:48and topped it with powdered sugar just for a little sweetness.
19:52Sounds great.
19:53Sweet.
19:54Oh, thank you.
19:55Y'all don't want me to eat with y'all?
19:56All right.
19:57Thank y'all.
20:01I've had crab cakes.
20:02I've had hush puppies.
20:03I've never seen the sort of joining of the two
20:05and that sweet, savory bounce.
20:07I think it's absolutely delicious.
20:08It makes me want to keep eating it.
20:09We've been served two crab appetizers.
20:13I would prefer this one.
20:15I mean, I think the hush puppy crab cake mashup is more creative.
20:19Yeah, and this is the only chef who did not make a salad.
20:22Yes.
20:23There is no way you're calling this a salad.
20:25That's right.
20:26The time is winding down, everybody.
20:28One hour left to impress these judges with your second course.
20:32Ooh, that looks good.
20:34What is that?
20:35It's going to be pasta filling.
20:36It's like my braised and ground down beef chuck.
20:38I'm going to pulse it with some Parmesan.
20:40I like it.
20:41I need to get my pasta filling in order.
20:43The braised beef chuck looks great, but there's a lot to do and not enough time.
20:48My first dish I served here was a pasta that got mixed reviews.
20:52The pasta texture is a little heavy for me.
20:54Got it.
20:55So I really want to wow the judges with this one and show them that I've learned.
20:59It's the semi-final, so it's go big or go home.
21:02How's it going, Alex?
21:04It's going good.
21:05This looks bomb.
21:06I've never done this.
21:07You start with filling, then you fold it over into like a half moon, then I seal it.
21:12Wow.
21:13And then I like to describe it like the little pasta gives itself a nice warm hug.
21:18These are so pretty, Alex.
21:20I can't believe how perfect you made these.
21:21It's one of my favorite shapes.
21:26For my entree, I'm going to make chicken fried steak.
21:30And then I'm going to make it with a nice gravy that you would typically have over like a cubed
21:35steak
21:36or some rice.
21:36And that's what we typically had growing up.
21:38The slaw that I'm making will pair well with the chicken fried steak
21:42because it'll be nice and crunchy and add some acidity.
21:46And this is going to give some lightness to the dish.
21:49They're going to be like, sir, you have fried everything.
21:53Did it work?
21:54We will see.
21:55I smell the chicken fried steak frying.
21:58Don't get your clothes messed up.
21:59No, girl.
22:00She is all the way up in there.
22:01She's getting fried.
22:02Ooh.
22:03Now let's talk about what would it mean for you to get into the finale.
22:05I definitely want it extremely badly.
22:08I have bills that I need to pay.
22:09I have a studio that I'm still running.
22:11And then be a part of the ATK theme.
22:12Let's talk about that, David.
22:13This is like the goat of the food world.
22:16With every one of the challenges, you just mosey right on up to whatever God's handing you.
22:20That's the PK in me.
22:21My dad said, pray about it, don't worry about it.
22:23Because if you're doing both, then it's not going to work.
22:25My dad, growing up, he was a pastor.
22:28And so I am definitely a PK or preacher's kid, if you will.
22:32My brother and my sister, we're all part of the LGBTQ mafia.
22:35And it's not very common with PKs that your parents are extremely supportive.
22:41But my parents have been behind me 100% for who I am and my passion for cooking.
22:47So I hope I make them proud.
22:4930 minutes, cooks.
22:50Come on.
22:50We got to impress these judges.
22:53I decide for my main dish, I'm making king crab legs, crab cakes, and a saffron and citrus
22:59for Blanc.
23:01I think it's going to be okay.
23:06I'm making crab two ways.
23:08I'm making crab cakes with the king crab legs on the side.
23:11David had crab cake appetizer.
23:13Ashley had crab hush puppy.
23:15This is the main thing.
23:16This is just going to be like a little ball on the side.
23:18Are we getting any more sirloin at all?
23:20No.
23:20They asked for it in one course.
23:22I did it in one course.
23:23Sirloin had its time to shine and it almost took me down.
23:29All right, let's see what happens here.
23:31Trying to get a big piece so I can taste it.
23:36Ooh, the brisket's out, Ash.
23:38It is.
23:39How's it looking?
23:40It tastes pretty great.
23:41It's super, super soft.
23:44Yeah?
23:44Fall apart?
23:45Yeah.
23:46Instapot didn't let me down.
23:48Wow, Ash, Ash, no, elbow, elbow.
23:50Okay, because don't start that clapping.
23:52This brisket, she looks great.
23:53It tastes right.
23:54It's cooked correctly.
23:55So I'm thinking, finish on time, plate everything.
23:59A lot is on the line for me because my students are going to be watching.
24:02And when we have these lab days and I'm saying, you got an hour left,
24:06they're going to be like, chef, you had an hour left too.
24:08What happened?
24:08And I don't have time for that.
24:10Cook, you got one minute left.
24:12I hope they see the love in it.
24:14I tried so hard.
24:15Oh, that's kind of hot.
24:17You know what?
24:17Fuck it out.
24:18And it looks absolutely gorgeous.
24:22I can't cook nothing else in 30 seconds, so we're good.
24:25Dan likes olive oil.
24:27Five, four, three, two, one.
24:32Your entree time is up.
24:34My bad.
24:36I think the judges will appreciate it.
24:42Lauren, time to serve your second course.
24:46My first course appetizer, beef carpaccio and focaccia.
24:49Didn't turn it exactly how I wanted it to, but I'm happy with how my crab cakes are looking.
24:53I hope the judges like it.
24:55Hello again.
24:57Hello.
24:57My style of cooking is citrus and fresh flavors.
25:01So for your second course, I have got king crab legs and a king crab leg cake with a citrus
25:08and
25:08saffron verblanc.
25:10Thank you, Lauren.
25:11You all enjoy it.
25:12Of course.
25:13This is kind of sexy, if I can say that.
25:16Yeah.
25:16Like, hey, it's date night, Saturday night, fancy food.
25:20It's pretty appealing.
25:21Yeah.
25:22However, it is another crab cake.
25:24It's like they're not cooking in the same kitchen.
25:27Not all crab cakes are created equal, so I will stand down until I have tasted this dish.
25:35So I think this is my first ever king crab cake, and I like it.
25:39I think there should be more crab cakes made with king crab.
25:42This is where now the context of the prior course comes into play a little bit,
25:46from the focaccia and the rustic sort of salad with the carpaccio to then a crab cake.
25:52And this is your entree, so to speak, right?
25:55This is not a main course.
25:56This is an appetizer.
25:57That is the truth.
26:00Hello, judges.
26:01I have returned.
26:02I think the first thing I said to all of you judges is that we're from the Midwest,
26:06and we love carbs, so I'm calling this my Midwestern tortelli.
26:11I took components that I grew up with, mashed potatoes, ground beef, very humble things,
26:16and tried to elevate them.
26:18The bed is a palm puree with braised beef chuck, parmesan-stuffed tortelli,
26:24garnished with some fresh parsley.
26:26Thanks, Alex.
26:26You're welcome.
26:27Enjoy.
26:32This is a really hearty dish.
26:34It definitely hits so hard on that beef stew, kind of stroganoff vibes.
26:39It's a lot of carb-on-carb, but I think the balsamic and that red wine reduction is doing a
26:43ton
26:43of work to help balance out all of that richness.
26:45I'm thinking about that salad dish.
26:47I think overall that dish just wasn't quite hitting on all cylinders,
26:50so I wonder if it was the nerves early and then he got a little bit more into his wheelhouse.
26:54And we have to really mention that he made this pasta from scratch.
26:58There's real technique here.
26:59It's the beefiest cut, I think, Chuck.
27:02So a little bit goes a long way, and this just shows that.
27:05I will say that there's probably a reason you haven't seen mashed potatoes on pasta dishes,
27:10because it's a little too much.
27:11I think I'm starting to understand Alex. This tells me that he's like a down-home midwest guy,
27:18but with like Gucci loafers.
27:21You know?
27:23My friends.
27:25Hi, David.
27:25How's it going?
27:26Hi.
27:27All right, we're continuing to see you with Sunday dinner at my grandma's.
27:30So a little down south with the midwest touch to it.
27:33So I have a chicken fried steak with a apple, fennel, and cabbage slaw,
27:38and then sundae gravy, because grandma always has a little bit of gravy.
27:42Thank you so much.
27:50For me, to be honest, it's tough.
27:54Tough to stop eating.
27:55This is super delicious.
27:57I want to eat the whole thing.
27:59I think the crust is really good. Reminds me of like Milanese almost. It's really nicely seasoned.
28:04I do like the texture of this gravy, but I would have liked a little bit more beefy flavor.
28:10The slaw's more of a miss here. It's kind of bland.
28:14I agree. The slaw is like forgettable. I think there's some funny cuts on some of the cabbage and
28:18things like that. But how do we feel like this really worked with the first course? If we're
28:22kind of having sundae dinner now. I think it's appropriate. You know, I mean, my concern would
28:26be that both items were fried. Hello again. Hello.
28:32We're staying on track with the Taste of Texas. It's just delicious, and it uses all the components
28:37of, you know, southern food. So the cut of beef that I got was brisket, and I made it an
28:43instapot,
28:44braised it with some red wine, some beef stock, you have herb mashed potatoes, and then a collard
28:49green gremolata on top. Thank you. Thank you for your joy.
28:58Oh, I forgot we were here. Yeah. Me too. Me too. Everyone's just eating.
29:03You remember that old ad, like, where's the beef? It's right here. It's right here.
29:08Ashley took it all and put it in this dish. Yeah, she put it in this dish, and I can
29:11appreciate that
29:12from a perspective of the challenge is to bring the beef. I love what you did with the collards,
29:18like, keeping them nice and fresh and green, and the detail in the chiffonade on the cut of the
29:22collards, making it a salad that I like, bringing it back. Well, I think this was a great way to
29:28end
29:28the entree course, and that means it's time for dessert. One hour left to impress these judges with
29:35your final scores. Ashley, are you still making that pound cake? David, you know I'm still making
29:40that pound cake. I'm not going to make a pound cake no more. We can't have two pound cakes. Yeah.
29:44My dessert today was going to be my aunt's pound cake, but I cannot have another dish where I'm
29:49making the same thing as Ashley. I need to set myself apart, and so I'm going to pivot, and I'm
29:54going
29:55to make a citrus butter cake. The citrus was baked into the top of the cake. I'm going to invert
29:59it.
30:00After I invert it, it'll be nice and pretty, and then I'm going to brulee it on the top. I
30:03haven't
30:03made the citrus butter cake before. This is a big risk, but without a big risk, there's no reward.
30:08I really have to go for it on this. Trying to clear my mind right now and go on to
30:14the next course.
30:15For my dessert, I'm going to make a stone fruit and strawberry crostata. I'm still feeling super
30:20heavy. I can't get out of my mind how embarrassed I was about my first course. My focaccia was so
30:28pale,
30:28and I am just so in my head at this point that I'm basically crying into this dough.
30:36Hi, Lauren. Hi, Jeannie. Okay, how's your final dish looking?
30:41What is it that's... I just feel so... Are you having anxiety? Is it...
30:46Big time. I'm just so sick of being that girl. We started with 11, and there's only four people
30:51left, and you're one of them. How do you talk to yourself to tell yourself that this is all in
30:55your
30:55head? You do know that, right? I know. You're right. You do know that. I know.
30:57You're such a great cook. Thank you. Like beyond. I'm gonna go grab some sorrel.
31:02Positive thoughts. Okay. Talk about the reality that you're still here.
31:07Let's go. 30 minutes, cooks. Pause. What are these grande churros?
31:15So they're my cheese course churros. Piping them filled with whipped goat cheese with tarragon and
31:21lemon zest. The churro's not sweet. No, there's a little bit of sugar in the pastry, and then I'm
31:26gonna glaze it with pink peppercorn honey so it's sweet and a little like spice to it. It's gonna
31:30hit on like every note. This dish looks so cool, dude. Good luck. Thank you.
31:41Only 15 minutes left, cooks. Oh wow. That's tasty. Taste the cake. It tastes great. It is a little
31:48dense, but I'm trying to remedy that with the sauce and the whipped cream. I want to knock their socks
31:54off
31:54from the first time they look at it. It smells so good in here. It definitely smells like sugar.
32:01Jen, you want a piece of cake? I would love to try some. Yes. Wow. This has nice weight to
32:06it. So it's
32:07like sweet tea on a plate in cake form. Do you make this a lot? I make it on Thanksgiving
32:12and Christmas
32:13for my family. It's like 22 of us. Okay. And I would bring one cake. So they started roasting me
32:18because like, where are you going with one cake? So I had to start making two and three cakes every
32:22time.
32:22So I just got really good at it because I was just doing it like all the time. So this
32:25is a
32:26signature dessert of yours? Yeah. Oh my god, it's so much. Thank you.
32:34Oh my god, that's beautiful. I've never done this before, so thank you. It almost reminds me of a
32:41stained glass church panel. So I think my parents will appreciate this. Five minutes, cooks.
32:46I'm just going to take them out. I've made croissatas and galettes hundreds of times,
32:52and they're always so beautiful. As good as it's going to get. But this day's different. I'm super
32:59upset, and it is showing in my food. They're underdone. Get everything on your plate cooked. You got one
33:09minute left. This is my makeshift attempt out of Cornell. It's a little bit of infused whipped cream
33:18with some black tea. It's looking good. I'm just going to finish making sure the plates look nice.
33:24This is so bad. I'm so embarrassed. Five, four, three, two, one. Time's up, cooks. This is it,
33:36so I hope it's perfect. It's the best I can do.
33:47Ashley, time to serve your final course. Come on, cake.
33:53I was happy with my brisket, and my pound cake looks great. I'm just hoping that they taste all
33:59the love I put into that food. Hello again. Hello. Thank you. You're welcome. For dessert,
34:04we are rounding out the taste of Texas. I call this church pound cake. Every time after service
34:09on Sunday, we go to the back of the church and get like some sweet tea to just wrap it
34:13up. And I put
34:15all of that into my pound cake. I went ahead and infused the whipped cream with some Earl Grey tea.
34:19There's also a mint and lemon simple syrup. Enjoy. Thank you guys.
34:25It's big like Texas. She's definitely holding true to these portions.
34:32Pound cake can be so heavy, and this is not. It's fluffy and light.
34:36For me, the real standout is the sweet tea whipped cream. It's been steep just long enough that you get
34:40some of that astringency and bitterness. It actually tastes like tea.
34:43Yeah, what time is service next week? Because sign me up. I'm going to church. This is great.
34:48The texture is fantastic. We got to get more of that cream. I wonder if she's got more back there
34:51we can get. Yeah, I ate all the cream. I noticed.
34:56Judges, it feels like I was just in here. Thank you. For my dessert course from my
35:01Midwestern restaurant, this is my take on a cheese course for dessert. It's a whipped goat cheese
35:07stuffed churro glazed with a pink peppercorn honey with toasted and crushed hazelnuts and some fresh
35:13tarragon. Great. Thank you, Alex. Thank you. Thanks. Okay, Alex.
35:20I really like conceptually what he's what he's doing here. It's nothing that I ever,
35:25ever would have thought of. The guts you have to have. You know, tarragon is licorice, right? It's
35:34go cheese. It's true. That's confidence. It's confidence. This is my point. You can't see that
35:40from Alex by looking at him, but he is showing you that on this plate. I love the ambition. I
35:46love
35:46the execution here. There's a lot of technical skills. I've never said this. I wish it was sweeter.
35:51Yeah. It is a dessert. Ooh, finesse. And I think it'd be a great dessert.
35:57How are we feeling? Hey, David. How you doing?
36:01No, no. No, no. Thank you. Today I have for you citrus butter cake. I grew up as a preacher's
36:07kid or a PK, as they call it. And I wanted the top of the cake to look like stained
36:12glass. So on top
36:14of the cake, I have blood orange and a nice naval orange. I gave it a little brulee with a
36:18little bit
36:18of sugar. And then I did a champagne raspberry coulis underneath. Enjoy. This is my Sunday dinner,
36:24you guys. Thanks for hanging out at my house. Thanks. Thanks for having us, David. Anytime.
36:34So last season, I was accused of being a little rough on my feedback of the contestants. And I was
36:41going to try and find a softer landing for my critique here. But a baker, David, is not.
36:48This is not. That's the softer landing? That's the softer landing.
36:52I needed my knife to cut through the cake. And you shouldn't need a knife to eat a cake like
36:57this.
36:57I think the storyline is really pulling through here. But I like the flavor of the coulis.
37:02It's a little dry, but it's pretty. Yeah, it's gorgeous. I really like David,
37:06but this is not the warm and welcoming dish that I was hoping for dessert from them.
37:11Hi, Ken. It's time for dessert. Ooh, thank you. Absolutely. This is a peach and strawberry,
37:18honey, vanilla, crostata. I wanted to keep on with the Italian theme. I hope you all enjoy it,
37:23despite the fact that it's not perfect. Are you okay? Yeah. If you go out to a three-course meal,
37:30you're there to really experience not only the food, but also the presentation of it and the
37:35hospitality of the staff. It's beautiful. Enjoy. I mean, what would you do if a server
37:40walked up to your table crying and served food? It's kind of uncomfortable. I probably made all of
37:47them feel so uncomfortable. So we've got another dish from Lauren that looks and smells delicious,
37:52and she presents it in a way where she doesn't look happy. The tension is high. Let's try it.
38:01I'm such a sucker for this kind of dessert. This is like what I grew up eating. Fruit pies with
38:06that
38:06sweet tart balance and buttery crust. And this really checks a lot of those boxes for me. If she wasn't
38:11crying, I would have no qualms about it. I'd be like, this is just perfect. I love the tartness that
38:15comes through with all of the fruit. I love the crust. It's tasty. I wish mine were cooked maybe
38:19two or three minutes longer with a little bit more browning on the pastry. My one overarching issue
38:25here is that I don't know her better. And I think the point of this meal was to tell a
38:30story that would
38:31help us know who you are through food. But now I feel like I know her less because she's crying,
38:36and I don't know why, you know? Going into that room was pretty terrifying. I have made crustatas like
38:45a million times. And they're always gorgeous. And it was like today that, you know, like really
38:52matters. Today is not the only day of the competition. Which I'll be very proud, no matter what the outcome
38:59is.
38:59Hi, judges. Hey, Jeannie. Hey, Jeannie. Let's dig in. What did you think about Alex's meal? Alex really
39:06knocked my socks off. That extra step of making fresh pasta, it was delicious. The execution
39:13at some times needed some refinement, but I think he did a great job on the beef challenge. Really
39:18smart way to take that chuck, put it inside those lovely pasta. It was super beefy. I don't think
39:24every dish was perfect, but there was a real progression to it. And I saw a lot of creative ideas.
39:30I think the challenges have forced a lot of creativity out of me that has been like buried deep
39:37down. Yeah, absolutely. We just have to think of things so fast. So fast. What did you guys think
39:42of Ashley's meal? I really liked Ashley's meal. I felt there was like sort of a quiet confidence
39:47in what she put together. Taking a trip to the south. Taking a trip to the south. And it kind
39:51of
39:51showed up in all of the courses along the way. I think Ashley did a really good job of walking
39:56the
39:56line between doing something really traditional. She did these little twists. I'm going to put crab and a
40:01little powdered sugar on the hush puppies. She put the little collard salad on top of the brisket to
40:07give us a little bit of freshness. And you know, the tea infused whipped cream on the pound cake,
40:12which she griddled. I mean, those little refinements that didn't change the character of the dishes,
40:17but elevated them. That's kind of the secret sauce here at America's Test Kitchen. I mean,
40:21I thought she was very clear. This is a three course menu. Told her story really well. Delivered tasty food.
40:28I'll say it once. I'll say it again. Never thought I'd make a brisket in an instant pot.
40:32Are they going to let you back in Texas after this? I don't know. I don't know. What did you
40:35guys think about David's meal? I think the country fried steak was one of the best things I had from
40:40any of the chefs today. Like, I loved the country fried steak. It brought me back to the south. I
40:47loved the peppercorns that were in the gravy. And it was surprisingly tender for the cut. That was a
40:53high point. So Betsy stood strong. Yeah, that's okay. We like to hear this. Yes. For me,
40:59things took steps down from there. The slaw is like forgettable. And then the dessert, which I think
41:05was the weakest part of his menu. Yeah. I love citrus and I love the look of it on top,
41:11but you'd get some sort of, you know, bites of the bitter pith and that wasn't that nice. I think
41:16our
41:16biggest critique of David is that his technical skills are not completely up to par for this
41:23level of the competition. Right. Woo, that's the longest race I've ever ran.
41:29What did you guys think of Lauren's meal? There was some kind of chaos through Lauren's meal.
41:35Lauren came out like fangs and claws and haymakers. And so focaccio, I made my own butter. Here's this
41:41carpaccio. Here's this dish. I gave you four courses right here for the first course. Right. It was so
41:46robust. I couldn't even imagine what her next course was going to be like to match that. And
41:52sure enough, we got a crab cake. I feel like she could have done a nice swap, brought in that
41:56crab
41:56cake using the king crab and then did a cooked beef course in the second. And I feel like that
42:00really
42:00would have been kind of stepping up. And then the dessert, she comes out and she's trying, but food's
42:07tasty. She's just really hard on herself. Do you think that's her own standards and her own
42:11expectations are just piling up? And then it's like a Jenga, just all falls. It's perfectionism,
42:17right? Which sounds like a good thing, but you need to also be able to just like take it in,
42:21not have it hit you personally. I question whether that is like a really good fit for, for ATK. I
42:27agree.
42:27I think I put out the worst food of the entire competition. We're going to turn that frown upside
42:33down from you. There you go. That's what I want to see. Wow. This is really a mixed bag. Do
42:39you know
42:40your tops? I think we do. I think so. Do you know who you're sending home today? Yeah, I think
42:46we do.
42:53Thank you. Hi guys.
43:00It has been a real journey to get us to this moment. You all are just moments away from earning
43:05a spot in the finale. And two of you really stood out today. Ashley and Alex, we were thoroughly
43:13impressed with the dishes you served today. The winner of today's test is Ashley.
43:27I don't know, bro. It's just like, I can't believe I won that challenge. Good job, Ashley.
43:31Thank you. I appreciate it. It's still, I'm still shaking. I do want to relish in this moment,
43:36but until, you know, we reached the, the very, very end, I'm just going to say,
43:41I'm very happy. I'm proud of myself. We'll stop there. Ashley, you used your creativity to take
43:46us to Texas and your attention to details really came through. Ashley, congratulations. You are moving
43:55on to the finale and I hope you're feeling camera ready because you'll be getting a guest spot on
44:01Jack's blind taste test segment. We're in it. It's going to be a good time. It's going to be a
44:06good
44:06time. Thank you. Alex, we were incredibly impressed with the different techniques that you used
44:12throughout the meal. Alex, you're also in the finale. I would have loved to have won the challenge,
44:19but it does give me a little drive to push harder for the finale. Well, unfortunately,
44:24that means Lauren and David, your dishes didn't quite live up to our hopes today.
44:28Lauren, your first dish, the carpaccio was fine. It was a little under seasoned. The salad was great.
44:34Yeah, the focaccia is a little undercooked, but making focaccia right off the bat in the first course
44:39showed us that you're very, very serious about this. The main course, it felt a little bit more
44:44like an appetizer and the dessert was a little undercooked. David, you started out strong with that crab cake.
44:52The chicken fried steak was delicious, but the slaw didn't work, and your dessert was really dry.
45:00The person who's leaving the test kitchen today is...
45:07David. It's been real, y'all. It's been real, David.
45:12Okay, boy. I love you. Congratulations.
45:16You're going to the finale, honey. It's gonna be okay. You should. You deserve it.
45:20All right, so y'all better battle this out. Jesus.
45:23David, it's been such a joy having you in the test kitchen. You bring such warmth and energy,
45:28and I thought you blossomed in terms of the food you cooked, and I really want to see you take
45:33that
45:33and just continue to launch and go in that direction. Thank you. I did know where I stood at the
45:38beginning
45:38of this and to make it all the way to the final four. I'm very happy with this.
45:43Thank you, guys. See you later. Bye, biscuits. Bye. Bye, biscuits. Bye, you guys.
45:49This has been the most amazing experience ever. I'm going back to Chicago with a different culinary
45:55perspective. I'm definitely taking away the feedback that I was given from every single judge,
46:00and I'm going to throw some new challenges my way when it comes to the studio and the classes.
46:05sky's the limit now that I've done this. When you have all-stars, just give me a call.
46:12Congratulations, cooks. Final three, baby.
46:18See you next time, cooks. Congratulations.
46:21Good job, guys. Good job.
46:24I'm shocked that I'm going into the finale. Ashley and Alex are both incredibly talented cooks,
46:29and it's going to be very tough. It's anyone's game, but I am here
46:34in America's Test Kitchen to win.
46:41Next time on the finale of America's Test Kitchen, The Next Generation, welcome to the grand finale.
46:50For your last challenge, you will have to create two dishes that you could potentially feature
46:55in your own cookbook. Let's go.
46:59Get out of here, Jeannie.
47:00Y'all got it. Y'all got it. Focus.
47:03No. No.
47:05I think you did a fabulous job cooking this fish. It's perfectly cooked on the inside. The skin is super
47:10crispy. If this is healthy, sign me up because it's delicious.
47:14You can cook, girl.
47:15We're literally changing someone's entire life in this very moment. Have you really made your decision?
47:22Yeah. Yes.
47:23I think we have.
47:23The winner of America's Test Kitchen, The Next Generation, is...
47:29...
47:30...
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