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00:01Previously on Next Level Chef.
00:03Tapas.
00:04One meat, one fish.
00:05Two dishes.
00:06Pig's ears.
00:06Yeah, this platform is absolutely bad .
00:08Oh, my God, what am I cooking?
00:10Megan, congratulations.
00:12I got a fancy little time token.
00:14Joining Brandon in the elimination.
00:16Bobby and Arnav.
00:18Yeah, I'd take it to the next level.
00:20Stop!
00:22Arnav, you young man, what a performance.
00:24I wouldn't trade this experience for anything else.
00:26And tonight, there's six easy left.
00:29Down to the wire.
00:30Woo!
00:31Cooking is the best thing ever.
00:32This challenge is completely stacked against me.
00:34Let's go, Ryan.
00:35I'm still figuring it out as I'm going.
00:37Good luck.
00:38Help each other out.
00:39What the hell are you doing?
00:40Honestly, you guys gonna be okay?
00:42What are we gonna do?
00:44All right, good luck, guys, yes.
00:45Most important cook of my life, no big deal.
01:03Welcome back.
01:05Yes, chef.
01:05All right, good morning.
01:07Morning, chef.
01:07Good morning, chef.
01:08There's six of you left.
01:09You all have a one in three chance of making it into the finale.
01:15This music's my ears, chef.
01:16My dream is to be one of the best chefs in the world.
01:19So, I'm in that final three, baby.
01:22Let's go.
01:23Today, we are doing what many chefs believe is the purest form of cooking.
01:31Bone in.
01:33All right.
01:34Cooking meat on the bone is as old as cooking itself.
01:37But it can also be one of the most challenging ways to cook proteins perfectly.
01:42It's an essential skill that every great chef must understand and master.
01:48Cooking meat on the bone requires temperature control and ample time for resting.
01:53Factor that in to how you're spending your time in that cook.
01:56Yep, absolutely.
01:57Done successfully, it adds a richness that simply does not exist with boneless proteins.
02:02Yes, chef.
02:04Megan, thanks to your delicious tapas last time around.
02:08You are in possession of that amazing time token.
02:11So, are you going to keep that extra 10 seconds for the platform grab?
02:15Or do you take 10 seconds away from any of your rivals here?
02:23I've been thinking about this, and it's a competition.
02:27But today, I'm going to cook for myself.
02:29I'm going to keep that 10 seconds for myself on my grab.
02:33I was very close to using it against Beatrice,
02:36just because she went after one of my former teammates in the last challenge.
02:39But I figured, give myself an advantage here.
02:43I know you're all cooking as individuals now.
02:45But Austin, Megan, finally, we are on the top level.
02:48Yes.
02:48And guess what?
02:50I'm going to be with you.
02:51All right.
02:52You made it, Team Blaze.
02:53You made it.
02:54You made it.
02:55It's been a long journey.
02:56Austin, Megan, head to the elevator.
02:58I'll see you upstairs soon.
02:59Thank you, chef.
03:07All right.
03:07Team Blaze has waited this entire competition to get to the top.
03:10All right, Austin, wake your ass up.
03:12Let's go.
03:12And the fact that we get our mentor himself, Chef Blaze,
03:15is going to be even better.
03:1740 seconds.
03:18You get 40 whole seconds today.
03:21Sheesh.
03:22We'll get you a chair, huh?
03:24Bring me a drink.
03:25I got a few seconds left.
03:28No pressure, though, right?
03:29No pressure.
03:30Yeah, right.
03:30Yeah.
03:31Not overthinking it.
03:33If I see a tomahawk, it's going to be really hard for me not to grab it.
03:36Let somebody else take that risk.
03:38I could get it cooked in 30 minutes.
03:40But it's letting it rest.
03:44Yes.
03:45Yes.
03:46Let's go.
03:46Let's go, baby.
03:48This is our last opportunity to prove ourselves before the semifinal.
03:53So I'm lighting a fire on my butt.
03:56They actually have a pressure cooker down here.
03:58Where?
03:59Right here.
04:00I want to set myself up technically for success,
04:03so I grab the pressure cooker because I know it's going to be bone-in,
04:07and I know it's going to take a little bit of time,
04:09and I only have 30 minutes.
04:10Do you know how to use a pressure cooker?
04:12I mean, I get the idea, but I've never done it,
04:15so I don't feel like today is the day I want to start, but...
04:18We'll see.
04:20Let's go, gentlemen.
04:21Let's go, Chef.
04:22Let's go.
04:23How are you feeling about it?
04:24Feeling good?
04:25Feel good, Chef.
04:25Yeah, good, man.
04:26Being in the basement, the stakes are very high, and the pressure is there.
04:30There we go.
04:31But who better to have in the basement than Chef Ramsay?
04:34If Chef Ramsay's building an army, I want to be on that army.
04:39Oh, my God.
04:40What's happening up there?
04:41High five it.
04:42High five it.
04:42High five it.
04:43So happy to be here with you guys.
04:44I love your energy.
04:45Yeah, good, yeah.
04:46Straight to the point.
04:47Yeah, you know what I mean?
04:47We want time to play a round.
04:48Exactly.
04:49It doesn't matter what team you're on.
04:50We're looking for the next level chef.
04:51100%.
04:51You feel me?
04:51Yes.
04:54We made it, guys.
04:55Hey!
04:56Are you kidding me?
04:57Hold on, hold on.
04:58We're waiting up here.
04:59We're here.
05:00What's going on?
05:00We're here, we're here.
05:01Oh, my gosh.
05:02How are we feeling?
05:03Feeling good.
05:04Let's line it up on the door.
05:06All right, you know the deal.
05:07When the light goes green, it's go time.
05:09Being up here, you know you got everything you need.
05:11Mm-hmm.
05:11You got the best ingredients.
05:12You got the best equipment.
05:14Let's be honest.
05:14You got the best mentor.
05:16Hey.
05:16Yeah, we do.
05:18The light's green, Megan.
05:19You have your 10-second advantage for the time token.
05:23All right.
05:25All right, so proteins.
05:27One of the first things I see is the pork ribs.
05:29That just takes way too long.
05:31And then I see a venison rack, and I'm zeroed in on it.
05:35Venison, okay, that's super lean, but I know exactly where you're going.
05:38You're going venison in the forest.
05:40Austin, you can go.
05:43Okay, there we go.
05:44So you got bone-in filet, got a tomahawk over here.
05:49It's a tomahawk.
05:52That's the showstopper.
05:54But 30 minutes is not near enough time.
05:58I start twitching.
05:59I'm like, don't take it.
06:00Don't take it.
06:01I force myself to grab the veal chop.
06:04Veg, sauce, and protein.
06:06Get everything you need.
06:06Worcestershire sauce is right here.
06:08You good?
06:10Go, go, go, go.
06:13All right, look around.
06:15Filet mignon.
06:16First thing I see is that filet mignon bone-in.
06:19Boom, let's go for that.
06:20Tomahawk.
06:21The tomahawk.
06:22It's an intimidating piece of meat.
06:24Yeah, straight down to the basement.
06:26We'll see what magic they work up.
06:27Porterhouse.
06:28Oh, yeah.
06:29Damn, I've never cooked a porterhouse, but this looks good.
06:31Come on.
06:32Think about how you're building flavor into the steak, guys.
06:35And what are you leaving the basement?
06:36You've got beautiful mushrooms, garlic, shallot, aromatics.
06:38Finishing salt?
06:39Saison.
06:40We love to see it.
06:41Yes!
06:41I'm so excited!
06:43Woo!
06:44Ah, cooking is the best thing ever.
06:46It's so true.
06:48Stand by, guys.
06:49On your mark.
06:51Set.
06:52Go!
06:53Let's go!
06:54Protein-wise.
06:55Oh, my.
06:56Tomahawk.
06:57How did that get down here?
06:58What kind of dumbass would send a tomahawk down to the basement and let Brandon get his hands on it?
07:05I didn't come here to around today.
07:09Tomahawk and ribs.
07:10They got the ribs.
07:11And that sucks.
07:13Every single time that you're in the basement, you're getting the ingredients that people did not want.
07:17And they didn't want them for a reason.
07:18Only, like, some absolute psycho would actually want to cook, you know, like, the ribs.
07:22Just a little truffle oil.
07:23Plenty.
07:25And just grab.
07:26Love that.
07:27Guys, that 30 minutes start now, yes?
07:29Yes, chef.
07:30Here we go.
07:31Tomahawk.
07:33Come on.
07:34Man, it's Christmas Day, Brandon.
07:35Oh, that's right.
07:36Come on.
07:37How do we get a tomahawk in the basement?
07:39That's an extremely challenging piece of meat to cook in 30 minutes.
07:43But I'm renowned for making top dishes in this basement.
07:47This halibut head here.
07:48You're not even scared of this thing, you're?
07:49Absolutely not, sir.
07:50You're not scared of anything, are you?
07:51I'm not.
07:51Crispy halibut head.
07:53It's incredible.
07:54Part of me wants to stay in the basement, because every time I'm in the basement, magic happens.
07:59I mean, you've got the best ingredients.
08:00Mushrooms, truffles.
08:01Absolutely.
08:02A little anchovy.
08:03Love that.
08:04I'm living a dream.
08:07Bobby, what do you reckon?
08:09It's a tough one, that one, isn't it?
08:10It's a tough one.
08:11Ribs are one of those things that you would normally braise or slow cook for hours, just
08:15to kind of get them tender.
08:16All I know is that I don't think I can cook those in a pan.
08:21I mean, you can pressure cook them, yeah.
08:23Now that I know that I'm cooking the tomahawk, here you go, Bobby.
08:26Knock that out of the park.
08:27I take them off individually unless you come off the boat.
08:31I've never cooked ribs in my life.
08:33I've never used a pressure cooker, and there's a really good chance these are not going to
08:36be cooked in time.
08:38All right, and...
08:40I'm literally cooking blind.
08:42Let's get it going.
08:43Let's see.
08:43There's going to be no way to check this.
08:46I got this.
08:46This is a challenge that is completely stacked against me.
08:50Oh, boy.
08:56All right, turn around the dish.
08:57What are you going to do, like a sticky rib?
08:59Yeah, Chef.
08:59I'm going to make like a nice sticky glaze with this pomegranate and molasses, a little
09:02bit of peanut butter and some other warm spices.
09:04Sticky ribs is lovely.
09:05A bit of heat in there as well, yes?
09:06Yes, Chef.
09:08It's springtime in Austin land.
09:11That's right.
09:11Listen, I love the veal chop with the spring veg, right?
09:15Fennel peas, mushrooms, potatoes.
09:17And that's a big piece of the bone.
09:19That's going to take what?
09:20How long to cook?
09:20Oh, probably 20 minutes at least.
09:2220 minutes.
09:23The jeopardy with it, of course, is you don't want to overcook it.
09:25But it's got to be cooked.
09:26And of course, things take longer to cook when they're on the bone.
09:30So let's see how it goes.
09:31You feeling good?
09:31Yeah, feeling good, Chef.
09:32I miss you, man.
09:34Appreciate that, Chef.
09:35Yeah.
09:35All right, Megan.
09:36Yes, Chef.
09:37What did you grab?
09:38I got that venison rack, man.
09:39I am living for this.
09:41My family, we're a family of hunters.
09:43Venison is what we do in the fall time, winter time.
09:46I'm super excited to be cooking this.
09:48Wow, you took a challenging protein.
09:51I sure did, but I think I can do it.
09:54So the challenging thing before we even get into it is that there's no fat on that guy.
09:58Yep.
09:58And you cut them into double chops.
10:00I cut them into double chops so I can stack them later.
10:02I want them to cook quick, but evenly.
10:03I want to give them enough time to rest.
10:05I kind of want to build it almost like a campfire.
10:06I'm going to stand them up on their side.
10:08I'm going to have the sauce around the side.
10:09Got it.
10:10I like this Pacific Northwest campfire sort of thing, right?
10:13Campfires.
10:14Hunting camp every fall.
10:15Hunting camp?
10:16Family hunting camp.
10:17We've been going there since the 50s.
10:18This is family time.
10:19My family has gone to the same spot in the same mountains outside of the same town since
10:24the late 50s.
10:25You know, so I'm adding in my Northwest family roots to this dish.
10:28Usually a rack of venison like that will be cooked whole and then after it's seared
10:32you can crust it with some breadcrumbs.
10:33It's a classic version.
10:34I'm changing it up just a little.
10:36Got it.
10:37All right.
10:38Beautiful bone-in cuts, right?
10:39Get those proteins seasoned and cooking.
10:42Sure.
10:43All right, Ryan, you seem very comfortable with cooking steak.
10:45I love cooking steak.
10:46I mean, I've cooked so many fillets in my day.
10:48I know you've got to be more careful with overcooking from that heat in the bone.
10:52But throughout this competition my proteins have been on point.
10:56So give me anything, I'll cook that .
10:57What are you planning with the carrots?
10:59So the carrots, um, I've got a bunch of vegetables here that I'm going to probably
11:02make a medley out of.
11:03Right.
11:03Think about where you are in the stage of the game, you know?
11:05And maybe you can transform them more than just like mixing them together, you know?
11:09Okay.
11:09Next level dishes.
11:11Blow these guys away, Ryan.
11:12Yes, Chef.
11:13Woo!
11:14He's sexy, sexy.
11:16Beatrice, what are you working on?
11:17It's going to be a Latin inspiration.
11:19Just focus on the salsa and the sauce.
11:21Right, beautiful.
11:21And then I think I'm just going to do some like crushed paprika potatoes.
11:24Yes, smart.
11:25Nothing crazy.
11:25Light, delicious.
11:26Nothing crazy.
11:27I don't want to do some classic boring stuff.
11:29Hell no.
11:30I want to do some moles, some salsa.
11:33I'm going to push myself.
11:34And I think that's what this stage in the competition is all about.
11:37Be careful, right?
11:38These are two different steaks here.
11:39You have the fillet and you have the strip.
11:40Yes, Chef.
11:41Strip tends to be a little bit tougher.
11:43And the fillet tends to be a little bit softer.
11:44Consider the bone in takes a lot more time.
11:47I would go in the oven for a minute.
11:48So you bring that internal temperature up.
11:50Yes, Chef.
11:51Focus on the protein for sure.
11:52Love that.
11:54Guys, we're eight minutes in.
11:5622 minutes to go, yes?
11:58I love the tomahawk.
12:00Love the tomahawk.
12:01Love this.
12:03Look at that there.
12:04Beautiful.
12:04Beautiful.
12:06And then just give that a little press down like that, Brandon.
12:08That smells so good.
12:10It's a little 45-degree turn.
12:11Yeah, exactly.
12:14I caught you there, yeah?
12:16How you feeling, buddy?
12:17Great.
12:18Yeah, you are.
12:18Me and Bobby are definitely vibing.
12:21Chef Ramsay's down there.
12:22It's a bromance.
12:23It's a little bit nerve-wracking cooking for 20 minutes in that pressure group
12:26because we can't see.
12:27We can't open it either.
12:28So you have to wait until the very last minute.
12:30Yes, Chef.
12:30Well, you know those sticky ribs.
12:31When that meat is cooked beautifully, it just falls off the bone, yeah?
12:34Yes, Chef.
12:34The ribs are finally up to pressure and sitting on the stove.
12:37I know that I need to not think about them.
12:39I need to focus on everything else that's going on, which is a lot.
12:43Okay.
12:44Listen, Team Blaze, let's stay on top.
12:46Yes, Chef.
12:47All right, Austin.
12:48I love that you really embraced this competition, you know?
12:52Like, happy to be here, but happy to be here because you want to win.
12:54That's right, Chef.
12:55You know, I've had to give up my job, my security, my livelihood to come here.
12:59You know, I kind of throw everything on the line, just make it happen.
13:02So all my eggs are in this basket right now.
13:04I just have a lovely wife and a cute dog waiting for me when I come home.
13:08I don't have security, I don't have safety net.
13:10You know, my savings is dwindling away as we speak.
13:12So winning this entire competition is the only thing that's going to make it all worth it.
13:18You don't know if you're falling into an abyss or climbing up the stairs.
13:21I think you're climbing up the staircase, Austin.
13:23Thank you, Chef.
13:24Go.
13:24I appreciate that.
13:25All right, listen, everyone.
13:26It's time for the mid-round drop.
13:27You got to fire it up with a flambé.
13:29Hey!
13:30You've been to those iconic steakhouses, and what are they famous for?
13:35Table side flambé.
13:37Yes, Chef.
13:38If every chef doesn't have a little bit of pyromaniac inside of them,
13:41then they're in the wrong industry.
13:43Here you go.
13:44I mean, you get to play with fire, and you get paid for it.
13:46So, I mean, why not?
13:48What do we got?
13:49All right, guys, mid-round drop is here.
13:51Ooh, guys.
13:51What is it? Why?
13:52You're going to create a flambé for your dish.
13:54Tequila!
13:55Tequila, mole, you know, Latin cuisine.
13:59Perfect.
13:59Give me a little vodka.
14:03There you go.
14:05Guys, time for mid-round drop.
14:08Let's fire things up with a flambé.
14:10Yeah!
14:10Cheers!
14:11Something for flambé.
14:12One yes, quick.
14:13Yes, Chef. Thank you, Chef.
14:16What'd you grab?
14:16Cinnamon whiskey.
14:17It's fine. It's fine.
14:18They're whiskey.
14:19And the Tom Hall goes beautifully.
14:21Yeah.
14:21Okay, beautifully well.
14:22Flambé.
14:25All right, Megan, what did you get in the mid-round?
14:27I got a whiskey.
14:28I'm a whiskey girl at heart, so let's, uh...
14:30That doesn't surprise me.
14:31Lumberjacks, we love our whiskey, man.
14:33In college, I was a competitive lumberjack, and you can't be a lumberjack and not like whiskey.
14:39I mean, this is, this seems kind of obvious here, guys.
14:41Come on.
14:44Oh, yeah.
14:46Mm.
14:46All right, listen, uh, Megan, Austin, you guys seem to have a handle on this.
14:50I'm gonna leave you to it for a bit, okay?
14:52All right.
14:53Seriously?
14:53What the hell are you doing?
14:55Good luck.
14:56I'll see you soon.
14:57Where the hell do you think you're going?
14:59Talk to each other.
15:00Help each other out.
15:01Most important cook of my life.
15:02No big deal.
15:03Let's go, Team Blaze.
15:08Talk to each other.
15:09Help each other out.
15:10Yes, Chef. Let's go, Team Blaze.
15:12You got this, friends?
15:13Guess we'll just keep cooking.
15:15All right, Ryan.
15:16Yes, Chef.
15:17Beatrice.
15:18Yes, Chef.
15:18Honestly, you guys seem to have this in control.
15:20I'm gonna go check on the other floors and make sure everybody's cooking up to part.
15:23What?
15:24I didn't know they could do that.
15:25Good luck, Ryan.
15:26Good luck, Beatrice.
15:28Thank you, Chef.
15:28They left us.
15:30They left us just as kids now.
15:31What are we gonna do?
15:37We are 10 minutes down, yes?
15:40Yes, Chef.
15:4120 minutes to go.
15:42Thank you, Chef.
15:43Oh, I'm so excited to be down here.
15:44Oh, what's up, gang?
15:46Fire department's here.
15:47The door opens to the basement, and something's on flyer.
15:50There's like a deep haze wafting through the kitchen.
15:53Holy , Gordon.
15:55Hell's Kitchen is back.
15:57Pressure cookie.
15:58Oh, my gosh.
15:58You got the pork ribs, Bobby?
16:00Yeah, they're in the pressure cooker right now, Chef.
16:02Love that.
16:02So we're cooking a little bit blind here now, but we're gonna do like a sticky rib.
16:05Wow. Oh, smart.
16:06And then we have a tomahawk, and it's cooking in a whiskey butter.
16:09I hope that oven's on.
16:10I hope that oven's doing good down here in the basement.
16:13We got this.
16:14Come on, Team Arrington.
16:15Team Arrington, I'm taking you there.
16:16You got this?
16:16Let's go.
16:16We got this, Chef.
16:1718 minutes to go, guys.
16:19I like the energy, Brandon.
16:20Smells incredible down there.
16:21Good luck, guys.
16:21Thank you, Chef.
16:22Good luck.
16:23That tomahawk ended up down here.
16:25My goodness.
16:25UFC price bite down here.
16:27The smoke.
16:28You got this, brother.
16:28We got this together.
16:30You're getting out of the basement today.
16:31Come on.
16:32Come on.
16:34Oh, yeah.
16:36Beautiful.
16:39Hey.
16:41Okay.
16:41What did you grab?
16:42Protein?
16:42Filet.
16:43Filet.
16:44Filet.
16:44Filet is a dream.
16:46Presentation, I'm definitely gonna blend this up to make it more elegant and nice rustic.
16:49I don't know if you need to blend that, dude.
16:51I like the texture of those mushrooms.
16:52Yeah.
16:53I'm still figuring it out as I'm going, and then I got all three of the mentors like,
16:57What are you doing, Ryan?
16:58What are you doing, Ryan?
16:59What are you doing, Ryan?
16:59I'm just like, ah.
17:00Yeah.
17:00It's very salty.
17:01Is it?
17:02Yes.
17:03Yeah.
17:03It is.
17:04Yeah, damn.
17:04Don't worry.
17:05Just pour off some green first.
17:06A little bit of acid.
17:07Yeah, pour off some first.
17:08Oh.
17:09On one hand, I appreciate it.
17:10And on the other hand, I'm like, everyone needs to shut the up.
17:13You know what I mean?
17:14In the most polite way.
17:16Beatrice.
17:17Yes, chef.
17:18I got the porterhouse, chef.
17:19Okay, great.
17:20Where is it?
17:20Right there, chef.
17:21Resting it up.
17:22It's nice and clean.
17:24Just under 15 minutes to go, yes?
17:27Yes, chef.
17:27All right, thank you, guys.
17:31Good so far.
17:33What's going on, Megan?
17:33Just roasting off some veg.
17:36All right, welcome to the top.
17:37Let's go.
17:38How are we doing, everyone?
17:39We doing good?
17:39Good job.
17:41Austin, what'd you grab?
17:42Chef, so I got veal chopped.
17:43Can I have a look at the veal, please?
17:44Yeah, absolutely.
17:45It's very unforgiving, that thing, so be careful.
17:48Yeah, you're so fluffy.
17:50Yeah, that's nice.
17:51And just get a touch more fat in there, just so it starts cooking.
17:54Yeah, sure.
17:55So proud of you.
17:56Thank you, chef.
17:57I know you're not on my team, but it's just so inspiring, you being a home chef.
18:01How do you feel?
18:01Did you think you'd make it this far?
18:02I never thought I was going to make it this far.
18:03Really?
18:03I never did.
18:04No, I know the competition.
18:05I know it's strong, but I'm cooking for Joy.
18:08I'm cooking for my boys.
18:08Like, that's it.
18:09I love when you said that.
18:10Yeah, so you have a spirit in here that's pretty strong.
18:12You're going to cook that down a bit, right?
18:13Yeah, yeah, it's going to cook down.
18:15Perfect.
18:15Too much on the whiskey, or?
18:15Just cook it down.
18:16Yeah.
18:17All three mentors work so well together, and they are invested in everyone here.
18:22And you feel it. You feel it.
18:26How does it spend any time in the oven?
18:27Yes, chef.
18:28So just touch the side then.
18:29Yeah, yeah, a little bit more in time.
18:30That one's still very raw, okay?
18:31There's a difference between rare and raw, yeah?
18:33Yes, chef.
18:33I really don't need, like, a Gordon Ramsay meme of,
18:36It's raw!
18:38Sitting in my memory bank.
18:40Mine's raw.
18:40We need to put it back in the field.
18:42It's raw!
18:43It's raw!
18:44I will go put that back in the oven for a couple extra minutes.
18:47You got it.
18:48What do you have here?
18:49I got veal chop in the oven, chef.
18:51Pickled fennel and chilies over here.
18:53That's going to go great with the veal.
18:54And plating-wise, are you thinking about slicing?
18:56Yes, chef, I'm absolutely slicing it.
18:58Absolutely slicing.
18:58I want to keep that bone real nice and pretty with a nice slice right next to it.
19:01Showcase everything that we bought.
19:05Believe in you.
19:06I've always used veal in, like, a ragu or something like that.
19:08I've never cooked an actual veal chop and sliced it onto a plate.
19:11But there's a first time for everything.
19:14If you need me to put on any fires down in the basement, let me know.
19:16Yes, I think I'll be back.
19:19Woo!
19:21Let's do this!
19:23Beautiful!
19:27Let's go, guys!
19:28Yeah!
19:30Four minutes left.
19:31Yes, chef!
19:32Here, would you mind tasting this for me?
19:33I fixed the salt.
19:34Yeah?
19:35It's very salty, Ryan.
19:36Still?
19:36You have a salty palate, bro.
19:37Ah.
19:38You're killing me.
19:39It's like, damn, I always make this sauce and now it's too salty.
19:43And I'm like, what is going on?
19:45Where are your carrots?
19:46Carrots are right here.
19:47Anyone can roast vegetables like that.
19:49You're a chef.
19:49Think about how you're layering in flavor, right?
19:52For sure.
19:52I'm just trying to, like, overachieve at this point, it feels like.
19:55And it's not serving me well.
20:01Man, if this actually gets cooked in time, I will be blown away.
20:04There is no ifs, Bobby.
20:07Cool.
20:07It doesn't matter if we make the best side dishes in the world.
20:10If these ribs aren't perfectly cooked, I will be going to an elimination.
20:15Okay, guys.
20:16We good?
20:17Yes, chef.
20:17Thank you, chef.
20:19Uh, where is that prized acid?
20:21Where is it?
20:21It's still in the oven.
20:22I'm running out of time for this piece of meat to rest.
20:25I really want to keep it in there because I want to make sure that it cooks all the way
20:28through.
20:29But it's got to come out.
20:30Look at that.
20:31Beautiful.
20:32Yeah?
20:33Better be cooked all the way through.
20:35Bobby, three minutes to go.
20:37All right.
20:38We're going.
20:39Okay.
20:39Straight into the iPhone.
20:42Put that switch, I see.
20:44And that'll go down.
20:45I have to open it up and then cross my fingers and hope that this is actually going to be
20:49cooked.
20:50Okay, but moment of truth.
20:53This is so intense.
20:54I'm hoping that meat literally is falling off the bone.
20:57Otherwise, Bobby could be in trouble.
21:01Come on.
21:08There you go.
21:09Okay, but moment of truth.
21:14Oh, jeez.
21:15That's tender, isn't it?
21:16That's very tender.
21:17What a great way, huh?
21:18Thank you so much, chef.
21:19Great job.
21:20Two minutes left.
21:21Time to start plating.
21:23Your bone's just got to be on the plate.
21:24You can slice it or not.
21:26One stunning portion is all you need, okay?
21:30Yes, chef.
21:30I don't need to tell you two how to plate because you're both freaking next-level chef all-stars.
21:35Hell yeah, chef.
21:36Okay?
21:36Heck yes.
21:38All right, Beatrice.
21:39Start slicing if you're slicing.
21:41Bone in or bone on the plate, okay?
21:43Yes, chef.
21:44One minute, guys.
21:48Let's go, guys.
21:49Platform's there, guys.
21:50Turn and burn, Bobby.
21:51Yes, chef.
21:52Go.
21:52Go, go, go.
21:53Brandon, move now.
21:54Forgot this, guys.
21:55Go, Bobby.
21:57Right now.
21:58Yes, chef.
21:59We're first up.
21:59Let's go.
22:00Let's go, let's go, let's go.
22:02Yes, yes, yes!
22:04Yes!
22:05Well done.
22:06So proud of you, brother.
22:07Thank you, chef.
22:08Tomahawk in the basement, baby.
22:10Let's go.
22:11Let's go, Ryan.
22:14Beatrice, platform's here.
22:15Do not miss this platform.
22:17Hell no.
22:18It's not gonna stay for you, Ryan.
22:20Let's go.
22:23Oh, my God.
22:25Woo!
22:26It's not easy.
22:26It's not easy.
22:27You did it.
22:29Platform is here.
22:31Team Blaze, I can't...
22:32I'm not gonna be able to say that again.
22:33Let's go.
22:33The platform's here.
22:34Austin.
22:34Austin, the platform is here, dude.
22:36Come on, Austin.
22:36Let's go, let's go, let's go.
22:39Yes!
22:40Let's go!
22:40Here comes top floor.
22:41Wow, way to make it happen.
22:43Let's go!
22:44Woo!
22:45Yes!
22:47Woo!
22:47Dude, yes!
22:50That felt good.
22:51Austin, you good?
22:52Yeah.
22:52I can never tell with you if it's the pace of worry and concern, or are you feeling good?
22:56Chef, it's the pace of waiting for another ticket to ring in.
22:59Oh, I feel you.
23:00Oh, my gosh.
23:01Well said.
23:06Yeah!
23:07That was good.
23:08That was exciting.
23:10Wow.
23:11Uh, the dishes look incredible.
23:13Um, shall we start on the top level?
23:15Yeah.
23:15Head on up.
23:17We'll start right here.
23:18This is a thyme panko-crusted venison rack with a flambéed whiskey sauce.
23:24Inspired by this chef's hunting trips.
23:27Wow.
23:27Interesting.
23:31Um, I was hoping that this was going to be cooked whole, because I've got three different
23:36dimensions here, and one is cooked beautifully.
23:38One is slightly medium, and one is slightly under.
23:42There's definitely a point of view and a perspective on this plate, sort of this forest floor inspiration.
23:48You could have spent some more time on the sauce.
23:50Uh, the spirit in there is quite strong.
23:53Just balancing that out, um, could go a long way.
23:57Okay, our next dish is a bone-in veal chop with springtime vegetables.
24:05Wow, I mean, I think the dish is delicious.
24:07Um, maybe when you do slice meat, you want to finish the slices with a little bit more salt.
24:12The ingredients go really well together.
24:14But I do get nervous when you slice veal like this so thin.
24:18Veal needs to have a thick slice, because it dries out so quickly, and that's what's happened here.
24:23It's mind-blowing that literally choosing to cut something versus choosing not to cut something is your ticket to winning
24:31or losing $250,000.
24:32Shall we head to the middle floor?
24:34Yes, please.
24:35Yep.
24:36First up, we have a porterhouse served with grilled peaches and a peach salsa, like a Latin Cali inspiration.
24:47I say it's the hardest one to cook, because you've got the filet and the strip loin.
24:51But here, uh, both of them are cooked beautifully.
24:53The combination for me is a little bit weird, the salsa and the sort of mole-inspired sauce.
24:58But the meat is cooked really, really well.
25:01For me, I think this is a really fun dish.
25:03It's really brought to life with this light preparation of the grilled peaches.
25:08Next up, we have a bone-in filet served with roasted carrots.
25:12On the bottom is a sort of creamy mushroom sauce with beef stock and cream.
25:18This is a great example of why it's so difficult to cook on the bone, right?
25:22The meat overcooks closer to the bone.
25:25It's cooked uneven.
25:26I love the sauce.
25:27The veg just sort of seems like a throwaway to me.
25:30There is a slight issue with the temperature.
25:32It is a little bit overcooked.
25:33You can actually see the sort of white bits there now, which is already traveling from medium-rare going into
25:40medium now.
25:43Shall we head to the basement?
25:45I think you both will be surprised.
25:47It's like Christmas Day down there.
25:48Start off with a tomahawk.
25:49This thing flew down, and we were celebrating.
25:52The tomahawk was beautifully marked on the grill, and then it was put into the oven with a truffle potato
25:58salad with the whiskey butter.
26:04The cooking on the meat is 100%.
26:07Really, really good job.
26:09It's a rustic sort of charming dish.
26:11Yeah, this dish typifies the importance of cooking bone-in because it's just exceptional.
26:15That's why we serve the bone really well done.
26:18Next was a rack of pork ribs.
26:21This individual decided to pressure cook them and then finish them with this pomegranate glaze with roasted oyster mushrooms.
26:27Mmm.
26:29If you asked me how long these ribs were cooked, I would guess hours.
26:34There's an incredible amount of sort of this pleasurable stickiness to them, which is what you want in a good
26:39rib.
26:40A delicious dish.
26:41It's a very tough call in a pressure cooker when you're cooking blind.
26:44Well done.
26:45I'm just very proud right now, you know?
26:47It's like I did not expect this even a little bit.
26:50You just heard we're taking these dishes to task because of the increased level of talent we're faced with.
26:58Please give us a moment.
27:01Wow.
27:05Top floor.
27:06What a shame that veal was sliced so thin.
27:08That's one where maybe you just leave it whole and you don't even slice it.
27:11Sure.
27:11Right?
27:12It didn't taste of veal because they sliced it so thinly.
27:14It was such a shame.
27:15Absolutely.
27:16Rookie mistake.
27:17Let's talk about those venison chops.
27:19Why would you not cook that whole thing once as a beautiful rack?
27:22It's a little bit of inexperience cutting them first.
27:25I did think the sauce was delicious.
27:27I thought it was a little bit fiery for me.
27:29It tasted like the spirit wasn't cooked out enough.
27:31I wanted you to taste the whiskey in the sauce.
27:33You need to taste the whiskey!
27:35That basement, the tomahawk.
27:37My goodness me.
27:39I really was impressed.
27:40It was just lovely.
27:42I think the pork too.
27:43Delicious.
27:44Honestly, I think that was the most difficult protein to cook.
27:47Good job, brother.
27:49That middle floor, bone-in filet.
27:51Yeah, it was a...
27:53Disappointing.
27:53Yeah, it was definitely a struggle.
27:54It's overcooked.
27:55The vegetable work was really lackluster on that dish.
27:58Definitely left a lot to be desired.
28:02The porterhouse was delicious.
28:03I liked that.
28:04I liked it too.
28:05I was surprised to hear that you didn't like it.
28:08To me, there's just something that didn't work about the combination.
28:11Peach salsa and mole sauce.
28:14What about that doesn't work?
28:15It doesn't work for me at all.
28:17When I'm thinking peaches, I'm thinking pork.
28:19In this day and age, you've got to think out of the box.
28:21No, no, no.
28:21That's smooth stuff.
28:22I just want to know it's okay for me to say,
28:24I don't like peach salsa on red meat.
28:26You know, I'm not arguing with you.
28:28I'm just telling you why I'm right.
28:30No.
28:30No.
28:32My hands smell good.
28:34Is it turmeric?
28:35It's mole.
28:36Love that.
28:37So, he agrees.
28:38Well done.
28:40Shall we?
28:41Yeah.
28:47Right.
28:48We are taking these dishes to task.
28:49And this is really difficult.
28:52Richard and Nyesha and I all agree.
28:54There are two top dishes today.
28:56The first dish was the tomahawk cooked by Brandon.
29:05Congratulations.
29:06I'm telling you, Brandon's basement is the place to be.
29:09You know, there might be a leak in the ceiling,
29:12but the food's going to be great.
29:15The second dish that we felt was an absolute next-level bone-in dish
29:21was the pork ribs.
29:28Bobby, well done.
29:32Oh!
29:33It's a tough putt!
29:35Oh!
29:36This is huge.
29:39We do have one last time token to give out this season.
29:44And the time token goes to...
29:48Brandon.
29:49Well done.
29:50Really well done.
29:51Go get it.
29:52Ten seconds.
29:54Exceptional.
29:55Thank you, chef.
29:56Exceptional.
29:57Whoo!
30:02We're ready for this.
30:03Moving on up to a kitchen in the sky.
30:07Yeah, unfortunately, there were some dishes tonight
30:10that we felt held some elements
30:12that didn't quite come together.
30:13The first dish heading into the illumination
30:20is the bone-in filet rhyme.
30:24Damn.
30:24Like, really?
30:26It's right where I felt the most comfortable,
30:29and maybe that's what tripped me up, too.
30:31It was just me getting in my own way,
30:33which is, like, crushing me.
30:35Joining Ryan in the illumination is...
30:53Megan.
30:59Megan, it was hard because we got three different croissants.
31:02One medium, one medium rare, and one rare.
31:05Such a shame.
31:05That sucks.
31:08I mean, I had the time token, which was a complete curse.
31:12That's really frustrating.
31:14So for today's elimination challenge,
31:16we are keeping it on the bone with a whole fish.
31:21You can flay it, you can cook it whole.
31:23You guys got it?
31:24Yes, chef.
31:24Yes, chef.
31:25Beatrice and Austin, you both have earned your spot
31:28in the middle level on the next challenge.
31:33There's just a weight lifted off my shoulders.
31:35Don't cut the veal.
31:36Heard.
31:37Won't do that again.
31:39Okay, all of you, please, cheer these two on.
31:42I'll be up there shortly in the top kitchen.
31:44A home chef going up against a professional,
31:45that's a lot, but I've proven myself,
31:48and I don't want to be intimidated by somebody else's title.
31:51The Pacific Northwest, Megan, you got this.
31:53Seafood, come on, you got this.
31:56Wow.
31:57This is where I'm worried about Megan now,
32:00especially ahead of the whole fish.
32:02Does she have the experience?
32:03I think she does.
32:04She's got a hunting club that she goes to.
32:05She's from the Pacific Northwest.
32:07She cooks salmon and seafood all the time.
32:09Honestly, the crazy thing here is
32:10you've got an East Coast seafood chef
32:11and you've got a West Coast seafood chef.
32:14All right, guys.
32:16It's a coastal rivalry right here, you know?
32:19East to West.
32:20But the goal is to win this
32:22and help make my life for me and my family,
32:24like, so much better.
32:27Good job.
32:29I'm just gonna push, push, push as hard as I can.
32:31All right, guys, you have 25 minutes
32:34to create a memorable, stunning whole fish dish, okay?
32:38Yes, chef.
32:39All right.
32:39Platform's on the move.
32:41Go!
32:43Let's go, Megan.
32:44Let's go, Ryan.
32:45Grab your fish.
32:46Grab your fish, build around it.
32:48Sea bream, it looks beautiful,
32:49so it's time to get back, bounce back.
32:53Tomatoes.
32:53I'm feeling pretty happy about it.
32:55Now it's time for redemption.
32:56Get going, guys.
32:57I've never heard of John Dory before.
33:00Got mackerel.
33:01So I'm gonna stick with something,
33:02at least I know what it is.
33:04Yes, mackerel.
33:06Not a lot of time, 25 minutes to cook a whole fish.
33:08Get cooking.
33:10All right, Ryan, what'd you grab?
33:11I got the sea bream, chef.
33:12I'm gonna build, like, a savory type of style
33:15tomato sauce to go with this.
33:17How are you cooking the fish?
33:18I'm gonna give it a little sear in the pan,
33:20and then I'm gonna finish it in the oven.
33:22All the flavor's gonna be really inside.
33:24The sea bream has, like, a pretty deep cavity
33:27that I can stuff a lot of goodies in.
33:28A little bit of thyme, rosemary.
33:32Garlic, thyme, lemon, and a bunch of rosemary.
33:35It's gonna be good.
33:3620 minutes to go.
33:38All right, Meg.
33:39Talk to me about your dish.
33:40What'd you grab?
33:40I grabbed a mackerel, chef.
33:42Beautiful.
33:42So I'm gonna bake it off.
33:43I want to keep it nice.
33:44I want to keep it light.
33:45Then I'm gonna roast some of those courgettes on the side
33:47with a bit of a tomato salad.
33:48Smart.
33:48Really nice.
33:49Kind of summer, late summer approach.
33:51You know I love my late summer approach.
33:52We love a late summer approach.
33:54100%.
33:54Love it.
33:59Ryan, what are you doing with that fish, man?
34:01Get it working.
34:01It's not a hot enough pan yet, bro.
34:04Just let it sear.
34:05Be nice to the fish, okay?
34:07Fish is very delicate.
34:08I worked fish station in a two-star Michelin restaurant
34:11for two years.
34:12Got my ass kicked every single day.
34:14Go for it.
34:15You know, so I'm here to help you
34:16and give you all the insight that I have.
34:18Chef Farrington, for me, just reminds me
34:20of, like, where I've come from.
34:21Like, that thick skin, no beating around the bush.
34:24Like, she's thorough.
34:26Are you blitzing this sauce?
34:27Are you serving it rustic and whole?
34:29She's gonna be on you and work you,
34:30which is what I want.
34:32It's a little tangy.
34:33Nice and light, right?
34:34It's light.
34:35Think about how you're rounding it out.
34:36I want someone to be like,
34:37get your ass moving, you know?
34:39And, like, light that fire under me.
34:40It could be a little bit of honey.
34:42It could be brown sugar.
34:42We have some honey back here.
34:43It could be many different forms of sweetness.
34:45Nice, Chef.
34:46Right?
34:46You could sprinkle yourself in there.
34:49Sprinkle myself.
34:50Huh, Chef, you don't know me enough yet,
34:51because you wouldn't say that.
34:54There's 15 minutes to go.
34:55Yes, Chef.
34:56How you're spending the next 15 minutes
34:58could determine your fate in this competition.
35:01Yes, Chef.
35:02So focused, girl.
35:03I love it.
35:03Let's go.
35:04You cook a lot of fish, Megan?
35:06You know, a couple times a week,
35:08a couple times a month, you know,
35:09it's always something in our rotation at home.
35:10Nice.
35:11Yeah, it's part of our Pacific Northwest flare.
35:13That's what we always do.
35:14Totally.
35:14You know, I'm living for this.
35:16Have you cooked mackerel before?
35:17No, this is a new one for me with mackerel.
35:20Yeah, I mean, you seem to adapt really quickly.
35:22Yeah, I really want to make sure that, you know,
35:23I can bring a little bit of myself
35:24to each and every dish I make, Chef.
35:26Honestly, it's hard to believe that you are a home chef.
35:28You cook and you move, and you think like a pro chef.
35:31Thank you, Chef.
35:31You know, that's what this competition's all about.
35:35Team Blaze, how you guys feeling about Megan over here?
35:37It seems like she knows what the hell she's doing right now.
35:39Yeah, she does.
35:39I know.
35:39I love what I'm seeing so far.
35:41She cooks with confidence, you know?
35:42Absolutely.
35:43Let's go, Megan.
35:43Look at her go.
35:44I mean, but look at Ryan.
35:45He's moving with such precision.
35:47Yeah, absolutely.
35:47Moving like a panther.
35:48Yeah, that's a line chef right there.
35:50Absolutely.
35:51Absolutely.
35:52Guys, seven minutes to go.
35:55Meg, are you roasting those?
35:56Grilling them.
35:57You might want to blanch them first.
35:59I just want them grow, guys.
36:00Heard.
36:01I think I just pulled a muscle.
36:03Their zucchini can stay on there for a little longer.
36:05Yep, they're going to stay.
36:05Yeah.
36:07Good job, Megan.
36:08Five minutes, guys.
36:11That's beautiful.
36:11What is fish?
36:12Yeah.
36:13Yeah, that's got some crisp on it.
36:14That's beautiful.
36:15Good job, man.
36:15Proud of you, brother.
36:16You're looking good.
36:16Thank you, bro.
36:17What are we thinking, chef?
36:18You're just about there, chef.
36:20One of the things I'm worried about is just overcooking the fish.
36:24I mean, I've got Chef Naisha Arrington, who's a master of all things fish.
36:28I don't want to blow this in front of her.
36:30Watch out, watch out, watch out.
36:31Oh, my God.
36:32There's a lot of elements to this dish that I really want to make sure are perfect.
36:36Three minutes, guys.
36:37Okay.
36:38Two more seconds, guys.
36:40This is so intense.
36:43My mind is in overdrive, and I don't want to miss a single thing right now.
36:47That would be a catastrophe.
36:55Pull that fish out.
36:58You can go straight to the plate with that fish.
37:00Yes, chef.
37:01Go on, Meg.
37:02That's beautiful.
37:03Guys, two minutes.
37:04Start plating.
37:04Start plating.
37:05Let's go.
37:06Come on.
37:06Let's go.
37:08Two minutes.
37:09You have plenty of time.
37:10All right.
37:40That .
37:40Guys, fight for it.
37:41Like you want it.
37:42Five.
37:43Four.
37:44Three.
37:45Two.
37:46One.
37:46Hands up.
37:47Hands up.
37:48All right.
37:49Good job.
37:50Good job, man.
37:57Richard and Gordon, welcome.
37:59Nice, chef.
37:59How are you?
38:00These chefs, they both stayed with cooking on the bone.
38:03Whole fish, no fillets.
38:05Wow.
38:05Yeah.
38:07We're going to start here with the sea bream, served with a sauce tomate.
38:15Looks like we lost a little bit of the tail during the cook.
38:20And then the stuffing inside.
38:22Yeah, some garlic, fresh parsley, lots of rosemary.
38:25Sea bream is cooked beautifully, but it's got the wrong fragrance.
38:29Here, I've got this abundance of rosemary.
38:32We use rosemary like this for lamb, beef, but for fish, it's incredibly difficult to get right.
38:38But the fish is moist, it's glistening, and the sauce is smooth.
38:42The fish did get cooked well, which is great.
38:45The sauce and the fish together is a little perplexing.
38:47And I think the fish would be served if it was on top of the sauce.
38:50You have to do a little too much work here.
38:51Mmm.
38:54Next up, we have a mackerel served with toasted bread, zucchini,
38:58and then finished with salsa with fresh tomato.
39:02The fish is cooked beautifully, and the fish is oily, so it's a really smart combination
39:07with the bread and the tomato against the sort of omega-3 oil.
39:13Yeah, I mean, I love the oily fish with the fresh tomato and the vinaigrettes.
39:17There's too many things on the plate, though.
39:19A little bit of editing could serve this dish well.
39:21Sure. Thank you.
39:24So, Gordon, I'm going to start with you, please.
39:28Which dish will you be eliminating tonight?
39:36Nice, you're a tough one. We're down to the wire.
39:38I've been through this journey every step of the way with both of you,
39:42and it pains me.
39:44The dish I'm eliminating tonight is the sea bream.
39:52Richard, same question.
39:56The dish that I'll be sending home...
40:04is the sea bream.
40:09The sea bream was cooked by Ryan.
40:14Ryan, young man, I am gutted.
40:18You may not be our next-level chef, but at 22 years of age,
40:23you've got this heart of gold that is destined for success,
40:27and I'd like to try and open a door to help you continue that journey.
40:33Here's what I'm going to do.
40:36We've got some very exciting restaurants in Boston,
40:39and I'm going to put you in touch with our head of culinary,
40:42and I'd love to get you in for a start
40:45so we can actually continue this journey
40:47and literally work together
40:48and see what's on the horizon.
40:52Okay, young man?
40:53Thank you so much, chef.
40:55The fact that Chef Ramsay did that
40:57just goes to show that, like, he really does believe in me.
41:01Oh, mate.
41:05A young chef with a young family,
41:07I'm going to help you after this competition
41:10to get where you want to go.
41:12Thank you so much.
41:12Okay.
41:13It means the world.
41:13It really does.
41:14And I'm not going to let you down.
41:16I can't wait to see you in Boston, bud.
41:17I can either.
41:19Thanks, man.
41:22You guys have been amazing.
41:23This has been an experience for a lifetime.
41:24It really has.
41:26I love you so much, dude.
41:30Head up, my man. Head up.
41:37Yeah, Ryan!
41:44Chef Ramsay has blessed me with another opportunity to make my life better for me and my family.
41:50And I'm not going to let him down.
41:53You might be a home chef, Megan.
41:57You are not cooking like a home chef.
41:59No, no.
42:00And I'm super proud of you.
42:01Thank you, chef.
42:03The last home chef standing, and I made it to the top five.
42:06Top five.
42:07The final five.
42:08Come on, give me something.
42:09Like, holy doesn't encapsulate it.
42:14I'm sorry, Mom.
42:15I know you told me not to swear so much.
42:19All of you.
42:20Seriously, well done.
42:22One cook away from a place in the grand finale.
42:26But I promise you now, getting there will not be easy.
42:31Well done.
42:32Good night.
42:33Amazing.
42:39Next time on Next Level Chef, welcome to the semi-final.
42:43Three of you will secure your place in the grand finale.
42:46It's in my reach.
42:46For the first time ever, you'll be making a dish popularized by Gordon himself.
42:51This is the most important cook of our lives.
42:53What do we got here?
42:54It needs to be perfect.
42:56Brandon, we gotta move.
42:57Please be beautiful.
42:58It would mean everything to make it to the finale.
43:00A special message for you.
43:02I'm not crying, you're crying.
43:03I'm gonna get to the final.
43:04It's not working.
43:05We're gonna have to fight.
43:06Am I seriously thinking about this?
43:08The first individual into the finale is...
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