All language subtitles for MasterChef US - S07E17 - Critics Choice

I cannot believe I've
made it all the way

to the top four in this competition.

My plates used to
look like they came out

of a little country kitchen,

and now they look
like they're coming out

of five-star restaurants.

- Gordon: Well done, guys.
- Shaun: All right.

As a DJ, my food dream is
to combine my two passions--

high-end dining and
high-energy music

to give people the time of
their lives in my restaurant.

Welcome back.

I thought I was going
to retire at the bank

and now my dreams are
right within reach.

- This is amazing.
- Congratulations.

You have all made it to the top four

of the biggest cooking
competition in the entire world.

I've been fortunate to have a
very successful career in poker

so I'm not here for the $250,000.

I'm here for that MasterChef title.

Listen carefully. Tonight, we have

some very, very special
guests joining us for dinner

inside the amazing
MasterChef restaurant.

Guests that when they come
to any of our restaurants,

they terrify us.

That's right, even me.

- ( chuckles )
- Tonight, you'll be cooking

for some of America's most powerful,

most intimidating, most influential...

- food critics.
- Whew.

Whew.

Christina: Tonight's food critics,

they come from the heavy hitters.

"New York Magazine,"
"Wall Street Journal,"

"The Washington Post," "Vogue."

And if you thought we
were tough on you...

- Whew. - ...our opinions
will seem like a bedtime story

compared to how these critics
will review your dishes.

Wow.

But, you won't be in it alone.

Because you'll be cooking
in two teams of two.

Whew.

Brandi, because you
won the last challenge,

you now get the crucial advantage

of picking your teammate.

Come and stand over here, please.

Brandi: I know that if my
team loses, whoever I pick,

I'm probably going to be facing
this person in the pressure test.

I could give myself an
awesome advantage right now,

or I could stab myself in
the foot with my choice.

I want someone that's strong,

I want someone who knows
flavors, who knows plating.

I want someone who's gonna
help me make a phenomenal dish.

- So I'm choosing Shaun.
- Richard: Wow.

( whispers ) Yeah.

Please, step up and pick up your aprons.

Tanorria: I've seen David
upset in this MasterChef kitchen

more times than I want to.

I can't let that happen tonight,

because if he loses his
cool, one of us will go home.

Richard: Tonight, we will have

17 of America's most
powerful food critics.

And in your teams of two,
you'll have 90 minutes

to prep and cook a stunning,
restaurant-quality entr�e

for all of them.

Then each critic will write a
brief review of each team's dish.

Seriously-- if
they're all coming

into my restaurant this evening,

trust me, I'll be crapping myself.

Now, at your stations, you'll find

two identical boxes of ingredients

that we personally selected

for you to work with tonight.

- Are you all ready?
- Let's do this.

'Cause your 90 minutes starts...

- now.
- ( ticks )

Shaun: Let's go, let's go.

Whoo, let's see what's in this box.

Oh, wow. Look at this.

- Shaun: Aw, man. - We've got
some beautiful proteins in here.

I see some duck, I see some
lamb, I see some halibut.

- Brandi: This halibut looks really
nice. - - Yeah, I like the halibut too.

- Is there something we can crust it in?
- Hazelnuts.

I love duck.

Like, duck to me is like
the "pork of the sky."

Yeah, that skin has got to be on point.

I'm likin' this purple cauliflower too.

Oh, that adds so much color.

There's the purple
asparagus, cauliflower.

Yeah, let's do like a
little study in purple.

This is my favorite, polenta.

- Let's do a polenta cake instead of that
creamy mush. - We have to it elegant.

- That way we don't want
a mush on a plate. - Yeah.

- A really nice...
- Take a nice polenta cake.

- Okay.
- Parsnip pur�e, cauliflower pur�e.

It's gonna be so bright on a plate.

- You ready?
- Both: Red team.

Let's rock this thing. Whoo!

( ticks )

Gordon: Five minutes gone.

Start working out your timing

- and making sure the execution
is perfect. - Let's do this.

Tanorria: You get
that reduction started,

I'm gonna get started on the polenta.

Shaun: I'm gonna do both
cauliflower at the same time.

Brandi: Good, good,
good. That'll save time.

Wow, the most daunting challenge.

Every table in there
tonight is a critic.

You know, we always
say in the restaurant,

- "Treat every plate like
it's a food critic." - Yeah.

Tonight, that's literally the case.

Can you imagine food
critics loving this dish?

David: That's it, that means we made it.

They can fill your
restaurant up for six years,

and they can shut your
restaurant down in six months.

Gordon: Both boxes have
the identical ingredients.

But there's two proteins there

that I would give my right arm to cook.

- Those look nice.
- Yes, they do.

- The lamb and
the duck. - Uh-uh.

- Seriously?
No. - Hmm-mm.

- I'm coatin' the fish in
hazelnut right now. - Sounds good.

I wouldn't go anywhere
near that halibut.

- The most unforgiving fish anywhere
in the sea. - Beautiful.

Christina: I know
what a risk halibut is,

but I think a beautifully done
halibut will speak volumes.

Richard, what would you
choose? What would you go for?

Yeah, listen, I think I would grab

quite honestly the rack of lamb.

The duck is challenging
because a lot of young

- or novice cooks, they undercook duck.
- Gordon, Christina: Yeah.

Tanorria: David, how's the duck looking?

Yeah, I gotta regulate this temperature.

Make sure you get that duck
skin so incredibly crispy.

Low and slow, baby, low and slow.

- ( ticks )
- Gordon: 35 minutes gone.

55 minutes remaining, guys.

Let's go.

- Brandi, I think I'm good on this.
- Yep, that's good.

I'm killing my time
on these cranberries.

All right, cauliflower is in.

This polenta cooking liquid
has got to come to a boil.

David: Sounds like you're movin' fast.

Almost done with these Brussels sprouts.

Whoo. I'm about to start
on my purple pur�e.

- Duck is renderin' nicely.
- Gordon: Red team, blue team.

Whatever you do, don't
look up on the balcony.

Our food critics are now arriving.

Wow, wow, wow!

Gordon: Jeffrey
Steingarten from "Vogue."

- Holy ( bleep ). - Beth Kracklauer
from "The Wall Street Journal."

Eddie Lin from "The Los Angeles Times."

Insanity.

These food critics are spread
out across the whole balcony.

Focus, Tanorria. Don't let it
get you out of your zone, though.

Crap. This is a big deal.

Adam Platt from "New York Magazine."

Larry Olmsted from "USA
Today" and "Forbes."

Stephanie Gordon from
"The Huffington Post."

Lesley Suter from "LA Magazine."

Tim Carman from "The Washington Post."

Bethany Jean Clement
from "The Seattle Times."

These critics are stone-cold killers.

That is any restaurateur's
nightmare up there.

Whoo. I feel the eyes watchin'.

Brandi: I can just feel their
death stares glaring at me,

watching every single move I make

and waiting for me to make a mistake.

Ladies and gentlemen,
it's an absolute honor

and a pleasure to have such
esteemed critics here with us today.

Would you kindly all make your way

through to the MasterChef
restaurant, please?

Your table awaits you. Thank you.

( giggles ) I hate this.

- Richard: Wow. - Gordon: I mean,
come on, seriously. Hey, listen.

If one's bad enough, 17?

There is a bit of good
news to this this evening--

every other restaurant in the country

have got nothing else to worry about,

except the MasterChef restaurant.

I'm really excited
about this home cooking.

People have written for years

about how the home cooking is dead.

And now we see MasterChef
kind of reviving it.

I've reviewed all
types of restaurants--

Fine dining, casual,
hole-in-the-wall spots.

But this is MasterChef

On top of that, we're
down to the final four.

So the food better
be four times as good.

- ( ticks )
- 35 minutes to go, guys.

Ramp it up now. Start
speeding up, guys, please.

- Right, Brandi.
- Yes, Chef.

- Our critics are in the dining room.
- Yes.

They are waiting for magic to happen.

- Confident?
- They're gonna get magic tonight.

- They're gonna get magic?
- Yes, I'm super confident.

Right, Shaun. Tell me about the dish.

Hazelnut-crusted halibut.

- Gordon: Halibut?
- Yeah.

Why? Lamb, duck... why halibut?

If we get halibut right,
it's gonna be beautiful

and these guys are
gonna go crazy for it.

Okay, fine. But it's a
tough fish to pull off.

We're not gonna get it wrong, Chef.

Talk me through the rest of the dish.

We're gonna do a Meyer
lemon beurre blanc.

We're gonna do a play on purple

with some purple microgreens,
some purple asparagus.

- A play on purple?
- It's gonna be delicious.

And we got a purple
pur�e coming out too.

It's a restaurant full of
critics, not a kindergarten.

- Absolutely, and it's gonna be...
- - Brandi: You're gonna love it.

- No play on purple.
- It's gonna be beautiful.

You tell us to take
risks and this is a risk.

- If we can nail it, then...
- Yeah, but not right now.

When? When, then? If I
don't take risks right now,

- when am I gonna do it?
- Young lady, are you crazy?

Oh, I'm a little crazy.
This competition's

- made me a little crazy.
- You are, aren't you?

Yeah. I'm gonna bring it.

- You know, you all tell us
to take risks. - Yeah, get him, Brandi.

If there's one night
to just keep it safe

and delicious and simple,

- it would be tonight.
- Absolutely not. Absolutely not.

These critics are gonna know my name

when they leave here tonight.

Right. Good luck.

- All right, Tanorria.
- Yes, Chef.

What have you got goin' on?

We are making a pan-seared,
Ras el hanout duck.

- Ras el hanout?
- Ooh.

With a Brussels sprout salad
with a beautiful vinaigrette,

polenta cake,

as well as a pomegranate
- molasses port reduction.

Here's the thing about
Ras el hanout, Tanorria.

- I hate to tell
you this. - Mm-hmm?

- It's perfect with duck.
- Thank you.

- You get me every time! Shame on you!
- I do get you.

What does a girl from Tennessee
know about polenta, though? Come on.

You know what? This
girl knows her grits.

I know polenta, I know cream and butter,

and it's all up in there tonight.

And she knows how to get
some duck fat in there.

Oh, my gosh, I'm so excited
to have duck fat tonight.

- Christina: Duck is a tricky
protein to cook. - Tanorria: It is.

- Especially for 17 very finicky
food critics. - Absolutely.

Our goal tonight is to show
off how well it's cooked.

So when they see it on the plate,

they're gonna see that
it's beautifully cooked.

They're not gonna have to
wait until they cut into it.

- Okay, good luck.
- Thank you.

Gordon: It smells incredible.

I've never seen such great
coordination from both teams.

Christina: I gotta say, they're working

like professional chefs right now.

Richard: They don't
sound like home cooks.

Gordon: No, exactly right.

- Mm.
- Good.

- Ms. Mudd, I love you.
- Yes!

Blue team, their halibut
is still out on the bench.

They're gonna plate
half the ingredients,

and then cook the fish,

put the rest of the ingredients
on, and fish goes on last.

This is a dangerous game, guys.

I mean, they have to cook the
fish at the last second so,

- Gordon: Last second. - Christina:
That's just the nature of cooking fish.

Per-fection.

Red team, they have a critic dream dish.

A duck dish.

'Cause the critics know how
hard that is to pull off.

- Duck is rendering nicely.
- Tanorria: Wonderful.

You know what I love about the sound

of the red team's dish?
It feels like them.

- It feels homey like Tanorria...
- Gordon: Yep.

it feels elegant, like David.

I think it's gonna be stunning.

- Guys, comin' up to 15 minutes to go.
- Yes, Chef.

Start executing your plates, please.

All right, we gotta go, we gotta go.

Tanorria: Is it time
to drop the cranberries?

- We gotta get those
cranberries in there. - All right.

Brandi: Everything okay
over there with plating?

Shaun: Yeah, looking beautiful.

Tanorria: David, I
really need my sauce, hon.

David: Needs to reduce a tad bit more.

- David, it's gotta go fast.
- Yep, I'm gonna put it on high.

Just gotta make sure we nail that duck.

Shaun: Come on, Brandi.
Get that sauce over here.

I'm going, I'm going, I'm going.

Brandi and Shaun, they
started to put things down

on the blue team's dishes right now.

The red team, they still have
more things they need to do.

They need to sear the cake.

They need to slice the duck.

David, give me an
ETA on the duck--

what's the rest time,
what's the slice time?

David: First ones will
be ready to get sliced

and they're all staggered

so by the time I slice them,
they'll all be comin' ready.

I got 'em in order.

Christina: I'm worried that
the red team's underestimating

what they can accomplish
in these last 10 minutes.

- Ah, that one's a little raw.
- Correct it, David.

- Brandi: Okay, where's the cauliflower?
- - ( bleep ) the cauliflower.

- Get the pur�es on.
- Okay.

Oh, my God. Not tonight.

David, how's it going
back there with the duck?

Uh-hh...

Guys, you have eight minutes to go.

How many are completed, David?

David: They're all a little under.

He's served them too hot a pan

so they're all rare in the middle.

I have no idea what the
( bleep ) is happening.

Man, not tonight.

Tanorria: Just calm down.

It's ( bleep ) raw.

Oh-hh...

It's a ( bleep ) nightmare.

We are so ( bleep ).

It's ( bleep ) raw.

Tanorria: Just calm down.

Oh-hh...

I have no idea what the
( bleep ) is happening.

There's five minutes to
go. There's no way on earth

they're gonna these plated on time.

It's a ( bleep ) nightmare.

David, chill out, dude.

This one might be a
little underdone too.

The rest of these feel
pretty good, David.

Wow.

I've got quite a few good ones.

We just need to recover
on those other ones.

- ( ticks )
- Three minutes remaining.

Blue team, you've got to get
your halibut on the plate.

- Yes, Chef.
- Brandi, bring it.

I'm bringin' it right now. Here we come.

- Christina: Oh, my God.
- Oh.

Tanorria: Right behind
you with the sauce, David.

- How's the duck looking?
- Duck looks good--

- Good.
- --the ones we got.

Shaun: Keep going faster, go faster.

Gordon: If they don't move their ass,

at this rate, there'll be food critics

- without dishes to critique.
- ( ticks )

One minute, guys. Let's go.

Finish your plates.

- Watch out, Brandi.
I gotta get in here. - Okay.

- Here, trade me. - All right, David.
I'm going with almonds.

- You go behind me and clean plates.
- You got it.

Gordon: Come on, guys,
please. Finishing touches, now!

- Here we go. Ten...
- ( ticking )

Judge: Nine, eight, seven,

six, five, four,

three, two, one.

- Gordon: Stop. Well done.
- Christina: Hands in the air!

Sorry.

Oh, Brandi Mudd.

- We did it.
- ( sighs )

- You're good. You're good.
- Ah, it's the duck. The duck.

You almost went there,

but I woulda knocked you out if you did.

So we're good.

Well done, guys. Waiters, please?

They look as good as we could ask for.

I'm pumped up about this dish.

It looks spectacular.

- I can't believe we pulled
that one off. - They look beautiful.

Shaun: The flavor of
the sauce is beautiful.

The halibut is cooked perfectly.

And those little dots of
white and purple pur�e

are probably the sexiest thing
I've ever seen on a plate.

Critic #1: Thank you. Delicious.

Critic #2: Doesn't look
like home cookin' to me.

- Critic #3: Very spring.
- Critic #4: I know, very springy.

Critic #3: Yes. It's beautiful.

- It's pretty good, actually.
- I agree.

David and I did a really
great job working together.

And we put out a beautiful,
colorful, flavorful plate.

I would absolutely order this off a menu

in a fine-dining restaurant.

Chef Ramsay, stick this on your menu.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome
to the MasterChef restaurant.

I don't think across 25 years of cooking

I've ever welcomed one
critic in, let alone, 17.

( laughter )

So now we'd like to introduce you

to our home cooks for the evening.

Please welcome the red
team and the blue team.

This is an opportunity of a lifetime.

Yes, these critics are intimidating

and they're powerful
and I wanna impress them.

But if anything, I'm honored
and humbled right now,

to be standing in front of people

that could pick my food apart.

Christina: Red team, Tanorria, David.

Please describe your
dish to the food critics.

Today we have for you a pan-seared duck

finished with ras el hanout,

a Brussels sprout slaw with
a grainy mustard vinaigrette,

a crispy polenta cake,

finished with a
pomegranate-molasses port reduction.

And the blue team.

We have for you a
hazelnut crusted halibut,

on top of a Meyer lemon beurre blanc,

and then beside it we
have a play on purple--

we have a parsnip, celery
root brown butter pur�e,

a purple cauliflower pur�e,

and asparagus pills marinated
in a Meyer lemon vinaigrette.

To our guests of honor, as you dine,

please gather your
thoughts on the notecards

that we've laid in front of you.

Once we've had a chance to
read all of your reviews,

we will decide on a
winning team tonight.

Red team, blue team, head on back

into the MasterChef
kitchen and clean up.

Our esteemed critics, bon app�tit.

Please, enjoy. Thank you.

- That was a little scary.
- Yeah. No smiles whatsoever.

Yeah. Ain't nothing gonna
charm them to victory.

Shaun: We definitely killed that.

I mean, we got our plates
pretty much as close

as we could get 'em to
the way we wanted 'em.

Gordon: Right, let's start off
with the blue team's halibut.

Christina: Let's see
what we've got here.

Got a nice crisp cut there.

- It's beautiful.
- Gordon: Just the way you want it.

Wow.

I think the fish is cooked beautifully.

It needs a touch more seasoning.

Hazelnut's delicious,
but there's a lot of 'em.

Richard: Yeah, I mean, I think the
proportions are off a little bit.

More sauce, more cauliflower.

Makes me anxious to see
what the critics think.

The blue team's halibut
was a little overcooked,

but I loved the crust.
I loved the little salad.

It's actually fancy to
the point of prissiness.

Stephanie Kordan: It had just
a hint of the beurre blanc

which was done with such restraint

that it really enchanted the fish,

rather than overwhelming it.

It's really easy to
screw up a fish like that

so I'm actually impressed
that they were able to do

as well as they did
with a fish that stinky.

Eddie Lin: The purple-white dollops

belong on a nine-year-old's
birthday cake

and didn't make sense.

Gordon: Now, red team's duck.

Now that duck was set up for success.

The problem they've got
there, it needs another

four, five minutes in the oven.

We'll take the end of
the duck there. Mmm.

I have to say, for what
they lacked in execution,

they made up for in the
concept of flavor profile.

Yeah. I love what they
did with the polenta.

I love the fact that they
laced it with duck fat.

That's a very "cheffy" thing to do.

I just wish that they'd cooked that duck

four, five minutes
longer, and I'm hoping

our critics haven't got raw duck.

I love the fact that the duck

was rare and decadent and sexy.

Could they-- had they
jazzed up the seasoning

perhaps a little bit.

But I have to say, this plate
all came together very nicely.

Amanda Hesser: I feel like I've
seen a dish like this many times.

Um, the dish completely lacks soul.

The duck breasts are seasoned well

and the fat was rendered well.

My main complaint is that they
used a pomegranate sauce on it,

- which is out of season.
- Overall, I actually thought

the most flavorful thing on the plate

was the polenta cake, but I
wanted the supporting components

to come together and do
something with the protein.

But I felt more like I was just eating

big, maybe slightly
underseasoned hunks of duck.

I still think it's two
very strong efforts.

I think it's still either
team's game at this point.

Tonight, sadly, there can
be only one winning team.

Can't wait to study those reviews

and then come to consensus
and nominate our winning team

based on your feedback.

Once again, a sincere thank you.

Thank you, my darling.

Thank you. Thank you.

- Thank you, sir.
- Yes. Good to see you. Thank you.

- Thank you for allowing us to serve
you. - Well, I voted for you guys.

- Tanorria: Thank you, sir.
- Thank you, sir.

- Steingarten: The polenta cake was
delicious. - David: That's her specialty.

- Jeffrey...?
- You're getting in trouble, sir.

- Jeffrey!
- Hello. I'm sorry.

- Thank you. Thank you, sir.
- Tanorria: Thank you.

- David: Thank you.
- ( Tanorria giggles )

- Gordon: She's not single.
- Yes, I am!

- ( laughing )
- Gordon: All of you, please, follow us

into the MasterChef kitchen.

Brandi: I am so full
of anxiety right now.

We just had 17 food
critics taste our food.

We've never been under this
type of scrutiny before.

So, whoever wins, deserves
a spot in the top three.

Home cooks, both teams did
a remarkable job tonight.

But unfortunately, there
can be only one winning team.

Whew.

Before we announce the winning team,

we have some very big news to share.

For the first time
in MasterChef history,

in this year's finale...

there will be three home cooks.

- Shaun: Oh, man.
- Tanorria: Oh, boy.

( David exhales ) Whew, God.

For the first time
in MasterChef history,

in this year's finale...

there will be three home cooks.

- Shaun: Oh, man.
- Tanorria: Oh, boy.

( exhales ) Whew, God.

Christina: One team won't
just be safe tonight,

they will be guaranteed a place

in next week's MasterChef
three-way finale.

Sad news is, of course,
that the other team

is gonna have to fight
it out head-to-head

for that final spot.

- Tonight's winning team...
- ( Shaun groans )

...the team that is officially
in the Master Chef finale...

- Whew.
- ...is...

- the blue team.
- ( gasps )

( thumps )

Christina: Brandi, Shaun...

( Shaun sobs ) Oh, my God.

- Absolutely incredible.
- ( sobs )

Gordon: Brandi, how are you feeling?

I don't even know what
to feel right now. I'm--

When I came into this, I
never in a million years

thought I would be goin' to the finale.

And I'm so proud of
myself and I'm so proud

that my students and my
kids get to see this--

that, you know, dreams come true.

Shaun, how do you feel?

I am so proud right now.

Um,
ahem--

I wish my dad was still here with me.

I did this for him and my mom.

Whew.

That performance was legendary.

- Whew. Thank you, Chef.
- Brandi: Thank you.

So, blue team--
Shaun and Brandi,

congratulations. Please
head on up to the balcony.

Shaun: Thank you, Chefs.

( Shaun sobs, chuckles )

( sighs ) I can't believe this.

David, Tanorria, you were defeated

very narrowly tonight.
The critics loved the idea,

the concept of the dish.

But the quantity of sauce,

the cook on some of the
duck, not all of the duck--

those were just the little details

that set you back and gave
the blue team the edge tonight.

Richard: Before we go any further,

you each need one of these.

Tanorria: It's David's fault
we're in this pressure test.

David's main responsibility was duck.

I mean, it hurts, bad.

In this difficult pressure test

you'll be cooking with the most
widely-eaten meat in the world.

and you'll be taking
this phenomenal protein

to a MasterChef level.

Not once, not twice...

- But three times.
- Whew.

You're going to have to replicate
three of our favorite dishes...

revolving around a classic protein

that every chef loves to work with.

Juicy, flavorful...

pork.

Underneath this cloche
is the cut of pork

that I absolutely love.

Pork tenderloin.

Here we have my
harissa-spiced pork tenderloin

with charred eggplant pur�e,

zucchini ribbons, olive petals

and a beautiful herb salad.

Richard: There is one cut
of pork that chefs like me

love more than any other,

because it's a moneymaker.

Pork belly.

My signature preparation of
pork is braised pork belly

with creamed onion, roasted fennel,

butternut squash and
date and orange relish.

Gordon: I think there is one cut of pork

unlike any other.

- a stunning double-cut
pork chop. - Looks good.

Now here we have my Chinese
five-spiced grilled pork chop,

sat on a bed of bok choy

with saut�ed Okinawa potatoes,

pickled shiitake,

and lightly dusted for
that togarashi spice

lotus chips.

The technique on this pork chop

needs to be executed perfectly,

or your dish... will be a travesty.

Wow.

All right. You will have just 75 minutes

to complete all three of
our signature pork dishes.

- The finale is this close.
- Whew.

Please head to your stations.

I'm pissed right now, because
I feel like it's my fault

that we're both down here. Now, me,

and someone I have respect
for and view as a friend

have to battle because
of my shortcomings.

Christina: At your stations, you'll find

all the ingredients you need

to make our three of our
intricate pork dishes.

Gordon: Shaun and Brandi,

final words of
encouragement or good luck?

- Have fun.
- "Have fun"?

- Yeah.
- Seriously?

It's fun down there.

Right, David, Tanorria...

your 75 minutes...

starts... now.

Here we go.

So, three difficult
dishes across 75 minutes--

this is a tough one to pull off.

Christina: So, let's
talk about ideal timing.

- So, the first thing you do--
pork belly. - Christina: Yes.

Gordon: Into the pressure
cooker, get it going.

After that, get that pork chop seared,

rendered, and cooked just above rare

so you can reheat it with
literally 10 minutes to go.

And then you'll be
cooking your tenderloin

right at the very last
minute. Not too early,

because that can't sit and hang around.

- Christina: No. Absolutely.
- Gordon: It goes too dry.

Now, my pork tenderloin,
it's a lean cut of meat.

It's not very forgiving. Gotta cook it

to a medium-medium rare.

And they shouldn't really
touch that pork tenderloin

until they've got 35 minutes to go.

- ( ticks ) - But they need to char
the heck outta that eggplant

to get that nice smokiness

and those zucchini should
just "kiss" that saut� pan.

You don't want 'em to wilt.

- I have the beef stock reducing.
- So, Christina,

- your dish is like a ballet, right?
- ( chuckles )

I mean, there's just so
much finesse about it.

Mine's more like a rock show.

( hissing )

Pork belly has to cook
at least 30 minutes

under pressure. You want the melting fat

of the pork belly, and
then this crisp exterior.

If it's not cooked, it's
gonna be rubbery and chewy.

My double-cut pork chop

needs serious attention to detail.

The jeopardy there is rendering
that fat down on the back

and making sure you've got
that wonderful temperature

running from the beginning
right through to the bone.

It needs to be medium, not rare.

- ( sizzling )
- ( ticks )

Less than 50 minutes remaining.

( bubbling )

Okay, David. How you feeling?

- ( bleep )
- What? Why?

I don't like to fail
and I don't like to lose.

You're not gonna throw the towel in now?

No, I'm not gonna throw the towel
in. I'm just gonna do my best.

Start believin' in
yourself a little bit more.

- Can you do this?
- Yes, Chef.

- Top four.
- Top four is not good enough.

Well, there you go. That's
the David I wanna hear.

You get your head out your ass
and start coming back a little bit.

- Yes, Chef.
- Good luck.

- Thank you, Chef.
- Let's go.

Whiny-baby David's back.

All right, Tanorria.

How are you feeling?

I feel composed right now.

- And you look organized. -
That's really, really important--

I don't wanna forget anything.

How confident are you
that you can beat David?

I have no choice but to be confident.

If I wasn't confident, I would
curl up in the fetal position

and hide under my station,
and that's not happening today.

- That cannot happen.
- Can you beat him?

You know, David is
really, really strong,

but I think I'm a little
bit more focused than David.

And that might be what
puts me over the edge.

- ( ticks )
- Christina: Less than 30 minutes to go.

I think we're gettin' a visitor.

- Brandi: Wow.
- Gordon: Uh, brilliant job.

- Shaun: Thank you, Chef. - Now, there's
one more that's gonna be joining you.

Which one do you want--
Tanorria or David?

- David.
- ( clatters )

I forgot that was hot.

I think he's gonna be
easier to beat in the finale

because his emotions
get the best of him,

like they're doin' right now.

Tsk. It's great news.

Beef stock just turned to syrup.

- Gordon: And Shaun?
- I'd rather Tanorria.

- Mmm. That's good.
- I don't think she'll take enough risks

to be able to pull it off.
No, I think she's gotta stay

- right in her comfort zone. - Tanorria:
I feel really good about that.

And you know, I said from day
one I wanna be the top Vegas guy,

so the earlier Davis
can go-- David can go.

- Thank you.
- Thank you, Chef.

- ( ticks ) - Gordon Less than
20 minutes to go, guys.

Where's Tanorria's pork tenderloin?

David's got his pork
tenderloin in the pan.

Tanorria's is still
out there, untouched.

( whispers ) She's gotta
cook that pork tenderloin.

Tenderloin.

It looks like the pork tenderloin
is not even on the map right now.

Does she not see it?

I don't know what the
hell Tanorria's doin.'

Her pork tenderloin is
just sitting there, raw.

She hasn't even heated
up a damn pan for it yet.

- What is she doin'? - If she doesn't
get this thing cooking right now,

David's takin' this one and
joinin' me and Brandi in the finale.

What are you doin'?

- Gordon Less than 20 minutes
to go, guys. - ( ticks )

Three stunning pork dishes...

but just one spot remaining

- in the grand finale.
- ( sizzling )

Make sure it's you.

Guys, I think Tanorria has
forgotten about her pork tenderloin.

Tenderloin.

It looks like the pork tenderloin
is not even on the map right now.

( whispers ) She's gotta
cook that pork tenderloin.

I don't know if Tanorria doesn't
know where her tenderloin is

or she just forgot she
has to make a tenderloin,

but it needs to rest
for at least 15 minutes

and she only has 15 minutes left
and she hasn't started cooking it.

She's gonna be completely
screwed on this meat.

- ( sizzling )
- Finally.

Don't just stand there.
She's just standin' there.

She's just standin'
there holding the pork.

- 12 minutes remaining.
- ( ticks )

Tanorria's pork chop,
I worry, is undercooked.

The hell happened to this guy?

David's belly doesn't look
like it's cooked properly.

- Six minutes, guys.
- Let's go, come on. Get platin'.

( sizzling )

Christina: David's pork
chop's out of the oven.

Gordon: Great sear on it.

Just get it on.

- ( ticks )
- Three minutes, guys. Here we go.

Christina: Here we go,
guys. Here we go, here we go.

Let's go, Tanorria. Come on.

Tanorria's tenderloin is raw. ( sighs )

( Brandi clapping ) Let's go, guys.

Tanorria, you've got
nothing down in the front.

- I need to see some food.
- ( ticks )

Come on, Tanorria. Push to the end.

- Here we go. Ten, nine...
- ( ticks )

...eight, seven, six,

five, four, three,

two, one, and stop! Hands in the air.

- ( clapping )
- Shaun: Good job, guys.

Yeah. Well done!

Gonna be interesting.

Christina: Tanorria and David.

Time to taste all three
of your pork dishes.

I'm gonna start with the tenderloin.

As a whole, Tanorria's
pork tenderloin dish

looks better, but her
pork tenderloin is way raw.

Hopefully, the judges value
that over some garnish.

Tanorria, what do you
think of your dish?

I think it looks great.

I'm a little concerned
about the cook of the pork.

The temp is a little bit under, maybe.

How'd you season this tenderloin?

Um, I rubbed it in the harissa

and a little bit of salt.

David, how do you feel your
pork tenderloin dish came out?

Uh, the dish is missing
the eggplant pur�e

and the garnish-- the
chive and the other herbs.

Other than that, I'm happy
with the rest of the dish.

The cook, I think, is exactly
where I wanted it to be.

Tanorria, if these two dishes

landed in front of you at a restaurant,

which would you prefer?

I would not be as appetized for David's.

It doesn't look like it's a
dish that I'm excited to eat.

I'm not really excited about raw pork.

Tanorria's is undercooked.

She admittedly has a beautiful dish,

but David's pork tenderloin
is cooked to perfection.

All right, so next up--
the pork belly dishes.

Okay, so visually, David,
give me your assessment--

one plate versus the other.

I think they're very close and similar.

I believe the color on my pork
looks a little more appetizing

but mine is obviously
missing the date relish.

Tanorria, what do you think about David

missing a couple elements?

I mean, you really need
sweetness from the date relish

to cut the fattiness of the pork.

So, it should be disappointing to him

and maybe for your bite.

( whispers ) Oh, listen to her.

All right, so I'm gonna get in here.

Okay, so you tell me,
how do you think we did

- on the cook there?
- I think that cook looks really tender,

- really juicy.
- David, what do you think?

Looks a little dry. You
had to saw through it.

Actually, a lotta bit dry.

Wow.

( faintly ) Okay.

All right, so, David,

what am I to expect when I
cut into your pork belly here?

A nice, crispy skin,
and a juicy interior.

So, Tanorria, assess David's.

Not as juicy as he expected.

Juicier than hers.

( whispers ) Oh, my God.

Oh, my God. The two of them.

- It's undercooked.
- What was that, Tanorria?

From my take on butternut squash,

and the beautiful, velvety texture
it should have in the middle,

- that's undercooked.
- Wow.

This is a pork challenge.
It's all about the pork,

and when I order pork belly,
I'm sure the garnish is nice,

but what I care about is the pork.

Taking a look at this pork from
the side, it just looks dry--

almost like a dry pot roast.

Neither of the pork bellies are perfect.

They're both a little chewy.

David's is a little
bit more crispy on top,

but David's veg is really undercooked.

Tanorria's belly is a little
more tender than David's.

Next up, the double pork chop.

Whew.

Nice. Tanorria...

how long did you cook the chop for?

- Maybe seven to eight
minutes in the oven. - Right.

Let's go inside.

I'm looking for a nice...

medium throughout.

But with raw fat on
the back of the chop,

I'm expecting the
center to be undercooked.

- Okay.
- I hope it's not.

( murmurs )

- What do you think?
- I do get the sense of medium.

And it's extremely juicy, Chef.

Mmm. Thank you.

David, so we're missing the bok choy.

At such a critical moment, why?

There's no reason. No excuse
other than just being panicked

with everything else going on.

( sighs )

Pork.

- How's that cooked?
- Perfect medium, Chef.

Gordon: So you say it's perfect?

Yes, Chef.

Because that can make the
difference between joining Brandi

and Shaun in the finale, or going home.

( sighs ) Pork.

- How's that cooked?
- Perfect medium, Chef.

Gordon: You confident
it's cooked in the middle?

David: Yes, Chef.

David: My pork was cooked
better in all three dishes,

and this pressure test was about pork.

David's sear on the pork is incredible.

There's no exposed white fat,

but it's cooked to perfection.

Tanorria's pork chop does need
a touch more cooking inside.

Bok choy, delicious. Sauce, delicious.

All done beautifully.

Tanorria: There's a lot of elements
missing from David's plates,

and I got every single one
of them on there tonight.

I excelled compared to David.

Whew. David, Tanorria...

we've come to a consensus, but
that was a very tough decision.

Christina, two well-executed

pork tenderloin dishes.

In your mind, which one had the edge?

Tanorria, your pork tenderloin

as an entire dish
was more composed--

more of the elements were there.

But your pork was undercooked.

David, your dish was less complete,

but that pork tenderloin, you nailed.

So, your pork tenderloin got my vote.

Thank you, Chef.

Richard, which pork belly dish

- had the advantage?
- David, Tanorria,

I mean, this one just came
down to the tiniest of margins.

The dish that I preferred...

was Tanorria's.

Gordon: So, that means it comes down

to the double pork chop.

Two well-executed dishes,

and I can only go on what you give me,

not what's been left
behind on the bench.

You both know that.

The dish...

that had... a slight edge...

and the final person in
the MasterChef finale...

is...

David.

Congratulations. You are now in

the MasterChef finale.

Just think of the ups and downs

and what you've done
in this competition.

- And now, you've got
one final cook-off - Whew.

- You up for it?
- I'm ready, Chefs.

Then get your ass upstairs, quickly.

- David: I'm so sorry.
- No, don't apologize.

Oh, Tanorria.

You know, you introduced me

to quite possibly the
best shrimp and grits

I've ever eaten in my entire life.

And no matter where I go,
what restaurant I'm sat in,

no one is ever gonna come
close to what you gave me.

- Thank you.
- Please come up here and say goodbye.

Oh, gosh!

Good job. Oh, man.

( Tanorria chuckles )

- Bye. - Tanorria:
Thank you... ( murmurs, chuckles )

- Gordon: Thank you, my darling.
- Tanorria: Thank you.

Coming into this competition,

I cooked American comfort food.

That, for me, will go down in history

- as the best shrimp and grits.
- No way.

- I'm tellin' you now.
- Whew! Wow!

But now, I know

how to plate a restaurant-quality dish

with refinement and finesse and beauty.

Christina: You've arrived. This is it.

- It's beautiful.
- Thank you.

Tanorria: I've learned how
to build even more flavor,

which is something that I
thought that I already had.

I might actually take a
few in my pocket for later.

You take as many as you want.

There's some more at my
station, You want those, too?

Blue team, congratulations!

( cheering )

Congratulations, blue team!

Yes!

Tanorria: I absolutely plan to pursue

my food dream of feeding the homeless.

- Shaun: Good job, Tanorria.
- Brandi: Bye, Tanorria.

David: Love you, T.

- ( applauding )
- Tanorria: A lot of people

spend their entire lives wondering

what they're meant to do on earth.

I know, now.

Announcer: Next week...

it's the two-hour MasterChef finale.

Joining us tonight, two
of the biggest names...

- Oh--!
- ...in the culinary world.

Daniel Bolud and Wolfgang
Puck? It's go big or go home.

Announcer: The world's
biggest cooking competition...

- ( whirring )
- ...comes to an end,

as David, Shaun, and Brandi...

- Whoo! - ...face off
for a quarter of a million dollars...

- Let go!
- Announcer: their own cookbook,

and the MasterChef title.

- The winner of MasterChef is...
- ( cheering )

Sync & corrections: Ajvngou
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