Original subtitles

- Previously on "next level chef"--

- That platform will not be stopping.

- Grab, grab, grab, grab!

Oh, my god.

- This is madness, utter madness.

[all shouting]

- Alexandra, jordan, both of you will have 20 minutes.

- The wing that I'm sending home

Is going to be the buffalo.

- That wing was cooked by alexandra.

- Seriously?

- Damn.

- I think she played it a little too safe on this one.

[applause]

- And tonight--

- For today's challenge, there's a twist.

Three huge cuts of beef.

- Chef, it's very blue.

- It's raw. Oh, my god.

- Coming through. I'm coming through.

I'm panicking. Come on!

Just cook.

- Jordan, you can't [bleep] around, young man.

- I'm all over the place right now, chef.

Wheels are falling off.

[knives shinging]

[dramatic rock music]

[elevator dings]

♪ ♪

[timer ringing]

♪ ♪

- Whoo! - Wow.

- Welcome back. - Here we go!

- Yeah!

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go! - Let's go!

- How are we feeling?

[together] great! Great, chef.

- Take a quick look around at each other.

Because one of you will be our next level chef.

Who's it going to be? - Chef!

- Who's it going to be?

- Right here, chef.

- Jordan, young man, you survived that elimination.

- Back to fight again.

- I want to see the same determination today from you.

- Yes, chef.

Luckily, I'm still here, but I would be lying to you

If I said that I wasn't doubting myself

And comparing myself to all these other chefs.

- Team blaze, we've had more ups and downs

Than that platform last time.

Right? I mean--

- Yeah.

- But we finally reached the top, team blaze!

- Yeah!

- And listen, today, we are planning

The team blaze flag in that top kitchen, aren't we?

- Yes, chef!

- Team arrington, and then there were three.

- That's all you need.

- Who are you telling, girl?

- I mean, we count for two people each.

So we really have five.

[laughter]

- I know no matter what the hell

Comes down into that basement, we're going to be ok.

That's the mentality and delusion

That I'm trying to carry with me into this challenge.

- Ok, listen.

The mark of any good chef is the ability to master

A perfect steak dish.

- Wow. - Wow.

- For today's challenge, there's a twist.

- Of course there is.

[laughter]

- We decided that things were a little bit too easy.

- Oh, yeah.

We're just cruising by, chef ramsay.

It's not like we're killing ourselves every day

With these crazy challenges.

- When that platform drops today,

There will be three huge prime cuts of beef.

- Wow.

- Each team then must decide quickly

Which cut you want to use.

And then as a team, you'll break it down and cut it

Into portions for your dishes.

- I do not know how to butcher to save my life.

Are they going to put a whole cow on this platform?

I'm pretty sure I could lift a whole cow on my shoulders,

So at least I could do that.

- Now, listen, there'll be a second platform drop

For all your remaining ingredients.

You'll all have 30 minutes to make

Your next level beef dishes.

- Today's challenge is all about cooperation

And teamwork.

You guys got it? [together] yes, chef.

- Ok, team trailblazers, it's the first time

I've been able to say this.

Head to the elevator, and I'll meet you in the top kitchen.

- Yeah, baby! - Good luck.

- Finally. - Let's do it!

- Don't get too comfortable up there.

- Let's rock and roll, baby.

Let's rock and roll.

[energetic music]

♪ ♪

- Taking this ride right now.

We're going all the way to the top.

- Yeah, baby!

- Let's stay up here, guys.

- Awesome. - Whoo!

- Yes. - Let's stay up top!

This is where we should be!

- Hey, I like this kitchen, huh?

You guys ready to rock? - Yeah!

- I'm ready. - Absolutely.

- High expectations up here.

We all got to work together to get

That meat butchered, portioned, and then [bleep]

Just disperse.

- Oh, sorry.

- Ready, guys? Ready?

- I'm ready.

- Let's go, let's go! Come on, let's go!

[cheers and applause]

Yeah, baby!

- All right! - Hey, guys.

- Hi.

How you guys doing?

Oh, man, this is where we belong.

- Hey, throw us some filets or something, dude.

- Yeah, right!

- Yo, we're going to have to make a quick decision

On this cut of beef.

- All right, so what are you guys thinking about grabbing?

- Ribeye, bro.

- It's not about the steak.

Honestly, a steak is only as good as its sides.

When you have a plate that has more going on,

It takes it to the next level.

I don't love cooking with meat, but hey,

Today, I am going to savor it.

The veg is going to be outstanding.

You're not going to see anything like it

On anyone else's plate.

- Ok, let's go, girl.

- Oh, yes.

- All right, come on, come on!

- Let's go! Let's go!

- This basement is my bitch today.

- How's it going down there, guys?

Mada, I could shake your hand, you're so tall!

- I don't think you guys know how

To handle a big piece of meat.

[laughter]

You've never seen the big piece of meat like this!

[laughter]

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go, let's go.

- Let's go! - Ahh!

- Yes. - I love the focus!

Line up, guys.

One person's butchering.

- I'm going to try to tackle it.

- You're butchering?

- I'm going to do my best.

I took it on to butcher the meat,

Because I know I can just get [bleep] done.

- Let's do this!

- Honestly, I have no idea what to expect.

Am I getting a freaking half of a cow down here?

- Do you know your way up there?

Ok?

So go up and we show you around the top floor?

- Yeah, the doors will open, right?

- Yeah, you go out, you turn right.

The kitchen's on the right-hand side.

- All right. - You sure?

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go! - Let's go!

- Go, chef! - Right.

How are you feeling?

[together] great, chef.

- Who's the butcher?

- We got chris.

- Do you have any experience?

- Cutting filets.

- Cutting legs?

- Pork chops-- no, no, filets. Filet mignons.

- Oh, filets.

I thought you said, cutting my friend's legs.

[laughter]

- I'm in!

- Yeah!

- How we doing, team blaze? - Whoo!

- Feeling good? - Yes!

- Ok, listen, let's get really comfortable up here, right?

Have you figured out who's going to do the butchery?

- I'm just going to do it. - Zach, you're doing it?

- Yeah. - Listen, make quick decisions.

- Right.

- Let's line up on the door frame here.

- Let's do it! - Whoo.

- Ok, when it goes green, you can go.

Team blaze!

- Whoo-hoo.

- It's game time, baby.

- Go time! All right, get over there.

What do we got? - What do we got?

What do we got?

- Sirloin, strip loin, flank--

- Grab the flank.

- We're on top floor; we got our top choice.

- Nice day to be on top.

- We're very, very blessed.

Filet is the easiest one to break down.

- Here's the head.

I know that.

I have zero experience butchering red meat.

Nice.

Last time, zach saved me.

Nice.

So I'm banking on zach, for sure.

- The platform is moving.

Stand by.

- Here we go, guys.

We got to get in there.

- Go, go, go, go, go! Let's go!

- Get the shrimp!

Get the shrimp!

- I see this new york strip.

It's ours.

It is not going downstairs.

- Right. Strip loin.

- Let me cut off the fat cap, ok?

- Great pick from team ramsay.

The new york strip-- that's the one that is a little giving,

Especially with the fat content and the marbling

Running through it.

And then under that, the one that you don't want

To start working with-- the sirloin tip,

Especially with only 30 minutes up your sleeve.

- Go!

- Sirloin strip. - Let's go, guys.

Get it on the table.

Talk to each other.

Your 30 minutes starts right now.

- We had the worst cut of meat.

There's just so much fat cap, gristle, silver skin-- like,

Everything that we need to break through

To even get to our portions.

- I got one. Look at that bad boy.

Look at that.

- New york strip-- it is good, but it's not great.

You want not too much fat.

If the mentors get one of the cuts full of fat, it's over.

- Killing it, brother.

Killing it, killing it.

- That's a beauty!

- What do you guys want, like 6 ounces?

- You got $1,000 piece of meat in front of you.

Use every single bit of it, ok?

The platform is here!

Ok, listen.

You have your steaks.

Now, you need to get the rest of your ingredients.

- I'm a tall girl.

I'm looking up there.

And I'm already getting a game plan in my head.

I really want to make a puree today, so I grab parsnip.

I see baby carrots.

I'm so excited.

- This is your only grab.

- It's our only grab?

Thinking about making a smoked potato mousseline.

So I grabbed potatoes.

I want to do horseradish breadcrumbs.

I grabbed a little prepared horseradish.

Sexy, refined, zach on a plate.

- Yes, corn, tomato.

Being in this top kitchen, you get the best ingredients.

Onion.

There is zero strategy going on in my head.

I'm just grabbing whatever I see in front of me.

- Make sure you got a starch.

- I need--

I need a starch!

Out of the corner of my eye, I just grabbed celery root.

- If you can grab it, it's yours.

- Ah!

- Damn, the garlic was right there!

- Damn it, damn it, damn it.

Ok, what do we got?

My stomach kind of drops.

This is not a great grab.

I don't know what I'm going to do.

- Platform's coming. Platform's coming.

- Stand by, guys. Here we go, guys.

Let's go.

Aprons open, let's go!

Platform's here!

Grab!

- I have it envisioned in my head-- steak and probably

Some fries on the side.

Where's the potatoes? Anybody see potatoes?

Potatoes, potatoes. - Potatoes?

- Where's the potato?

I need the potato.

I don't see no potatoes, bro.

Because I couldn't grab the potatoes I wanted,

I grabbed spinach, onion, and pasta.

What the [bleep] is that?

- Grab what you need.

- I see so many beautiful veggies--

Cauliflower, chanterelles!

Gorgeous purple cauliflower, grab.

Gorgeous red onion, ah, grab.

- Brandy for anyone-- the sauce?

- Brandy. - Brandy.

And I've got a bottle of brandy.

I may just save a little in case, who knows?

Maybe I can celebrate later.

- Platform's moving, guys.

Need to move faster, ok?

Build your concept around your beef dish.

- These two freaking levels left

Us with absolutely nothing.

I grabbed some asparagus.

I was trying to find a carb, a starch.

- Come on, guys.

We have ramen noodles.

- I don't see anything but ramen noodles.

I don't know what I'm going to do with them.

- Oxtail soup.

Oxtail soup.

- I'm thinking of this just crazy fusion.

- Grab that.

Yes.

Grab all of them.

Get back to your station and get organized.

- Don't leave it too long before we get that first sear

On that new york strip, ok?

- I'm about to get them in.

- Let the pan do the work, yeah?

In she goes.

What'd you grab?

- I grabbed pasta.

This looks like-- almost like spinach.

- Man, your grabs are so minimum.

Are you scared of that platform?

- I always worked with minimum ingredients.

- So how can we incorporate the little capellini in there.

Where are we going with that?

- Oh, man.

I'm still trying to figure that out.

Pasta, steak-- I don't know.

Is it-- I'm wondering, does it make sense?

- Good.

Pan's getting super-hot.

- I feel like I'm in my element.

I have a red onion as well.

I'm thinking this with a brandy.

- I love that.

- Do a little flambé on this? - Yeah, nice.

- Nope, nope, nope, nope. - Ready?

Get it in. - Ready for that.

- Let's go.

Ok. Right, young man.

You're the only one who hasn't got your steak on yet.

We need to get this going right now.

- Yes, chef.

- I don't know why you're cooking them

Before you're searing them.

That needs to rest.

Ok? - Ok. Yes, chef.

- Guys, we're 10 minutes gone with 20 minutes to go.

- Yes, chef.

Time to get this steak in a pan.

- [gasps] snack, snack.

- Hey, these are ripping hot, dude.

Half of me is like, we got this.

We're confident.

Do you guys know if there's flaky salt up here?

The other half of me is still kind of holding on to the fact

That I just came out of elimination.

- Do not overcook your steaks, ok?

- So the pressure is on.

My onions are burning.

[bleep], dude.

- Jordan, you can't [bleep] around, young man.

- Yeah, I'm all over the place right now, chef.

- Now, it's overcooked.

- I got to compose myself.

Because wheels are falling off.

[bleep].

- Jordan, that's overcooked.

- [bleep], dude.

I can just feel everything slipping away from me.

My first steak-- this little horseshoe of a steak

Is not going to work right now.

I got time to throw another one on?

- Uh, well, you don't--

I mean, listen.

You got-- you got time.

- I need another steak in that pan.

- Don't waste time.

Listen to me.

Don't [bleep] around now.

Ok?

Ignite it.

Oh, no, just tilt the pan.

- I know I'm cutting it super close,

Especially because I need to rest this thing.

This could go really south right now.

Lock it, lock it, lock it.

Let's go, let's go, let's go.

- We want to stay up here, right?

- Yes, chef!

- And we also have the most expensive

Cut, so the details are going to be

Really, really important.

- The filet is the creme de la creme of all of the steaks.

I'm like, holy cow, I cannot mess this up.

- You know what you should do?

Cut it up.

It's going to be the easiest bet.

- Don't go crazy, though!

♪ don't go crazy ♪

- Lauren, what are we thinking about?

- I'm going to do, like, celery root puree.

The celery root really doesn't make sense.

I don't really know if this is a cohesive dish.

I'm hoping that I can knock out a killer puree.

I've got to make something happen here.

- If you're going to make a puree,

That's got to get going right now, right?

Get a top on it.

- Fun?

- I'm going to do a play on chicken parmesan.

I'm going to do steak parmesan over some porchetta.

- I'm not making a chicken parm.

I'm making a steak parm. Ok.

- Let's go.

- When you pound this out, pound away from you, right?

Pound and yes.

Get some work done, chef.

- Yes, chef.

- These guys are cooking like they want it.

They have the worst absolute option

Coming off of that platform.

The sirloin tends to be a tougher cut of meat, right?

So I think it's really smart to come up with a steak parm.

We got the worst cut here.

Right?

We need perfect temperatures to get us out of this basement.

So I would get these steaks cooking as soon as possible.

- Yes, chef.

Absolutely.

I'm frying my butternut squash chips

In the deep fryer on the other side of the basement.

I'm trying to do five things at once.

And all of a sudden, I remember.

Oh, [bleep].

Check my chips.

My chips, my chips.

Are they burned? - No, no, no, you're good.

You're good.

- I'm like, bitch, get it together.

- Christina, you ok?

- Yep.

- That's nasty.

I don't like how this oxtail soup is.

- What do we have here?

- Let's put the red wine in, a little bit

Of worcestershire sauce. - Nice.

Classic steak.

- We got the ramen noodles.

I'm going to throw in that reduction and asparagus

On the bottom.

- Ok.

So are you going like a ramen dish?

Or--

- No, it's more like a--

It's like a hybrid fusion.

- You say ramen noodles, and you say red wine.

Those are not two things that I generally

Think pair well together.

- Yeah, I'm going to go beef and asparagus.

- When are you planning to cook your steak?

- Probably as soon as I'm done with this.

I want to let this reduce, and then I'm

Going to get it on so it gives me time to rest it.

- Yeah, but don't wait until the end, ok?

- Ok. Yes, chef.

- We got to get this cooking.

How are you cleaning up these asparagus?

- I'm going to put some lime on it.

- No.

- No?

Ok.

- Ok.

What are we thinking about, zach?

- All right, chef.

I'm going to do a seared filet with a smoked

Potato mousseline.

- Ok.

- With a horseradish crust.

Um, I got my smoked cream going.

I got my sauce working.

I'm going to sauté some scraps for the sauce.

- Got it. - Potatoes in the oven.

I got shallot.

- When do you get a chance to use half

A tenderloin for your sauce?

Utilize all the ingredients that you have.

You're an artist.

You are an artist. - Thank you, chef.

- You're also a craftsperson, right?

- Thank you, chef. Yes.

Cooking is my form of art.

This is how I express myself.

I curate these dishes, and I'm telling my story.

I want people to get excited about it.

I want their taste buds to tickle and start lighting up.

- I want to make sure my flavors are popping

Today, chef.

- I'm not worried about this steak at all.

♪ how are you doing, baby? ♪

It's just the other elements that I'm

Worried about right now.

♪ everything is crazy ♪

- What's going on, lauren?

What's the matter?

- I'm feeling a little overwhelmed.

I'm just swimming in all of these ingredients,

And I don't even have space to prep anything.

- You got a lot of blenders going on over here.

- I know, chef.

- How many blenders do we have in the top kitchen?

Every blender, it's like a smoothie shop

On lauren's station.

Some of you are making purees.

And if you're making a puree,

It's got to be smooth for everyone who's

Going to be tasting your food.

- ♪ this is kind of a mess, guys ♪

If my station is a mess, my head is a mess.

And it's kind of throwing me off my game,

If I'm being honest.

- Make sure that the vegetable or the starch

Is really, really soft.

- I don't need that much.

Sorry, I'm making a mess.

I'm looking at my puree, and it's a little bit gritty.

I may be shooting myself in the foot trying

To do too many things at once.

This is not good for me right now,

Time, chef?

- Time, chef? - 10 minutes!

10 minutes!

- I still have to do all these other elements.

I think maybe I can make this celery root work,

And then I've still got to work on that corn salsa.

And that is just like an afterthought at the moment.

- So you have a "pepper sauce," which I love.

- Yes. I've got a pepper sauce.

I've got to get my corn charred right now.

- Are you keeping an eye on the steak?

- Yeah.

- If you popped your steak into the oven, is it on a rack?

If not, you might want to flip it every once in a

While, right?

So that the bottom doesn't get overcharred.

- Good call. [grunts]

- And again, the filet doesn't need a ton of time

In the oven.

- If I know one thing, it's how to cook a steak.

This baby is going to be the star of the show,

And really, that's the most important thing.

- How are you feeling about temperature?

- I think I might pull it so she rests.

[tense music]

- Nice, gab.

- Nice, well done.

- It feels pretty good when you can just go,

Controlled fire, and then whoosh!

I'm feeling a little bit like a badass.

- Hey, everybody start visualizing your plates.

- Now, did you cook much new york strip at home?

- Chef, you'd think you know that about me by this point.

- The secret here is letting it rest, ok?

- Yes, chef.

- Before you slice it, yeah?

- Yes, chef.

- Really, really important.

- I am plant-based, but I've been doing my homework.

Right here, this is the test, and I'm

Going to get an a today.

I was actually going to make a little onion reduction.

I think I want to make the plate really elegant

And elevated.

I haven't really done that yet.

I know my steak can stand alone.

But you know, I think I have time to make a sauce.

- Just get your plates, and just

Start positioning in your mind where

It's going on that plate.

We've got plenty of time, yes?

Capellini is out.

Steak is cooked. Good.

No more rosemary there, right? - No more rosemary.

- I love those caramelized onions.

- Thank you, chef.

Oh, this is beautiful.

This is beautiful.

- Don't overdo it, ok?

Do not overdo it.

- No, I'm going to be fine with this one, chef.

- We're getting out of this basement.

Let's go.

- Guys, we're plating in 30 seconds.

Make sure you're happy with your steak.

We cannot be over, and we cannot be under.

- Oh.

- Perfect.

- Chef.

It's a little blue.

- It is. - [sighs]

[bleep]

I'm slicing my sirloin.

It's blue in the middle still.

It's totally rare.

I'm freaking out.

[bleep]

- It's not the best, but I would just drop it in a fire

If I were you. - Coming through.

I'm coming through. I'm coming through.

I'm coming through.

- Platform starts down here.

- I know I can only leave it for,

Like, 30 seconds before I have to get back and start plating.

All right, come on, come on.

I just hope that it's enough.

- Christina, you ok?

- Yep.

- Yeah!

Whoo!

Pretty intense, guys.

- Your pace is ok, angela?

- Yes, chef. - Ok, good.

All right, time to bring it home.

It's time to start plating. Two minutes!

- Two minutes! - Two minutes!

- Oh, my god.

[bleep]. This is crazy.

♪ ♪

- Two minutes now, yes?

- I feel like the white sauce on the white plate

Wouldn't look nearly as cool just

Putting it in this little perfect onion petal.

- Here we go.

You got it? How's that look?

A little rare? - Get it together.

Come on, come on. Mid-rare.

My hands are literally trembling right now.

And I know that I'm the weakest link in this room.

- So we edit ourselves now. - Yes.

- We edit ourselves. - Edit, edit, edit, edit.

- Come on, tidy up your plate.

You can do better than that, jordan.

60 seconds to go.

- One minute left, guys.

Make sure these temperatures are perfect.

Chef, it's very raw.

Ok?

It's very blue. - Ok.

Got it. Yes, chef.

- They're looking at everything, these judges, ok?

- Ok.

I prefer my sirloin rare.

If it's still mooing, I'll eat it.

♪ ♪

- Platform's coming, guys.

- We're down to the final seconds right now,

And I have no option but to start plating.

- Make sure your plates are beautiful.

[exhales]

Gorgeous.

Hurry up.

Platform's here, not waiting for anyone.

Let's go, christina!

- Come on, christina!

- [panting]

- It's not easy. It's not easy.

Shake it off.

It's not easy.

- Get ready!

The platform's coming, guys!

- The platform's here!

Get it on the platform! Get it on the platform!

Let's go!

- Jordan, it's got to go, jordan!

Got to go! - Oh, my god.

- Gotta go, jordan!

- Jordan, jordan, here, here, here, here!

Yes!

[cheers and applause]

[laughter]

- Slam dunk, baby!

- Whew!

Air jordan.

- Get ready.

Platform's here.

- The platform is here, guys!

- It's here!

The platform is here!

♪ ♪

- Lauren, the platform's moving!

It's moving!

♪ ♪

- Lauren, the platform's moving!

It's moving!

♪ ♪

You get it done?

- Yeah.

My plate wasn't as clean as I wanted it to be, but ok.

♪ ♪

- Ok.

Well done.

Look at these dishes.

Oh, my goodness me.

From the butcher's block, straight

Onto that plate in 30 minutes.

That's not easy, is it, right?

- No. - No.

- Man.

You can tell we are upping the ante.

Richard, I know you, uh, were excited in the top,

Grabbed the filet.

- We'll start over here.

We have a pan-roasted filet with a smoked

Potato mousseline.

- The filet is cooked really beautifully here.

Potatoes, onion, steak, horseradish--

Classic pairings.

- This shows great flair.

I love the finesse of this dish.

It's nice.

It's really nice, indeed.

- All right.

So this chef cut their filet and did

A stir fry, like a mongolian beef sort of flavor.

- Listen, I'll be honest.

I'm not used to seeing such an expensive cut

In a humble dish.

But I love the take of that mongolian essence.

- I love that the chef had this bold move to take the filet

And cut it and bring a lot of flavor to this dish, though.

- Over here, we have our filet mignon,

Our beef tenderloin with a parsnip

Puree, a brown butter garlic sauce.

♪ ♪

- Filet's cooked beautifully.

Nicely seared.

Quite heavy on the garlic, but the actual hero

Is nailed beautifully.

- This is a mustard crusted filet with a celery root

Puree and a pepper sauce.

- For me, this dish definitely lacks cohesiveness.

I'm trying to understand what the vision is.

- It's got a great sear on that filet on the outside.

Unfortunately, the puree is undercooked.

So it's slightly grainy.

I beg all of you to taste everything

Before you put it on that plate,

Because the puree is underwhelming.

- I thought that I nailed that puree.

That was kind of a-- [sighs]

- Shall we?

Middle floor.

So our grab was the new york strip.

It was butchered beautifully.

- What an opportunity to really showcase

A beautiful cut of the cow.

- New york strip-- beautifully cooked, finished

With a caramelized onion.

Sort of white onion soubise.

- Wow.

I think some of my favorite moments

As I enjoy this plate are really dipping that

New york strip in that soubise.

- I thought it was a ramekin, and then as I cut into it,

I realized it was an onion cup.

And I wasn't expecting it.

And I think anytime you have, like, a surprise on a plate,

That's a really good thing.

- Yeah, I love this dish.

It's clever.

This is a roasted new york strip,

A rockford sauce, finished with some roasted vegetables.

- The strip itself is cooked perfectly.

I think that the crushed carrot is an amazing idea, right?

It shows a progressive way, how to prepare a vegetable.

- Yeah.

I mean, to me, the cook on the strip steak

Is really, really perfect.

- This dish is a new york strip sat on a bed of capellini.

- For me, it feels like it's lacking togetherness.

- The capellini does not really work with the steak.

A great shame.

Next one had an issue.

Excuse the presentation.

It was literally thrown onto the platform.

And brandy-caramelized pepper sauce.

- Steak's a little bit underdone for me

And a little light on the salt.

- For me, the sauce is the best part of this dish,

And the steak needs some more time in the pan.

- This is all about the protein.

It's seared beautifully, but it's just the rush at the end

Is a great shame.

- I'm like, [bleep].

That's not a dish that I'm proud of at all.

- Shall we descend into the basement?

- I'm not feeling super confident.

I'm just bracing myself for the worst.

- We ended up with the sirloin steak.

And first up, we have the center cut of the sirloin.

This is served with butternut squash.

- It's shredded so thinly, it's actually

Gone a little bit dry.

It's lost all its flavor.

- Yeah, the cut lacks a little bit of confidence.

- Next up, we have a sort of steak parm.

This is served over orecchiette.

- I just love the creativity of this sort of steak parm,

Like a chicken fried steak.

Yeah, it's actually delicious.

- Yeah, for me, I think this is such a smart way

To bring life to a cut that's generally

Pretty tough to cook with.

Really smart to pound that out and bread it and fry it.

- I mean, chicken fried steak parm?

I'm here for it.

- Next up, we have a roast sirloin.

Served this with a red wine sauce and a brown

Butter asparagus.

- I know it's a little bit rare.

I just hope that my plating, the flavors

Are going to help carry my dish.

- Yeah.

Visually, it looks-- it looks beautiful.

You dig underneath, and sadly, the beef is way under.

I'd expect a filet to be cooked like that, not

The eye of the sirloin tip.

It's such a shame.

- The asparagus are delicious.

That's the best part on the plate.

The meat is undercooked.

- All right, well done, all of you.

Well done.

Have a chat amongst yourselves.

Give us a few moments, please.

- Damn. - That was hard.

Really hard. - Yeah.

- Should we start with the filet?

- Yeah. - Top floor.

- Sure.

- I just love that one with the smokiness.

- I love that the chef smoked the potatoes.

- Sure.

- And sometimes that's a gimmick.

- Yeah.

- But this time, it really served the flavor of the dish.

- That celery root dip, that grainy dip--

Celery root corn.

- It was colorful and bland, which is an odd combination.

Usually, when you see so many colors on a dish,

You're going to get all of these different flavors.

- I was a little, like, out of sorts today.

Like, I was thrown off up there today.

- And my floor, new york strip--

I was blown away with that onion

Soubise, the onion puree.

- It was an interesting choice in plating.

- That's why I like it.

Out of the box with the onion cup-- something

I've never seen before. - It looks fun, you know?

- It was fun.

- I think you're going to have top dish, though.

I believe you have top dish. - I will cry.

- You're gonna cry?

- I will absolutely cry.

My sensitivity is my strength, man.

- All the steaks were cooked beautifully.

But one had to do it twice.

- Twice?

- He got to the platform late and literally

Threw the dish on top of that.

The peppercorn sauce was ok, but the plate

Was a mess, right? - Very much so.

- Yes.

- Right now, I'm just, like, frustrated

With myself, because I'm like, bro,

You could do better than that.

Like--

- At basement, the chicken fried steak--

It looked ugly, but it was delicious.

- But the other dish with the asparagus was not cooked,

Really. - It was raw.

It was raw.

- Unfortunately not. - Best dishes.

Come on.

- The best dish was the filet with the smoked

Potato mousseline.

- And mine was the new york strip with the onion sauce.

- I did like it.

It's sort of like a cute, like-- oh, it's adorable.

- When you tasted that onion soubise, wasn't it lovely?

- But we're talking about best dish-- like,

Maybe one of the best dishes. The best dish?

- Yes.

You've just been on the top floor.

- Where this chef utilized top floor techniques,

Has the little electric smoker, made a mousseline.

- The hero was the filet mignon, not the mousseline.

- Which was cooked perfectly.

That was flavor.

You wouldn't eat that again?

- 100% creativity.

I thought that the chef utilized that steak

To the best of their ability.

- Ready? - Yes.

- Let's go.

- [sighs] they're coming.

- Oh, my god.

I'm, like, quaking.

[exhales]

- Wow.

These debates don't get any easier, let me tell you.

But it came down to the finer details.

The winning dish today was--

♪ ♪

The new york strip with the onions.

Well done, gabi.

- Ah!

- Well done.

- [laughs] I won a steak challenge?

- Good job.

- Oh, my god!

Oh, my god!

I won top dish!

[laughs] I don't cook steak.

I'm a plant-based chef!

Oh, it's so cool!

- Right, team ramsay.

You are all safe.

Head to the lounge, put your feet up.

And next time we see you, we'll be cooking

In that top-flight kitchen.

Well done, gabi. Great job.

- Thank you, chef. - Chris--

- Thank you.

- --Well done on the butchering today.

Really well done. - Thank you, chef.

Thank you, chef.

- Whoo!

[cheers and applause]

- Yeah, gabi! Gabi! Gabi!

[together] gabi! Gabi! Gabi!

- Ok, richard and nyesha, tough one.

Each of you have to now nominate

A member of your team to head into that dreaded elimination.

Richard, I'm going to start with you.

Please, who we put into elimination and why?

- [sighs] the person going in today is--

♪ ♪

Lauren.

Just didn't come together today.

I think you know that.

And I have confidence and faith that you can

Come out of this elimination.

- Thank you, chef.

- Nyesha, please, tough choice-- three good dishes,

But who are you going to put into the elimination

To face lauren?

- [sighs] wow.

The person that I'm going to choose

To go in to the elimination cook, the chef

Is going to take lauren out.

♪ ♪

- The person that I'm going to choose to go

In to the elimination cook--

The chef is going to take lauren out.

♪ ♪

It's going to be chef mada.

- I'm ready.

- I know you are.

You go in there, and you do what you need to do.

- Yes, chef. - Wow.

Ok.

Listen up.

Lauren, mada, for today's cookoff,

We are leaving the turf, and we're heading to the surf

With a shellfish showdown.

And the good news is, you've got 25 minutes

To keep yourself in the competition

And cook an amazing dish.

Now, do not underestimate shellfish.

There are no margins for error.

Got it? Both: Yes, chef.

- Head to the elevator.

I'll see you shortly.

- You got it, lauren.

Let's go.

- Stay focused, mada.

- See you shortly.

- What's this?

[cheers and applause]

- Let's go.

I've been performing under pressure

My whole life, whether it was basketball or wrestling.

I know lauren's a great chef, but I feel

Mentally, I have that edge.

♪ ♪

- Hey, chef.

Oh, we startin', babies.

- Oh, my god, look at mada.

- Oh, damn, he's serious.

Mada versus lauren-- battle of the cucumbers.

Both of these two are cool under pressure.

This is going to be a tight race, for sure.

- Lauren, you've been in this situation before.

So you've got the psychological advantage over this one.

- Yes, chef.

- Wish each other the best of luck, and line up, please.

Let's go. - Let's do this, lauren.

- Let's go.

- Mada is, like, 6'5", 300 pounds?

This guy is like a brick wall.

But body-check me.

I'm going to come for you.

- Stand by, guys.

On your mark, get set, go!

[all shouting]

- Yes!

- Lobster tail.

Wow, great grab.

- I'm like a fricking eagle, just looking.

I see those giant, beautiful tiger prawns.

I'm like, that's going to be mine.

- There's some corn there, some olives, posada, some chilies.

- I see coconut milk. Grab that.

I've got some lime. I've got some chili.

Maybe I should go like a thai-inspired dish.

- Basmati rice there as well.

- I see some ginger and lemongrass.

Yes, yes.

I know I can wow the judges with it.

- That's a big lobster tail.

- That's a bad daddy.

- Right.

That was a fast grab, lobster.

- Mm-hmm. - I love the grab.

I love the passion you bring to this competition.

Where are we going with this dish?

- I'm going to poach it in a yuzu butter sauce.

- Got you.

- And then I'm going to make, like, a fresh mango

Salad that goes under.

And then I'm going to drizzle this coconut lime broth

And bring in some heat with these chilies.

- Love that idea.

Three minutes gone, yes?

22 minutes to go.

Right, young man, you can move.

- Yes, yes.

- It's a shame you're here.

However, how do you get yourself

Out of this elimination?

Where do we go with this dish?

- Asian-inspired, thai-inspired.

I'm making a beautiful glaze for it.

It's going to be sweet, spicy, acidic, umami.

- The cook on the prawn-- how you going to do that?

- I'm going to season it first, and then I'm

Going to sauté it in a pan.

I got these giant tiger prawns the size of my hand.

And my hands are frickin' huge.

- Yeah, it's not the kind of prawn that

Needs a really strong sear.

- Yeah.

- It's almost like you're bathing it.

- Yeah, because they're big.

- They are very big.

- They're big, yeah.

- 20 minutes to go.

- Yes!

That's what I need!

- Good.

Don't leave it too long before you

Start poaching that lobster.

- Yes, I'm getting that poaching liquid on there

Right now, chef.

- You got this, baby.

- Lobster, tough to get right.

And poaching is a very, very risky game.

- Yes, chef.

- There's no medium rare with seafood.

Either it's cooked to perfection, or it's not.

Oh, my gosh.

That's yummy.

I like that.

- Almost there.

- Don't be scared to use the chili flakes, mada.

- Yeah.

Yeah, that's what I was about to put on.

- Mada, what are you doing?

I just-- I can't conceptualize this dish.

- Come on, mada.

- Just get it done.

- What's-- where's the rest of his dish?

- I think that burner is not on, though, mada.

- Yep. Ok.

Got it.

- Get that pan cranked.

- Mada, you're not looking too good right now, my boy.

Come on.

- I think that lobster is done.

I check my lobster tail, and I'm going to pull it off,

And I'm going to let it rest.

- Right.

Start thinking, lauren, about that beautiful plate.

How are we going to elevate those colors?

Really bring it together, let that lobster

Cool all the way down first before we start slicing it,

Ok? - Yes, chef.

- Yeah.

- I wonder if there's chili oil over there.

Chipotle? No.

- No, no. - Yeah, yeah, chipotle.

- Yeah. [laughter]

- Nope. Not [bleep] that.

- Chipotle goes great with that!

- Yeah, lauren, grab the chipotle!

- No! - [bleep]

[laughter]

You just shut your mouth.

- Watch that flame, mada.

- He's got to flip it, dude.

He's gonna overcook 'em.

Bro, check your shrimp!

- Flip the shrimp!

- It's about the shrimp, dude!

- Eight minutes to go, yes?

You want a nice color on them, right?

But you don't want them brown too much, right?

- Yes, chef.

- Get that rice nice and crispy now, yeah?

- I'm kind of starting to panic, because I thought

I had plenty more time, so I have

To up the pace to make sure my dish comes out perfect.

- Come on, lauren.

There's a lot riding on this.

- We're trying to get out that basement, mada.

- Watch your rice, mada, don't burn it!

- Mada, [bleep] the rice!

Flip the shrimp!

[laughter]

They are looking like they're overcooking.

Like, they've been in there for, like, five minutes!

Flip your prawns, dude!

- Mada, don't overcook it! - For what?

The rice? - No, the fish.

The shrimp. - No, the shrimp.

- The shrimp. Yeah, those look great.

I would turn that off.

They'll cook in that hot pan.

- We're down to the last five minutes.

- We're coming down to the wire here.

- Stay focused.

Stay focused.

Remember, you got to cut that lobster, yeah?

- Heard.

I'm going to cut into this lobster,

Because I want to plate it as a half.

Ooh!

- Damn, look at that beauty! - She's beautiful.

- That looks beautiful!

- She is beautiful, baby!

As I cut into it--

[bleep]

--My heart drops.

- What's happening? What's happening?

What's happening?

- She's not done.

[together] ohh!

- Lookit.

It's raw, bro.

- Oh, lauren.

Oh, girl.

- Four minutes to go!

Two minutes from now, we're going to start plating!

- I don't know if there's enough time for me to finish

Cooking this lobster. - Oh, no.

- Mm-hmm.

- [bleep].

Chef. - Look at me.

Get it in there.

You've got no choice.

- All I can do is pray.

- Two minutes to go, yes?

Start plating, guys.

- [bleep] no.

- I didn't know you took it out so early.

- I didn't think I did, chef.

I am just praying that this lobster

Tail will be cooked by the time the judges get here.

- Make sure your plate's clean.

Make sure it looks nice and sexy.

Let's go.

- 30 seconds to go, guys.

- Lauren, you've got to get some lobster on there, please.

- Get that greenery on there.

- I got scallions. - Come on, lauren.

You got this!

- 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4--

- Ok! Ok! Ok! Ok!

- --3, 2, 1.

- And stop!

Hands in the air.

- Nice job!

- Good job!

You're ok, lauren. - Well done.

Well done.

Mada, how are you feeling?

- That time went by fast.

- Wow.

What a cook.

Should we start with this one here first?

It's a sort of classic take on a prawn stir fry,

Lightly dusted, pan-fried, bringing that fried rice

Together at the end.

- Um, you know, visually, it doesn't

Look like a fine dining dish.

This one eats a little bit salty.

That being said, the prawns themselves

Are really, really tasty.

They're glazed really, really nice,

And they're cooked nicely.

- This looks a little more minimalistic.

But for me, I really appreciate the amount

Of caramelization on the seafood--

Really soft and tender.

And the fried rice is bringing a ton of depth of flavor.

- Next one-- this is a yuzu butter-poached

Lobster with a coconut broth, finished

With a really fragrant salsa.

- This is a beautiful, elegant approach to a lobster.

I really appreciate the brightness

Coming from the mango salsa.

However, when I get to the lobster, it's undercooked.

It needed a few more seconds in the pan, it looks like.

- The lobster's right on the edge of being cooked.

You know, usually, with the coconut milk,

You want maybe a little bit of soy,

Just to bring a little bit more saltiness

To the tropical fruit salsa.

And I love this composition and idea of flavors.

- One, sadly, has cooked for the very last time.

Nyesha, I'm going to start with you.

Which dish will you be eliminating?

Is it the lobster or the prawns, please?

- The dish I will be eliminating today--

♪ ♪

Will be the lobster.

- Richard, please, same question.

- The dish that I'm eliminating is--

♪ ♪

The lobster.

- That dish belongs to lauren.

Lauren, I'm really sorry, but you won't

Become a next level chef.

Listen, young lady, you're going out on a gallant effort,

Let me tell you.

I think the underlining factor with this dish-- it was just

Missing 90 seconds' cook time.

But well done.

- I'm just so grateful that I had this experience

Here with you all.

So thank you.

- You were literally the jet engine of team blaze,

And I'm going to miss your energy and spirit.

And I know everyone will here.

- Say goodbye to your fellow chefs

And head to the elevator, please.

- Thank you, chef. - Thank you.

- Goodbye.

- You killed it.

- Obviously, I'm disappointed that I'm

Not the next level chef.

- I don't want to go.

I just want, like, 15,000 more cooks with gordon ramsay.

[applause]

Oh, man.

- Mada, well done.

- Thank you, chef.

Appreciate it. - I'm proud of you.

You promised me that you were going to make it back to team

Arrington, and you succeeded.

- Thank you, chef.

We're back.

Oh, my god.

I'm just on top of the world right now.

Lauren brought her a-game today.

So to take down somebody like that, man,

I'm proud of myself.

- I promise you now, things will only

Get tougher from here on in.

Understood?

[together] yes, chef.

- All of you, get some rest.

Because next time, you'll be out of the frying pan

And into the fire.

Good night.

- [chuckling]

- Good job, mada.

♪ ♪

- Next time on "next level chef"--

- [chanting in native language]

- You're going to cook something that we've never,

Ever done on "next level chef."

- I've always wanted to do this!

Whoo!

I keep opening this thing thinking

Some miracle is going to happen,

And it's the same soggy-ass focaccia.

I'm getting the blowtorch.

- You, stop, down.

That's his [bleep] dough.

- Oh, [bleep].

- Damn!

- If jordan goes home, it's going to be on me.

[bleep].