Original subtitles

Previously on "MasterChef,"

it was the first mystery box of the season.

Apples! Kyle, you get to pick

- what region cooks sweet or savory. - I'm powerful.

Dessert's definitely not in my wheelhouse.

Did you put salt instead of sugar on them?

- I've got my bags packed. - I made an apple spice cake.

The cake's delicious. Congratulations, Jennifer.

- Oh. - Oh, my--

- I owe Jennifer one. - You'd definitely be the one going home tonight.

I made apple spice homecakes.

These things have the density of a rock.

- You've cremated the scallops. - This is wrong.

The home cook leaving the MasterChef kitchen is Richie.

- Tonight... - Oh!

...the first team challenge of the season kicks off with a bang.

Today all of you will cook for firefighters.

And you, Jennifer, will decide which regions are teaming up.

We want to pair up with the Midwest.

Do you think that's a good decision?

We're two people down, so we gotta communicate.

- Here they come, guys. - How long? Tell me how long.

- Two minutes. - We don't have two minutes.

Everything cooked to your liking?

- It's completely raw. -That's terrible.

- I want them done perfectly. - Okay.

-Raw New York strip. - We're out of potatoes.

- We're gonna burn 'em. -How is this still happening?

This is the first time we've never served an entire dining room.

- This is embarrassing. - I want to die.

- I see firefighters. - All right.

Well, Kyle, I think I know who we're cooking for today.

- Yeah! -I am excited to be

outside the MasterChef kitchen because it's a beautiful day.

But typically when you leave the kitchen

it's some sort of team challenge.

So I think we're all just very curious

about what's gonna happen next.

I wanna see something on fire.

- That would be awesome. - Right?

- Damn! That's crazy!

Yes! Fire!

Oh, my God! We on "911."

What is happening? This is fantastic.

- Oh, my God! - Oh!

- Oh, my God! - Oh, my God.

- Wow. There's more.

We need somebody to put this fire out.

- Fire truck coming.

We got two of 'em!

- Yeah, let's go! - Whoo!

Oh, oh, oh! Here it goes!

- Yeah! - Let's go, let's go!

- Whoo! - I know. That's hot.

- Yeah, it's hot. - Whoo!

You put that fire out, baby!

Oh, this is, like, my ultimate dream come true.

Aah! Holy crap!

Yes!

I love firefighters.

That was some Michael Bay (bleep).

- Definitely. - That was so cool!

- Whoo! - There it is!

- You guys rock! - Thank you!

- Oh, my God. - Yeah!

Yeah!

Thank you. Thank you very much.

- All right!

- Whoa! - Ooh-whee!

- Looking smooth, Chef. - Whoo!

Welcome, all of you, to your very first

"MasterChef: United Tastes Of America" field challenge.

This is Ventura County Fire Academy,

the premiere fire training center

for all of Southern California.

-Wow. - Awesome.

And what you've just seen is an incredible training exercise

that these men and women do on a daily basis to keep us all safe.

- That is so dope! - Respect.

So today, all of you will cook a phenomenal lunch

for 101 firefighters and other emergency personnel.

- Yeah. - Whoo!

You will be cooking in two teams with two regions per team.

- Yes! - The winning team will be safe from elimination today.

But if you're on the losing team, you could be going home.

- We gotta do this, South. - Now, Jennifer, you won our last challenge,

so you are safe from elimination,

and you've also got a big advantage today.

We need to make two teams, and you, Jennifer,

will decide which regions are teaming up.

- Got it. - Jennifer, huddle up with the South

and decide which other region you will be teaming up with.

Okay, come on, bring it in. What do you think?

- The Northeast. - I say Midwest.

The Northeast has some very talented cooks.

You have Nina, who has been in the top four of the competition.

You have Ryan, who's so good on a grill.

The West has James, who was in the top four.

They have Kennedy, who's also been in the top four.

I think the Midwest is the strongest

and we could put both juggernauts together.

And the Midwest still has five people left,

with heavy hitters on the grill like Grant and Kyle.

- Everybody, stand behind me. - Yes, ma'am.

This is a very difficult decision

because someone could get eliminated today.

So there's a lot here at stake.

Right, Jennifer, decision time.

We want to pair up with the Midwest.

We know that they have strength when it comes to the grill,

and so I feel like together as a team

we're going to win this challenge.

Here we go.

South and Midwest, you guys are the red team.

- Thank you, Aarón. - Here you go.

Which means the West and the Northeast are the blue team.

Jennifer gave herself the upper hand.

The red team is fully stacked.

They have ten cooks, very strong cooks.

The blue team, we're down to eight,

so I'm a little nervous about that dynamic today.

So now we need some team captains.

Deciding to be a team captain is an extremely strategic decision.

You could carry your team to victory

or you could go down in flames.

- Talk it out. Let's go. - Circle up.

Hey, guys, I'd like to lead, if that's okay with you all.

- You got it. - It's gotta be Brynn.

Yeah, it has to be Brynn. The most vocal.

- Yeah. - Go, red!

Yep. All right. Whoo!

Reagan, tell me who you've nominated as a captain and why.

It was unanimous. We want Jennifer to lead us.

She is a mom of six people. She can definitely do this.

- Yes. - Lizzie, captain is who and why?

The captain is Brynn. She has a voice.

She's not afraid to call us out. I'm excited she's the captain.

Love that. Jennifer, why step up to be the captain today?

I manage a busy household, so I'm wanna take that leadership skill

and apply it to the team. I'm ready to go.

Love that. Brynn, these esteemed guests want something stunning.

Can you deliver that from the blue team?

I can do that. I can keep standards up.

We just need to give 'em the best we've got,

and I think we're all invested in doing that.

Okay, you will have 75 minutes

to cook before our guests arrive.

We wanna make sure that everything is cooked to the MasterChef standard,

so we wanna see a sample plate in about half an hour.

- We can do this. - Best of luck. Your time starts now.

- Off you go. - These are not my running boots.

- Yeah! - Let's go, guys!

- Let's go! Come on, red! - Go, red!

- Let's go, red! - Let's go, let's go, let's go.

Okay, guys, a few group norms. One, don't talk over each other.

Two, let's be respectful. I want everyone to shine.

I want everyone to voice your opinions.

- What are we thinking? - Bacon potatoes.

Coming from Iowa, I gotta put pork in there.

- New York! - New York strip.

- We gotta do steaks. - All right, so raise your hand

if we're good with the New York steak. Got it.

- Good. - Let's do it. Let's do it.

We have a lot of big personalities in the South and in the Midwest.

I'm thinking red wine balsamic reduction,

garlic, shallots, stuff like that for the steak.

I actually think there's room for a bright, acidic chimichurri.

- Let's make it a garlic white wine sauce. - No.

It's red meat. You can't have white wine with a steak, yeah.

But I want everyone to feel like they're being heard.

Who cooks a really good potato?

I'm really, really good at doing mashed potatoes.

I don't know though. Do we need you on the grill?

If you want me on the grill, I can be on the grill.

We got some good grillers in the house though.

We got Kendal, we got Kyle.

I just hope they can come together and follow my lead.

Okay, everyone, we win together, we fail together.

So if you need someone else on your job, tell it like it is in the South.

You holler, and I'll be coming!

All right, we're looking at proteins. What are we thinking, guys?

If I know anything about the South,

they're gonna stick to potatoes and steak.

They're gonna stick to the basics.

We don't need nothing basic.

These are the firemen, so let's give them something hearty.

- Pork chop. - Pork chop. You wanna do that?

I think that's great for flavor, and that's what you're here for.

Since we're doing a firefighter challenge, we should really bring the heat.

We should do a corn poblano and a black-eyed pea salad.

So we do need one more vegetable.

- Let's look at the cabbage. - I mean, a slaw is just a go-to.

We have a lot of flavor happening.

- We have eight people. - Facts.

We're picking too many things.

We gotta have a simpler plate, and we gotta nail it.

Listen, the biggest thing-- we're two people down, so we gotta communicate.

- Sometimes less is more, you feel me? - Exactly.

- Are we in? - Let's go, blue team.

- Go! - Go, blue team!

- Go red!

We're just taking this whole thing. Is that okay?

- Yeah. - I'm gonna start peeling avocados for you.

So, Kolby, biggest thing on these potatoes

is that you have several pots going at once, okay?

- Right, yes. - Listen, first big challenge.

- Yep. - They're not in the comfort

of the beautiful MasterChef kitchen.

- The wind is blowing bad. - They've never done anything like this,

cooking for 101 firefighters.

I think this is our chance to really see them in action,

see who can really talk the talk

and who can really walk the walk.

Hey, guys, go bigger than you think on our portions!

Let's talk about Jennifer's position and the fact that she had the immunity pin.

She's also the captain, so irrespective of what the outcome is today,

- she's not going home. - I was really surprised

that she nominated herself to be captain of the team.

Honestly, I think she really wants to gain

another advantage in the next challenge.

Yeah, that might be her tactic.

Let's go, red! Let's go!

Hey, MD, let's try and keep it light on the rosemary.

I think it's a good flavor, but I don't want it to overpower.

-I agree. -So, blue team, are we surprised

with the choice of Brynn as a captain?

I think Brynn is one of the most creative cooks.

- I think she's fearless. -Brynn is a person who has spent time in restaurants,

in both the front and the back of the house.

I think that gives her a bit of an advantage today.

- Brynn, you're so smart and talented. - Stop, stop.

- I love you guys. -She's got a smaller crew to run.

I'm looking at this challenge now,

I'm thinking maybe I'd rather have eight than ten.

I'd rather have a smaller brigade and more powerful cooks.

It's not about staying in your lane today. It's about owning your lane.

I'd rather have a bigger brigade.

If someone goes down, you have somebody watching

- that can potentially step in. -How we doing, team?

We're doing good. We're doing good. About to stretch the bread.

I'm about to put our first pot of potatoes boiling.

- These pork chops are gonna take a while to cook. - Okay.

So then we gonna have to start getting them on.

Yeah, I'm taking the rest out of the fridge.

Captain or no captain, we know in this challenge

that the grillmaster drives the pace, right?

Yeah, they've got these amazing grills,

and these things are absolutely up to 450, 500 degrees.

You're talking about a massive six-foot grill

which you have to season, caramelize, cook,

and then the big thing is you have to hold these to temperature

and serve them while they're still hot and flavorful. Very difficult.

Hot, hot. Reagan hot. Whoo! That wind!

The wind, you know, is absolutely gonna make that so much more intense.

They can't control the wind, they can't control the power of that grill.

- Absolutely. - Yep.

I cook outside all the time, but I live in the woods.

So to be in an open space like this

with this amount of wind

is not something I was ready for.

Right now I'm thinking 35 minutes.

- Per-- - Yeah, these things are thick.

If we go lower than that, we're gonna burn 'em.

The heat on that Argentinean grill,

you can't really slow-cook them

the way you want to without burning.

You gotta cook those through.

They're about four inches thick,

and pork is something that you cannot be under.

You don't have the ability to serve rare pork like you do with steak.

So it's definitely something to be worried about.

We're checking every pork chop that comes out of here

- with that probe. - Yeah, definitely.

Every single one.

Is it is light-years easier to cook 100 steaks

than 100 pork chops at this thickness.

Red team, blue team, wanna see those example dishes in 15 minutes from now.

I'm starting to think going with the pork chops might be a huge mistake.

Red team, blue team, wanna see those example dishes in 15 minutes from now.

15. Let's go. Guys, let's get in there, shall we?

-Let's go. - Let's go.

Blue team, Brynn, give me an insight.

- What are we doing? - We are doing pork chops.

For our sides, we are doing black-eyed peas with roasted poblano and corn.

-Good. - And then we are doing a crispy slaw with apple celery

and red cabbage so there's something a little fresh on the plate.

-Love that. - And then we're doing

a cornbread with a little honey on top.

Gotcha, and then the sauce, how are we gonna lift this thing?

- What are we doing with that? - It's an avocado crema sauce.

We're getting a lot of heat on the pork chops,

so we something a little bright and refreshing to go on it.

Smart. How are we gonna divide this?

Because there's eight of you in this blue team.

- Right. - Who's on the grills?

Well, I have Ryan and James.

And then probably Nina.

She also is fantastic with cooking with fire.

We're gonna have MD and Lizzie with me up here

plating and wiping, and probably have Purvi helping me grab stuff

- from the back if they need it. - Yeah. Um, 101 protein.

- Yep. Yeah. - Tall order, yeah? Super easy to dry out.

Super easy to undercook. So just make sure that you got the timing set on that.

Every 10 or 15 minutes, check in, make sure everyone's on the same page.

- Yeah, thank you so much. - Thank you.

What's going on with this pork here?

I'm seasoning it and moving over to tray to temp.

Just sat in the sun like that, not smart.

If you're gonna season them, get them in the fridge.

- Yes, Chef. - Okay, so yeah.

Yes, Chef. They're taking a little longer

than a half hour to cook right now, so--

- Just be smart with each other, please, yes? - Appreciate that.

Aarón: Jennifer, talk to us a little bit about the dish.

- Come on, we need some intel. - Absolutely.

We are doing a New York strip.

We've got a chimichurri that will pair with that.

We've got creamy beautiful potatoes.

And then we have a roasted carrot with a beautiful glaze.

Jennifer, how is this steak supposed to be cooked?

- We're gonna do medium rare. - Yep.

- And you're gonna let it rest, right? - Yes.

- Remember that. - Thank you. Thank you, Chef.

- We're there. Appreciate it. - All right.

Ooh-la-la.

Yeah, it is muy caliente.

Aarón: So here's the deal. You guys are from the South.

- I'm expecting big flavors. - Yes, sir.

No offense on the Midwest, but we got the seasoning

- down in the South, right? - Yes, Chef.

I think you're really going to enjoy it.

Well, that's being bold, and I like that. Thank you.

- Let's go, Mid-Southwest.

Okay, we're getting ready to taste, guys.

Right here.

Bring the components of this dish together.

Gentlemen, do you have a pork chop that I can have?

I can take it off now. It's not gonna be fully cooked.

Well, how long till it's fully cooked?

So just 45 minutes until those diners come in.

Blue team, they've gone down the beautiful pork chop route.

- Aarón: Nice. -Ryan only has one pork chop on now.

What's gonna be like when he's got 40 on?

- Exactly. - We're good, Brynn.

- You're good? You're sure? - I'm at 150.

- Okay, yeah. - More salt, right?

- More salt and pepper. - More pepper, okay?

So the red team has this New York strip steak

with mashed potatoes and a chimichurri.

But mashed potatoes? Did you expect mashed potatoes in this today?

They're definitely going more the traditional route.

We'll see if it comes together.

Do me one swoop. Okay.

Shall we, guys?

Blue team! Brynn, please.

So just give us a description of the dish, please.

Sure. So we have an ancho-rubbed pork chop

with an avocado crema, a citrus slaw,

black-eyed pea and roasted corn salad, and then a cornbread muffin.

-Ryan cooked this? - Ryan did cook this.

-This pork chop's over-seared. - Heard.

Slightly burned. What was the temperature that was cooked to?

He said 150. I think we could go a little less.

It's all in the resting. Get it to 140. Let it rest 10, 15 minutes.

The crema's a great idea, but sitting underneath and it just goes into this sort of...

I know. But I also don't wanna put it on top

- and have it melt all over everything. - Listen to me.

Just slow down and listen. I'm trying to help you.

- Sure. - Just go on the side.

That felt sloppy to me, but I'm happy to do that.

Into the bottle, pipe on the side, and it stays there on its own.

Aarón: And I don't think it's gonna look sloppy, Brynn.

- Not at all. - Okay, heard.

This pork chop, in my opinion, is a bit dry and overcooked already for me.

- Okay. -Yeah, I think this dish has great potential.

I think the crema's a great idea.

It lightens up the richness. Black-eyed peas, delicious.

Slaw nice. A little bit finer on the cut.

It just needs to come together. It just feels a bit fragmented.

- Okay. - Yeah?

Ryan really has your destiny in his hands.

Cooking this pork chop is gonna be very, very difficult.

- So you might wanna really watch that. -Okay.

It's got the makings of a good dish.

Get your team together and dictate what you need.

Okay? You're the captain. Prove it, yes?

- Thank you so much, Chefs. - Good luck.

The pork chop I'm definitely worried about.

The cook hasn't come out right.

You know this one was a little charred?

It needs to come off about ten degrees earlier.

- Okay. Perfect. - So that it's resting, 'cause this was too overdone.

- So, pull 140. Okay, got it. - I would pull at 130, 135.

Everything else is okay. I need to work on some plating issues a little bit.

The crema, we love. We're gonna get it in a piping bag or squeeze bottles

- and just hit it on the side at the end. - Okay.

We're gonna find you a mandoline.

Everything was delicious. They just want the cut to be more professional.

All manageable. Everybody else had it under control.

- Fantastic. -Let's go, South!

Let's go, "Mid-rest!" Let's go, red!

I heard how hard it was for you to say, "Let's go, Midwest,"

and I appreciate you getting that out of your mouth.

Oh, no, we are all team red today!

Okay, Jennifer. Two dishes. Smart.

- One sliced and one not sliced. -Slicing that for 101?

- That's 750 slices. Forget it. -Yes. Yes.

So just give us a description of the dish, please.

So we have a New York strip.

We have a chimichurri sauce on the side.

We have glazed carrots.

We have a creamy Yukon Gold mashed potato

along with a compound butter.

-A smear of mashed potato, you know... -Yeah.

...for a firefighter? You're over-finessing it

as opposed to the rustic charm.

The cook on the steak is beautiful,

but the mash, it just looks lumpy as anything.

This mash is not only lumpy. It's raw.

Who is responsible for the raw potatoes?

Grant is on the potatoes. It was a very quick turnaround.

No, no. Look, look, look. So, it's not a quick turnaround.

That's 44 minutes. The mashed potato's undercooked.

So you have to be real with your team.

- Don't blow smoke up their ass. - Absolutely.

Serving you undercooked mashed potatoes is not good enough.

- Absolutely. Yes, Chef. - Okay.

- The mashed potatoes are shocking. - Aarón: Yeah.

I have to say, Jennifer, just between you,

it's disconcerting that you would even serve us the mashed potatoes.

- You didn't taste them? - No, no, I tasted the mashed potatoes.

And you didn't think they were raw?

Yes, I knew that they were not perfect, Chef.

And you still decided to serve them to us?

- I wanted to give you-- - You think that's a good decision?

- It looks like it wasn't. - Oh, my gosh.

The mashed potatoes are shocking.

Serving undercooked mashed potatoes is not good enough, okay?

- Absolutely. Yes, Chef. - Aarón: Yeah.

- Zero seasoning. - You didn't taste them?

Yes, I knew that they were not perfect.

And you still decided to serve them to us?

I wanted to give you a full picture--

You think that's a good decision?

- It looks like it wasn't. -No.

You don't put a smear of undercooked mashed potatoes

on the table. You know this stuff,

- but that's substandard. - Okay.

Half the amount of chimichurri and you're good, okay?

Have a meeting with your team. Be straight with them.

- Do that now. Thank you. - Yes. I will take care of this.

- Great cook on the steak. - Thank you for your feedback.

Everybody, pause! Team meeting.

Grant, the potatoes were undercooked.

They have to be absolute perfection.

- They need to be smoother, okay? - I hear ya.

The fact that these potatoes are the worst part

of the dish right now just pisses me off.

- We have to get this right, okay? - Yes, ma'am.

I don't wanna use the elements as an excuse,

but these winds are howling at us,

and I'm not able to get any water boiling right now.

I haven't had a chance to get anything up to cooking time.

- Are they cut real tiny? - They're cut very tiny.

If I don't get these potatoes fixed soon,

I don't know that the red team's gonna win,

and that's gonna be all my fault.

Grant? What if we remove some of that water?

That's what's been trying to do the whole time, yeah.

Red team, blue team, 15 minutes until our guests arrive.

Brynn, two bottles would be good?

- As much as you can. We have to do 100 plates. - Okay.

We still got a whole load of chops we need to salt, pepper, and oil.

So, blue team, I thought Ryan would know how to nail those pork chops, but--

He has all these probes in the pork chops

as he's not even confident about touching the meat and understanding the cook.

- You don't probe every steak. - Never.

You probe one, you touch it, you see how it feels,

then you know the other ones feel the same.

You know the temperature they're at.

- So, the red team,

cook on the steak was great. Hats off to Kyle.

- Great job. Great job. - We got this. We got this.

Great job, team! Great job, red!

I think Grant did a major disservice to his whole team

by putting up mashed potatoes that were raw.

That's a no-no. You just say,

"I don't have 'em yet. They're not done yet."

I'm gonna try to do it shallow. Try to get this up to heat,

- and just get as many potatoes in as I can. - Okay.

All right, friends, how's the bread looking?

Good job. Sarah deserves the credit.

- Good job, friend! - Whoo!

Jennifer's a good figurehead,

and I think she represents the dish well,

but I think she's not holding each person accountable.

But also Jennifer's accepting their standards, not hers.

- And I think she wants to be everyone's friend. - Yeah, that's right.

I'd rather have no friends and win.

- Exactly. - Absolutely.

- Yeah, red team! - Let's go, red!

Red team, blue team, five minutes until our firefighters arrive!

Here they come, guys.

Guys, here come our guests! Let's push!

Hey!

Fire truck coming through!

- Yeah! - Yeah!

Let's go, let's go! How we doing?

Seeing all the firefighters and their family come through is a little surreal.

It just gives you an idea of just how much food

you're about to prepare in a short amount of time.

Yeah, y'all gonna get full off of this!

As far as me and James up on the grill,

I think we'll be okay, but I'm just worried

about the cook times on these chops.

Y'all better eat all this, okay?

- Good to see you. - Thank you so much, guys.

-Likewise. Enjoy. - Appreciate it.

- I'm gonna taste them while you do that. - Please.

- They definitely don't have enough salt in them yet, so-- - No.

Okay, red team, blue team, we're starting to serve!

- Let's go, y'all, blue team! - All right, let's go!

- Let's go! -Here they come, guys. Come on, hurry up!

- Red team, first six, let's go. - Let's go! Come on!

- I need steaks. I need mash. - Table one, please. Let's go.

- Six mash. Let's go. - Right here. Thank you.

Just give me a pan to put steaks on.

Hey, young man, you can't shout, "I need a pan!"

- Get the steaks over there. Come on. - Here they come.

Y'all got everything y'all need?

Do y'all have everything y'all need?

Hey, Sarah. Sarah! Earth to Sarah.

- Just touch that. No, no. Just touch that. - Yes, you're right.

No, just touch it. They're firefighters. They're not (bleep) Eskimos.

- It's ice cold. Ice cold, okay? - I'll grab a new one.

- Hi, guys. Are you hungry? - Hello! Yes!

- 30 seconds, please. - We've been working our butts off.

Two seconds. Come over here. Look at me.

They're serving ice cold carrots, and I'm not very happy with that, okay?

- So just focus on your job. - Got ya.

- This cook is a whirlwind. - Kyle, I know we're cooking for firefighters,

but don't blow smoke up my ass.

I just want them served a decent dish.

Yes, Chef!

We have really, really cold carrots,

and it is truly a spectacle to be that close

to a very, very upset Gordon Ramsay.

You got more cooks in here than firefighters having lunch.

Hot carrots.

Those just came out of the oven.

That's it. Thank you, guys.

Sorry about the wait.

We hope you enjoy this.

Thank you so much for all that you do.

- Welcome. - Hello, how are you?

- Enjoy. - Thank you so much. Thank you.

Thank you so much. These are ancho pork chops.

Aarón: Let's go, guys.

We still have a lot more people to go.

- Super good. - Mmm.

Hello, everyone. Hi, I'm Joe.

Welcome, welcome. How's the lunch?

- Steak's good. - Really good.

The pork not cooked all the way.

Oh, you have a raw pork. Okay, I'll take that back.

Anyone else pork undercooked?

Another one? Okay, sorry about that.

Brynn, come here, please. Just touch it.

They should be dropped on the grill for 90 seconds before they go onto the plate.

- Yes, Chef. - Not just stuck in a hot cup.

All right, guys, we have some raw pork chops.

Like, really raw. Sent back from the first table.

This one's completely raw, cold in the middle.

This is a problem, guys. You gotta fix this. This one, too.

- Right, look at me. - We gotta care a bit more.

- That's on me, Chef. - It's only six at a time!

Six perfect pork chops at one time!

That's it!

All right, guys, we have some raw pork chops.

Like, really raw. Like, cold in the middle.

This is a problem, guys. You gotta fix this. This one, too.

That is not good enough. We gotta care a bit more.

Let's not ruin the first table. Come on.

I think James and Ryan are both struggling with the fact

that they are struggling at all.

This is a much harder challenge, I think,

given the cut and the conditions than they were expecting.

James, you're gonna finish the chops, all right?

All right.

The grill, with all that wind,

it's hard to keep heat direct in any one area.

We're gonna have to temp. What are the rest of these temps at?

- Do you want me to check the temperature here? - Yeah.

- Where's the temp thing? - Right here.

So, now it's all hands on deck helping to temp

and organize those chops.

I need those as soon as they are done.

- I need those in my hands, okay? - Yeah.

I'm worried about my team falling apart.

I am worried about finishing service.

I am worried about getting one more chop sent back.

Thank you, Chef. I'll be right back.

Thank you. I appreciate you.

My apologies, Joe. Please.

- Thank you, Joe. - Right, six more, guys.

Six more in my hand. What do we got?

So, we recooked your pork chops,

and we cut them open this time

to make sure they're perfectly cooked

to prevent any other errors from happening.

Enjoy the rest of your meal. I'll be back. Thank you.

Do you need me to bring some more potatoes up?

We have enough for the next service, and then we're gonna need more.

- We got them in the oven. We got 'em-- - Awesome, beautiful.

Just stop. I'm just done. Taste it.

Come on, taste. It's all lumpy now.

Gordon is on a whole 'nother level right now.

So we started off with the first two tables beautifully done.

Now it's like we don't care. Well, I care.

I'm not trying to hear him, but I am trying to hear him at the same time,

because he is the boss man right now, and whatever goes, goes.

- Is that the best you can do? - No, Chef.

- It's mashed potatoes, young man, okay? - Yes, sir.

The mash is now lumpy and gloopy.

Come on, guys. Fix it, fix it.

You know, I'm pissed. I know how to make mashed potatoes.

This is not an example of how I can make mashed potatoes

or how I am as a cook.

Grant. Grant, fix that, and I need 'em hot.

- One minute. - We have to start doing--

- Let's just try it. - So, there's really only one solution right now

to make a smooth potato with what we've got,

and that's gonna be doing a stick blender on it.

Great idea by Kolby. We're gonna give it a shot.

-Okay, are we ready for the mash? - Two minutes.

- No, not two minutes. We don't have two minutes. - How much time you need?

- 30 seconds. - 30 seconds. We got you.

These potatoes, I have to get 'em done.

I can't go home because of mashed potatoes.

- I'm taking these guys. - What about these ones? No.

No, just keep fixing those, please.

- We got it. - We're ready. I need those steaks.

And then we're gonna need six more right after super-fast.

- Right now! - We gotta catch up.

Thank you. Sorry about the delay.

- Thank you. - Six more. Let's go.

Come on, y'all, let's get organized.

There's too many people over there. Spread out.

- Ryan! Who's leading the pork? - I am, Chef.

- You've heard the expression, "Too many cooks," right? - Yes, Chef.

One, two, three, four, five. You're cooking pork now.

- There needs to be a system. -Yes, Chef.

So the ones that are done, y'all put those in the warmer?

- Yeah. -Nothing goes in the warmer!

They dry out. They go on the grill to finish them!

Yes, Chef. Yo, what we doing with those pork chops?

Okay, listen, no more pork chops. No more pork chops.

When he calls six, then we need to do six.

- Fresh. Two minutes. -We're good. We're good.

It's really embarrassing that Gordon has to tell us what we have to do.

Everybody's poking holes in pork chops

and letting all the juice and flavor go out.

Brynn needs to get us together.

Brynn, 30 seconds. We've served 42 guests, and there's 20 minutes to go.

- Yes. - So we need to change gear now.

Just numbers. Understand, we only got an hour to serve.

We've got 20 minutes to go. We've served 42 guests.

- Okay. Okay. - So, we're not even halfway.

I'm excited to eat. I'm hungry.

- Everything's exceptional. - It really is.

- It is very good. - Hi, folks.

Welcome to the MasterChef first field challenge of the season.

The red team cooked the New York strip,

and the blue team cooked the pork chop.

Who prefers the steak from the red team at this point?

Four. And pork chop? Two.

- Four steaks, two pork chops. - This is the best pork chop I've ever had.

- Wow. Enjoy. -Thank you.

Touch that.

- That does not--

- Not again. - No, it looks okay.

- Just, just. Let's go. - It looks okay.

Go, go, go, go.

The red team's steak is awesome. It's really good.

I'm really enjoying the chimichurri.

You guys like chimichurri? Awesome.

Then you're gonna love this.

I need hot mashed potatoes, guys. Let's go.

The potatoes, they've got really good flavor.

And the carrots, they got a little kick.

Off we go. Excellent.

- Thank you, sir. - Thanks for waiting, guys.

- Let's go. Go. -So everyone who's tried both,

can I see a show of hands,

who preferred the red team's steak?

Three. We have a draw. Three to three.

So, James, there's no pork in the...

- In the warmer? Nope. - No. Good.

Ryan, I'm about three minutes to pass these to you.

All right, I got room for 'em. I got room for 'em.

All right.

Need those steaks!

Has anyone checked these?

- So, that's raw. - Jeez. It's not even close.

Red team, come over. Charles, that's you!

Raw New York strip. I am lost for words.

- Just touch it. It's ice cold. - Yes. It's cold. It is cold.

- Ice cold. - I can't help you on this.

One, two, three, four, five,

six, seven, eight, nine, ten of you.

- Yes. Yes. - Somebody care! Please?

Oh, my (bleep) God.

Red team, I am lost for words.

- Just touch it. It's ice cold. - Yes. It's cold. It is cold.

- Ice cold. - I want to die.

I cannot believe he's cut into the steak and it's raw.

I put the South and the Midwest together

'cause these guys are supposed to be the grillmasters.

I need somebody checking the doneness before they come to me.

I have never been this stressed.

I know that I have the immunity pin,

but I don't want to lose this for my team.

Cooking undercooked steaks? I'm done.

I'm going to have nightmares of Chef Gordon yelling at me.

- Kyle, you're checking them all, right?

- Yes. Yes, chef. -Blue team, ten minutes to go, yes?

- Heard! - Last ten.

Y'all need help on corn, anything, let me know.

- I got y'all. - What do we need for James?

What y'all need from me?

You can get six more on, six more ready.

These needed another ten degrees on them before they go to you.

- 15. - Okay. Me and Ryan both at the grill.

I'm starting the pork chop, he cooks the pork chop,

and then I finish the pork chop.

We finally have a system. We gotta stick to it.

- There you go. - Six. Right there. Hot!

Let's go! Another six! I need 'em.

Stop. Ryan? I'm gonna show you how to deal-- come here!

- That's a beautiful caramelization on there. - Yes, Chef.

- And then you give me that (bleep) there. - Yes, Chef.

Things are starting to fall apart.

This challenge is huge. I mean, 101 dishes.

More than I've ever done before.

I'm trying to adjust on the fly,

but when you're in the thick of it

and I mean four-inch, double bone thick of it,

it's definitely tougher than it looks.

Okay, I want them done perfectly.

- Understood? Good. - Yes, Chef.

- That is not good enough. - I think so too, Chef.

I agree. Get it out of here.

We have ten minutes, and this is not coming together quick.

We're barely 60 guests in.

I've never not served a completed lunch ever.

How long for the next six, please?

- I've got one ready to go. - You've got one? Oh, my God.

Y'all, we have to ration the potatoes. We are out.

- Like, done. - Let's figure something out.

I'm panicking right now because we literally

ran out of potatoes.

Give me mushrooms. Give me mushrooms.

Kyle says, "What about the mushrooms?"

He char grills them. I get them chopped up and seasoned.

Just need some salt.

I'm so glad our team collaborated

and came up with this backup plan.

It's absolutely better than putting nothing out there.

I need a lot more mushrooms, guys.

Let's keep going. There we go.

Why are the mushrooms going on now?

Because we ran out of mashed potatoes,

- and this is replacing our mashed potatoes. - So we're pivoting.

How do we run out of mashed potato?

How is that possible with ten chefs in the kitchen?

Sorry to keep you waiting. Thank you.

We've run out of mash. My apologies.

Thank you. (bleep) hell.

- Thank you. Enjoy. -Thank you.

- Enjoy. - Thank y'all so much.

Wait, wait. No mashed potatoes?

Did they run out? What happened?

They apparently didn't have any when we got up there.

But you're the only one who gets to try them?

- I am. - Oh, jeez. I'm sorry about that.

The steaks are on. Okay. Chimichurri.

Everything cooked to your liking?

I didn't feel like there was enough flavor on the steak itself.

- Not enough flavor on the steak. Okay. - Yes.

You agree with that? The red steak's a little bit bland,

but the pork chop was seasoned better?

Right seasoning, and also it's very cooked properly.

It's cooked properly. Early indication, who liked the pork chop more?

Five for the pork chop, one for the steak.

Red team, blue team, only a few tables left.

- Come on! Speed up, please! - Thank you for your service.

- Thank you so much. - Aarón: Check the seasoning. Mix it.

All that dressing ends up falling to the bottom.

Y'all, we're running out of time.

Whoo, it's gonna be close.

The red team's steak dish was completely raw.

The blue team's pork dish, the flavor was good.

The multiple sides which were good.

I had to wait a few minutes for the blue plate,

but good things take time, so I was willing to wait.

I'm not enjoying the blue team's pork.

- It's a little dry for me. - We need carrots!

Okay, red team, last table! Let's go!

Got fresh carrots? Thank you. Thank you.

- Thank you. Thank you. - Thank you, Chef. All right.

Okay, ladies and gentlemen, once you have finished eating,

please vote for the team

whose dish you enjoyed the most using these axes.

Thank you very much.

They were both great dishes, and I enjoyed them both.

I think the pork was a little bit overdone on the blue team.

I will be voting for the red team.

Well, my pork was actually underdone, which I was surprised about.

So I will be voting for the red team today.

My apologies for the wait. I'm so sorry.

Six portions! Last table, let's go!

Come on, guys.

It's ice cold and it's raw.

We're done! Time is up!

I am so sorry. We've run out of time,

and the blue team's pork chops aren't ready for you.

Please go and enjoy the red team's plates that you already have.

Blue team, come over. Your 60 minutes are up,

and it's the first time in 12 years

that we've never served an entire dining room.

Your timings today were way off.

You know it, and I know it. This is embarrassing.

Clear down, please.

- Yes, Chef. - Yes, Chef.

Who enjoyed the red team's steak more?

Full house. I guess the pork chops are second cut on this table.

- Hey, we finished. - Whoo!

- We finished. - Good job, good job.

- Good job, good job! - We did it.

I liked the red plate over the blue plate

because I had to wait for the pork chops for a little bit,

and it's still a little rare. Bring it in. That was tough.

We learned so much today.

Thank you each of you for being a team player.

At the end of the day, the plate was beautiful, the flavor was there.

- One, two, three. -Go, red!

- They're cheering on their side. - Well, they finished.

- Ain't bad for a Midwesterner. - Yeah, right?

You're welcome in the South any time.

I will be voting for the blue team.

I will be voting for the red team.

I will be voting for the blue team.

I will be voting for team red.

Only the red team provided a plate for me.

Blue team came up short. I was kinda disappointed.

I am disappointed, but it was stacked against us.

They had two extra hands on deck to finish

what we tried to get done in the same amount of time,

and I think maybe with a harder cut of meat.

And we just never found our flow.

I think it's on me. I didn't finish the chops,

but it was a great dish, so we still got a chance.

- A few plates short. - We didn't feed everybody, but I'm really happy

with a lot of things that were on our dish.

Our other components were good. Those chops were a difficult

- cook and we didn't have-- - But that's our main component.

That was literally our main component.

So if that's not good, then it's not good.

Let's just hope the other team did worse than us.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much, indeed.

Honestly, it's been an absolute honor to serve the Ventura County Fire Academy.

We hope you enjoyed your lunch.

Now please give a huge round of applause

for the blue team and the red team.

This was absolutely one of the toughest days I've ever had,

and I've been working in restaurants as a bartender

for over half my life.

But I'm still hoping that the guests who had our food loved it,

and I'm still feeling pretty good about our chances.

Right, blue team, red team, well done. That was a tough ask.

Clearly both teams felt the heat today.

One of these teams will be crowned the winner of today's challenge

and be safe from elimination today.

Ladies and gentlemen, you voted.

It's time for the moment of truth.

The winning team,

the team that will be safe from elimination today is--

congratulations goes to...

- Ooh. - Whoa!

- Oh, my goodness. - Oh, my goodness.

- Whoa. - What color is that?

I don't know.

- The red team!

Well done!

- Great job.

- Thank you. Thank you. - Great job.

Victory feels so good right now.

I came here to show that I can lead,

and under pressure, I never lost it on my team.

We had two regions come together

and really work together beautifully.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us today.

An extra special thank you for all you do

to keep us safe from harm on a daily basis.

Enjoy the rest of your afternoon. Thank you so much.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

- Thank you all. - Thank y'all.

- Thank you. - Thank you!

Red team, let's get one thing clear.

Yes, you won, congratulations. Learn from those bumps.

- Yes, sir. - Yes, Chef.

The good news is you're all safe from elimination.

Jennifer, the good news for you is that you get

yet another advantage ahead of the next challenge.

- Congratulations. Well done. - Thank you.

Now, sadly, as for the blue team,

the West and the Northeast region,

honestly, you guys really missed the mark today.

Brynn, your team did not even finish service.

Ryan, at the beginning of the cook,

we got excited when you were in charge of that grill,

but then it got the better of you.

James, you were in charge of those pork chops alongside Ryan.

All three of you, please step forward.

James, Ryan, and Brynn, from one of you

the chance of becoming America's next MasterChef

is about to go up in smoke.

Give us a moment, please. Excuse us.

- Aarón: What's the protagonist of this dish? The pork chop.

But it has to start at the beginning. Who's controlling this?

Once they'd been turned around, there were six of them on the pork chop.

We said it from the beginning. You're gonna be the leader,

and you're gonna be the captain, de facto,

you're gonna command the time. You have to own that.

Even the first table, you came back with a raw pork.

That was the worst ones. I think some of the other ones

ultimately were overcooked and they didn't even know.

For me, who do you look at as the leader of this?

- You know what I mean? -Yeah.

I don't deserve to be on the bottom right now

because I stayed consistent.

I made sure that I got nice sear on the pork chops.

I feel like the captain goes down with the ship.

I feel like Brynn should be going home.

- We got it? - We in agreeance?

After a difficult conversation, we've decided...

...the person going home today is...

Ryan.

Ryan, at the beginning of this challenge,

you announced yourself as the leader

in taking control on that grill.

We didn't see it, we couldn't feel it,

and our guests today certainly didn't eat it.

- Brynn, James, back with your team, please. - Yes, Chef.

Ryan, you came in like a whirlwind in this competition.

We fell in love with the audition,

but today unfortunately fell somewhat flat.

But I think this competition has proven that you've got a desire to continue in this industry,

and fingers crossed you're gonna continue that trajectory.

Definitely gonna continue, Chef.

Good. Come and say goodbye, bud.

- Love you, Ryan. - Love you, Ryan.

You know, it sucks to go home. It does.

- Good luck, chef. - All right, thanks.

- Thank you. - Ryan. Excellent, buddy.

I was finishing the pork chops.

I took the responsibility, I knew the risk,

and I didn't deliver.

But it's a blessing to have made it this far

in the competition.

A few years ago I was in a dark place,

and to be able to turn that around

and accomplish so much is awesome.

This is one more step for my life for the better,

and the future is definitely bright for me.

Next time on "MasterChef"...

Another mystery box.

...the top 17 face an unusual mystery box challenge.

There's just one box per region.

- Ooh. - Jennifer, you get to choose one region

that will start ten minutes later.

- Oh, no.

Let's go. Let's go. Lizzie, come on, you gotta speed up.

I don't think I've done it before.

- I hope you've thought this through. - What is that?

- You played it all wrong. -That is a shock.

We've decided it wouldn't be fair

to send only one of the bottom cooks home tonight.