Last time on "next level chef"...
Gordon: You'll be cooking one next level dish,
and we'll each choose five of you
to mentor across this competition.
Whoo! This is not like cooking at home.
Gordon: My first pick, that processed meat.
- Welcome to team nyesha. - Welcome to team blais.
You guys are done for. I've got my winner.
And tonight...
For today's challenge, a next-level steak dinner.
- Whoo! Steak down. - Was that a protein?
The best dish will keep their entire team safe from elimination.
Time to bring the heat.
Gordon: Our bottom two dishes will go head to head in elimination,
where one of you will go home.
My reputation is on the line as well. I do not want to lose.
- Anything can happen... - That is raw.
...And it's happening.
- This is not gonna break me. - ( bleep )
( theme music playing )
wow, look at those new aprons.
Team ramsay, are you guys ready to go?
- All: Yes, chef! - I'm feeling so excited
because I'm on team ramsay.
This makes it, like, "offish." like, y'all see my apron?
Team nyesha! Five culinary assassins looking their very best.
- You guys ready? - All: Yes, chef.
Are we gonna bring it, team blais?
- ( cheering ) - yeah!
Now, last week, you all felt the heat
of those three incredible kitchens.
But now you each have an amazing mentor
to take you through this competition.
Now, throughout the competition,
you all be tested across all three levels.
Each team will be randomly assigned a kitchen to cook in.
For each challenge, we want you to prove
that you can create magic in any environment,
even when the odds are stacked against you.
Bottom line is, guys, put your heart and your soul into these dishes.
Because in this competition, just like in real life,
you're only as good as your last dish.
Listen to this because it's incredibly important.
The chef who creates the best dish in this challenge
will keep their entire team safe from elimination.
- Ooh, please. - Wow.
- And believe me, you want to stay safe. - Yes.
Because after the challenge, two of you will be sent
into a head to head battle to determine who's going home.
Reuel: Time to bring the heat.
I want those other teams to shake in fear.
I want them to feel that, hey, chef ramsay's team
is going to be a problem.
Now, for today's challenge, we're gonna start with something
a next-level chef should be able to cook
in their sleep-- a perfect steak dinner.
Ooh.
Cooking the perfect steak is an art.
Every single decision you make can have huge consequences
or huge rewards.
I know how to cook steak.
In the first cooking challenge, being picked last,
it just screws with you. It is definitely redemption day.
There's lots of different cuts of beef,
and the platform's gonna be packed with all of them.
From the most expensive cut down to the cheapest pieces of meat,
a great chef can make something special out of any of them
if you know what to do with it.
So prove to us you're a next-level chef
by knowing how to cook whatever steak you end up with.
I'm thinking it's very doable.
We have two girls from texas. I'm from the midwest.
Like, I'm planning to save our entire team with a winning dish.
I could literally cook a steak with my eyes closed
and just know exactly when to turn it.
When your time begins, you'll grab one cut of beef
and whatever other ingredients you need
to turn that into a next-level steak dinner.
All: Yes, chef.
Nyesha: We're all looking for the best steak dish
from each one of these individuals,
but at the end of the day, I want to see my team win.
This is my competition to fight for.
I expect all of you honestly
to level-up your dishes from here on out.
And be prepared for some surprises.
- Oh, no - ae: Let's go!
There's gonna be a surprise and it's not gonna be so fun.
But maybe it is. You never know what you're gonna get.
- Team blais. - Yes, sir. Let's go!
It's time to find out what level you're gonna be cooking on.
First, go grab a key card
and head on over to the elevator.
I'm not grabbing it this time.
All right.
- ( beeps ) - let's go, guys!
- Bye! - Bye!
I don't want the basement.
- Go back up, go back up. - ( squeals )
- it's the basement, guys. - Welcome to the dungeon.
- Dun-dun-dun. - This is...
The bottom level is torture.
Come on, we got this. We got this.
- Don't do it to me. - No, it's a trick. It's a trick.
They're going to bring us back down.
- Yeah! - Ooh!
- Top kitchen again! - ( cheering )
yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
This is my old station.
I'm back!
- Y'all had six burners? - Basement was one thing.
If you give me the tools for success, it's game on.
( muttering )
I'm not scared of the basement.
I cooked that whole entire first meal with a knife and a tong.
- Middle kitchen. - Yes.
Yes, baby. I love it.
- We got it. - We got this, girl.
Perfect. I've seen a kitchen like this.
It's way better than my home kitchen.
But I don't feel like a stranger in a strange land.
If this is middle, what does top look like?
- Insane. - I'm so ready right now.
When the food gets down here,
you're gonna have next to nothing.
I am pissed that I am down here again.
I'm just gonna fly my dog and my wife out here.
We're just gonna live in the basement.
These burners have two speeds,
and it's zero and ( bleep ) inferno.
I'm so mad I'm here right now.
- All right, team blais. Let's go. - Aw, yeah!
I'm a home cook from a town of 3,400.
And I really love getting outside opinions,
especially from somebody so experienced as richard blais.
I'm your mentor. I want five people to be the next level chef.
And we're chefs, we're competitive.
We're competing against each other as well.
- We got it. - Gordon: Good luck, girl.
Thank you, chef. You, too.
- I'm gonna kick your ass. - ( laughs )
what's up, team? Let's go. Yes!
Yes! Yes! Yes.
I'm so excited to be on chef nyesha's team.
She carries a lot of confidence with her,
and so I'm hoping to really learn a lot from her in that sense.
- One, two, three! - All: Winners!
Hi, chef!
- Let's go, come on! - Yes!
- Man! We good? Let's go. Right. - Yes!
- This is time to shine. State of the art kitchen. - Yes.
- Hundred percent. - We have to win this.
I do not want to lose against nyesha and richard blais.
I want those judges downstairs to be blown away by you five.
- Is that clear? - Heard, chef!
Line up at the back. The platform is on its way.
- We got this, y'all. We got this. - 30 seconds.
It's gonna go quick, okay?
Make sure you grab all the ingredients you need
to make your stunning dish.
- Gordon: It's moving. - It's moving.
When that turns green, we're going.
Here we go. Let's go!
One perfect steak dinner. Let's go.
Cream of the crop.
Only two-- only three potatoes.
Here's shallots? Anyone need shallots?
- Rosemary! - Lime!
Am I about to have a heart attack?
I don't think I can feel my nose. Is this a stroke?
- It's horrible. - Oh, my god.
- Gordon: Go, go, go, go! - We have curry! We have mushrooms!
Woman: Does anyone see a new york strip?
- New york strips right here. - Thank you.
- Garlic? - Rosemary.
- Do we need onions? - Gordon: Five, four...
- Any garlic? Oh. - Three, two...
- Does anyone see thyme? - ...One, let go!
- Let go! - I dropped a tomato.
Nyesha: It's coming, guys. Go!
Pyet: My eyes and my mind cannot focus.
You kinda just start, like, becoming panicked and frantic.
What are we getting? Do we have starches?
- Ooh. - Okay.
Last time, my steak was cooked horribly.
So this is my chance right here
to prove that the texan can do beef.
Whoo! Damn it.
- Oh! - Was that a steak?
A gift from the heavens!
( groans )
I have this beautiful flat iron steak and I drop it.
- Steak down, steak down. - And it goes straight down.
Okay, steak down, steak down.
Nyesha: Come on, amber.
The platform grab is everything.
We can't just be throwing products everywhere.
I'm looking for the next level chef.
Three! Come on, guys! We got it.
Time's up! Grab your ingredients.
Only what you need. Grab your ingredients.
Blais: Go! Go!
- Think clearly. - ( muted chatter )
- ( bleep ) - the only thing that's left is beef liver.
I don't even know what to do with it.
Oh, that's right. And I look underneath and grab that steak.
Blais: Whatever you can grab.
You only got a couple seconds left, team blais.
Grab your last things. You can grab it until goes.
Grab it until it goes. There we go! There we go!
- Oh! Whoo! - All right, team blais.
What happened up there with that steak?
Thanks for the flat iron!
Meat gods, I'd like to thank you.
I probably should buy a lottery ticket.
Nyesha: 45 minute starts now.
Make sure that steak is shining.
I cannot believe I did that.
That was a beautiful piece of meat.
I'm horrified. Like, girl, you're not doing this again.
You are not screwing up a steak challenge.
- Starting strong, starting strong. - Let's do it.
Let's show the rest of these teams how it's done.
Come on, guys. We got this. Let's go.
Let's do this, team ramsay!
- We wanna win, come on. - Make sure you're breathing.
- I didn't grab any veg. - What's wrong?
I didn't grab any veg. I mean, I got my parsnip, but I wanted--
- is that it? - I know I could do better,
and I'm just not showing how I'm talented.
I got here for a reason,
and I feel like I'm disappointing myself.
I'm not doing the best that I can,
so I'm frustrated a little at myself.
I can do so much better.
I really need to show chef ramsay
that I'm a solid draft pick.
You didn't go wrong.
What's wrong?
I'm not doing the best that I can,
so I'm frustrated a little at myself.
I'm here to help you.
We gotta get rid of those nerves.
- I got to get rid of them. - Okay?
I'm in my head, and I need to go back to my hands and my heart
and cook like I love cooking.
I need to figure it out because I want to be here.
I want to be the next level chef.
I don't have a lot of ingredients,
but if my dad had these ingredients,
he'd make a feast for everyone.
I want to kind of tap in to my jamaican roots.
I'm doing a very light rub on the wagyu.
- Head up, let's go. - I'm doing this for my little island.
Gordon: Top floor kitchen today for team ramsay,
and they've all got an amazing cut of beef.
Fingers crossed we'll get that dish today,
and that'll keep us safe from elimination.
Nyesha: How are we getting flavor into those short ribs?
Number one, you gotta cook a steak right.
That is gonna be the last thing that happens
because it's gonna be so quick.
- Being from texas? - I mean, that hurt.
They're not gonna let you back.
No, it really did. It genuinely hurt.
I am amber from austin, texas, and I am a home cook.
I am a quintessential texas girl in many ways.
I am frequently an issue. Hi, babies.
My favorite thing to do
is cook for my friends and family.
I'll be honest, when I serve a dish,
I'm always going for sex sounds.
That's my sort of litmus test for how good the food is.
Their whole body slumps and their head goes back and they're just like--
they do that, I'm like, "oh, yeah."
a year-long mentorship with these chefs?
It would be life-changing.
I would be able to really cook on a larger scale,
to start doing some private cheffing
and touch more hearts and tummies.
I still have time to save myself.
Nyesha: Amber needs to step up.
Last challenge, amber's steak was overcooked,
but I think that she has the potential
to go very far in this competition.
The time is "cook faster."
cook with intention.
Richard: All right, you're around 30 minutes,
a little less than, okay, team?
Whoo! All right! Yeah!
My reputation is on the line as well.
I do not want to lose, okay?
Oh, I got a plan.
Lord only knows if it's gonna work.
Uh, you are a minimalist.
Last time, you only had a couple of ingredients.
This time you have maybe even less.
I have a flat iron.
Are you gonna wash it off or something like that?
- I don't know. - Yeah, I could wash it off.
Rosemary, ketchup, and a shallot.
You chose these things.
Yeah, I'm gonna do a barbeque sauce,
and I'm gonna pickle this shallot.
I mean, you might as well just pop open
- a can of beer down here. - God, yeah.
- Okay, gary, are you feeling it, gary? - Oh, yeah!
Gary: Chef blais I've seen on a million different shows.
I'm so excited to work with him.
As a kid, I was always attracted to fire.
- I loved fire. - Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
And I'm very loud as a person.
"normal people scare me!"
and it's just funny, 'cause my mother would always yell at me to,
"shut up! You're being too loud."
now here I am, the loudest ( bleep ) on tiktok.
Wagyu brisket!
( bleep ) it up with the rub!
Wrap it in some paper and let it ride!
And I'm making money doing it.
I ( bleep ) love barbecue!
- Gary is feeling it all of a sudden. - All right, okay.
- All right, ae. - Whoo!
All right, we're back at it, right?
Okay, I got some thin-sliced steak.
- By choice? - No!
- Okay, all right. Right. This is what was left. - Bottom of the barrel.
- I'm going to finesse a bulgogi beef situation. - Okay.
Thin-sliced steak. Buddha, help me.
That's what this is about. We're in the basement.
- We're making it happen. - Oh, my god, I'm stressed.
All my friends upstairs I know got bold, delicious, vibrant cuts of meat.
I'm feeling petty, I'm feeling sad.
But I'm like, "you know what?
This is not gonna break me.
I'm gonna maximize. Whatever I gotta do."
- how is everyone feeling? - Great, chef.
- Doing great, chef. - You planning on plating on time today, sergio?
- Oh, yeah. I'll be ready for you. - Yeah, you are. Let's go.
My man's awake today.
- How much time is left. - Thyme is right here.
- No, time left in the game. - Oh.
Nyesha: I want my team to win because I believe I chose
the right chefs to bring it home.
And I want to nurture them and see them grow
because that's the investment I have in them.
And of course I want to beat richard and gordon.
Let's be honest, we got five of the best cuts.
Ooh, there we go.
This is it, guys. We wanna win. Come on.
- Kenny, talk to me. - I'm gonna go with a filet.
The rolls-royce. What are you doing with the eggs?
- Gnocchi. Yeah. - A gnocchi?
A gnocchi's gonna be a nightmare to get done.
Get that in early. Let's go.
- Yes? - Done deal.
Richard: Courtney, this is redemption day.
Have you cooked with a hanger steak before?
I've never cooked with a hanger steak before.
The hanger steak's a really special cut of meat, actually.
There's only one per cow.
Ooh, I got a good cut of meat.
Somebody up above didn't realize what this was
and I'm thankful that it made its way to the basement.
I mean, the stakes are high,
and I want to do my absolute best.
Because if I can save the four other people around me,
I'm happy to do that.
Ooh. Why did I do that? Nobody knows.
All right, mariah, you're the first-round draft pick.
- No pressure, no pressure. - Oh, thanks, yeah.
I'm thinking about doing a play, like,
instead of chicken and waffles, cube steak and waffles.
- Cube steak, that could be tricky. - Yeah.
- Go with your instincts. - Okay, will do, chef. Thank you.
Come on. Top flight kitchen, top flight dishes, yes?
- All: Yes, chef! - All right, look at me, all of you.
I told you there's a surprise. What goes well with a steak?
Steaks need heat.
Nyesha: We warned you about surprises.
- Let's go, let's go. - Okay.
Oh, my god, what is happening?
Why is that thing-- why is that thing coming down?
Richard: Listen, you didn't think we'd have just one
- platform drop, did you? - Oh, no!
The platform is dropping.
You know what steak needs? Steak needs some heat.
- It needs some spice. - What in the hell is going on?
Like, we already picked our item.
This is serious. The fun has stopped.
- Why? Why? - Oh, my gosh.
What's happening right now? What is happening?
I told you there's a surprise.
What goes well with a steak?
- Chilis. - Steaks need heat.
My team, we are strong. We're super strong.
And I'm gonna test these chefs in every way possible,
to really find out who is that next level chef.
Each of you grab a chili
and infuse it across your dish.
You've gotta use it! Let's go!
Ten seconds!
Devonnie: Basically, I think it's a gift from the gods
because I know what to do with this!
- Devonnie: Yes! - We use a lot of pepper in jamaican cuisine,
so I decide to grab the habanero pepper.
Gordon: Five, four...
I'm gonna pickle these,
add a nice little element to my dish. Good.
Gordon: ...One, and go!
Well done! Chilis! We need the heat.
Nyesha: Let's get some chilis.
On the platform. Go get your chilis.
- Okay. All right. - Let's go, let's go, let's go.
A next level chef knows how to adapt.
Anything can happen, and it's happening.
So I grab what I think are sichuan peppers.
They're diablo peppers,
which I've never used.
Steak needs some heat, it needs some spice.
You have to grab a chili pepper. You have to use it in your dish.
You can grab as many as you want.
Huge curve ball. Ugh!
I already got this dish going.
- Ah! - Oh! Oh!
- This isn't good. - I thought it was gonna be steak.
- ( laughing ) - but it wasn't.
- Aw, man, we're crushing it. - Roice, tell me what you got.
So I got a tomahawk rib-eye.
- Man, how happy are you right now? - Pretty happy.
Did not grab a starch in time,
so I'm gonna create my own starch.
I'm gonna create a thyme and brown butter cracker.
Smart. I love the idea, roice, of the biscuit, yeah?
- Thank you, chef. - Love it.
I knew I forgot a starch.
But I can make a brown butter cracker,
and I know they're gonna die for that.
All the juices on that plate are gonna get soaked
right up by that cracker.
What's it feel like to have the rib cap
on the back of that processed beef?
- Better than potted meat, right? - I'll say.
I'm gonna do a jerk rib cap and an asparagus puree.
Dude, those hands are shaking.
What do you expect? You're in front of me.
Closest I've been to you is youtube, so...
You do not look like a guy that shakes. Come on, man!
Nothing to be nervous about, reuel.
Gordon: 20 minutes to go.
Remember, two of you will be cooking off in an elimination,
and I don't want it to be anyone from my team.
We need to beat those two kitchens downstairs, yes?
- Yes, chef. - Yes, chef!
Come on. Let's go.
Nyesha: Ten minutes, guys.
Cook with your gut. Cook with intention.
We got flambé. Okay, chef zachary.
Watch them eyebrows. Let it-- just let it be.
- I only have half eyebrows anyway. - Just let it burn off.
Working like lightning speed, girl.
We trying to make moves happen over here.
Pyet: I am making a pan-seared tri-tip steak
with ginger glaze, carrots, and sautéed bok choy.
I'm cleaning my bok choy now, trimming it,
letting it kinda air dry. I'm gonna sauté it at the end.
- Nyesha: Where are you from? - I'm from kansas city, but I live in la now.
- Oh, so you're familiar with tri-tip. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I mean, I don't cook it very often,
but I think I know what I'm gonna do with this.
- Okay, good. - My name is pyet.
I'm from kansas city.
I'm a social media chef
and I am native american.
I grew up on a reservation most of my childhood.
I moved to los angeles to follow my dreams
of being a big-time chef
and wasn't making a lot of money.
I couldn't even pay rent, so I was living out of my car.
I was at my lowest low trying to figure out why I'm doing this.
It all was circling around bringing pride to my people,
and, like, how can I do that through food?
And I started focusing on that.
That's when things really started to turn around for me.
When I win the next level chef competition,
I plan on using the money
to open up a few pop-up restaurants
where I'm able to cook and showcase
native american food to the public.
I also want to buy a new car.
( laughs )
in case I have to live in it again.
It'll be nice and big.
Oh, yeah. That's that sear I want.
Oh, I love that sizzle! Whoo!
- Is that a roux? - It is a roux.
Gonna make a little béchamel.
I'm going to do a seared top round
with a swiss chard gratin.
A top round's probably a little tough.
Yeah, I'm worried about the top round myself.
The thing you have to be careful about
is that it can be tough, right?
The other teams are up there cooking with wagyu beef,
so you have to take this top round to the next level.
I'm incredibly nervous about this cut of meat.
I've cooked it before. It was not great.
With this competition, there comes a lot of self-doubt.
You know, "do I belong here?"
I'm a home cook from a town of 3,400.
It is a heavy weight to prove myself.
Remember, we're the first floor that plates.
Nyesha: Make sure there's balance between the protein
and the starch. Make sure there's balance.
Produce a little more.
- Two minutes, guys. Start plating. - Heard.
Woman: Heard, chef.
Amber, put your plate down so you can plate on it.
Bring the food-- it's not funny.
No, I'm sorry, you're right. Yes, chef.
Last two minutes. Here we go.
Oh, my god. My hands are shaking so bad.
Let's go, team blais. Your platform is here and you've got 15 seconds.
You have 15 seconds!
- Eight, seven, six, five. - Oh, that looks good.
Did you get everything on there?
- Yes. - Three, two, one.
- Good job, everybody. - ( cheering )
- yeah! - Yes! Whoo!
Platform's coming. Let's go, let's go!
Look at that valet service. Valet!
You know how good it feels to not have to jump this time?
- Let's go! Exactly, let's go! - That's right, baby.
- Let's go, let's go. - Whoo!
Gordon: Come on. Come on, come on.
We have got to plate, guys.
- Five, four, three... - There we go.
...Two, one, and go.
- And, yo, we're done! - Well done! Well done.
- Good work. - Oh, ( bleep ). Biscuits.
Oh, no. My four biscuits are still there.
I forgot to plate them. I'm gutted.
I have the absolute best kitchen to cook in,
and I made another mistake.
I forgot another thing for my dish.
Roice, don't do this to me. What's wrong with you?
I didn't choose you for that. Smarten up.
I'm looking for the next level chef.
Now, each of us have no idea who cooked what on the other kitchens.
Yes, we each want our team to win,
but the integrity of the dishes are always the first priority.
We'll be basing all our decisions purely on taste,
presentation, and how you conceptualized that next-level steak.
Richard: The top dish of the day
will get safety for their entire team.
The two losing teams will then have to send someone
into the elimination cook-off.
Each one of us mentors
wants to have the best dish,
or else we're gonna have to put someone in the elimination.
Right, shall we start?
- Nyesha, with the top level? - Yes, chef.
- Okay. - This is the rib cap.
Is that a chive bundle around that asparagus?
- Yeah. Yeah. - The asparagus is peeled?
That rib cap is cooked beautifully.
Potatoes, asparagus-- it's a very cohesive dish.
There's an elegant chili on my palate.
Second dish. New york strip.
As always, the essence, in my mind, is the cook.
- Absolutely. - How did that go?
- Steak challenge. - Oh, no, no.
- Look at that. - Stunning.
To me, this is perfectly cooked.
Stop doubting yourself.
So, this is a filet mignon, the rolls-royce cut.
- Homemade gnocchi. - You made gnocchi?
Slightly under.
- Gnocchi's beautiful. - Soft, pillowy.
Nice riff on steak and potatoes.
- A rib-eye. - Artfully plated.
The onion really wakes this dish up.
- It's sweet, it's spicy. - That's good.
And then, finally, tomahawk.
So, this individual decided to make the most amazing cracker
- but forgot to put them on. - Bummer.
This would have been a huge selling point in our choice.
Oh, no. I don't want to go home.
Hopefully that tomahawk was good enough.
- I'm just super stressed. - Next up, mid floor.
Tri-tip.
- That cook. - Whoo.
The actual cook is absolutely perfect,
and a tough protein to get right.
You have nice crust on this. It's rested.
Gordon: But the bok choy doesn't make sense.
You can't put that on raw.
Whoever cooked this, this stuff is horrible raw.
Pyet: Dagger in the stomach.
I walked into this challenge feeling extremely confident.
And, like, what was I thinking when I grabbed that bok choy?
- Next one? - This is the flank steak.
- It's cooked beautifully. - It's gorgeous.
Yeah, it's got this rustic charm, this dish.
- This is someone who cooked a lot of red meat before. - Flavor.
- The seasoning's on point. - Absolutely.
The one thing it needs for me is the heat.
- I can't taste the chili. - Next one, skirt steak.
Unfortunately, inside it's actually raw
because it's a solid mass.
Very hard to swallow.
- Next one? - This is a top round, yes.
- Plating looks a little bit dated. - Yes, very dated.
Clearly the elevator also stops in 1984.
So, whoever cooked this, I don't know if you're a social media star,
a home cook, or a restaurant chef,
I don't give a ( bleep )
because that right there is cooked beautifully.
There's love on that plate.
- The final dish? - Final dish, we have a short rib.
This person grabbed three ingredients--
petit onion, sweet potato, and short rib,
and sesame seeds as a garnish.
And those sesame seeds, they look like birdseed
at the bottom of my granddad's cage for his parrot.
- Wow. - My grandmother, as a korean immigrant,
would be ashamed to see any sort of sesame not toasted.
They just seem like an afterthought.
- There's no seasoning on there whatsoever. - Zero.
I'd love to taste a little bit of more chili throughout this.
To cook a bad steak twice? It brings shame on me.
I know that my friends and family love me no matter what,
but every other texan is gonna be sending me hate mail.
- Shall we? Basement, richard, please? - Yep.
Richard: I'm excited for gordon and nyesha
to taste my team's food.
They may not have had the best ingredients or equipment,
but I think their tastes are gonna shine through.
This is a flat iron steak that fell from the sky into this kitchen.
- What? What? - Yes.
- You dropped it. - Mm-hmm. Shh. Shh.
Did any other vegetables fall from the ceiling?
No, but, thank goodness that these hatch chilies
did arrive in the mid-round drop.
- Shall we? - Yes.
There was no seasoning on that meat.
And the barbecue sauce is a little too sweet.
Brutal. Brutal.
I'm really feeling like I need a drink.
All right, next up, a korean barbecue inspired dish.
- Bulgogi chopped beef. - Is this chili meant to be a garnish or eaten?
That was hidden in there purposefully undercover
- for one of those-- - sabotage.
Well, the actual beef is delicious.
I want to get that inside a little lettuce cup
- and do a wrap. - So much flavor in there.
It's good. Is that a waffle?
It's chicken-fried cube steak and waffles.
- Basement kitchen. - Kudos, whoever done that.
Um, and the steak, to get one of the cheapest,
the kind of cut that my mum would serve us
every Friday or Saturday night, it takes me home.
Very, very inventive.
A hanger steak with a carrot top chimichurri.
So, steak is just on the raw side.
When you have that white fat, that is so solid.
- Never had a chance to render. - That, unfortunately, is raw.
What a shame.
- Oh. - ( bleep )
- what a shame. It's just raw. - It's undercooked.
- What a shame. - I'm extremely disappointed in myself.
I know how to cook a steak.
"you screwed this ( bleep ) up again."
top round steak with a swiss chard gratin.
I can't believe that this dish comes from the basement.
It's a piece of art. The color on the panko breadcrumbs.
- Gorgeous. - Is there anything more
inviting than buttery breadcrumbs?
What?
- Gratin are exceptional. - Delicious.
This is exactly what this competition is here to prove--
that an excellent chef can make magic
no matter what level they're on.
Nyesha: Just a beautiful burst of chili.
It is a pleasant sort of burn there in the end.
- What? - Amazing.
Jonathan: When there are titans of industry trying your food
telling you how well you did, it's the ultimate validation.
And sometimes you feel-- whew.
Sorry.
I'm so proud of you.
All of you, please give us a moment.
I'm just sweating. I know I'm going to be in the elimination challenge.
This is tough. Very tough.
What a shame with that tomahawk,
by the way, those crackers.
Top floor kitchen, there's some beauties there.
That rib cap. I know he's on my team, but that's beside the point.
- That's the best dish today. - Very impressed with that.
The utilization of herbs, it was very elegant.
I mean, I think the swiss chard gratin
is one of my favorite things of the whole day.
The fact that it was cooked in the basement?
That looks like a top level--
- yeah. - Absolutely.
- It tasted like a top level. - Absolutely.
For me, my top two, definitely the rib cap
- and definitely the gratin. - Definitely rib cap.
That's no question for me.
Let's go.
There is one dish that we felt hit all the right notes.
Congratulations...
Reuel.
- Yeah. - ( cheering )
- love you. - You saved my ass, man.
So much confidence in this dish.
Reuel, this looks like it comes from a top level restaurant.
If I went to any michelin restaurant and received this, I would not be mad.
I put my soul on that plate.
This is all validation to this point.
I'm here to bring food that slaps.
Team ramsay, you're safe from elimination.
All five of you, well done.
I love you, reuel! You're the best!
Seriously? Gordon wins the first round?
I mean, his team was on the top level.
Look out, gordon. Look out, nyesha.
We're coming for you.
Nyesha and richard,
both of you had to chose one member from your teams
to go into that head to head cook-off.
Nyesha, who are you sending in?
My choice is...
Who are you sending into that head to head cook-off?
Nyesha: This person has an amazing amount of potential,
but I can only take them so far.
It's up to them to perform.
This cook-off might be just what this person needs
to bring the intensity and work under pressure.
Amber.
There's a lot of missing steps
in between the conception of the dish
and the execution of the cook.
I cannot go home on a steak challenge.
Steak twice in a row, as a texan, it's--
it's my favorite food.
It's what I do best.
I'm in shock and disbelief.
Richard, tough decision.
Who are you sending into the head to head cook-off?
Richard: We don't want to send anyone home, but this is tough.
Someone has to go to the elimination.
Courtney, she hasn't showed up two plates in a row now.
Gary isn't grabbing ingredients.
I don't know if he's kind of in the game, so to speak.
It's a tough decision.
My heart is pounding at this point.
My hands are like clams.
I have never had clammy hands in my life ever.
I will send in a chef who I know has got some big flavors.
- It's me. - No, it's me.
It's me. My heart. My heart is just beating.
My dish has not been the best dish twice now.
Gary.
You grabbed only three ingredients today.
I'd like to see a little bit more cohesion in your dish.
But most importantly, I think you're gonna grow from this experience,
and I think you can take amber down.
Okay. What?
These mentors are not playing.
Everybody except amber and gary head to the elevator.
I'll see you on the top floor.
- You got it. - You got this.
- Cook from your heart. - You know how to cook. Cook.
- Good luck, good luck. - Cook.
Each of you struggled earlier in your attempts
to get your steak to the next level.
So let's see what you can do with a feature ingredient
that goes hand in hand with steak,
and that's wine.
Both of you will have 30 minutes
to cook one amazing wine inspired dish.
This is not a position I really wanted to be in.
Gary needs to cook perfectly.
Team blais has to win here.
Amber, I believe in her.
I want to prove that I have a good eye for raw talent.
I know she can do it.
We want to give you every possible chance for survival,
so the platform's going to remain on the floor for the entire cook.
- Thank you. - Yeah.
This elimination, I'll be with you during the cook.
Richard and nyesha will join us after you've finished cooking.
They will taste blindly, then decide whose dish is best.
- Yes, chef. - Yes, chef.
Both of you, head to the elevator.
Next-level dish, top floor kitchen.
Gary: I don't really know much about amber,
but it's me or her, at this point,
and I want to send her home 'cause I want to stay here
and I want to be the next level chef.
Amber: I wouldn't be here if I couldn't win this.
I'm just telling myself, "I don't care what happens.
You do not walk out of here leaving, period."
holy ( bleep ).
- Yeah. Mm-hmm. - That's a kitchen.
You get into the upstairs and it's like you just walked into a ferrari dealership.
This is great.
Right, if there's ever a time for a next-level dish,
it's right now. There's a lot at stake.
Your 30 minutes start...
...Now.
Let's go, guys. Off we go.
One wine-inspired dish.
If it's a white wine/red wine reduction, get the wine on.
Y'all got this, y'all got this.
Do what you know, and do it well.
Gary: First thing I grab is the pork tenderloin.
I love cooking with pork at home.
It's one of my staples in barbecue,
and I feel comfortable working with it.
Okay, good. Chicken breast.
Amber: Chicken really gets people.
If you undercook it, you're going to the hospital.
If you overcook it, you're having an unpleasant meal.
So it's a pretty big risk.
- Nice pans. - All right, come on, come on. Come on, come on, come on.
Why pork tenderloin on a night like tonight?
Very little fat and an absolute nightmare to get right.
- Tell me about it. - I'm gonna grill it in medallions.
So, grilled medallions of pork with what?
Garlic and white wine sauce.
That's good. Think about it visually, okay?
Elevate that thing. 22 minutes to go.
- Watch that reduction. Good luck. - Thank you, chef.
Right, tell me, how you feeling?
Chaotic, but I have got a lemon butter white wine sauce that I like doing.
Gotcha. And how are you going to elevate--
there's also some white wine in that rice.
Okay, cook that nice and slow
so you don't boil that rice, okay?
- Okay. - There you go. Good.
- Whoo! - Oh, no, no.
- Whoo! - Put it down, put it down.
- Put it down. Let it burn. - All right.
What it's like cooking with gordon ramsay
is probably what it's like playing basketball
- with michael jordan. - That's it.
You are out on the court with the top of the top.
You want to impress them, but more than anything,
you just don't want to screw up.
- 18 minutes to go, yes? - Thank you, chef.
- Good job, gary. - Okay, all right. On the bias, beautiful.
Let's start thinking about those potatoes and brussels sprouts.
- Excuse me. - Go.
Gary: There's a lot going on.
I'm not used to this environment.
It's hectic, it's chaotic, it's intimidating.
Gary, you got this. You know what you're doing.
It makes you sweat.
( bleep )
I just burnt the sauce.
- I scorched it. - It's all right, it's all right.
- Breathe, gary, breathe. - You got it.
It's a crucial part of the dish. It has to be there to actually make this dish work.
- You good. Take a breath. - This the last thing I need
when I only have 30 minutes to make this dish.
( bleep )
I just burnt the sauce.
( bleep )
- what happened? - I burnt the sauce.
- How'd you burn it? - I wasn't monitoring it.
Come on, come on, come on. You still got 15 minutes to go.
So now I start over. It's a pretty simple sauce. Just start it over.
Pyet: Why are you using a paring knife to do that?
Girl, I don't know.
There you go. Cook like a chef, baby.
Five minutes to go.
Amber: What I'm concerned about
with my dish is the chicken.
This is not cooking at all.
Heat's-- I'm gonna take it last minute.
Last minute. It's not going quick enough.
I am shaking in my boots.
Gordon: Sixty seconds to go.
Everything you put on that plate now
is worth a quarter million dollars, come on!
Next level, I told you. Let's go!
It's gorgeous.
Get your sauce on there, man!
- Your sauce, gary! - Taste it!
- Okay, awesome. - Good job, gary.
All: Ten, nine, eight, seven...
Six, five, four, three, two, one.
- Gordon: And stop. - Great job, guys!
( cheers and applause )
great job.
Thank you. Thank you, chef.
That's the best dish ever.
( laughter )
it just hit me.
This is a confidence I haven't experienced here yet.
I know this is a good dish,
and, quite frankly, I would like to eat it.
Gordon: Right, both of you, well done.
Now I'm going to ask you that you do not reveal who cooked what dish
because richard and nyesha are tasting these blind.
Super, super professional, is that clear?
Yes, chef.
Gary: I'm pretty confident in what I made.
I made a sauce that I love.
Meat is my wheelhouse.
I think I nailed this dish.
Nyesha, richard, two incredible dishes.
One's a pork tenderloin with sprouts, potatoes.
And the other one is a chicken breast with rice, broccolini.
Both used white wine across their dishes-- the hero of the dish.
Nyesha: It's very challenging to send one of your own in
because they're all kind of like my babies.
But at the end of the day,
I'm looking for the next level chef.
Gordon: We'll start with the chicken.
You have to be insane to cook chicken breast in a moment like this.
'cause if you undercook it, you're gonna get destroyed.
If you overcook it, it's gonna be dry.
It was cooked just right.
But I would have loved to see a little bit more punch.
- Interesting. - I want some modern flavor, a little bit of spice.
Butter sauce, delicious.
I definitely get a pronounced wine flavor.
If anything, I would say a little salt to elevate it,
take it on-- on a journey.
Let's move to the pork, please.
I'm not reading wine.
The pork is seasoned well. The dish is cohesive.
Richard: I'm picking up the wine. I get the acidity.
My knock on this dish is where's the personality?
This is a moment where you gotta let us know who you are.
This is the moment. But two tasty dishes.
Nyesha, the winning dish, in your mind?
This is brutal, but ultimately,
I'm going to pick the dish that is the tastiest,
and I hope it's amber's.
The winning dish for me is...
...The chicken.
If this goes to a tie, I'm going to have to break that.
Richard blais, is it the pork or is it the chicken?
It all comes down to me. This is not--
of course, I'd like my team to advance.
I don't know whose dish is who.
I just have to pick the dish that I preferred here.
I hope that's gary's dish.
The winning dish...
...The chicken.
Congratulations, amber.
Oh! Oh, my gosh!
I am so grateful that I'm still on my journey.
I know that it's by the skin of my teeth.
This is not cooking at home.
What's good enough for home is not good enough for here,
and I have got to level up.
Gordon: Which means, gary,
unfortunately you will not be the next level chef.
But, young man, I don't think we've seen the last of you.
It definitely sucks that it's me to go home first.
Second one, fine. First one, no.
But this is not the last you're gonna hear from me.
- Good job, gary. - Good job.
- I'm just getting started. - Bye, gary.
- Tough. - Very difficult.
Richard: Team trailblaisers,
we lose our first player in the game.
I got four players left,
but they're four dynamite chefs,
great stories, lots of personality,
and even more importantly, delicious food.
If you thought this was tough,
wait till you see us next time.
Cook knowing that it could be your last time.
Listen to your mentors. We want the best. Good night.
- Good night. - Night, chefs.
- Thank you, chefs. - Thank you.
- Amber, you killed it. - Girl!
Y'all, I'm grateful to all of you.
Gordon: Next time on "next level chef"...
Your main challenge for today is devoted to Italy.
- Let's go. - I make money with meatballs. I'm in this to win it.
I grabbed the lobster.
I have never cooked a live lobster.
I'm making rookie mistakes. Oh, my god. Come on.
Courtney: Jonathan is a hot mess.
Jonathan: We have to completely start over.
( bleep ) I could be in the bottom two today.
What's happening right now?
Chef ramsay is always like, "expect surprises."
okay, but can't they be good ones?
- Oh, my god. - Ahh!