Gordon: Previously on "next level chef"...
You'll tackle one of the trickiest proteins out there-- seafood.
Gordon: At the end of today the worst three dishes will head into the elimination.
Only one of you will come back.
The winning dish in your mind?
- The shrimp salad. - Shrimp salad.
Gordon: Ae, congratulations, young lady.
Jonathan, zach, you will not be the next level chef.
Listen carefully.
Everything you know about this competition
is about to change.
Tonight...
It's time to remove those aprons.
From now on, you'll be battling it out all alone.
Ae: Teams are no longer existing.
Reuel: It's wartime.
I can outcook these chefs.
- Tricia, don't overdo it! - ( bleep )
pyet: I put so much of myself into this.
It's more than a competition for me.
Kenny: I got my kids to make proud.
I don't wanna do good. I wanna win.
Your climb to the top starts today.
Welcome back.
Line up, please. How we feeling?
- Great. - I'm good.
Listen carefully.
I told you all last time
that the game was about to change,
and that starts right now.
It's time to take the training wheels off.
I want all of you right now
to remove those aprons.
Because you won't need them anymore.
The team competition is over.
I'm freaking out. I'm panicking.
"chef, what's happening?"
over there in the back are your new individual aprons.
Time for you all to stand on your own.
From now on, you'll be battling it out alone
with no one to save you from elimination.
This is serious. There's no more teams.
It's angie against the world.
But I think I can outcook these chefs.
Your climb to the top starts today.
From now on, where you cook
will be determined on how you cook.
You cook well, and you'll rise to the top.
Make a mess of things, and trust me,
I promise you, you will fall level by level
all the way down to the basement.
Our bottom dishes compete in the elimination.
And those bottom dishes could come from any level.
- Is that clear? - All: Yes, chef.
Reuel: I feel in my element now. It's wartime.
There's no more courtesy involved.
Please and thank you will be at the end.
I hope I don't crush you while I go up to the platform.
Now for today, you will be placed on a level
that is based off of your specific performances
in this competition so far.
Richard, gordon, and myself
have studied every single one of your dishes
and how much you've progressed
right up to that last seafood challenge.
I cooked a disappointing dish in the seafood challenge,
so I could be cooking in the basement again.
While we're deciding who should cook on what level,
one thing that was very clear,
everyone here needs to prove that they're good enough
to make that climb to the top.
So today, that top level kitchen is closed.
Wow.
You have to earn a place in that top level kitchen.
Interesting.
I have no choice but to make it to the top.
The top level is closed at this point.
The goal is to open it.
Richard: The chefs who delivered the strongest dishes
in the competition thus far will cook on the middle floor.
On the middle level today will be pyet,
tricia,
reuel, and lastly...
Courtney.
Thank you.
It was not that long ago
that I was the last person selected,
and yet I'm here.
I've grown.
All right, for the rest of you,
kenny, mariah, angie, and ae,
you'll be cooking in the basement today.
Mariah: I'm put in the basement.
Um, I don't know, maybe because
I forgot my dish when I was in the basement?
I forgot to put it on the platform.
So I'm like, is this, like, punishment for that?
I don't know.
To get to the next level,
you gotta prove that you can master every protein.
So, the star of today's dish
is pork.
Cooking pork can be a dangerous game.
You've got to coax a lot of flavor in a short amount of time.
I'm gonna be in the middle,
richard's gonna be in the basement,
and gordon's gonna flow through both kitchens.
We're all mentoring these chefs as individuals now,
but this is still very much
a competition between gordon, richard, and myself.
I want to say that I picked the next level chef.
One last thing, let's cut five minutes off this cook time shall we?
- What? - No.
- Sounds good. - 40 minutes...
- Okay. - ( bleep )
gordon: ...For your cook today.
Okay, let's get going. I am pretty excited myself.
Reuel, tricia, pyet, and courtney,
please grab the keycard on the right,
and that'll take you to the middle kitchen. We'll see you soon.
- Good luck, you guys. - Gordon: Good luck.
Good luck, good peoples.
Showtime.
Oh.
Well, I'll take this one.
No one is saying a word.
Y'all know if there's any meat tenderizers?
This is not a team thing anymore.
You know, we used to actually say a prayer
for each other in the elevator.
There was none of that today. No one was praying.
They're probably praying for my downfall.
Right, the rest of you, if I was in your shoes,
- I'd wanna kick their asses. - Oh, yeah.
Grab that remaining keycard and head into the basement.
Richard: Good luck.
Mariah: I'm here to be critiqued,
and if they think that I need to start at the bottom
in order to make it to the top,
then I'm fine with that.
Do your thing. Do your thing.
It's all right, baby. Cook, baby.
I believe that all four chefs of that are on the bottom
have a chip on their shoulder, because being on the bottom,
that means that the other chefs have produced better than you.
You know, you have to play with a chip at this point
because if you don't have a chip on your shoulder, you might as well pack up.
- Cook with love, baby. - We got it.
You can do what you want in the middle.
I'm gonna go skip right over you.
- I'm going to the top. - Cook with love, baby.
All right, let's go, everyone. Let's go.
Kenny, angie, nice to finally get a chance
- to be in the kitchen with you while you're cooking. - Yes, chef.
Ae and mariah, well, we've known each other for a long time now.
They're all individuals, everyone's cooking for themselves
because whoever win this will get mentorship from us for a year.
But gordon, nyesha, and myself, we're always gonna compete.
So I still want the winner to come from original team blais
so that I can say that I found the next level chef.
- Middle floor. - Okay, guys, get excited.
At this stage in the competition,
they're fighting and cooking as individuals.
This is it.
And more importantly, that nose to tail protein, pork,
it needs to be elevated,
and we're not just gonna give $250,000
to somebody that can cook a piece of bacon.
Here we go. 40 minutes now.
Be smart with this pig. The platform is moving.
I'ma try not to push you out of the way, pyet.
- I'm fast. Don't worry about me, baby. - I know.
- When big boy starts moving-- - don't worry about it.
- Don't worry about it. - Okay.
Do not send good cuts to the basement.
- Off you go, guys! - Let's go!
Tricia: A really hoping to get a fatty cut like ground pork
because it's actually very commonly used in chinese cuisine.
Courtney: Anybody see a potato?
I saw ground pork. That's the first thing I grab.
It is perfect.
Plus, I didn't want tricia to get that ground pork either.
Okay. Excuse me. Excuse me.
Oh, my god, pyet is in front of me playing, like, goalie,
making sure I don't touch anything.
And now the ground pork is gone,
so I grab pork tenderloin.
It's the leanest freaking cut.
It has, like, no ( bleep ) fat.
Nyesha: You gotta want this! Bring it to life!
Platform's still here! Grab what you need!
Let's go, let's go!
Apple? Apple, apple, apple.
- Still here. Grab what you need. - Come on, guys.
- Well done. Good. - Nyesha: Only execute. Let's go.
All right, basement, go!
All right, there we go.
What do you need for your dish?
I do cook this delicious pork belly stir fry,
so lo and behold, I see the pork belly!
Thank buddha!
Richard: 20 seconds left. Only 20 seconds.
Oh, my gosh. All these plates are empty.
I see two proteins on the platform.
They both were super thin, no fat.
I grab thinly sliced pork loin.
Oh, my gosh. What am I gonna make with this?
Richard: There we go. Way to make it happen.
Five, four, three, two, one.
If you can grab it, it's yours! If you can grab it, it's yours!
We'll figure out what to do with the extra.
All right, back to your station and let's figure it out.
- Ae can barely hold on to that stuff. - Behind you.
Look at that! Look at that, ae.
Ae: I look at all the ingredients.
All the ingredients are great for a stir fry,
but what does stir fry need?
I should've grabbed some rice, man.
I have no rice. That is the problem.
At this point, I don't even know what I'm gonna do or how I'm gonna do it.
I just feel very insecure.
I'm freaking the ( bleep ) out.
40 minutes to go. Let's go, basement.
Start visualizing, y'all.
Let's see. Let me think, let me think, let me think about this.
You got sliced pork belly? What are you thinking here?
- I wanna do a stir fry pork belly. - Okay.
But I couldn't find rice, so I'm gonna create
a type of veggie rice with the veggies that I have.
- I got a couple. - All right, if you're gonna sell us on a stir fry
and a vegetable rice, you gotta make it look like rice.
Okay. Teams no longer exist, so only I can save myself,
and I can't mess this up.
- Okay, I want you to do well, all right? - Yes.
Okay, keep going. Keep going over there.
Let's go. Hustle, hustle, hustle.
Courtney: Come on, court, you got this.
Gordon: So you got the pork chop, the pork cutlet.
That is a beauty. That's screaming cast iron pan there, right?
- Yes, yes. - Basting, basting. Good girl. Well done.
What the ( bleep ) did you grab, bitch?
Right, what did you grab?
I have pork tenderloin, carrot scallions, sage.
Beautiful. So, that loin, it's like the filet mignon of pork.
What kind of dish are you gonna do?
I wanna make pork wontons, chef.
- Love that. - It's my mom's recipe.
- Mum's recipe? - Yes.
It used to be a family thing before my grandparents passed
to all make these dumplings or wontons together.
So it is something that means a lot to me,
and I really want to do this well.
I wanna make some fried wontons
for some crispiness to put on top.
Okay. I don't want to see three or four renditions of this.
- Do one stunning dish, okay? - Yes, chef. Yes, chef.
- Good to see you here, chef pyet. - Thank you, chef.
Pyet: This competition has been a rollercoaster.
One day you'll be on cloud nine
thinking, "I got this in the bag."
and then the next day you're like,
"ooh, maybe we need to humble yourself."
so to know that I'm in that middle kitchen,
this is definitely making me feel confident.
- What cook did you get? - I have a loin, chef.
Gordon: Wow. Loin. That's a big slab. What are you gonna do with it?
I'm gonna do it pan fried with some spices, some herbs on the outside,
and then I'm going to put some twine on it, finish it off in the oven.
Gordon: It's gotta get in the oven as quick as you can.
- Great choice of cut, by the way. Really good. - Thank you, chef.
35 minutes to go. Keep it going, yes?
- Tricia: Yes, chef. - Let's go.
- How we doing, chef reuel? - We're doing good.
- Whatcha got? - Ground shoulder.
So what I'm gonna do is a play on rasta pasta.
- What is rasta pasta? - Rasta pasta is an italian play on flavors.
You got spice, you have peppers.
- This is more of a homey new dish. - Beautiful.
This is something I will make after a late night of work.
I'm starting to see the cream rise to the top in this competition,
and I have to say, reuel's been there since day one.
Where are you from originally?
Trinidad and tobago. You here the accent?
Beautiful. Yes, totally.
Do you cook trinidadian food traditionally?
I do.
Pan-african food needs to be explored more.
I'm trinidadian, and I haven't been doing the caribbean justice.
My food was good, but it was lacking my soul,
so I'm going to display for the caribbean.
- I can't to wait to see some of that, chef. - Yes.
Let's go, basement.
All right, kenny, it's a pleasure.
- I finally get to be in the kitchen with you. - Yes, chef.
I've enjoyed your food. Being that we're both dads,
is this how you're throwing down for the kids at home?
- Uh, not really. They like fast food. - No?
You know what? I appreciate your honesty, 'cause it's the same way.
Everyone thinks like, "oh, your kids are eating foie gras and bone marrow and caviar."
- not even close. - My kids are eating chicken tenders, dude.
Every day wake up, I wanna do what's right because my kids are watching.
I don't want them to say, "daddy, you did good, but you didn't win."
that's not the point. I don't wanna do good. I wanna win.
So I definitely want the $250,000, but if I do not win,
they're gonna know I gave it everything I got.
So I don't plan on letting them down.
- Do you have a concept yet? - Yes, sir, I'm gonna do
a pan-seared center cut pork chop.
And I'ma do a slow roast, and then I'm gonna come back--
- reverse sear? - Reverse sear it, yes, sir.
- A reverse sear? - Yes, sir.
Kenny: Doing a reverse sear just kind of helps me
develop a different type of flavor.
You slow cook it in the oven till you get to a certain temp,
pull it out and give it a hard sear to give it that crust on it.
- Angie, how are you? - Yes, sir.
You gotta a pork t-bone. They don't have a lot of fish in texas, but how 'bout pork?
Oh, we got pork for days. I have a body built on pork.
You and me both. You and me both.
Okay, so you got some charred peppers working here.
- Yes. - Is that gonna be a sauce?
- I'm developing that in my mind. - Okay.
I'm trying to figure out how to get that done down here in the basement.
I really want the poblano to shine,
and I really think it's going to.
But I need to be working my way up.
It's not okay to stay in the bottom.
All right, mariah, so what is the plan here?
You got sliced pork over here.
I do. I'm thinking about layering it up on some skewers.
- Okay. - And throwing it on the grill.
- Richard: I like that very much. - And then maybe glazing it,
maybe doing, like, an asian barbeque sauce.
- Have you ever made this type of dish before? - No.
Everything I've made up to this point, I've never made before.
I go in with the intention of just doing something fresh and doing something new.
I know I really like channeling international flavors,
and having all these random ingredients thrown at you all the time,
I think it's really pushed the boundaries of my creativity.
This is already the beginning of the sauce for it?
- Yes. - Okay, great. So, again--
- we got some honey in there, gochujang. - Bring these flavors.
I love how you brought morocco to the game.
- Okay. - It looks like we're seeing some movement over here.
All of you, what goes well with pork?
- Sauce. - Sauce.
- Peaches, apples. - Peaches.
When that platform comes down,
15 seconds to grab a stone fruit, guys,
- the perfect compliment with pork. - ( bleep )
- gordon: Here it comes. - Nyesha: Intention, focus!
Never in my life heard anything called "stone fruit,"
so I'm like, "what the hell is a stone fruit?"
- let's go, let's go, let's go. - Gordon: Quick, quick, quick!
Oh, it's just fruits. It's not called stone fruit in the grocery store.
Nyesha: Let's go, guys. Grab what you need!
Gordon: Tricia, wakey-wakey. Let's go.
He's just stoning me to death with this stone fruit.
I'm making chinese wontons with chili oil.
What the hell am I gonna do with a plum?
- Four, three, two, one. - Let's go, tricia.
- Well done. - Good job.
Good. Right.
Richard: Guess what's coming down?
You gotta go grab at least one fruit to work into your dish.
There's some mangos and plums.
Mariah: We have to use stone fruit, which I'm excited about.
'cause I'm like, yes, this gives me another element of freshness to my dish.
Richard: Gotta grab some fruit.
Five, four, three, two, one.
Make sure you got something. Make sure you got something.
You grabbed a plum and some prunes. Great flavors for pork.
Gordon: Well done. 29 minutes to go, okay?
- Tricia, what'd you get? - Plum and dried dates.
I grab a plum because-- honestly, I don't know.
Because I had plum yesterday for dinner?
But there was nothing I could've grabbed that would've fit in my dish.
Gordon: How are you gonna incorporate that stone fruit?
Maybe make gastrique with it?
I don't have anything acidic, so a plum pickle?
Yeah, I mean, be careful there.
Remember what I said about the simplicity.
- Yes, chef. - When you start getting too complicated--
- hey. Look at me. - Not too complicated.
- Your dna disappears. - Yes, chef.
One step at a time. Don't start getting too clever.
- Rein it in now. - Yes, chef.
I wanna be in the top kitchen so much,
but now I'm screwing up something I ate since I was a kid.
Relax, relax.
I'm so nervous because immunity's gone.
I need to save myself, but I don't know if I can.
Let's go. Come on, tricia.
- You have to breathe. You have to breathe. - I'm shaking.
- Nyesha: I want you to stop shaking. - Tricia: Sorry.
Okay. You got this, girl.
I'm definitely a little stressed.
My hands are shaking a little extra.
Still at a little loss what to do with the fruit, chef.
- Okay, what do you have? - Plums and dried dates, chef.
The thing is, you're gonna want to make sure
that we see that plum being used and not hidden.
I needed some more flavor to my wonton filling,
so I'm gonna just pickle them and add them into my soup.
I'm wondering if I eat it,
maybe they just won't know it ever existed.
- Don't stand in the way of yourself, okay? - Yes. I won't.
You can do it. You're here for a reason.
- Thank you, chef. - Okay? Hey, I want a little--
yes! That's what I'm talking about.
- Confidence. - Yes, chef.
Talk to me about your beautiful sauce here.
So I'm literally just sweating down peaches,
mango, lime, cherries, and medjool.
23 minutes to go. Still over halfway, guys, yes?
Nyesha, you got two seconds?
The top loin, pyet went straight for it,
which I don't know how she's gonna get that cooked in 40 minutes.
If she gets that cooked right, it could steal the show.
Nyesha: Excellent.
You were not lying at all about tricia's nerves.
- She is anxious in her cooking. - Yeah.
When she trips over is when she overcomplicates things.
Yes. Reuel said he wants to bring more of those trinny flavors.
- Mm-hmm. Smart. - I was a little bit surprised
that he took the ground pork, but he's meant to elevate that.
Good. Halfway, guys.
This is so close now.
We are halfway through, so it's time for me
to check out how they're doing in the basement.
20 minutes remain. Only 20 minutes.
I don't even know what the ( bleep ) I'm doing with this.
So you got this vegetable rice.
Yeah, put some panko in it too to thicken it up.
You're going to put breadcrumbs in the vegetable rice?
As someone who eats vegetable rice because I don't do carbs,
I'd hate for someone to put breadcrumbs in it.
- Guys, we're halfway. - What's up, chef?
Well done, guys. 18 minutes.
All right, give me an upload.
All right, lots of great ideas.
Kenny's got, you know, 19 things working.
- No! I told him edit it. - In a good way. He's editing.
Same thing with angie over here. She's got a lot going on.
She's got a pork t-bone porterhouse.
It's a big, thick, monster cut.
- Gordon: Angie, great choice of cut. - Yes, chef.
I look up, and oh, my gosh, I'm cooking with chef ramsay.
How are you gonna elevate this?
I'm trying to pull off a relleno.
- Okay, in 40 minutes? - I'm gonna try.
- Wow, really? - I've done it before.
You're going all out, aren't you?
Angie: Even though I cooked in the basement
with him the first time, I'm so nervous.
I mean, when you only see him on tv,
you don't realize he's built like a god.
Need some heat in there, no?
Angie: I get really nervous when he's in the kitchen
'cause I don't want to cook.
I just wanna stare at him and grab his biceps really.
That's the money there, okay? They need to brushed and basted, okay?
Otherwise they're gonna go dry.
But I don't have time for this.
I've got a competition to win.
- Right, my man, what did you grab? - How we doing, chef?
I got a center cut pork chop.
I got some pinot noir, some bourbon.
Good. 11 minutes to go.
Richard, wow. Man, there's some cooking in here.
- Yes. - Kenny's got the loin. Almost like a pork chop.
Richard: He's doing the reverse sear. I'm not sure about that.
Just put it in the pan, let it rest.
But it needs to be doused with butter.
He needs fat in there, otherwise it's gonna go too dry.
- What's going down? - Hey.
Nyesha: Poached? You got a little acid in there?
Vinegar. Don't judge me now.
Never. It's only my job.
So you woke up and you choose to be this way today. I see.
Nyesha: Guys, we have ten minutes!
That's why I didn't see the potatoes. They're over at your station!
In my mind, I have this idea of these potatoes that I've made in the past.
It cooks down and crisps to the point
where you can actually see through the potato because of how thin it's cut.
These potatoes are what's going to bring this dish to life.
- You check your pork? - Yes.
- Make sure you're rotating that. - Yes, chef.
It's clear to me that pyet is a strong force.
She has a relentless will to get better.
Make sure it's cooked thoroughly.
Ooh! Oh, my god.
Fire in the basement!
Richard: You got a little fire over here.
- Mariah: Okay. - You keep going.
- So many fires down here. - Basement.
Richard: We're plating very soon, right?
- Yes, chef. - Yes.
Gordon: Two minutes to go, guys.
Boy, oh, boy, you should see the dishes downstairs.
- Nyesha: Start plating! - Ahh!
Now the finishing magic comes in, please, courtney?
- Yes. - Good girl. Take your time. Take your time.
Hone it in. Bring it home.
- Beautiful. - Yes. Excellent.
They're just too thin. They were too thin.
I pulled out my potatoes.
A stupid mistake.
And I can't even pull the parchment paper
apart off of it to even put it on the dish.
Pyet, if you keep on forgetting your dish
and you mess around with the garnish,
I'm gonna get really, really frustrated.
Heard, chef.
I don't have much time left.
I have to completely just get rid of the potatoes.
I have to revert to the carrot corn
and then the stupid broccoli.
My excitement for this dish is dying.
75 seconds to go.
- Okay. - Last edits right here.
- Oh, my god, that looks delicious. - Thank you, chef.
Richard: You gotta just make sure this is tight.
- Kenny: For sure, chef. - That looks glossy.
You're selling it to me, ae.
Pulling a rabbit out of the hat again perhaps over here.
Ae's dish is looking good. Mariah's dish is looking good.
The two chefs that I drafted, I hope they can get to the top level.
40 seconds left. Platform is on the move.
Get ready to move with it. Mariah, are you gonna make it?
- Yes, chef! - 30 seconds.
( bleep ). That's hot.
The platform is here! You gotta get your plate over there.
- 15 seconds left! - Let's go, girls.
- Richard: Ae, let's go! - Kenny: Come on, ae, baby.
- Come on, ae, baby. - Angie, kenny, let's go.
Seven, six, five,
- four, three, two, one. - It looks amazing.
- Nothing you can do now. - Looks amazing.
- Damn, yours looks good, girl. - Looks amazing.
- It looks amazing. - Gordon: 25 seconds.
Lovely, now clear the plate. Now put some more slices on top of that.
Sandwich it. Well done. 20 seconds to go.
Tricia, don't overdo it!
- Nyesha: Platform's here, team! - 15 seconds to go.
- Breathe, breathe, breathe. - Less is more, girl.
- Clear your plate. Let's go! - Nice.
- Eight. Please. - Platform's here. Let's go, chefs.
- Seven, six, five... - Push, push, push.
...Four, three, two, one.
And stop. Well done!
When that garnish isn't on--
messing around all that time, and if I was gonna
crisp those potatoes, I'd stick them on top.
It looked beautiful, but don't get caught on the garnish.
Pyet: I got thrown off by a small detail,
and now I'm feeling a little vulnerable.
Like, I'm not feeling as strong and confident.
How many times in our kitchens do we have to say, "let go of it."
- yes. Every single time. - You're right, chef.
Because it's not the hero. The hero's the pork.
After that, it's the stone fruit.
And if you're gonna crisp up the potato, you don't sit it underneath.
I put so much of myself into this,
so it's more than a competition for me.
Right, we've always told you that you're only as good
as your last dish in this competition.
We now need to decide for the next challenge whether any of these dishes
warrant a spot on the top level,
and which dishes will end up on the middle level,
and sadly, which unfortunate dishes
will go into the elimination.
Okay, richard, should we go to the basement?
First up, this sort of shingled skewer korean barbeque,
kansas city barbeque inspired, so kkcbbq.
Mariah: I so want to go to the top.
I need just that little bit extra
to get me out of the basement
and to prove that my dish is worthy to be on top.
So this moment is everything.
So innovative to retain the moisture in that pork by layering in that fresh fruit.
- Great idea. - Pork's cooked delicious.
It's got that crispy texture on the outside
with that amazing caramelized barbeque flavor.
I was forced to use something and created something magical.
I'm feeling on top of the world.
All right, here we go,
a pork t-bone with a chili relleno.
I personally would've rather dropped the chili relleno,
focused on the garnish, the stone fruit, the pork.
I would've liked a little bit more seasoning on the pork, but it's cooked beautifully.
The next dish, pork loin with a reverse sear.
It's slightly dry.
Richard: Unfortunately the pork's a little bit dry.
Gordon: That reverse sear's so dangerous.
A reverse sear is generally for ribeye,
something that's generous in fat,
and there's hardly any fat in there.
The hero's the pork, and unfortunately that's underwhelming.
Damn.
Well, at this point in the competition,
mistakes are unacceptable.
All right, next, pork belly vegetable fried rice
and zucchini, cabbage, some breadcrumbs.
There's, like, a wet sense, it just-- yeah, it doesn't work.
If you're gonna sell me on a rice dish that does not have rice in it,
it better be the most impeccable fried rice.
It should have elements of crunchiness and crispiness, right?
But this is very soft throughout.
I tried to make it compact and cute,
and it backfired on me.
What a shame. Next.
Nyesha, shall we? Middle floor.
Here we have a pork tenderloin wonton
with mushrooms and chili oil.
I'm just surprised that the stone fruit was not more prevalent in this dish.
To me, the broth, I would've loved to see it punched up a little bit more
because, you know, the tenderloin wants some flavor.
There's not a lot of flavor in it as is.
I just really wanted to push making a chinese dish today,
and I'm wondering if I tried to push the story a little too hard.
Here we have a roast pork loin.
I love the flavor of the chutney and the gravy.
I wish there was more of both of those things.
Chutney is magnificent. I love that chutney.
And it lifts that pork with the acidity and the sweetness.
Next, here we have a rasta pasta.
This is a gnudi with a pork ragu.
The flavors of the broth and everything else comes together.
- It's a delicious dish. - It's got heart.
There is a lot of skill going on in there.
Reuel: I am super excited.
This is me on a plate,
so to be able to translate that is surreal.
Next up, we have a roast pork loin.
Visually, to be honest, this has got cruise ship buffet vibes going on.
It is cooked properly,
it's just sliced too thin.
It just needs body and flavor, and it's lacking.
I'm not inspired to enjoy this dish at all.
I drafted pyet for a reason.
She's got raw talent,
but it's my job that make sure
that I spark that inspiration in her soul.
Pyet needs to produce dishes that move her up in this competition, not down.
This is tough. Shall we?
This competition was never set out to be easy.
The big question is how many dishes
have earned a spot in that top level kitchen,
and sadly, which ones will be heading into the elimination.
Some of the highlights of tonight were done with the cheaper cuts.
The korean kansas style barbeque.
- Nyesha: Mind blowing. - The t-bone was cooked really well.
Nyesha: Absolutely. Just a little bit of editing, did they need the chili relleno
- and the mashed potato? - Gordon: No. No.
That double pork chop on the bone?
It was pretty good. Like, totally under promise, over deliver.
- Rasta pasta? - I didn't think ground pork could be that elevated.
The underwhelming performances--
the top loin, not very good.
- So disappointed. - What is yours?
The one that nyesha ( bleep ) hates.
No rice fried rice,
- that was very, very strange. - Richard: Yeah.
I thought I redeemed myself, but now I'm whack again.
There's just no flavor from that dumpling, was there?
- No. - It was mealy.
Richard: But the effort should be applauded.
( bleep )
the reverse sear, you don't do that
with something that's got no fat in there.
It's a thin piece of steak. Roast it beautifully.
- Shame on me. - I'm sorry, dawg.
Everyone has an off day, but an off day today could send you home.
Absolutely.
There's nowhere to hide.
You're not with your team, you're cooking as an individual,
and you want to give yourself every tool for success.
I'd want to be in that top kitchen to make the most successful dish.
Okay, let's get down to business.
There were only two dishes that were good enough
to make it to the top.
Wow.
The first dish was brave, slightly tenacious,
but it hit all the right notes.
And that dish was the--
the barbeque pork skewers.
- Oh. Are you serious? - Congratulations, mariah.
- Way to go, girl. They're delicious. - Gordon: Well done.
That was crazy. Thank you, chef.
My confidence level going into the next challenge
is nice and high.
And there are probably some people
who wanted me to go home.
But now I'm in the top kitchen?
Oh, it's game on.
The second and final dish that cooked their way to the top,
the ground pork gnudi.
Congratulations, reuel.
You elevated ground pork to the next level.
Congratulations, mariah, reuel.
You're starting at the very top.
- Well done. - Thank you, chef.
Now there were three not quite the next level,
but good enough to stay on the second level.
The first dish is
the double pork chop and the chutney.
Courtney, well done.
- Thank you. - Second dish.
Chili relleno. Congratulations, angie.
Yeah!
Now only one more dish
will go into the middle kitchen next time.
The rest of you will be headed to elimination.
I'm worried about going into the elimination challenge.
I'm feeling proud of myself for what I have been able to do in this competition,
but I'm not ready to go home.
I wanna win this thing.
The final dish is...
Only one more dish will go into the middle kitchen next time.
The rest of you will be headed to elimination.
The third and final dish is
the tenderloin wontons.
- Good job, tricia. - You know when those nerves go,
you're unstoppable, okay?
- Great job. - Thank you, chef.
I might be safe,
but I need to stop shooting to just survive.
I wanna keep striving to do my very best.
Mama wang ain't raise no second place bitch.
Now unfortunately,
that means the pork loin,
the reverse seared center cut,
and the pork belly stir fry no rice
are all heading to the basement,
but not before you all face off
in the elimination cook-off.
Sadly, one of you will be leaving this competition.
Everyone else, head to the lift.
- I'm sorry. - Kenny: The whole point of this competition
is to go up, you know, and I'm going backwards.
I do believe I'm the best chef,
but this right here is that reality check.
Today's performance wasn't your best.
Now for tonight's elimination cook-off,
nyesha, richard, and myself
want to give you all the very best opportunity to create a next level dish
because the ingredient you'll be using is bacon.
Richard will be in the kitchen with you.
From now on until we reach the finale,
each of us will take one turn
overseeing the elimination cook-off
while the other two will blindly taste the dishes.
All three of you, good luck. Head over to the lift.
See you soon.
I was just ( bleep ) here.
I beat out two people.
And then to be in the elimination again?
It's crazy.
- Cool. - I'm definitely coming to kick some ass.
I'm up against two extremely talented people,
so I have to do everything I can to stay in this competition.
I got my kids to make proud.
Nothing against chef pyet and chef ae,
but you're not gonna take food off my table.
Sorry.
Richard: Okay, everyone, how are we doing?
Everyone's cooking for themselves,
but I still want ae, og team blais,
to win this and pull through.
But I'm impartial as a judge,
and whoever does make it through,
they have a big uphill climb ahead
because they'll be in the basement next time.
30 minutes to cook. You know the theme. It's bacon.
Here we go. Go time.
Pyet: I'm hoping to find scallops.
I wanna do a bacon-wrapped scallop.
I would say that I am a bit of a scallop queen.
So I have perfected cooking with scallops.
Richard: Of course, your dish needs bacon.
And just be mindful, those scallops are pretty big,
but you don't want to overcook them in the bacon, okay?
Correct, chef.
Richard: Kenny with a quick call right there. I like it.
He's got some cheese, got some parm, it looks like,
some bacon, some peas.
Hmm, the ingredients sound pretty familiar, kenny.
You tell me what it is.
- Sweet pea gnocchi. - Sweet pea gnocchi?
- Oh! That wasn't what I was thinking. - Okay. All right.
I was thinking maybe a carbonara.
Richard: I was thinking carbonara as well.
It's more on the cavatelli side.
Oh, you cook how my body likes!
Not a lot of time to make cavatelli, right?
To bake cavatelli from scratch is, like, a bold, bold move,
especially in 30 minutes.
I know I would not be able to do it.
Richard: What are we thinking over here?
My version of drunken noodles,
but I'm gonna use spaghetti
and get some of this bacon grease,
make bacon chili oil out of it.
Okay, are you incorporate the bacon in another way?
Yes, I'm gonna do the bacon as a protein. The bacon is the focus.
- Okay, get going. Only 30 minutes. - I'm actually feeling good.
I don't want to focus on any other protein but bacon.
Other eliminations, they have said, "this overpowered this.
You shouldn't have added this." I was like, "it's gonna be bacon, bacon, bacon."
- they got a lot of good stuff. - Classic.
- Ooh. - There you go, kenny. Good job, kenny.
When it was teams, it was a lot louder over here in the gallery.
- Right, right, right. - Now that it's everyone for themselves--
I think everybody's locked in on their dish.
- Well, I love that. - Um... ( laughs )
I ain't gonna say ( bleep ).
I'm like, "every chef for themselves."
ten minutes are down already, okay?
Have you done this before?
- Yeah, I have, chef. - Okay, got it.
I'm gonna steer the end that's folded first
so it kinda create, like, a crest on it.
Richard: Make it tight and beautiful. You've got a lot of elements going on over here.
Yes, chef. I am hoping and praying
that my scallops don't overcook
because there's nothing worse than serving an overcooked scallop.
I'm also hoping that my bacon stays crispy
and it doesn't burn.
Kenny, all right, so you're working peas into the dough.
I love of that. You are ambitious as always, kenny.
That sounds delicious.
It does, but with your time restraints, I don't know.
At this point, a good dish from a great dish,
it's really about precision.
The margins are getting very, very thin,
and the details, we're just looking at every single one.
- Good call, good call. - Yeah, okay. All right!
Yeah, something smells like it's burning.
Something smells like it's burning. Not sure what it is.
I'm a little bit worried about her scallops. Are they gonna be okay?
That's a lot of heat on scallops.
If this is what makes me go home, I'll be pissed.
- Angie: We good? - I don't know.
Angie: Pyet, are your scallops okay?
Stupid. A stupid mistake.
Mariah: Something smells like it's burning.
Angie: Pyet, are your scallops okay?
There are one or two that didn't come out perfect,
but at this point, I have to keep moving forward.
And guess what, I've got more.
- You cooked an extra one? - Yep.
I love it. Final five minutes.
You gotta be thinking about what this looks like on a plate.
Gordon and nyesha, they wanna see three next level dishes, okay?
Is it good, kenny?
( whistles )
I think it's good.
I have not made cavatelli from scratch,
but it's game time at this point.
I cut it small enough
so I don't have to cook it as long
and get some of that fluffiness in there.
This is gonna come down to how well
those scallops are cooked and how delicious that sauce is.
- I love it. I love it. - Great.
- If you love it, they're gonna love it. - Oh, ae.
Damn, I'd eat that all day long, ae.
All right, here we go. How are the drunken noodles?
- It's cool. - Okay, you got a little texture over here?
Yes, pine nuts. I have roasted pine nuts on there.
I like it. I like it. Get ready to plate soon.
All right, remember visuals.
First impressions are so important.
Two minutes left to go. It's go-time!
Oh, my goodness, that's gorgeous.
- Make it sexy! - Ae, that looks good.
- Make sure you get all your bacon on there, right? - Yep.
All right, brother, you good now.
- That's it. Perfect. - I don't think there's too much bacon.
- Is there too much bacon? - It's a bacon challenge.
- Richard: 20 seconds left. - Oh, yes!
Courtney: Beautiful, pyet. Beautiful.
A lot of confidence over here.
Dude, that looks good. Gorgeous.
Eight, seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one.
Hands up for high-fives only.
Great job! Everything looks amazing.
Richard: Good job, everyone. Good job.
Whoo!
- Nyesha, gordon, welcome. - Thank you.
Richard: Successful dishes.
Three outstanding cooks, I'll tell you what.
Nothing was left on the cutting board.
All three chefs threw down.
Let's start with the bacon drunken noodles.
Ae: What I'm confident about myself is the flavors.
Okay, flavors I got down.
These taste buds, they dance every day.
There's a beautiful balance of sweetness,
but the textural elements are a little bit clunky, right, with that bacon.
There's a nice heat coming through there, those noodles.
I just think all of the ingredients on there
and I think about this minimalistic dish,
is it screaming out next level?
All right, let's move on to the bacon with cavatelli and peas.
My only worry is if my dough had enough time to rest.
That's my only concern at this point.
So I'm hoping that the judges see that I stepped outside the box.
Just to be clear, was this homemade?
- Yes, homemade cavatelli. - Nyesha: Wow.
Gordon, I think it's virtually impossible to hand make cavatelli in 30 minutes,
so whoever put this together is bold.
I think the cavatelli could be a little bit more relaxed,
and that's in the process of letting it rest.
It needs to be a touch softer, but it is good.
Nyesha: Visually, it looks well balanced on the sauce to pasta ratio,
but I'm trying to find where maybe some areas of opportunity
could use a little bit of spice.
All right, finally we have the bacon wrapped scallops.
- Nyesha: Wow. - Gordon: Wow. So there it is. It's glistening.
Salsa needs something sort of moist in there 'cause it's very textural.
The bacon is a little touch crispy.
But whoever cooked those scallops is cooking with finesse and precision.
To have the balls to wrap them in bacon,
that's a fine art right there.
For me, I would love visually to see more herbs in the salsa,
but an amazing flavor coming off of the purée.
All right, gordon, nyesha,
which dish was the best dish of the challenge?
Hands down, the scallops wrapped in bacon.
Nyesha, which dish was your favorite?
It's very clear to me these chefs are cooking with love,
and there's one dish that's sticking out to me, and I hope it's pyet's.
My favorite dish is
the bacon wrapped scallop.
Well, that dish was cooked by pyet.
- Gordon: Wow. - Congratulations. You're safe.
Thank you. Ooh, ooh! Pyet's still here.
Very happy that I will be staying in this competition to fight another day.
I have to go down to the basement,
but if I have to climb my way up, then so be it.
Gordon and nyesha, I'm gonna ask you to choose
the weakest dish of the night,
the dish of the person who's gonna be heading home.
The least favorite dish for me...
Is the drunken noodles.
The deciding factor between the drunken noodles
and the cavatelli was there needs to be more effort.
If I give you a plethora of incredible ingredients, then let it shine.
Simply based on the idea of elevating ingredients,
I'm gonna have to as well go with the drunken noodle as my least favorite dish.
Unfortunately, that dish was made by ae.
I'm so proud of what you did, not just tonight,
not just in the last elimination,
but during this whole competition.
Your spirit is genuine and amazing.
- Your food is delicious. - Thank you.
I joined this competition to share my lao culture
and food to the world, and even our attitude.
Trust me, a lot of lao girls are feisty, for sure.
Ae, unfortunately, you will not be the next level chef.
- Say goodbye to your friends. - Bye, sweetie.
- I'm so proud of you. - I'll see you soon.
Chef blais, I adore you.
I'll see you in san diego for sure.
And I go to your restaurants all the time,
so hopefully one day you come say hi to me.
- Bye. - Bye, guys.
- Gordon: Bye, ae. - Bye.
Ae: Thank you.
( groans )
now, a warning for everyone.
I hope that you will all continue to rise up
because your next challenge
is gonna be twice as hard.
- Oh, gosh. - Good night.
- All: Good night. - Thank you.
- Good night, chefs. - Pyet can sneak up on you.
I really wish she went home, but I'm gonna keep my eye on her.
Kenny, pyet, well done.
- Yes, chef. - Thank you, chef.
The goal is to be on the top floor,
not competing in an elimination challenge,
and I don't plan on going back.
- Day one, baby. - From the bottom to the top.
- Let's go. - What's twice as hard?
Gordon: Next time on "next level chef"...
Richard: Your job is to grab ingredients from two different countries
and create an amazing fusion dish.
I am not ready for today's challenge.
Mariah: Reuel seems like he's questioning his dish.
I have never felt so lost.
I'm not confident in putting together a cohesive dish.
- This is not next level cooking. - Yes, chef.
Richard: I think this is the toughest challenge we've had so far.
Please taste good. Please taste good.
( coughs )
you're sandbagging me here.
( bleep )
really? This is ( bleep ).