1 00:00:01,167 --> 00:00:02,959 PADMA: Previously on Top Chef. 2 00:00:02,959 --> 00:00:04,542 For this Elimination Challenge, 3 00:00:04,542 --> 00:00:06,667 you'll be cooking with the fish that you caught. 4 00:00:06,667 --> 00:00:08,125 NICK: Pull it. Keep pulling back. 5 00:00:08,125 --> 00:00:09,626 BUDDHA: It's massive. 6 00:00:09,626 --> 00:00:11,542 That's what I'm talking about! Yes! 7 00:00:11,542 --> 00:00:13,792 -Hot-- hot. Hot on your back. -We're now behind. 8 00:00:13,792 --> 00:00:15,626 Everybody's pressed for time. 9 00:00:15,626 --> 00:00:17,792 I'm doing, too, my favorite preparations of fish. 10 00:00:17,792 --> 00:00:19,709 I'm very impressed that you used the potatoes 11 00:00:19,709 --> 00:00:21,334 in many different ways. 12 00:00:21,334 --> 00:00:23,042 Oh, sh--. 13 00:00:23,042 --> 00:00:24,417 You add in all the creativity 14 00:00:24,417 --> 00:00:26,375 and the flavors that make you feel 15 00:00:26,375 --> 00:00:28,542 like you're eating a pastrami on rye and my mind is blown. 16 00:00:28,542 --> 00:00:30,209 If I don't tighten up I'm going home. 17 00:00:30,209 --> 00:00:31,584 I do not want to go home! 18 00:00:31,584 --> 00:00:33,584 The protein was just so dry. 19 00:00:33,584 --> 00:00:35,959 Sarah and Buddha, 20 00:00:35,959 --> 00:00:38,959 you had our favorite dishes of the day. 21 00:00:38,959 --> 00:00:44,501 Nick, please pack your knives and go. 22 00:00:44,501 --> 00:00:46,292 Pack your bags 23 00:00:46,292 --> 00:00:48,250 because we are going to Tucson, 24 00:00:48,250 --> 00:00:51,042 a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. 25 00:00:51,042 --> 00:00:53,626 -ELEANOR: Arizona! -Going to Tucson! 26 00:00:53,626 --> 00:00:55,459 PADMA: Only four chefs remain 27 00:00:55,459 --> 00:00:58,459 to compete in the ultimate culinary showdown. 28 00:00:58,459 --> 00:01:00,125 At stake for the winner, 29 00:01:00,125 --> 00:01:02,042 a feature in Food and Wine magazine. 30 00:01:02,042 --> 00:01:05,167 An appearance at the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen. 31 00:01:05,167 --> 00:01:09,501 $250,000 furnished by San Pellegrino 32 00:01:09,501 --> 00:01:12,375 and the coveted title of Top Chef. 33 00:01:12,375 --> 00:01:19,000 ♪♪♪ 34 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:20,751 DAMARR: I came to Top Chef thinking 35 00:01:20,751 --> 00:01:23,417 that it was singularly about cooking and food, 36 00:01:23,417 --> 00:01:25,959 but has been a masterclass in growth 37 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:28,083 not only as a chef, but as a human being. 38 00:01:28,083 --> 00:01:29,792 On top of that, my loved ones 39 00:01:29,792 --> 00:01:31,417 are sacrificing a lot for me to be here, 40 00:01:31,417 --> 00:01:33,375 and I am hoping to make this worth it 41 00:01:33,375 --> 00:01:35,751 for everyone involved. 42 00:01:35,751 --> 00:01:37,584 If you want to be the best at something, 43 00:01:37,584 --> 00:01:39,751 you have to sacrifice. 44 00:01:39,751 --> 00:01:42,209 Time, family, money, 45 00:01:42,209 --> 00:01:44,083 I have worked my ass off. 46 00:01:44,083 --> 00:01:46,584 It's been a rollercoaster. 47 00:01:46,584 --> 00:01:49,959 Why do I always cry so much? [chuckles] 48 00:01:49,959 --> 00:01:51,375 SARAH: In this competition 49 00:01:51,375 --> 00:01:53,209 I've experienced the highest of highs 50 00:01:53,209 --> 00:01:55,042 and the lowest of lows and everything in between. 51 00:01:55,042 --> 00:01:56,375 I had to go through the brutality 52 00:01:56,375 --> 00:01:58,083 of Last Chance Kitchen. 53 00:01:58,083 --> 00:02:00,375 Being in Tucson certainly feels like 54 00:02:00,375 --> 00:02:02,083 I'm leaving a lot of baggage behind 55 00:02:02,083 --> 00:02:03,542 and I get a fresh start 56 00:02:03,542 --> 00:02:06,959 with a win under my belt. 57 00:02:06,959 --> 00:02:08,626 BUDDHA: Winning the title of Top Chef 58 00:02:08,626 --> 00:02:10,751 has always been a dream of mine. 59 00:02:10,751 --> 00:02:12,751 The fact that we're in Tucson, Arizona, 60 00:02:12,751 --> 00:02:15,167 and we're going to learn about the city of gastronomy, 61 00:02:15,167 --> 00:02:17,292 these are the opportunities that I love 62 00:02:17,292 --> 00:02:19,125 and one of the things in my life 63 00:02:19,125 --> 00:02:20,626 that I'm never going to forget. 64 00:02:20,626 --> 00:02:22,125 -I am... -EVELYN: I am... 65 00:02:22,125 --> 00:02:24,334 -DAMARR: I am... -SARAH: I am... 66 00:02:24,334 --> 00:02:28,292 ALL: The next Top Chef. 67 00:02:28,292 --> 00:02:31,250 SARAH: What's up y'all? We all look so fresh. 68 00:02:31,250 --> 00:02:34,250 EVELYN: I know. 69 00:02:34,250 --> 00:02:36,042 DAMARR: This is huge. 70 00:02:36,042 --> 00:02:38,083 -SARAH: Oh no! -EVELYN: Oh, Lord. 71 00:02:38,083 --> 00:02:40,042 -Chuck it. -Oh, no. 72 00:02:40,042 --> 00:02:41,584 "Welcome to Tucson. 73 00:02:41,584 --> 00:02:43,584 Congratulations on making it to the Final Four. 74 00:02:43,584 --> 00:02:45,417 Meet me downtown at El Charro. 75 00:02:45,417 --> 00:02:47,751 Don't forget your knives. Padma." 76 00:02:47,751 --> 00:02:49,459 We had a two-week break 77 00:02:49,459 --> 00:02:51,417 to get ready for the finals. 78 00:02:51,417 --> 00:02:53,667 So, I spent that time doing a lot of studying 79 00:02:53,667 --> 00:02:56,167 on Native American and Mexican cuisine 80 00:02:56,167 --> 00:02:58,375 because it would suck to come so far 81 00:02:58,375 --> 00:03:00,584 and not make it into the finale. 82 00:03:00,584 --> 00:03:04,292 -EVELYN: Cheers! -We're doing it! Final Four! 83 00:03:04,292 --> 00:03:11,751 [upbeat music playing] 84 00:03:11,751 --> 00:03:14,292 -PADMA: Hello, hello! -Hey! 85 00:03:14,292 --> 00:03:16,042 Good morning, Chefs. 86 00:03:16,042 --> 00:03:18,417 Congratulations on being in the top four 87 00:03:18,417 --> 00:03:21,250 and making it here to the finals in Tucson. 88 00:03:21,250 --> 00:03:23,501 Please welcome local legend, 89 00:03:23,501 --> 00:03:26,792 chef and owner of El Charro, Carlotta Flores. 90 00:03:26,792 --> 00:03:28,667 -Welcome, Carlotta. -Thank you, welcome. 91 00:03:28,667 --> 00:03:31,709 -Pleasure. -Chefs, you are standing 92 00:03:31,709 --> 00:03:34,751 in the country's oldest Mexican restaurant 93 00:03:34,751 --> 00:03:38,417 with continuous operation by one family. 94 00:03:38,417 --> 00:03:40,667 I hope you guys did some research while you were away, 95 00:03:40,667 --> 00:03:43,542 because this is the last Quickfire. 96 00:03:43,542 --> 00:03:45,959 It's going to be a tough one. 97 00:03:45,959 --> 00:03:50,959 ♪♪♪ 98 00:03:50,959 --> 00:03:53,167 Over the last 100 years, 99 00:03:53,167 --> 00:03:54,501 El Charro has created 100 00:03:54,501 --> 00:03:56,292 some truly iconic dishes here. 101 00:03:56,292 --> 00:03:58,709 Isn't it true that the chimichanga started here? 102 00:03:58,709 --> 00:04:00,334 -Most certainly. -DAMARR: Wow. 103 00:04:00,334 --> 00:04:02,751 -Oh, wow. -But there might be a menu item 104 00:04:02,751 --> 00:04:05,167 that's even more popular than the Chimichanga. 105 00:04:05,167 --> 00:04:07,584 We're most well-known for our carne seca 106 00:04:07,584 --> 00:04:10,292 and it is hanging in a cage to dry. 107 00:04:10,292 --> 00:04:12,042 BUDDHA: Whoa! 108 00:04:12,042 --> 00:04:13,459 SARAH: Is it always hung up there? 109 00:04:13,459 --> 00:04:15,292 -Yes. -That's awesome. 110 00:04:15,292 --> 00:04:18,167 Carne seca translates to "dry meat." 111 00:04:18,167 --> 00:04:21,584 But it's so much more than your typical beef jerky. 112 00:04:21,584 --> 00:04:23,584 And Carlotta and her team are still drying 113 00:04:23,584 --> 00:04:26,626 to meat the traditional way out in the sun. 114 00:04:26,626 --> 00:04:28,667 Is anyone familiar with carne seca ? 115 00:04:28,667 --> 00:04:30,792 I'm definitely familiar with carne seca. 116 00:04:30,792 --> 00:04:32,501 We always have that at home. 117 00:04:32,501 --> 00:04:35,125 I adds a very umami flavor to any dish. 118 00:04:35,125 --> 00:04:37,209 I'm not familiar with it, no. 119 00:04:37,209 --> 00:04:39,792 -PADMA: Not at all, Damarr? -No. 120 00:04:39,792 --> 00:04:41,459 CARLOTTA: Let's take a walk 121 00:04:41,459 --> 00:04:43,375 up the stairs and experience 122 00:04:43,375 --> 00:04:45,584 the real carne seca. 123 00:04:45,584 --> 00:04:49,584 Okay, lower the cage. 124 00:04:49,584 --> 00:04:53,375 This cage has approximately 300 pounds in it, 125 00:04:53,375 --> 00:04:55,459 so when it dries, 126 00:04:55,459 --> 00:04:57,709 that becomes like 150 pounds. 127 00:04:57,709 --> 00:05:00,834 The filet of the beef is cut very, very thin. 128 00:05:00,834 --> 00:05:02,667 And then we take that 129 00:05:02,667 --> 00:05:04,375 and we marinate it in the garlic, 130 00:05:04,375 --> 00:05:06,375 which you can still see it on the meat itself. 131 00:05:06,375 --> 00:05:07,834 Here, take a piece. 132 00:05:07,834 --> 00:05:10,417 We take this beef and shred it. 133 00:05:10,417 --> 00:05:13,167 You can see even the color is different. 134 00:05:13,167 --> 00:05:17,375 And then we add equal parts green chili, onion, 135 00:05:17,375 --> 00:05:19,209 and deseeded Roma tomatoes. 136 00:05:19,209 --> 00:05:21,417 That will rehydrate the meat. 137 00:05:21,417 --> 00:05:22,792 It's delicious. 138 00:05:22,792 --> 00:05:24,626 Yeah, and you definitely smell the garlic. 139 00:05:24,626 --> 00:05:26,334 -ELEANOR: So savory. -All right, chefs, 140 00:05:26,334 --> 00:05:28,167 you've had a little taste of Tucson history. 141 00:05:28,167 --> 00:05:29,959 Now it is your turn. 142 00:05:29,959 --> 00:05:32,792 Of course, Carlotta is providing the carne seca 143 00:05:32,792 --> 00:05:36,167 and it's up to you to make something amazing with it. 144 00:05:36,167 --> 00:05:39,167 The winner of this Quickfire will get an advantage 145 00:05:39,167 --> 00:05:41,000 in the Elimination Challenge. 146 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,167 -The last before the finale. -No pressure. 147 00:05:44,167 --> 00:05:46,459 You have 30 minutes. Better get shredding 148 00:05:46,459 --> 00:05:48,292 because your time starts now! 149 00:05:48,292 --> 00:05:49,626 Let's do it! 150 00:05:49,626 --> 00:05:54,334 [upbeat music playing] 151 00:05:54,334 --> 00:05:56,167 Evelyn, what you got in the pot? 152 00:05:56,167 --> 00:05:58,083 -Carne seca and grits. -Sounds delicious. 153 00:05:58,083 --> 00:06:00,167 I was raised with carne seca. 154 00:06:00,167 --> 00:06:02,584 So I'm just trying to make not what I was raised on. 155 00:06:02,584 --> 00:06:05,000 I immediately think of my mom. 156 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:07,375 I already hear her, like, "The pan better be hot. 157 00:06:07,375 --> 00:06:09,501 It has to be enough oil. 158 00:06:09,501 --> 00:06:11,167 And you have to toast that carne seca 159 00:06:11,167 --> 00:06:12,751 before you do anything else to it." 160 00:06:12,751 --> 00:06:14,751 But since I know this product, my brain goes, 161 00:06:14,751 --> 00:06:17,167 "Well, how can you change it? Step out of your comfort zone." 162 00:06:17,167 --> 00:06:18,501 -What are you grilling? -I have Guajillo 163 00:06:18,501 --> 00:06:20,167 and Ancho chilis going on right now. 164 00:06:20,167 --> 00:06:22,000 And how much of that are you putting in there? 165 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:25,626 -[Buddha laughing] -No-- Ha. So funny! This guy. 166 00:06:25,626 --> 00:06:27,584 How are you using your carne seca ? 167 00:06:27,584 --> 00:06:29,250 So, I'm going to be reconstituting 168 00:06:29,250 --> 00:06:31,125 a little bit of it, tomatoes and chili 169 00:06:31,125 --> 00:06:33,042 I'm gonna have a little bit of fun with it. 170 00:06:33,042 --> 00:06:35,042 I'm going to make it look like the tostada 171 00:06:35,042 --> 00:06:37,626 just fell onto the plate upside down. 172 00:06:37,626 --> 00:06:39,584 Sarah, you ever cook with beef jerky? 173 00:06:39,584 --> 00:06:42,292 Yeah. Jerky is like a pretty popular thing in Michigan. 174 00:06:42,292 --> 00:06:44,417 SARAH: My fiancé got his first deer last year, 175 00:06:44,417 --> 00:06:47,626 and we broke it all down ourselves and we made jerky. 176 00:06:47,626 --> 00:06:50,542 So I'm basically going to make a carne seca gravy 177 00:06:50,542 --> 00:06:52,709 trying to kind of celebrate flavors 178 00:06:52,709 --> 00:06:54,375 that go well with venison, 179 00:06:54,375 --> 00:06:56,626 so blackberries and corn. 180 00:06:56,626 --> 00:06:58,417 And then I found morel mushrooms over there, 181 00:06:58,417 --> 00:07:01,584 which are, like, a Michigan magic ingredient. 182 00:07:01,584 --> 00:07:08,375 [dramatic music playing] 183 00:07:08,375 --> 00:07:10,167 Damarr, how are you feeling about time? 184 00:07:10,167 --> 00:07:11,709 I feel all right. 185 00:07:11,709 --> 00:07:13,334 This is a first time experience for me. 186 00:07:13,334 --> 00:07:15,167 So, I know I'm going to focus on trying 187 00:07:15,167 --> 00:07:17,292 to do something simple that will hopefully 188 00:07:17,292 --> 00:07:19,167 be respectful of the ingredient. 189 00:07:19,167 --> 00:07:20,584 Oh, that was cool. 190 00:07:20,584 --> 00:07:22,375 Carlotta mentions how they cook down 191 00:07:22,375 --> 00:07:24,167 with tomatoes and re-hydrate that way, 192 00:07:24,167 --> 00:07:26,584 so I'm gonna try to follow that. 193 00:07:26,584 --> 00:07:28,792 SARAH: 16 y'all! 194 00:07:28,792 --> 00:07:30,542 Make, like little tostadas. 195 00:07:30,542 --> 00:07:32,292 Make it any hotter. 196 00:07:32,292 --> 00:07:35,375 I like things to look creative and imaginative. 197 00:07:35,375 --> 00:07:37,584 And by doing this upside down tostada 198 00:07:37,584 --> 00:07:42,125 it's going to look like this hidden surprise. 199 00:07:42,125 --> 00:07:43,501 Ten minutes guys! 200 00:07:43,501 --> 00:07:45,459 [rock music playing] 201 00:07:45,459 --> 00:07:46,792 SARAH: I would really love 202 00:07:46,792 --> 00:07:49,083 to have an egg on this dish. 203 00:07:49,083 --> 00:07:50,459 But we shall see. 204 00:07:50,459 --> 00:07:52,751 I feel like my dish is very weird 205 00:07:52,751 --> 00:07:55,167 and I'm very concerned that they're going to eat it 206 00:07:55,167 --> 00:07:56,584 and go, "What's wrong with you?" 207 00:07:56,584 --> 00:07:58,792 Sorry all, pine nuts everywhere. 208 00:07:58,792 --> 00:08:00,584 Evelyn, how did your grits turn out? 209 00:08:00,584 --> 00:08:01,709 -Delicious. -So you're going 210 00:08:01,709 --> 00:08:05,626 to win pretty much? 211 00:08:05,626 --> 00:08:07,334 DAMARR: I grill some avocado 212 00:08:07,334 --> 00:08:09,250 and kind of use that as my base 213 00:08:09,250 --> 00:08:11,792 and dress that with this carne seca vinaigrette. 214 00:08:11,792 --> 00:08:13,459 And after the last challenge-- 215 00:08:13,459 --> 00:08:15,501 It was definitely some serious missteps. 216 00:08:15,501 --> 00:08:17,626 It wasn't your best day. 217 00:08:17,626 --> 00:08:19,167 I could definitely use an advantage. 218 00:08:19,167 --> 00:08:21,375 You have five minutes left, chefs. 219 00:08:21,375 --> 00:08:24,167 [tense music] 220 00:08:24,167 --> 00:08:27,167 I try my tortillas to see if the texture is correct 221 00:08:27,167 --> 00:08:29,375 and it's not. 222 00:08:29,375 --> 00:08:31,417 They're not as crunchy as I thought they were. 223 00:08:31,417 --> 00:08:38,542 [dramatic music playing] 224 00:08:38,542 --> 00:08:40,167 BUDDHA: Three minutes! 225 00:08:40,167 --> 00:08:41,626 Not that great, 226 00:08:41,626 --> 00:08:43,751 but I got something to put on the plate. 227 00:08:43,751 --> 00:08:49,584 [tense music] 228 00:08:49,584 --> 00:08:50,667 Time's up. 229 00:08:50,667 --> 00:08:52,292 Hands up. 230 00:08:52,292 --> 00:08:55,209 Utensils down. 231 00:08:55,209 --> 00:08:56,709 Hi, Sarah. 232 00:08:56,709 --> 00:08:58,584 I made for you a carne seca gravy 233 00:08:58,584 --> 00:09:00,501 over polenta with a soft egg. 234 00:09:00,501 --> 00:09:02,584 We obviously have jerky in Michigan, where I'm from. 235 00:09:02,584 --> 00:09:04,459 Venison most frequently, which is pretty lean. 236 00:09:04,459 --> 00:09:06,209 I love those morels. 237 00:09:06,209 --> 00:09:08,292 -Oh, they're the best. -Very interesting dish. 238 00:09:08,292 --> 00:09:09,876 -Thank you. -CARLOTTA: Thank you. 239 00:09:09,876 --> 00:09:12,167 -PADMA: Hi Damarr. -I made a grilled avocado 240 00:09:12,167 --> 00:09:14,167 with carne seca vinaigrette 241 00:09:14,167 --> 00:09:15,918 and then fried tortillas and grilled corn 242 00:09:15,918 --> 00:09:18,584 that I also seasoned with the shredded carne seca. 243 00:09:18,584 --> 00:09:21,667 Why did you choose to grill an avocado? 244 00:09:21,667 --> 00:09:23,709 Over the flame it kind of makes the texture 245 00:09:23,709 --> 00:09:25,542 a little crispy on the outside, 246 00:09:25,542 --> 00:09:26,876 but you still get that creaminess. 247 00:09:26,876 --> 00:09:28,751 -Thank you. Damarr. -Thank you. 248 00:09:28,751 --> 00:09:31,042 -PADMA: Hi, Buddha. How are you? -I'm very good, thank you. 249 00:09:31,042 --> 00:09:33,209 This is a tostada that fell upside down. 250 00:09:33,209 --> 00:09:36,167 So it's a carne seca, some guajillos 251 00:09:36,167 --> 00:09:38,417 and some chipotle mixed with some tomatoes, 252 00:09:38,417 --> 00:09:40,834 cueso, some goat's cheese with avocado, 253 00:09:40,834 --> 00:09:42,876 and then the tostada itself. 254 00:09:42,876 --> 00:09:45,167 The goat cheese gives the carne seca 255 00:09:45,167 --> 00:09:46,626 a little bit of a gaminess. 256 00:09:46,626 --> 00:09:48,792 That's good. Hope it's good. 257 00:09:48,792 --> 00:09:51,375 -Definitely smoky. Thank you. -Yeah. 258 00:09:51,375 --> 00:09:52,667 What did you do for us today? 259 00:09:52,667 --> 00:09:55,334 It's creamy grits with Guajillo 260 00:09:55,334 --> 00:09:58,083 and carne seca and a chayote relish. 261 00:09:58,083 --> 00:10:00,042 CARLOTTA: Does it have lime? 262 00:10:00,042 --> 00:10:02,083 -I put [inaudible] on there. -That's very nice. Thank you. 263 00:10:02,083 --> 00:10:04,167 Thanks. 264 00:10:04,167 --> 00:10:05,792 Huh, that was a feast. 265 00:10:05,792 --> 00:10:07,501 CARLOTTA: I think overall, you really did 266 00:10:07,501 --> 00:10:09,667 some different interesting dishes. 267 00:10:09,667 --> 00:10:11,167 There were a couple of dishes 268 00:10:11,167 --> 00:10:13,542 that were less successful than the others. 269 00:10:13,542 --> 00:10:16,375 Buddha, I loved what you did, 270 00:10:16,375 --> 00:10:18,334 but the tostada itself 271 00:10:18,334 --> 00:10:19,709 was a little bit greasier 272 00:10:19,709 --> 00:10:21,584 -than I thought it should be. -Okay. 273 00:10:21,584 --> 00:10:23,334 Damarr, the avocado, 274 00:10:23,334 --> 00:10:25,375 having done what you did with it, was very good. 275 00:10:25,375 --> 00:10:29,375 Unfortunately, it could have used some texture. 276 00:10:29,375 --> 00:10:31,167 The good news is that both of you, 277 00:10:31,167 --> 00:10:33,501 Sarah and Evelyn did really great. 278 00:10:33,501 --> 00:10:35,751 Well, Sarah, it was so different. 279 00:10:35,751 --> 00:10:37,626 I want my chefs to taste it. 280 00:10:37,626 --> 00:10:39,667 Flavors that I would have never thought 281 00:10:39,667 --> 00:10:41,501 would do so well. 282 00:10:41,501 --> 00:10:43,334 Evelyn, I loved your dish, 283 00:10:43,334 --> 00:10:45,292 and I will tell you one thing. 284 00:10:45,292 --> 00:10:48,709 I will start working with grits now, more and more. 285 00:10:48,709 --> 00:10:50,501 Thank you. 286 00:10:50,501 --> 00:10:53,125 Carlotta, who won this last Quickfire Challenge? 287 00:10:53,125 --> 00:10:55,626 [dramatic music intensifies] 288 00:10:55,626 --> 00:10:57,375 -Sarah. -[applause] 289 00:10:57,375 --> 00:10:59,334 Sarah, you just won yourself 290 00:10:59,334 --> 00:11:01,667 an advantage in the Elimination Challenge. 291 00:11:01,667 --> 00:11:04,083 I've never won a Quickfire before. 292 00:11:04,083 --> 00:11:06,167 So to leave Houston 293 00:11:06,167 --> 00:11:07,667 on an Elimination Challenge win 294 00:11:07,667 --> 00:11:10,167 and to come to Tucson with a Quickfire win 295 00:11:10,167 --> 00:11:12,459 feels like a win sandwich. 296 00:11:12,459 --> 00:11:14,292 Please welcome a chef 297 00:11:14,292 --> 00:11:16,292 who kept me well-fed last year 298 00:11:16,292 --> 00:11:18,375 and who lives right here in Tucson, 299 00:11:18,375 --> 00:11:20,334 Maria Mazon! 300 00:11:20,334 --> 00:11:23,334 -Hi Maria, welcome back. - Hola, bienvenidos a Tucson! 301 00:11:23,334 --> 00:11:25,209 I see you met the legend. 302 00:11:25,209 --> 00:11:27,334 The biggest shoes to fill here in Tucson 303 00:11:27,334 --> 00:11:30,751 in the southwest in Arizona. 304 00:11:30,751 --> 00:11:35,000 [dramatic music playing] 305 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,000 Chefs, if you didn't know already, 306 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:39,375 Tucson is part of the Sonoran Desert, 307 00:11:39,375 --> 00:11:43,459 the most biodiverse desert on the planet. 308 00:11:43,459 --> 00:11:47,417 With nearly 3500 species of plants 309 00:11:47,417 --> 00:11:50,125 and a thousand species of bees. 310 00:11:50,125 --> 00:11:51,667 Love bees! 311 00:11:51,667 --> 00:11:54,083 The Sonoran Desert is also home 312 00:11:54,083 --> 00:11:57,417 to over 300 species of cactus, 313 00:11:57,417 --> 00:11:59,542 including the Salado, 314 00:11:59,542 --> 00:12:02,417 which only grows right here in this desert. 315 00:12:02,417 --> 00:12:05,292 But in addition to cacti, the Sonoran Desert 316 00:12:05,292 --> 00:12:07,501 is home to the only native pepper 317 00:12:07,501 --> 00:12:14,083 of the United States, the chiltepin. 318 00:12:14,083 --> 00:12:17,459 For your final elimination challenge here in Tucson, 319 00:12:17,459 --> 00:12:19,542 we'd like you to make two dishes, 320 00:12:19,542 --> 00:12:22,459 one sweet and one savory. 321 00:12:22,459 --> 00:12:25,000 You have to feature cactus in one dish 322 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,209 and chiltepin in the other. 323 00:12:27,209 --> 00:12:29,501 This is definitely a hard challenge, 324 00:12:29,501 --> 00:12:31,751 and I really do not envy you right now. 325 00:12:31,751 --> 00:12:34,375 I don't know anything about cacti 326 00:12:34,375 --> 00:12:36,792 and the chiltepin is something that's new to me. 327 00:12:36,792 --> 00:12:38,584 I'm just hoping there's something 328 00:12:38,584 --> 00:12:40,417 I can relate to in there. Just like the carne seca. 329 00:12:40,417 --> 00:12:43,167 Maria is going to take you to Mission Garden. 330 00:12:43,167 --> 00:12:45,709 And the work being done there is what helped Tucson 331 00:12:45,709 --> 00:12:49,959 gain the World Heritage City of Gastronomy title. 332 00:12:49,959 --> 00:12:51,584 There you'll be provided with a variety 333 00:12:51,584 --> 00:12:53,501 of cactus and chiltepin. 334 00:12:53,501 --> 00:12:56,542 Tomorrow you'll have access to a fantastic pantry 335 00:12:56,542 --> 00:12:58,667 and three hours to prep and cook. 336 00:12:58,667 --> 00:13:01,501 And, Sarah, because you won the Quickfire Challenge, 337 00:13:01,501 --> 00:13:04,209 you'll have an additional 30 minutes of cook time. 338 00:13:04,209 --> 00:13:06,459 You are just one cook away 339 00:13:06,459 --> 00:13:08,167 from the finale 340 00:13:08,167 --> 00:13:10,751 and the prize of $250,000, 341 00:13:10,751 --> 00:13:13,167 furnished by San Pellegrino 342 00:13:13,167 --> 00:13:15,292 and of course, the title of Top Chef. 343 00:13:15,292 --> 00:13:17,292 -[sighing] -No pressure. 344 00:13:17,292 --> 00:13:18,626 [Buddha laughs] 345 00:13:18,626 --> 00:13:19,792 All right, Maria, 346 00:13:19,792 --> 00:13:21,375 I leave the chefs in your hands. 347 00:13:21,375 --> 00:13:22,667 Don't worry. I got them! 348 00:13:22,667 --> 00:13:24,501 Come on, guys. Vámonos! 349 00:13:24,501 --> 00:13:31,375 [gentle music] 350 00:13:31,375 --> 00:13:33,167 Here we go, guys. 351 00:13:33,167 --> 00:13:37,250 Welcome to the Mission Garden. 352 00:13:37,250 --> 00:13:39,250 We have our friend, Jesús, 353 00:13:39,250 --> 00:13:40,584 and he is the guru 354 00:13:40,584 --> 00:13:42,501 that makes all this happen. 355 00:13:42,501 --> 00:13:44,501 This place here basically represents 356 00:13:44,501 --> 00:13:46,626 the origins of Tucson, as we know it. 357 00:13:46,626 --> 00:13:48,626 In terms of archeology, we have evidence 358 00:13:48,626 --> 00:13:53,292 of more than 4000 years of continuous agriculture 359 00:13:53,292 --> 00:13:55,292 in this very spot where we are standing. 360 00:13:55,292 --> 00:13:57,042 So, you get the penca right here. 361 00:13:57,042 --> 00:13:58,375 This is the nopale. 362 00:13:58,375 --> 00:14:00,042 Of course, we got the pitahayas, 363 00:14:00,042 --> 00:14:01,792 the prickly pears, the green and the red. 364 00:14:01,792 --> 00:14:05,167 JESUS: Let's start with the green ones right here. 365 00:14:05,167 --> 00:14:07,209 And you can feel free to spit out the seeds. 366 00:14:07,209 --> 00:14:09,667 -Tastes like cantaloupe. -The barrel cactus. 367 00:14:09,667 --> 00:14:11,375 They look like little, tiny pineapples. 368 00:14:11,375 --> 00:14:13,459 Try the rind, it is very lemony. 369 00:14:13,459 --> 00:14:15,250 That will give you a really nice twist 370 00:14:15,250 --> 00:14:17,125 into a lemony dish. 371 00:14:17,125 --> 00:14:19,042 MARIA: This is our caviar, the chiltepin. 372 00:14:19,042 --> 00:14:24,667 This will knock your socks off. Go ahead. 373 00:14:24,667 --> 00:14:26,334 [Damarr coughs] 374 00:14:26,334 --> 00:14:29,417 There's no crying in baseball, papi. 375 00:14:29,417 --> 00:14:31,334 DAMARR: You know, a lot of chilis have that 376 00:14:31,334 --> 00:14:33,167 kind of fruity back of the mouth heat. 377 00:14:33,167 --> 00:14:35,626 This kind of has like a front of the mouth heat 378 00:14:35,626 --> 00:14:38,167 which is very quick. 379 00:14:38,167 --> 00:14:40,751 -I like it. -MARIA: We need to move on. 380 00:14:40,751 --> 00:14:42,626 Grab what you think you need for the challenge. 381 00:14:42,626 --> 00:14:46,375 And remember, sharing is caring. 382 00:14:46,375 --> 00:14:48,667 I've been doing a bit of research 383 00:14:48,667 --> 00:14:50,417 on these ingredients, 384 00:14:50,417 --> 00:14:52,584 but I've never actually seen them in real life. 385 00:14:52,584 --> 00:14:56,250 The raw nopales is a mixture between sorrel and asparagus. 386 00:14:56,250 --> 00:14:58,125 JESUS: We're here in the Mexican garden. 387 00:14:58,125 --> 00:15:00,626 We would have fruit trees, mulberry trees, 388 00:15:00,626 --> 00:15:03,167 grapes, pomegranates, ornamentals. 389 00:15:03,167 --> 00:15:06,167 SARAH: I see figs. I see quince. I see tomatoes. 390 00:15:06,167 --> 00:15:08,125 I see so many herbs. 391 00:15:08,125 --> 00:15:10,375 JESUS: Corn, squash, and beans. 392 00:15:10,375 --> 00:15:12,167 The famous three sisters. 393 00:15:12,167 --> 00:15:14,250 SARAH: I am trying not to get distracted. 394 00:15:14,250 --> 00:15:18,584 The challenge is still the chiltepin and the cactus. 395 00:15:18,584 --> 00:15:20,375 Ay, Dios mio. 396 00:15:20,375 --> 00:15:22,375 Although I'm the only one who has cooked 397 00:15:22,375 --> 00:15:24,626 with cactus and chiltepin chili. 398 00:15:24,626 --> 00:15:27,125 I can't feel comfortable, like, "Oh, yeah, know it." 399 00:15:27,125 --> 00:15:29,042 Like, no, still a competition. 400 00:15:29,042 --> 00:15:31,334 These other chefs who have never worked with it 401 00:15:31,334 --> 00:15:33,167 are going to be super creative 402 00:15:33,167 --> 00:15:35,083 because they've never seen it any other way. 403 00:15:35,083 --> 00:15:37,334 As you can see, the possibilities are endless. 404 00:15:37,334 --> 00:15:38,709 Yeah, truly. 405 00:15:38,709 --> 00:15:40,584 MARIA: Don't overthink tomorrow. 406 00:15:40,584 --> 00:15:42,334 Enjoy it. Soak it all in. 407 00:15:42,334 --> 00:15:44,709 I actually have tons of respect for you guys, 408 00:15:44,709 --> 00:15:46,667 and you're now part of my family. 409 00:15:46,667 --> 00:15:48,334 -Thank you so much! -Adiós. Buenas noches. 410 00:15:48,334 --> 00:16:02,459 -See you tomorrow! -Andale! Adiós! 411 00:16:02,459 --> 00:16:04,959 Look at this pile of cacti. 412 00:16:04,959 --> 00:16:06,667 Even though I don't love cactus, 413 00:16:06,667 --> 00:16:08,459 I want to know more about it. 414 00:16:08,459 --> 00:16:10,542 And I'm going to use my 30 minutes to adventure. 415 00:16:10,542 --> 00:16:13,459 Maria said dried [indistinct] were, like, hard to work with. 416 00:16:13,459 --> 00:16:15,792 I'm going to see about candying them. 417 00:16:15,792 --> 00:16:18,083 A lot of what I know about food 418 00:16:18,083 --> 00:16:20,584 is because of my parents' passion for food. 419 00:16:20,584 --> 00:16:23,167 I wouldn't keep bees if my dad didn't do it first 420 00:16:23,167 --> 00:16:25,083 and I wouldn't know as much as I do 421 00:16:25,083 --> 00:16:26,751 about mushrooms and fungi and fermentation. 422 00:16:26,751 --> 00:16:30,709 I want to get these green chiltepin pickled, 423 00:16:30,709 --> 00:16:32,792 turn them into a chimichurri. 424 00:16:32,792 --> 00:16:35,125 I've decided to keep my savory dish 425 00:16:35,125 --> 00:16:37,125 as my chiltepin dish. 426 00:16:37,125 --> 00:16:39,751 I'm going to make chiltepin chimichurri over grilled lamb. 427 00:16:39,751 --> 00:16:43,167 And I'm going to keep my cactus in the sweet dish. 428 00:16:43,167 --> 00:16:45,292 They're like sesame seeds, I love sesame seeds. 429 00:16:45,292 --> 00:16:47,792 As Padma knows, when I got sent home. 430 00:16:47,792 --> 00:16:50,626 I used too many of sesame seeds, so. 431 00:16:50,626 --> 00:16:51,792 -Hi! -Hi! 432 00:16:51,792 --> 00:16:53,584 -Oop! -Oh, God! 433 00:16:53,584 --> 00:17:00,209 -Oh, Lord. -Behind you. 434 00:17:00,209 --> 00:17:01,959 DAMARR: Jesús and Chef Maria, 435 00:17:01,959 --> 00:17:03,751 they were so excited about the ingredients, 436 00:17:03,751 --> 00:17:05,584 it's kind of infectious. So, I really just kind of 437 00:17:05,584 --> 00:17:06,876 want to not only showcase the ingredients, 438 00:17:06,876 --> 00:17:08,834 but be respectful of them, 439 00:17:08,834 --> 00:17:11,125 I've studied cactus and kind of learned how to clean it. 440 00:17:11,125 --> 00:17:12,709 By learn, I mean I YouTubed it. 441 00:17:12,709 --> 00:17:14,584 SARAH: How do you feel about using the cactus? 442 00:17:14,584 --> 00:17:17,792 I think my approach is really to sub out ingredients 443 00:17:17,792 --> 00:17:19,709 that I would use normally. 444 00:17:19,709 --> 00:17:21,584 So, I'm going to make a barbecue sauce 445 00:17:21,584 --> 00:17:23,876 with the chiltepin and the prickly pear. 446 00:17:23,876 --> 00:17:25,584 I'm thinking that's going to go really well 447 00:17:25,584 --> 00:17:27,501 with a pork that I can glaze it with-- 448 00:17:27,501 --> 00:17:29,834 with beans and it's full of, you know, 449 00:17:29,834 --> 00:17:32,167 these Sonora ingredients. 450 00:17:32,167 --> 00:17:33,792 Anybody actually using the nopales? 451 00:17:33,792 --> 00:17:35,709 I don't think I am. 452 00:17:35,709 --> 00:17:37,751 EVELYN: I mean, it's essentially the star of my first dish. 453 00:17:37,751 --> 00:17:39,501 Growing up eating nopales, 454 00:17:39,501 --> 00:17:42,584 we always see it in a very humble way. 455 00:17:42,584 --> 00:17:46,125 You really don't see anybody really trying to highlight it. 456 00:17:46,125 --> 00:17:48,167 -BUDDHA: What are you making? - Nopal Relleno. 457 00:17:48,167 --> 00:17:50,167 I've never done it with nopale, so I figured 458 00:17:50,167 --> 00:17:51,667 trying to do something different with it. 459 00:17:51,667 --> 00:17:53,751 First, we've got to clean them. 460 00:17:53,751 --> 00:17:55,751 You know, it's another thing that I learned from my grandma. 461 00:17:55,751 --> 00:17:58,792 Abuelita, por favor. 462 00:17:58,792 --> 00:18:01,125 If you've been with me this whole time, 463 00:18:01,125 --> 00:18:03,209 do not leave me today. 464 00:18:03,209 --> 00:18:05,125 BUDDHA: It's so funny because, like, this dish 465 00:18:05,125 --> 00:18:06,792 is actually inspired by my dad. 466 00:18:06,792 --> 00:18:08,459 Even though he's a Chinese chef, 467 00:18:08,459 --> 00:18:10,292 he made tom yum, I learned that from him. 468 00:18:10,292 --> 00:18:12,834 That dish really sings, it's like a lot of chili. 469 00:18:12,834 --> 00:18:14,834 And that's where the chiltepin is going to come in. 470 00:18:14,834 --> 00:18:17,709 A tom yum really does showcase a pepper. 471 00:18:17,709 --> 00:18:19,584 So I'll be using chiltepin 472 00:18:19,584 --> 00:18:21,375 throughout the whole dish of the tom yum. 473 00:18:21,375 --> 00:18:23,209 It's going to be in the broth. 474 00:18:23,209 --> 00:18:24,751 It's going to be marinated in the calamari noodles. 475 00:18:24,751 --> 00:18:26,334 It's going to be in my pickle. 476 00:18:26,334 --> 00:18:28,584 And then with the cactus I'm making a cake 477 00:18:28,584 --> 00:18:30,918 with a dried solara fruit ice cream 478 00:18:30,918 --> 00:18:33,083 and a prickly pear snow. 479 00:18:33,083 --> 00:18:34,501 DAMARR: Buddha, what you got going? 480 00:18:34,501 --> 00:18:36,250 I'm making my cactus ice cream. 481 00:18:36,250 --> 00:18:38,584 I'm going to use a barrel cactus. 482 00:18:38,584 --> 00:18:41,250 You know, that's got all those beautiful seeds inside of it. 483 00:18:41,250 --> 00:18:42,918 -DAMARR: Yeah. -Very similar to vanilla bean. 484 00:18:42,918 --> 00:18:44,709 I pick up what you're putting down. 485 00:18:44,709 --> 00:18:46,584 If I'm knocking on the door you better be answering. 486 00:18:46,584 --> 00:18:48,250 [Damarr laughs] 487 00:18:48,250 --> 00:18:50,125 -DAMARR: Thank you. -SARAH: I love cactus. 488 00:18:50,125 --> 00:18:52,584 Yes, I do. I love cactus, how about you? 489 00:18:52,584 --> 00:18:54,417 BUDDHA: Sarah, what are you working on at the moment? 490 00:18:54,417 --> 00:18:56,167 I'm getting my ice cream base going. 491 00:18:56,167 --> 00:18:58,709 For my dessert I am making a cactus tart 492 00:18:58,709 --> 00:19:00,542 with cactus caramel 493 00:19:00,542 --> 00:19:02,167 and saguaro bud ice cream. 494 00:19:02,167 --> 00:19:04,584 I'm treating the cactus like a fruit. 495 00:19:04,584 --> 00:19:07,250 Oh, God damn it! 496 00:19:07,250 --> 00:19:08,584 Can I get a mop? 497 00:19:08,584 --> 00:19:10,417 [whispers] God damn it. 498 00:19:10,417 --> 00:19:12,459 I no longer have any interest in using this churner. 499 00:19:12,459 --> 00:19:14,250 If it were my call, 500 00:19:14,250 --> 00:19:16,792 I'd light it on fire right now. 501 00:19:16,792 --> 00:19:18,626 -Buddha. -Sarah. 502 00:19:18,626 --> 00:19:20,667 How generous are you feeling right now? 503 00:19:20,667 --> 00:19:22,792 -Not very, but-- -How do I use liquid nitrogen? 504 00:19:22,792 --> 00:19:24,375 -BUDDHA: Add it in. -Just add it in? 505 00:19:24,375 --> 00:19:26,250 BUDDHA: Yeah. Just use your intuition. 506 00:19:26,250 --> 00:19:28,709 -Don't overthink it. -Too late. 507 00:19:28,709 --> 00:19:30,375 Hey Chefs. How's it going? 508 00:19:30,375 --> 00:19:32,792 -Hey, Chefs. -So you have various cacti. 509 00:19:32,792 --> 00:19:34,459 Yeah, so, I'm kind of focusing 510 00:19:34,459 --> 00:19:36,667 more on the prickly pear side of it. 511 00:19:36,667 --> 00:19:38,876 I'm going to do a barbecue pork steak. 512 00:19:38,876 --> 00:19:40,375 I'm going to make barbecue sauce 513 00:19:40,375 --> 00:19:42,209 with chiltepin and a prickly pear. 514 00:19:42,209 --> 00:19:43,709 -With some braised red beans. -Okay. 515 00:19:43,709 --> 00:19:45,375 And then for the dessert side, 516 00:19:45,375 --> 00:19:47,375 I'm going to make a prickly pear cake. 517 00:19:47,375 --> 00:19:49,459 Okay. Well, if it's anything like your carrot cake-- 518 00:19:49,459 --> 00:19:51,584 this is the best carrot cake I've ever had. 519 00:19:51,584 --> 00:19:53,501 -Thank you. -KRISTEN: So, you do desserts 520 00:19:53,501 --> 00:19:54,792 and you feel comfortable with that? 521 00:19:54,792 --> 00:19:56,584 No, I know like three desserts 522 00:19:56,584 --> 00:19:59,792 -and sometimes getting it right. -Sounds good. 523 00:19:59,792 --> 00:20:01,792 -Hello, Sarah. -Hi, Chefs. 524 00:20:01,792 --> 00:20:03,709 -You made it back. -They can't get rid of me. 525 00:20:03,709 --> 00:20:07,167 I'm doing a cactus tart with a saguaro ice cream. 526 00:20:07,167 --> 00:20:08,626 And then I'm going to do 527 00:20:08,626 --> 00:20:10,584 a grilled lamb with chiltepin chimichurri 528 00:20:10,584 --> 00:20:12,459 and a vinaigrette made from chiltepin. 529 00:20:12,459 --> 00:20:14,459 This is like lightly dried off the bush. 530 00:20:14,459 --> 00:20:16,501 -So they come out looking like-- -TOM: Oh, my God, yes. 531 00:20:16,501 --> 00:20:18,167 And then these are the pickled version. 532 00:20:18,167 --> 00:20:19,709 I'm going to use this for the vinaigrette 533 00:20:19,709 --> 00:20:21,250 and this for the chimichurri. 534 00:20:21,250 --> 00:20:23,083 -That's all you have. -It's all I need. 535 00:20:23,083 --> 00:20:26,167 -TOM: All right. -Thank you so much. 536 00:20:26,167 --> 00:20:28,459 -Hey, Chef. How you doing? -TOM: Good. How are you? 537 00:20:28,459 --> 00:20:30,167 Last Elimination Challenge. 538 00:20:30,167 --> 00:20:31,709 Got to bring all that I got, you know. 539 00:20:31,709 --> 00:20:33,250 Game face on the whole time. 540 00:20:33,250 --> 00:20:34,792 TOM: So you're going all out here? 541 00:20:34,792 --> 00:20:36,792 -BUDDHA: Yeah, you know. -What are you making? 542 00:20:36,792 --> 00:20:38,667 So, first course is going to be a tom yum. 543 00:20:38,667 --> 00:20:41,083 I think basically the best way to showcase chili. 544 00:20:41,083 --> 00:20:42,709 And then, for dessert, 545 00:20:42,709 --> 00:20:44,542 I'm going to do everything cactus. 546 00:20:44,542 --> 00:20:46,792 I'm going to be doing a prickly pear snow as well. 547 00:20:46,792 --> 00:20:48,501 -TOM: Okay. -That first challenge 548 00:20:48,501 --> 00:20:50,751 I remember you and I also remember what you made-- 549 00:20:50,751 --> 00:20:52,542 Have you made a dessert with beef before? 550 00:20:52,542 --> 00:20:54,375 -It's my first time. -[chuckling] 551 00:20:54,375 --> 00:20:55,918 And it really stood out. 552 00:20:55,918 --> 00:20:57,751 So I'm really excited to see what you do today. 553 00:20:57,751 --> 00:20:59,459 -I'll see you later. -TOM: Sounds good. 554 00:20:59,459 --> 00:21:01,250 -KRISTEN: Get going. -TOM: Hey, Evelyn. 555 00:21:01,250 --> 00:21:02,834 -Hi Chefs. -How's it going? 556 00:21:02,834 --> 00:21:05,501 So I have some experience with nopale. 557 00:21:05,501 --> 00:21:08,083 Although I know how to use it I kind of want to use it 558 00:21:08,083 --> 00:21:09,709 in a different way than what I'm used to. 559 00:21:09,709 --> 00:21:11,250 -Okay. -For my first course, 560 00:21:11,250 --> 00:21:13,083 I'm doing a Nopal Relleno and for dessert, 561 00:21:13,083 --> 00:21:14,792 I'm making a sour orange curd, 562 00:21:14,792 --> 00:21:16,792 and then I'm doing a prickly pear granita. 563 00:21:16,792 --> 00:21:19,709 So I was able to meet you guys on, like, day one. 564 00:21:19,709 --> 00:21:22,167 I feel like my food has definitely changed a lot. 565 00:21:22,167 --> 00:21:25,250 I'm excited to taste the evolution of Evelyn. 566 00:21:25,250 --> 00:21:26,584 Yeah. For sure. 567 00:21:26,584 --> 00:21:28,876 -Good luck. -EVELYN: Thank you. 568 00:21:28,876 --> 00:21:30,709 All right, chefs, everything looks great. 569 00:21:30,709 --> 00:21:32,375 Looking forward to a fantastic meal. 570 00:21:32,375 --> 00:21:34,709 -DAMARR: Thank you. -BUDDHA: 30 minutes. 571 00:21:34,709 --> 00:21:36,375 SARAH: Damarr, how are your beans? 572 00:21:36,375 --> 00:21:38,083 DAMARR: A touch more cooked than I'd like. 573 00:21:38,083 --> 00:21:40,167 30 minutes ago my beans were still crunchy, 574 00:21:40,167 --> 00:21:41,834 but things change very quickly in a pressure cooker. 575 00:21:41,834 --> 00:21:45,292 Damn it... 576 00:21:45,292 --> 00:21:47,584 Now they are soft and broken. 577 00:21:47,584 --> 00:21:49,334 At this point in the competition 578 00:21:49,334 --> 00:21:52,334 every little minor mistake can send you home. 579 00:21:52,334 --> 00:22:03,375 What the [bleep]? 580 00:22:03,375 --> 00:22:05,751 DAMARR: I decided to make a purée out of the beans. 581 00:22:05,751 --> 00:22:08,584 Figure I'd add prickly pear as well. 582 00:22:08,584 --> 00:22:10,584 Plan B is to turn these overcooked beans 583 00:22:10,584 --> 00:22:12,250 into bean purée. 584 00:22:12,250 --> 00:22:14,125 But now I think I'm going to have to 585 00:22:14,125 --> 00:22:15,584 to quickly clean some nopales. 586 00:22:15,584 --> 00:22:17,792 So, it still feels like a full dish 587 00:22:17,792 --> 00:22:20,167 and not pork with two purées and a slaw. 588 00:22:20,167 --> 00:22:21,584 God damn it. 589 00:22:21,584 --> 00:22:22,918 There's only today's cook standing 590 00:22:22,918 --> 00:22:24,751 between me and the finale. 591 00:22:24,751 --> 00:22:26,876 More than ever now it's important to be flawless 592 00:22:26,876 --> 00:22:30,584 Jesús made cleaning this look a lot easier. 593 00:22:30,584 --> 00:22:32,375 PADMA: It's so beautiful here. 594 00:22:32,375 --> 00:22:33,751 Oh, that's fun for yesterday. 595 00:22:33,751 --> 00:22:35,209 Afternoon, everybody. 596 00:22:35,209 --> 00:22:36,751 It's quite nice. 597 00:22:36,751 --> 00:22:38,792 PADMA: Well, I want to welcome everybody. 598 00:22:38,792 --> 00:22:41,751 This is our first dinner in Tucson, 599 00:22:41,751 --> 00:22:45,542 and it's also last supper before the finale. 600 00:22:45,542 --> 00:22:47,751 Thank you, everyone, for being here. 601 00:22:47,751 --> 00:22:49,417 Five minutes. 602 00:22:49,417 --> 00:22:55,792 [dramatic music playing] 603 00:22:55,792 --> 00:22:59,792 [clock beeps] 604 00:22:59,792 --> 00:23:01,834 DON: Excellent. 605 00:23:01,834 --> 00:23:03,209 PADMA: Looks beautiful. 606 00:23:03,209 --> 00:23:04,584 GAIL: Hi, guys. 607 00:23:04,584 --> 00:23:06,250 TOM: What are we having? 608 00:23:06,250 --> 00:23:08,167 So it's a Mission Garden tom yum. 609 00:23:08,167 --> 00:23:09,417 -TOM: Wow. -Like this? 610 00:23:09,417 --> 00:23:11,918 Yeah, go. The whole thing. 611 00:23:11,918 --> 00:23:14,334 I'm using the chiltepin peppers. 612 00:23:14,334 --> 00:23:16,501 Jesús gave us a great tour of the garden 613 00:23:16,501 --> 00:23:18,959 and wanted to bring the garden to the plate as well. 614 00:23:18,959 --> 00:23:22,584 Tom yum usually has a lot of aromatics inside of it, 615 00:23:22,584 --> 00:23:24,709 and this one's got sour orange, 616 00:23:24,709 --> 00:23:26,334 lemongrass from the garden 617 00:23:26,334 --> 00:23:28,167 dumpling that's wrapped in a turnip, 618 00:23:28,167 --> 00:23:30,501 Calamari noodles, silken tofu. 619 00:23:30,501 --> 00:23:32,209 And then jumbo prawn. 620 00:23:32,209 --> 00:23:33,667 PADMA: Have you ever used this chiltepin before? 621 00:23:33,667 --> 00:23:35,375 No. It's the first time, 622 00:23:35,375 --> 00:23:36,876 -but definitely not my last. -Hey, Sarah. 623 00:23:36,876 --> 00:23:39,751 Hi. I tried to balance my love 624 00:23:39,751 --> 00:23:41,792 of everything we saw at Mission Gardens 625 00:23:41,792 --> 00:23:43,417 with the chiltepin. 626 00:23:43,417 --> 00:23:44,751 I wanted to celebrate the chiltepin 627 00:23:44,751 --> 00:23:46,542 in a couple different ways, 628 00:23:46,542 --> 00:23:47,918 so I made a vinaigrette 629 00:23:47,918 --> 00:23:49,626 that is tossed on the grape salad 630 00:23:49,626 --> 00:23:51,459 from pickled chiltepin. 631 00:23:51,459 --> 00:23:53,375 And then there's the dried in both the chimichurri 632 00:23:53,375 --> 00:23:54,792 and in the smoked yogurt on the bottom. 633 00:23:54,792 --> 00:23:56,459 And what is the crunch in your dish? 634 00:23:56,459 --> 00:23:58,167 I used bread to kind of soak up 635 00:23:58,167 --> 00:23:59,792 the chiltepin vinaigrette, 636 00:23:59,792 --> 00:24:01,667 and then the grapes themselves will have a crunch, 637 00:24:01,667 --> 00:24:03,584 they are Mission grapes, so they have a delightful seed. 638 00:24:03,584 --> 00:24:05,375 For me, that is a pleasant texture. 639 00:24:05,375 --> 00:24:07,167 All right, chefs, you have one more dish. 640 00:24:07,167 --> 00:24:08,250 -Good luck. -Thank you. 641 00:24:08,250 --> 00:24:11,918 Thank you. 642 00:24:11,918 --> 00:24:14,167 This is, like, the silence of really good food. 643 00:24:14,167 --> 00:24:15,959 Because no one is talking. Everybody's eating. 644 00:24:15,959 --> 00:24:17,792 These two dishes are extraordinary. 645 00:24:17,792 --> 00:24:19,792 -Yeah. -They really are. 646 00:24:19,792 --> 00:24:21,792 PADMA: What did you think of Sarah's lamb? 647 00:24:21,792 --> 00:24:23,375 I'm not a lamb person, 648 00:24:23,375 --> 00:24:25,584 but I really enjoyed Sarah's dish. 649 00:24:25,584 --> 00:24:29,542 Every texture played a part in how you tasted the chiltepin. 650 00:24:29,542 --> 00:24:31,792 This is outstanding. It's elegant. 651 00:24:31,792 --> 00:24:33,626 I could tell that she's a gardener. 652 00:24:33,626 --> 00:24:35,292 We had these grapes hanging 653 00:24:35,292 --> 00:24:37,167 on the plant and she spotted them. 654 00:24:37,167 --> 00:24:38,834 And I think they do very well. 655 00:24:38,834 --> 00:24:41,542 That moment of pop from the grape 656 00:24:41,542 --> 00:24:44,167 adds so much to balance the textures of the dish. 657 00:24:44,167 --> 00:24:46,751 I like the yogurt, because it really helped 658 00:24:46,751 --> 00:24:49,083 balance out that chiltepin, each. 659 00:24:49,083 --> 00:24:50,876 I think Sarah absolutely nailed this dish. 660 00:24:50,876 --> 00:24:53,250 And what about Buddha's tom yum? 661 00:24:53,250 --> 00:24:55,292 I love Buddha's dish. I love the point of view. 662 00:24:55,292 --> 00:24:56,792 I love the elegance, the refinement, 663 00:24:56,792 --> 00:24:58,250 the layering of flavors. 664 00:24:58,250 --> 00:24:59,751 I think he really incorporated 665 00:24:59,751 --> 00:25:01,375 the chiltepin pepper really nicely in this. 666 00:25:01,375 --> 00:25:03,375 My mouth, my tongue is still warm 667 00:25:03,375 --> 00:25:05,667 and glowing and throbbing just a little bit. 668 00:25:05,667 --> 00:25:07,584 RENE: I love it. It's just very well-balanced. 669 00:25:07,584 --> 00:25:09,375 You got the lemongrass, we get the ginger, 670 00:25:09,375 --> 00:25:11,584 we got that chiltepin in there. 671 00:25:11,584 --> 00:25:13,209 Trying to make sure everything's ready 672 00:25:13,209 --> 00:25:15,584 -for that first course. -DAMARR: Oh, God. 673 00:25:15,584 --> 00:25:17,751 Overcooking the beans caused me to lose time. 674 00:25:17,751 --> 00:25:19,626 Coming down behind. 675 00:25:19,626 --> 00:25:21,417 I'm really just rushing to kind of 676 00:25:21,417 --> 00:25:23,375 caramelize the barbecue sauce to get in the oven. 677 00:25:23,375 --> 00:25:25,209 Hopefully it'll caramelize in time. 678 00:25:25,209 --> 00:25:27,375 They look like rellenos. 679 00:25:27,375 --> 00:25:30,375 That is two... 680 00:25:30,375 --> 00:25:33,125 Feel like it's as good as it's going to get, right? 681 00:25:33,125 --> 00:25:36,250 [clock beeps] 682 00:25:36,250 --> 00:25:39,584 -Thank you. -Thank you. 683 00:25:39,584 --> 00:25:42,375 I see a big smile, Evelyn. What did you make? 684 00:25:42,375 --> 00:25:44,667 I'm always happy. I'm cooking. 685 00:25:44,667 --> 00:25:48,626 So what I've made for you today is a nopal relleno. 686 00:25:48,626 --> 00:25:51,542 So took inspiration from a chili relleno. 687 00:25:51,542 --> 00:25:53,459 And then I really just wanted to highlight the nopal 688 00:25:53,459 --> 00:25:55,667 as the star of my dish. 689 00:25:55,667 --> 00:25:58,292 And then I made a purée of shrimp 690 00:25:58,292 --> 00:25:59,792 with some of the herbs we found 691 00:25:59,792 --> 00:26:01,459 at the garden yesterday. 692 00:26:01,459 --> 00:26:03,292 On top, you have some raw nopal 693 00:26:03,292 --> 00:26:06,501 with some fresnos, some green chiltepin, 694 00:26:06,501 --> 00:26:08,918 and then some of the marigolds from the garden as well. 695 00:26:08,918 --> 00:26:10,459 -It's hot. -EVELYN: Yeah. There's a 696 00:26:10,459 --> 00:26:12,375 chiltepin chili oil as well. 697 00:26:12,375 --> 00:26:14,375 -Damarr, tell us what you made? -I made a pork shoulder 698 00:26:14,375 --> 00:26:15,876 that's been glazed and barbecue sauce 699 00:26:15,876 --> 00:26:17,792 made with prickly pear and chiltepin. 700 00:26:17,792 --> 00:26:19,751 I also made a pikliz 701 00:26:19,751 --> 00:26:22,209 that has chiltepin in it as well. 702 00:26:22,209 --> 00:26:24,125 Underneath there is grilled nopales 703 00:26:24,125 --> 00:26:25,584 and then there is a red beans purée 704 00:26:25,584 --> 00:26:27,375 underneath as well. 705 00:26:27,375 --> 00:26:29,417 What is the sweetness, is that the prickly pear? 706 00:26:29,417 --> 00:26:30,959 Yes, I just replaced what would normally be 707 00:26:30,959 --> 00:26:32,834 more ketchup and brown sugar. 708 00:26:32,834 --> 00:26:34,792 There is prickly pear cooked down in the barbecue sauce, 709 00:26:34,792 --> 00:26:36,375 and there's chiltepin as a spice-- 710 00:26:36,375 --> 00:26:37,459 used the chiltepin as that. 711 00:26:37,459 --> 00:26:38,959 All right. Thank you both. 712 00:26:38,959 --> 00:26:40,417 -EVELYN: Thank you. -DAMARR: You too. 713 00:26:40,417 --> 00:26:42,125 Let's start with Evelyn's. 714 00:26:42,125 --> 00:26:44,167 My first bite, it was, like, [inhales] 715 00:26:44,167 --> 00:26:47,125 Which I-- I like it. I-- it's my high. 716 00:26:47,125 --> 00:26:48,751 -Yes. -The creativity 717 00:26:48,751 --> 00:26:50,876 of how it's rolled and wrapped and how she incorporated 718 00:26:50,876 --> 00:26:52,792 both chiltepin and the nopales 719 00:26:52,792 --> 00:26:55,167 made me feel creatively inspired, 720 00:26:55,167 --> 00:26:56,792 but also familiar at the same time. 721 00:26:56,792 --> 00:26:59,584 And I think she really went out of her way 722 00:26:59,584 --> 00:27:03,459 in creating something very different, elegant. 723 00:27:03,459 --> 00:27:06,292 I've never had a relleno like this, 724 00:27:06,292 --> 00:27:07,792 but I could have used 725 00:27:07,792 --> 00:27:10,959 a little bit more chiltepin in here. 726 00:27:10,959 --> 00:27:13,167 Damarr's pork is beautifully cooked, 727 00:27:13,167 --> 00:27:15,959 not a whole lot of sort of chiltepin flavor in this dish. 728 00:27:15,959 --> 00:27:17,626 It's kind of mild. 729 00:27:17,626 --> 00:27:19,292 It was so cool to see 730 00:27:19,292 --> 00:27:21,792 this hearty Southern dish, right away, 731 00:27:21,792 --> 00:27:24,250 but at the same time, you realize that, 732 00:27:24,250 --> 00:27:25,834 "Oh, there's prickly pear in here." 733 00:27:25,834 --> 00:27:27,751 I think Damarr's prickly pear 734 00:27:27,751 --> 00:27:29,417 barbecue sauce is fantastic, 735 00:27:29,417 --> 00:27:31,292 because of that sweetness you get, 736 00:27:31,292 --> 00:27:32,792 but it just feels completely separate 737 00:27:32,792 --> 00:27:34,542 from the other elements that he made. 738 00:27:34,542 --> 00:27:36,250 It doesn't feel like he thought about them all 739 00:27:36,250 --> 00:27:37,918 and how they played together. 740 00:27:37,918 --> 00:27:39,459 EVELYN: They seem happy, 741 00:27:39,459 --> 00:27:44,459 -you know, you can never tell. -Sh--. 742 00:27:44,459 --> 00:27:46,250 BUDDHA: This episode is sponsored 743 00:27:46,250 --> 00:27:48,167 by liquid nitrogen. 744 00:27:48,167 --> 00:27:51,125 I'm going to be using liquid nitrogen to make a snow. 745 00:27:51,125 --> 00:27:52,918 I've actually never done that before. 746 00:27:52,918 --> 00:27:55,792 It is one challenge before the finale 747 00:27:55,792 --> 00:27:58,375 and I'm here to push myself. 748 00:27:58,375 --> 00:27:59,918 DAMARR: Sarah, how are you feeling? 749 00:27:59,918 --> 00:28:01,792 SARAH: I don't know. 750 00:28:01,792 --> 00:28:04,292 Buddha's dessert looks like it was made in a museum. 751 00:28:04,292 --> 00:28:05,792 I feel like this ice cream 752 00:28:05,792 --> 00:28:08,167 is kind of a nail in the coffin for me, 753 00:28:08,167 --> 00:28:11,959 so I'm going to be triaging these tarts to service. 754 00:28:11,959 --> 00:28:13,959 Things turned out well. 755 00:28:13,959 --> 00:28:15,834 SARAH: They're going to have to walk so fast, dude. 756 00:28:15,834 --> 00:28:17,250 [clock beeps] 757 00:28:17,250 --> 00:28:21,501 Looks beautiful, Buddha. 758 00:28:21,501 --> 00:28:23,334 -TOM: This is crazy. -GAIL: Yay! 759 00:28:23,334 --> 00:28:24,542 SARAH: I'll start with mine. 760 00:28:24,542 --> 00:28:25,959 On the side of the plate, 761 00:28:25,959 --> 00:28:27,542 I just wanted to show you guys 762 00:28:27,542 --> 00:28:30,250 the little saguaro fruit that's dried. 763 00:28:30,250 --> 00:28:32,918 And so that was kind of my inspiration for my dessert. 764 00:28:32,918 --> 00:28:35,792 I turned the husk that grows around it 765 00:28:35,792 --> 00:28:37,584 into the ice cream, 766 00:28:37,584 --> 00:28:38,959 and then I folded the seeds 767 00:28:38,959 --> 00:28:41,375 from the cacti into it. 768 00:28:41,375 --> 00:28:43,125 The tart itself is made from cactus 769 00:28:43,125 --> 00:28:44,959 and the caramel is made from cactus. 770 00:28:44,959 --> 00:28:46,375 -PADMA: Buddha. -I have variations 771 00:28:46,375 --> 00:28:48,292 of cactus with cream. 772 00:28:48,292 --> 00:28:50,125 On the bottom, we have the saguaro, 773 00:28:50,125 --> 00:28:51,667 it was milled and formed into the cake. 774 00:28:51,667 --> 00:28:53,959 I then have a barrel cactus relish as well. 775 00:28:53,959 --> 00:28:55,709 I've also taken the seed from the barrel cactus 776 00:28:55,709 --> 00:28:56,959 and put it into the ice cream, 777 00:28:56,959 --> 00:28:58,834 almost like vanilla beans. 778 00:28:58,834 --> 00:29:01,375 And then I've done a prickly pear snow to go on top. 779 00:29:01,375 --> 00:29:04,417 -Thank you. -Thank you so much. 780 00:29:04,417 --> 00:29:08,584 Sarah's dish. This-- it's a sticky, you know, 781 00:29:08,584 --> 00:29:10,375 sweet bowl of goodness. 782 00:29:10,375 --> 00:29:12,334 PADMA: I feel like a child. 783 00:29:12,334 --> 00:29:13,792 A little too saucy for me. 784 00:29:13,792 --> 00:29:15,751 It's unfortunate that ice cream melted. 785 00:29:15,751 --> 00:29:18,375 This is called June and that flavor is all over that dish. 786 00:29:18,375 --> 00:29:20,459 The way she ground some of the seeds, 787 00:29:20,459 --> 00:29:21,876 it gave the flavor to me. 788 00:29:21,876 --> 00:29:23,834 This tastes like saguaro to me. 789 00:29:23,834 --> 00:29:25,792 PADMA: What do you think of Buddha's dessert? 790 00:29:25,792 --> 00:29:27,667 I love the colors. Just attractive. 791 00:29:27,667 --> 00:29:29,626 And this is one of the colors of this region. 792 00:29:29,626 --> 00:29:31,459 Just pulls me in right away. 793 00:29:31,459 --> 00:29:33,501 The fruit, I think, is a superstar. 794 00:29:33,501 --> 00:29:35,375 Everything on Buddha's plate 795 00:29:35,375 --> 00:29:36,584 really showcases the fruit itself. 796 00:29:36,584 --> 00:29:38,501 And that was the whole point. 797 00:29:38,501 --> 00:29:40,834 I did not find a whole lot of prickly pear flavor in it. 798 00:29:40,834 --> 00:29:42,417 Thought that the cream 799 00:29:42,417 --> 00:29:44,292 could have used a little bit of infusion 800 00:29:44,292 --> 00:29:47,459 of the actual prickly pear or some zest. 801 00:29:47,459 --> 00:29:49,250 I think it suffers from being too cold. 802 00:29:49,250 --> 00:29:50,876 You know, when you freeze 803 00:29:50,876 --> 00:29:52,792 the prickly pear with liquid nitrogen, 804 00:29:52,792 --> 00:29:54,792 it gets so cold, it dulls the flavor. 805 00:29:54,792 --> 00:29:57,167 If the judges don't like it I really couldn't care. 806 00:29:57,167 --> 00:30:03,375 I like it. 807 00:30:03,375 --> 00:30:04,584 -Three minutes. -Heard. 808 00:30:04,584 --> 00:30:06,167 Cutting some grapes. 809 00:30:06,167 --> 00:30:07,792 Can't wait to finish this plate. 810 00:30:07,792 --> 00:30:09,792 -[chuckles] -Go talk to the judges. 811 00:30:09,792 --> 00:30:11,626 -Yeah, right? -It's been a long day. 812 00:30:11,626 --> 00:30:14,292 It's crazy to think this challenge 813 00:30:14,292 --> 00:30:17,584 boils down to two ingredients that I grew up eating. 814 00:30:17,584 --> 00:30:20,667 That's what's standing between me and the finale. 815 00:30:20,667 --> 00:30:23,501 [dramatic music intensifies] 816 00:30:23,501 --> 00:30:25,626 -[clock beeps] -That's all she wrote. 817 00:30:25,626 --> 00:30:26,959 All she wrote. 818 00:30:26,959 --> 00:30:28,792 PADMA: That's beautiful, wow. 819 00:30:28,792 --> 00:30:34,584 Oh, I can smell it. 820 00:30:34,584 --> 00:30:37,250 -Hello. -Hi there. 821 00:30:37,250 --> 00:30:39,792 Damarr, why don't you go first? What did you make for us? 822 00:30:39,792 --> 00:30:41,584 A prickly pear cake. 823 00:30:41,584 --> 00:30:43,417 It's glazed with prickly pear as well. 824 00:30:43,417 --> 00:30:46,292 On top there is a buttermilk cheese, saguaro fruit. 825 00:30:46,292 --> 00:30:49,792 And then I did some frozen mango with pomegranate seeds. 826 00:30:49,792 --> 00:30:51,459 -PADMA: Evelyn? -For my dessert, 827 00:30:51,459 --> 00:30:54,709 I went for a sour orange and sweet lime curd. 828 00:30:54,709 --> 00:30:57,792 On top some meringue with saguaro pods, 829 00:30:57,792 --> 00:30:59,375 prickly pear granita. 830 00:30:59,375 --> 00:31:01,292 And then I also have some quince 831 00:31:01,292 --> 00:31:03,792 tossed in a little bit of Chile pequin sugar. 832 00:31:03,792 --> 00:31:08,292 -Thank you both so much. -Thanks so much. 833 00:31:08,292 --> 00:31:11,501 I think the actual cake on Damarr's plate, 834 00:31:11,501 --> 00:31:13,709 definitely has a beautiful, subtle flavor 835 00:31:13,709 --> 00:31:15,292 that I wasn't familiar with, 836 00:31:15,292 --> 00:31:18,167 and then realized I was tasting the cactus. 837 00:31:18,167 --> 00:31:20,542 First thing I look at as a baker, is pigments, 838 00:31:20,542 --> 00:31:22,667 how can I combine that to get an expression 839 00:31:22,667 --> 00:31:24,792 of the Sonoran Desert? He did this. 840 00:31:24,792 --> 00:31:26,709 Damarr's cake, there's something about it 841 00:31:26,709 --> 00:31:28,584 that makes me wanna go back and back and back. 842 00:31:28,584 --> 00:31:30,501 That, for me, is a major win. 843 00:31:30,501 --> 00:31:33,542 -I think I'm all right. -I think it went well. 844 00:31:33,542 --> 00:31:36,125 What did you think of Evelyn's dessert? 845 00:31:36,125 --> 00:31:38,792 I really love what she did with the saguaro meringue. 846 00:31:38,792 --> 00:31:40,375 Eating meringue, when I was a kid, 847 00:31:40,375 --> 00:31:41,792 I remember just my grandma making it, 848 00:31:41,792 --> 00:31:43,751 and I love that about this dish. 849 00:31:43,751 --> 00:31:47,334 Evelyn finally gave me that beautiful punch of color 850 00:31:47,334 --> 00:31:50,501 that I was waiting for someone to give me on the plate. 851 00:31:50,501 --> 00:31:53,167 I thought it was creative, innovative. 852 00:31:53,167 --> 00:31:54,834 Evelyn did something that I've been doing 853 00:31:54,834 --> 00:31:56,751 my whole career as a Mexican chef. 854 00:31:56,751 --> 00:31:59,918 Trying to showcase that Mexican cuisine is elegant. 855 00:31:59,918 --> 00:32:01,959 I think was really subtle. It was a nice dessert. 856 00:32:01,959 --> 00:32:03,626 These are very, very good dishes. 857 00:32:03,626 --> 00:32:06,792 All the desserts today were pretty damn good. 858 00:32:06,792 --> 00:32:08,626 TOM: I feel like a prickly pear. 859 00:32:08,626 --> 00:32:11,417 [all chuckle & laugh] 860 00:32:11,417 --> 00:32:15,542 [dramatic music] 861 00:32:15,542 --> 00:32:17,292 BUDDHA: I think everyone did really good. 862 00:32:17,292 --> 00:32:19,167 We definitely are a group that makes it happen. 863 00:32:19,167 --> 00:32:21,334 I feel proud about cooking nopales. 864 00:32:21,334 --> 00:32:22,834 I made good tasting food. 865 00:32:22,834 --> 00:32:24,584 I had so many tragedies happen today. 866 00:32:24,584 --> 00:32:26,334 I can't believe I put food out. 867 00:32:26,334 --> 00:32:28,292 -What's done is done. -[chuckles] 868 00:32:28,292 --> 00:32:29,709 Yeah. 869 00:32:29,709 --> 00:32:34,167 [dramatic music playing] 870 00:32:34,167 --> 00:32:39,751 ♪♪♪ 871 00:32:39,751 --> 00:32:41,417 I have to say, 872 00:32:41,417 --> 00:32:42,792 you guys knocked it out of the park. 873 00:32:42,792 --> 00:32:44,584 Every single dish was just a standout, 874 00:32:44,584 --> 00:32:46,250 and it's no surprise. 875 00:32:46,250 --> 00:32:47,792 I mean, you've come this far 876 00:32:47,792 --> 00:32:49,375 because you're really skilled at what you do, 877 00:32:49,375 --> 00:32:51,250 and it really showed today. 878 00:32:51,250 --> 00:32:53,709 Evelyn, let's start with your first savory course. 879 00:32:53,709 --> 00:32:56,709 You showed us an elevated, elegant, 880 00:32:56,709 --> 00:33:01,334 fine dining version of a relleno that was beautifully executed. 881 00:33:01,334 --> 00:33:02,792 -[sighs] -Thank you. 882 00:33:02,792 --> 00:33:04,584 TOM: You completely reimagined it. 883 00:33:04,584 --> 00:33:05,918 You honored the ingredients really, really well 884 00:33:05,918 --> 00:33:07,959 and put together a really tasty dish. 885 00:33:07,959 --> 00:33:09,459 That felt like you. 886 00:33:09,459 --> 00:33:11,167 But it also felt like 887 00:33:11,167 --> 00:33:12,375 you were really pushing yourself today. 888 00:33:12,375 --> 00:33:13,792 And that's what we want to see 889 00:33:13,792 --> 00:33:15,167 at this point in the competition. 890 00:33:15,167 --> 00:33:16,626 Talk to me about your dessert. 891 00:33:16,626 --> 00:33:18,834 I'm familiar with the prickly pear, 892 00:33:18,834 --> 00:33:20,584 but it's very subtle flavor, 893 00:33:20,584 --> 00:33:22,626 so I wanted to do different versions of it. 894 00:33:22,626 --> 00:33:25,584 I love this dessert. I thought it was surprising. 895 00:33:25,584 --> 00:33:28,375 It really exalted the prickly pear. 896 00:33:28,375 --> 00:33:30,751 Texturally, it was fantastic to eat. 897 00:33:30,751 --> 00:33:33,459 Thank you. I think it came to me in the middle of the night. 898 00:33:33,459 --> 00:33:36,459 It had just so many layers of goodness. 899 00:33:36,459 --> 00:33:38,584 You should be very proud of that one. 900 00:33:38,584 --> 00:33:40,417 Thank you. 901 00:33:40,417 --> 00:33:41,792 -Sarah. -So, for the first dish, 902 00:33:41,792 --> 00:33:43,667 she tried to celebrate chiltepin. 903 00:33:43,667 --> 00:33:45,584 That lamb was just a vehicle for all the flavors 904 00:33:45,584 --> 00:33:48,167 that I wanted to kind of present today. 905 00:33:48,167 --> 00:33:49,959 -I hate lamb. -Oh, no. 906 00:33:49,959 --> 00:33:54,792 But it was, by far, my favorite dish of the evening. 907 00:33:54,792 --> 00:33:56,584 Oh, wow. Cool. 908 00:33:56,584 --> 00:33:59,626 The chiltepin chimichurri was super tasty, 909 00:33:59,626 --> 00:34:01,751 and the lamb was just cooked beautifully. 910 00:34:01,751 --> 00:34:03,584 I've never said that in my entire life. 911 00:34:03,584 --> 00:34:05,167 It's one of my favorite proteins. 912 00:34:05,167 --> 00:34:07,375 I have never seen a salad done that way, 913 00:34:07,375 --> 00:34:10,626 which I thought, you know, set it apart. 914 00:34:10,626 --> 00:34:11,959 Thank you. 915 00:34:11,959 --> 00:34:13,876 Let's talk about your dessert, Sarah. 916 00:34:13,876 --> 00:34:16,292 Woohoo. My dessert gave me hell today. 917 00:34:16,292 --> 00:34:18,209 I have ice cream all over me. 918 00:34:18,209 --> 00:34:20,167 It was not a great ice cream day for me. 919 00:34:20,167 --> 00:34:21,626 I agree, if the ice cream were colder, 920 00:34:21,626 --> 00:34:23,375 and you were using liquid nitrogen, 921 00:34:23,375 --> 00:34:24,959 so I'm not quite sure how it wasn't cold. 922 00:34:24,959 --> 00:34:26,959 -I just-- I panicked. -TOM: But that's it. 923 00:34:26,959 --> 00:34:29,792 I love the way you worked the ingredients into this dish. 924 00:34:29,792 --> 00:34:31,792 Damarr, how was the day for you? 925 00:34:31,792 --> 00:34:33,792 There were issues and me falling behind. 926 00:34:33,792 --> 00:34:36,334 I feel like the first course, I kind of rushed plating. 927 00:34:36,334 --> 00:34:37,667 I was definitely running around today. 928 00:34:37,667 --> 00:34:39,375 Damarr, what I loved most 929 00:34:39,375 --> 00:34:41,667 is how you took those ingredients, and said, 930 00:34:41,667 --> 00:34:43,626 "Okay, I'm gonna do it my way, and here we are." 931 00:34:43,626 --> 00:34:46,167 I thought the barbecue sauce was absolutely delicious. 932 00:34:46,167 --> 00:34:48,209 -We wanted more. -GAIL: You were so smart 933 00:34:48,209 --> 00:34:49,709 in the way you used the prickly pear. 934 00:34:49,709 --> 00:34:50,959 Putting it into your barbecue sauce 935 00:34:50,959 --> 00:34:52,709 was fantastic, 936 00:34:52,709 --> 00:34:54,584 but everything felt a little bit separated. 937 00:34:54,584 --> 00:34:56,626 The pikliz was a great vehicle 938 00:34:56,626 --> 00:35:00,667 for you to really showcase the chiltepin, 939 00:35:00,667 --> 00:35:02,792 but in the form that you gave it to us, 940 00:35:02,792 --> 00:35:06,167 shredded so fine, it didn't represent itself, 941 00:35:06,167 --> 00:35:08,501 or be a vehicle for some of the things 942 00:35:08,501 --> 00:35:10,751 you could have highlighted. 943 00:35:10,751 --> 00:35:13,709 The dessert, I thought, was delicious. 944 00:35:13,709 --> 00:35:15,792 I loved the crumb on your cake. 945 00:35:15,792 --> 00:35:19,626 I loved the little pops of texture and seed in your cake. 946 00:35:19,626 --> 00:35:21,792 The textures of the cheese and the pomegranate 947 00:35:21,792 --> 00:35:26,459 and that amazing crispiness of that figgy bud, 948 00:35:26,459 --> 00:35:28,751 I think was-- was really smart 949 00:35:28,751 --> 00:35:29,959 and it all worked beautifully together. 950 00:35:29,959 --> 00:35:31,792 You actually baked. 951 00:35:31,792 --> 00:35:33,626 It's great to see you have confidence to do that. 952 00:35:33,626 --> 00:35:34,876 -I really enjoyed it. -Thank you. 953 00:35:34,876 --> 00:35:37,667 -Buddha. -Yeah, the last one. 954 00:35:37,667 --> 00:35:40,250 Hearing all these good comments, I'm sweating. 955 00:35:40,250 --> 00:35:44,542 You used that chiltepin in the most striking way. 956 00:35:44,542 --> 00:35:49,459 Every bite had a punch of heat and so much flavor. 957 00:35:49,459 --> 00:35:52,417 Such a nice interpretation of using the chiltepin. 958 00:35:52,417 --> 00:35:54,792 The broth itself was just wonderful. 959 00:35:54,792 --> 00:35:57,375 -Thank you. -I mean, the dumplings. 960 00:35:57,375 --> 00:35:59,709 I'm going to have to figure out how to make those one day. 961 00:35:59,709 --> 00:36:01,334 It's really, really beautifully done. 962 00:36:01,334 --> 00:36:02,876 Thank you so much. 963 00:36:02,876 --> 00:36:04,709 That dessert, you could tell it was the hand 964 00:36:04,709 --> 00:36:06,876 of a very experienced, technically savvy chef. 965 00:36:06,876 --> 00:36:10,375 But I wanted a little more intensity 966 00:36:10,375 --> 00:36:12,501 and concentration of flavor. 967 00:36:12,501 --> 00:36:15,209 I feel like you manipulated the ingredients 968 00:36:15,209 --> 00:36:17,375 in so many incredible ways. 969 00:36:17,375 --> 00:36:20,667 But I didn't get the juiciness of the fruit. 970 00:36:20,667 --> 00:36:22,709 For me, as that cake warmed up, 971 00:36:22,709 --> 00:36:24,292 you really did get the texture 972 00:36:24,292 --> 00:36:25,792 and that draw from the cactus itself, 973 00:36:25,792 --> 00:36:28,959 and it was really, really beautiful. 974 00:36:28,959 --> 00:36:32,792 We have a hugely important decision to make. 975 00:36:32,792 --> 00:36:36,667 This is the last Judges' Table before the finale, 976 00:36:36,667 --> 00:36:40,292 and one of you will not be continuing on. 977 00:36:40,292 --> 00:36:47,792 [dramatic music playing] 978 00:36:47,792 --> 00:36:49,667 -All right. -Okay. 979 00:36:49,667 --> 00:36:51,334 What do you want to drink? 980 00:36:51,334 --> 00:36:52,792 [Evelyn chuckles] 981 00:36:52,792 --> 00:36:54,292 That was the most confusing Judges' Table 982 00:36:54,292 --> 00:36:55,542 I've ever been a part of. 983 00:36:55,542 --> 00:36:56,792 I hate it when everyone 984 00:36:56,792 --> 00:36:58,584 is so bloody good in a challenge. 985 00:36:58,584 --> 00:37:00,250 -DAMARR: I'm going home. -I don't know. 986 00:37:00,250 --> 00:37:02,918 I think I could be on the bottom, for sure-- 987 00:37:02,918 --> 00:37:04,959 Everybody had flaws. 988 00:37:04,959 --> 00:37:08,542 I mean, overall, I think, it's the nicest table we've had. 989 00:37:08,542 --> 00:37:10,375 Yeah. 990 00:37:10,375 --> 00:37:12,709 I think there's certainly an argument to be made 991 00:37:12,709 --> 00:37:15,292 for each of these chefs to get into the finale. 992 00:37:15,292 --> 00:37:18,876 I see a sense of understanding of the ingredients. 993 00:37:18,876 --> 00:37:20,918 I think that was the most exciting thing about today. 994 00:37:20,918 --> 00:37:25,667 They clearly took inspiration from Maria and Jesús, 995 00:37:25,667 --> 00:37:27,542 and they took it to heart. 996 00:37:27,542 --> 00:37:29,584 Buddha's Tom Yum was a great vehicle 997 00:37:29,584 --> 00:37:32,918 -to showcase the chiltepin. -So balanced, so beautiful. 998 00:37:32,918 --> 00:37:35,959 -I mean, the dumplings. -Buddha had my favorite dish, 999 00:37:35,959 --> 00:37:38,834 but his dessert needed a little bit more flavor. 1000 00:37:38,834 --> 00:37:43,292 Evelyn's nopal relleno was absolutely beautiful. 1001 00:37:43,292 --> 00:37:44,834 The flavor of the chiltepin 1002 00:37:44,834 --> 00:37:47,834 in her shrimp bisque was fantastic. 1003 00:37:47,834 --> 00:37:49,501 I would eat that dish over and over again 1004 00:37:49,501 --> 00:37:50,959 and enjoy it over and over again. 1005 00:37:50,959 --> 00:37:53,792 She has a respect for that product already, 1006 00:37:53,792 --> 00:37:56,292 but I was glad to see that she could step away 1007 00:37:56,292 --> 00:37:58,918 from that and do something different. 1008 00:37:58,918 --> 00:38:00,918 She took it to the next level-- 1009 00:38:00,918 --> 00:38:02,792 Even when they're, like, "Oh my God, delicious." 1010 00:38:02,792 --> 00:38:05,459 I'm like, "But I could have done this, this, and this." 1011 00:38:05,459 --> 00:38:06,959 I still don't think it was nearly 1012 00:38:06,959 --> 00:38:08,792 as good as Sarah's was. 1013 00:38:08,792 --> 00:38:12,417 Use of the cactus and the chili was on par 1014 00:38:12,417 --> 00:38:15,501 with any three star Michelin dish that I've ever had. 1015 00:38:15,501 --> 00:38:16,792 I thought it was that good. 1016 00:38:16,792 --> 00:38:18,000 GAIL: I keep going back to it. 1017 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,584 Herbaceous and well-seasoned, 1018 00:38:20,584 --> 00:38:23,667 the layers of flavor, the smoked yogurt. 1019 00:38:23,667 --> 00:38:25,584 Sarah's dish, for me, was definitely 1020 00:38:25,584 --> 00:38:26,709 the highlight of all of them, 1021 00:38:26,709 --> 00:38:28,542 But I can find things 1022 00:38:28,542 --> 00:38:31,375 that I would improve on Sarah's dessert. 1023 00:38:31,375 --> 00:38:33,334 I had a ton of fun cooking today, 1024 00:38:33,334 --> 00:38:35,542 but I definitely had a rough day. 1025 00:38:35,542 --> 00:38:38,792 Damarr's pork dish just didn't rise 1026 00:38:38,792 --> 00:38:39,959 to the challenge. 1027 00:38:39,959 --> 00:38:41,918 And I don't think that Damarr 1028 00:38:41,918 --> 00:38:44,000 went as deeply as he could, 1029 00:38:44,000 --> 00:38:48,334 in exploration of the chiltepin in that pork dish. 1030 00:38:48,334 --> 00:38:49,834 And that is really 1031 00:38:49,834 --> 00:38:52,000 what the crux of the challenge was. 1032 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:53,375 -Right. -It was really lost. 1033 00:38:53,375 --> 00:38:54,918 You could not taste it 1034 00:38:54,918 --> 00:38:59,584 in the barbecue sauce or in the pikliz. 1035 00:38:59,584 --> 00:39:01,542 I don't know, it just sucked that I was kinda 1036 00:39:01,542 --> 00:39:03,792 rushing plating on the first one. 1037 00:39:03,792 --> 00:39:05,584 I shouldn't have tried to make something 1038 00:39:05,584 --> 00:39:07,876 that the usually takes me two or three hours to make. 1039 00:39:07,876 --> 00:39:09,876 I loved Damarr's cake. 1040 00:39:09,876 --> 00:39:11,959 TOM: Yeah, Damarr's dessert was better than the savory. 1041 00:39:11,959 --> 00:39:13,417 GAIL: It was. 1042 00:39:13,417 --> 00:39:14,959 I personally think 1043 00:39:14,959 --> 00:39:17,459 that Evelyn's dessert was the best dessert. 1044 00:39:17,459 --> 00:39:18,876 I almost doubled my friend group. 1045 00:39:18,876 --> 00:39:23,542 -EVELYN: Aw! -Oh, that's so cute! 1046 00:39:23,542 --> 00:39:24,709 I quadrupled mine. 1047 00:39:24,709 --> 00:39:26,417 [Sarah laughs] 1048 00:39:26,417 --> 00:39:27,959 This far in the competition, 1049 00:39:27,959 --> 00:39:29,667 we didn't see a whole lot of mistakes, 1050 00:39:29,667 --> 00:39:30,959 but it seems to be one dish 1051 00:39:30,959 --> 00:39:32,876 that just didn't come together. 1052 00:39:32,876 --> 00:39:36,501 Okay, I think we have our final three. 1053 00:39:36,501 --> 00:39:38,584 Let's get them out here. 1054 00:39:38,584 --> 00:39:45,876 ♪♪♪ 1055 00:39:45,876 --> 00:39:50,792 Chefs, tonight's decision was a really difficult one, 1056 00:39:50,792 --> 00:39:54,834 but we do have a winner. 1057 00:39:54,834 --> 00:39:58,626 Tonight's winning chef delivered two exceptional dishes 1058 00:39:58,626 --> 00:40:00,792 that had a lot of story and heart, 1059 00:40:00,792 --> 00:40:02,876 but also used the two ingredients 1060 00:40:02,876 --> 00:40:06,334 in a really wonderfully creative and delicious way. 1061 00:40:06,334 --> 00:40:08,709 And the winning chef tonight is... 1062 00:40:08,709 --> 00:40:12,876 ♪♪♪ 1063 00:40:12,876 --> 00:40:14,334 Evelyn. 1064 00:40:14,334 --> 00:40:15,959 [all clapping] 1065 00:40:15,959 --> 00:40:17,918 [emotional music playing] 1066 00:40:17,918 --> 00:40:20,209 Congratulations, Evelyn, 1067 00:40:20,209 --> 00:40:22,584 that means you are going to the finale. 1068 00:40:22,584 --> 00:40:25,375 -Oh my God! -SARAH: Cue crying. 1069 00:40:25,375 --> 00:40:26,918 I made it! 1070 00:40:26,918 --> 00:40:29,584 I'm just so grateful for this. 1071 00:40:29,584 --> 00:40:31,292 You know, to win this with nopales. 1072 00:40:31,292 --> 00:40:32,584 I mean-- 1073 00:40:32,584 --> 00:40:33,959 -[sniffling] -[al laughing] 1074 00:40:33,959 --> 00:40:35,918 This win is definitely not just for me. 1075 00:40:35,918 --> 00:40:37,584 It's for my family. 1076 00:40:37,584 --> 00:40:40,792 It's for all the Mexican-Americans out there. 1077 00:40:40,792 --> 00:40:42,959 -Muchas gracias. -Gracias. 1078 00:40:42,959 --> 00:40:46,834 Please step to the side. 1079 00:40:46,834 --> 00:40:49,709 Doing it, girl! 1080 00:40:49,709 --> 00:40:53,876 Oh, my God. 1081 00:40:53,876 --> 00:40:56,209 You know, chefs, you come here, 1082 00:40:56,209 --> 00:40:57,959 and one thing that we tell you, it's going 1083 00:40:57,959 --> 00:41:00,250 to be really, really difficult. 1084 00:41:00,250 --> 00:41:01,959 But the great thing about going through it, 1085 00:41:01,959 --> 00:41:04,334 you've learned probably more about yourself, 1086 00:41:04,334 --> 00:41:07,834 why you cook, and why you've chosen this profession. 1087 00:41:07,834 --> 00:41:09,792 Unfortunately, one person's going home, 1088 00:41:09,792 --> 00:41:11,250 but you didn't lose. 1089 00:41:11,250 --> 00:41:12,834 You gained so much more. 1090 00:41:12,834 --> 00:41:19,834 ♪♪♪ 1091 00:41:19,834 --> 00:41:24,501 Damarr, please pack your knives and go. 1092 00:41:24,501 --> 00:41:26,542 -Thank you. -PADMA: I'm so sorry, Damarr. 1093 00:41:26,542 --> 00:41:28,375 Can we sandwich? 1094 00:41:28,375 --> 00:41:30,375 It sucks to be eliminated so close to the finale, 1095 00:41:30,375 --> 00:41:32,959 I mean, winning was a serious possibility. 1096 00:41:32,959 --> 00:41:34,792 We're not going to let go. 1097 00:41:34,792 --> 00:41:37,292 But there are some errors made that cost me. 1098 00:41:37,292 --> 00:41:38,792 -Thank you so much. -Thank you. 1099 00:41:38,792 --> 00:41:41,459 It's such a pleasure, man. 1100 00:41:41,459 --> 00:41:43,167 I've had many hardships and challenges 1101 00:41:43,167 --> 00:41:44,792 in my life that have forced me to grow. 1102 00:41:44,792 --> 00:41:46,626 You're incredible. 1103 00:41:46,626 --> 00:41:48,792 And now Top Chef is another one of those things. 1104 00:41:48,792 --> 00:41:51,709 Before this, I spent a lot of time doubting myself, 1105 00:41:51,709 --> 00:41:54,417 and I think my confidence has grown tremendously. 1106 00:41:54,417 --> 00:41:59,209 ♪♪♪ 1107 00:41:59,209 --> 00:42:02,709 PADMA: Next time on the season finale of Top Chef... 1108 00:42:02,709 --> 00:42:04,918 Congratulations, you've made it to the end. 1109 00:42:04,918 --> 00:42:07,334 [all cheering] 1110 00:42:07,334 --> 00:42:11,667 PADMA: Each of you'll be making the best meal of your lives. 1111 00:42:11,667 --> 00:42:13,834 BUDDHA: Look at this. Oh, yeah. 1112 00:42:13,834 --> 00:42:16,459 -Oh, Stephanie. -Oh, my God. 1113 00:42:16,459 --> 00:42:19,334 SARAH: That's Eric Ripert I just sh-- myself. 1114 00:42:19,334 --> 00:42:21,792 This menu is really about full utilization. 1115 00:42:21,792 --> 00:42:24,667 I'm hoping winning is a symptom of passion. 1116 00:42:24,667 --> 00:42:26,501 The leaves are changing color on the plate. 1117 00:42:26,501 --> 00:42:27,876 Just like Central Park. 1118 00:42:27,876 --> 00:42:29,584 I've got a massive arsenal 1119 00:42:29,584 --> 00:42:31,501 that still hasn't been touched yet. 1120 00:42:31,501 --> 00:42:33,167 EVELYN: Oh, my heart is pounding. 1121 00:42:33,167 --> 00:42:35,584 I've come this far to cook this food. 1122 00:42:35,584 --> 00:42:37,375 And this is my chance. Beautiful. 1123 00:42:37,375 --> 00:42:38,959 It's very funny. 1124 00:42:38,959 --> 00:42:40,417 I actually learned this from Chef Ripert. 1125 00:42:40,417 --> 00:42:41,918 Oh, yeah? 1126 00:42:41,918 --> 00:42:43,626 Anything you're cautious about right now? 1127 00:42:43,626 --> 00:42:45,292 -All the things. -All of it. 1128 00:42:45,292 --> 00:42:47,667 ♪♪♪ 1129 00:42:47,667 --> 00:42:49,417 -Wow. -This is incredible. 1130 00:42:49,417 --> 00:42:51,209 Stunning. 1131 00:42:51,209 --> 00:42:53,459 Wow. I mean, this was unbelievable. 1132 00:42:53,459 --> 00:42:55,501 If you are the future of our industry, 1133 00:42:55,501 --> 00:42:58,417 we're in really good hands. 1134 00:42:58,417 --> 00:42:59,834 You are Top Chef! 1135 00:42:59,834 --> 00:43:03,792 ♪♪♪