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[Ted] Get ready for another
sizzling battle
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in the Chopped kitchen.
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We're making burgers.
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-Woo!
-Oh, my gosh.
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[Ted] In this special event...
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Is that real?
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[Ted] we're making burgers
worth 10,000 bucks.
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This is so nerve-racking.
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I think I'm a little behind.
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Trying to get my buns toasted.
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Trying to keep up with
this clock right now.
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Everyone is scrambling.
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[Ted] Let's get this
burger war underway.
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Whoa.
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-What are you doing?
-[Pat] Woo!
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This is one of the most
intense Chopped kitchens
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I've ever seen.
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It is wild.
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[Michael]
Burgers are my passion.
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I've spent
every waking moment
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thinking about burgers.
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Sorry, I lost
my train thought, I was...
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I was just thinking
about burgers.
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I'm the chef and owner
of Trill Burgers
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out of Houston, Texas.
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The key to a perfect burger
is balance of sweet,
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sour, bitter, savory,
and saltiness in there.
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Mix this up.
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Trill Burgers was named
Best Burger in America
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by Good Morning America,
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and since then,
it's just been wildfire.
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Trill is truly ill.
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Winning Chopped
would be thrill.
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[Melanie] No one
in the history of the world
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can make a bun
like I do.
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My burger is unique
every time you have it.
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I'm co-owner
and executive butcher
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at Babe's Meat & Counter
in Miami, Florida.
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My biggest asset
is definitely
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my knowledge of meat
and how to use it.
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So all of my burgers
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start with Wagyu chuck
and prime chuck.
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Any butchering
that I'm doing,
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all that delicious steak trim
is going into that burger.
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I've been voted
the best burger in Miami,
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but I am here to have
the best burger on Chopped.
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[Pat] When someone takes
a bite out of my burger,
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I want them to get
every layer of flavor,
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umami, salt, fat, acid.
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I want it
to be the perfect bite.
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My name's Pat McHenry,
I'm the head chef
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at Lucky's Last Chance in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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We're putting peanut butter
and jelly on burgers,
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we're putting a burger
on a donut, because why not?
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Lucky's Last Chance has won
the Philadelphia Burger Brawl
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three times now.
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And we've also been
on Good Morning America
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where we won Best Burger
in Philly.
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If a list comes out
for best burgers in Philly,
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I know I'm gonna be on it.
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Being first chopped
is not an option.
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[LaMara] A burger is just
whatever you want it to be.
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[laughs]
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Hi, I'm LaMara Davidson.
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I am the chef/owner
of the Cornbread and Kimchi.
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I'm based out
of Atlanta, Georgia.
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I am half Korean
and half African-American.
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So there's a burger
that I love to make,
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and I call it a Bibimburger.
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I use all the things
that would be in a bibimbap,
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the traditional
Korean rice bowl.
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I've been working
in professional kitchens
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for over 20 years now.
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I have sold thousands
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and thousands of burgers.
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I'm going to do
whatever it takes to win.
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Hello, chefs.
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-[Melanie] Hi, Ted.
-Hey, Ted.
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[Ted] We carefully selected
you for this competition
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because you're all
burger connoisseurs.
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-Are you ready to represent?
-This is what I do.
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I'm ready to grind,
let's do this.
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Happy to hear it,
because in every round,
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we want you to make burgers
worth 10,000 bucks.
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All right.
The appetizer basket
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will get this burger war
started.
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Open them up.
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-What?
-Oh, yeah.
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What's on these pickles?
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[Ted] And you must use
cheesesteak-stuffed pickles.
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I live in Philly
and I've never seen
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this kind
of cheesesteak before.
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Salsa verde?
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[Ted] Salsa verde.
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Love this.
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[Ted] Thick-cut bacon.
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What's up?
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Okay. Some Wagyu.
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[Ted] And Wagyu beef cheek.
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There's some good
and some not so good.
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The 20-min appetizer round...
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starts now.
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-[Justin] Let's go!
-[Ted] Let's go, chefs!
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Geoffrey, you are joined
by two special guest judges,
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celebrated restaurateurs,
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Chef Tiffany Derry
and Chef Justin Sutherland.
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Welcome back to you both.
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Always great to be
in the Chopped kitchen.
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-Great to have you.
-[Tiffany] Absolutely.
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Thank you.
Thanks for having us.
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[Ted] All right, judges.
We've asked them
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to make a burger
in every round.
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What do you want
in an appetizer burger?
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[Justin] Small.
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We're starting
a meal this way,
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it shouldn't be too heavy.
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And I mean, for me,
that patty needs to be juicy.
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And when it comes
to having a juicy burger,
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you want that ratio
of meat to fat.
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Do you want 80:20?
Do you want 70:30?
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It's what keeps it juicy.
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But there's also different
kinds of cuts,
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so some people like brisket,
top round, chuck.
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And I would say also,
you need 10 times more salt
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than you think
to get that deep taste.
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That's all I look for,
it's that beef, fat,
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salt, then I'm happy.
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[Pat] I love burgers so much
because it's a whole meal
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that you can hold
with your hands.
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And if you have grease
running down your elbows
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at the end of it,
all the better.
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I'm making a Wagyu slider
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with a salsa verde
cream sauce
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and a cheesesteak
pickle relish.
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So for my burger patty,
this cheek is very lean,
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so I only need to add
some fat to that.
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So this thick cut bacon
is perfect for that.
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[Geoffrey]
Wagyu is a cow raised
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in a prefecture of Wagyu,
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it's raised
on very fatty things.
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It's almost 60% fat.
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[Tiffany] But the other thing
is that you have cheek.
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[Geoffrey] It's cheek,
which is very different. Yeah.
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So the cheek is very lean,
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-so it needs some fat.
-[Justin] It needs some fat.
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I'm putting
the thick-cut bacon
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through the grinder
with the beef cheek
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because I want that fat
and that flavor.
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So I'm making beef cheek
and bacon sliders
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with a salsa verde aioli.
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I need to start
building burgers.
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After culinary school,
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I worked through hotels
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from the Ritz-Carlton
to the Gaylord Texan.
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While I was at the Gaylord,
I was running a sports bar
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that we pumped out
more burgers
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than anybody in Texas,
so I became the burger queen.
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[Michael] So my parents
were immigrants from Vietnam.
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So growing up, there was two
huge identities in my life.
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Having a burger in my hand
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was a little piece
of Americana,
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and it's just been
sentimental to me ever since.
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For this dish,
I'm gonna be making
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a Southwestern-inspired
slider
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with a salsa verde
apple chutney.
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To make my chutney, I take
Granny Smith green apples,
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I added the salsa verde,
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some lemon juice,
and cornstarch slurry.
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I love Wagyu beef cheek.
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So Wagyu beef cheek
is the inside cheek
of the cow,
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so it has a lot
of connective tissue
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that can be very tough,
so I know I need to trim it.
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As a butcher,
it's very important to me
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that I get these patties
done properly.
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I need the seasonings
to be perfect.
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Melanie, what are you
working on there?
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I'm gonna make a beef cheek
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and bacon merguez burger.
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-I love...
-Wow.
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using beef cheek
in my merguez.
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[Justin] If she puts
the classic merguez seasoning
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within this beef burger,
I think it's gonna be
fantastic.
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[Melanie] I spent a few years
in France.
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One of my favorite things
was merguez sausage.
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All right. We get paprika.
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Merguez seasoning
has lots of paprika
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and garlic,
a little bit of allspice.
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Ten minutes to go, chefs.
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[upbeat music playing]
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I think one of the keys,
seeing all the fat,
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is gonna be someone
bringing pickled onions
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or pickled jalapeno,
something to bring some...
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-Balance.
-Some balance.
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[sighs] All right.
Let's tackle this thing.
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I decided to use
the cheesesteak pickle
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in a relish for the bottom
of this burger.
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In you go.
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I add the cheesesteak pickle
with some Dijon mustard
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and some champagne vinegar.
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[Geoffrey]
Cheesesteak-stuffed pickle.
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It's a pickle stuffed
with shaved rib eye
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-with some cheese sauce.
-You can deconstruct it,
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you've got extra meat
to put on there
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if you wanna put extra
rib eye in your patty,
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you've got a pickle
you can slice up,
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do anything with,
make a relish.
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00:07:47,367 --> 00:07:50,500
For me, a good burger
has some kind of a sauce,
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and I prefer an aioli.
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So I mix my salsa verde
and some Japanese mayo.
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[Michael] To make my patties,
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00:07:59,767 --> 00:08:02,700
I'm including steak
from the pickle cheesesteak
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00:08:02,700 --> 00:08:04,700
because the meat
in the cheesesteak
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00:08:04,700 --> 00:08:06,567
is already cooked,
I'm hoping that I'll reduce
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the cook time on my burgers.
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00:08:07,867 --> 00:08:09,867
And I'm parcooking the bacon,
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00:08:09,867 --> 00:08:11,567
so that we don't have
raw bacon in the patty.
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00:08:11,567 --> 00:08:14,500
I grind the beef cheeks
with the bacon
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and the cheesesteak,
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00:08:16,367 --> 00:08:17,767
and I'm gonna form them
into patties.
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00:08:17,767 --> 00:08:19,367
Right out of high school,
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I decided to go
to culinary school
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and never looked back,
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and I devoted myself
to burgers.
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And the first restaurant
I've ever opened
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was at 22 years old and it
was a burger restaurant.
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I wanna win Chopped
to show the world
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00:08:31,367 --> 00:08:32,567
that I'm the best in the game
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00:08:32,567 --> 00:08:34,266
when it comes
to making burgers.
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I wanna win Chopped
because I wanna prove
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that I'm not just a butcher,
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that I can cook,
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that I can bring it
like the rest of them.
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To make my radicchio slaw,
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I'm gonna add some
of the salsa verde
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for a little bit of heat.
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00:08:47,700 --> 00:08:50,233
All right, chefs.
Five minutes left.
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[tense music playing]
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[Justin] Melanie has not
started cooking any meat.
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She hasn't done anything
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with her cheesesteak-stuffed
pickles.
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00:09:00,467 --> 00:09:02,100
I mean, those are basket
ingredients
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00:09:02,100 --> 00:09:03,600
that need to get
on this plate.
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00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:05,266
And I don't want you
just to slice up the pickle
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00:09:05,266 --> 00:09:06,467
-and put it on the plate.
-[Justin] Right.
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00:09:06,467 --> 00:09:07,934
Like, there needs to be more.
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00:09:08,700 --> 00:09:12,000
The time is going by
so quickly.
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00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:13,867
I need to get
these burgers cooking.
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00:09:13,867 --> 00:09:18,300
Otherwise, these judges are
gonna get raw meat on a bun.
249
00:09:18,300 --> 00:09:20,100
And I'm really worried
250
00:09:20,100 --> 00:09:21,867
about getting the rest
of my stuff together.
251
00:09:21,867 --> 00:09:24,266
It's very important to me
that I get this correct.
252
00:09:24,266 --> 00:09:25,433
This is my job.
253
00:09:26,700 --> 00:09:30,133
[tense music playing]
254
00:09:33,500 --> 00:09:35,166
[Justin] Melanie has not
started cooking any meat.
255
00:09:35,166 --> 00:09:36,600
She hasn't done anything
256
00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:38,066
with her cheesesteak-stuffed
pickles.
257
00:09:38,066 --> 00:09:39,867
I mean, those are
basket ingredients
258
00:09:39,867 --> 00:09:41,100
that need to get
on this plate.
259
00:09:41,100 --> 00:09:42,467
Melanie? How are you looking?
260
00:09:42,467 --> 00:09:44,100
Ooh, I don't know.
261
00:09:44,100 --> 00:09:46,467
I think I'm a little behind.
262
00:09:46,467 --> 00:09:50,700
My plan was to do
some deep-fried pickle chips,
263
00:09:50,700 --> 00:09:52,266
but that's not gonna happen.
264
00:09:52,266 --> 00:09:54,133
I just need to get these
pickles on the burger.
265
00:09:56,266 --> 00:09:57,967
I cut myself.
266
00:09:57,967 --> 00:10:00,867
Medic. Oh, Lord.
Melanie's cut herself.
267
00:10:00,867 --> 00:10:02,400
-Oh, no.
-[Tiffany]
It's three minutes left.
268
00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:03,767
I don't think there's blood.
Can I go back?
269
00:10:03,767 --> 00:10:05,700
-She was already behind.
-[Geoffrey groans]
270
00:10:05,700 --> 00:10:07,066
-You got it, Melanie.
-You got this, Melanie.
271
00:10:07,066 --> 00:10:08,133
Hold it together, you got it.
272
00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:10,033
Behind.
273
00:10:10,767 --> 00:10:12,367
[Pat] I love salsa verde.
274
00:10:12,367 --> 00:10:13,567
It's got a little bit
of heat,
275
00:10:13,567 --> 00:10:15,367
a little bit of acidity,
and it's very well-seasoned.
276
00:10:15,367 --> 00:10:18,266
To make my cream sauce,
I get that salsa verde
277
00:10:18,266 --> 00:10:21,066
into a hot pan
and add some heavy cream
278
00:10:21,066 --> 00:10:22,166
to add some richness.
279
00:10:24,166 --> 00:10:27,300
I decided on sweet Hawaiian
slider buns,
280
00:10:27,300 --> 00:10:29,700
and I like sweet and sour,
281
00:10:29,700 --> 00:10:31,600
so I'm gonna use
just the pickle
282
00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:34,934
from the stuffed pickle,
slice it up and let's go.
283
00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:36,834
Oh, my gosh.
284
00:10:38,700 --> 00:10:41,500
[Michael] For my buns,
I want something
pillow-y soft,
285
00:10:41,500 --> 00:10:44,233
so I'm going
with the potato slider buns.
286
00:10:45,867 --> 00:10:47,567
Michael, how are you doing
over there?
287
00:10:47,567 --> 00:10:49,433
I'm trying to keep
up with this clock right now.
288
00:10:50,166 --> 00:10:53,033
[tense music playing]
289
00:10:57,367 --> 00:10:58,367
[Melanie] Oh, my gosh.
290
00:10:58,367 --> 00:11:00,166
There's the blood.
291
00:11:05,066 --> 00:11:06,800
[Tiffany] You got it, Melanie.
Let's go.
292
00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,300
Melanie is a trouper
right now. She cut her hand...
293
00:11:09,300 --> 00:11:11,266
-Come on, Melanie, keep it up.
-[Justin] but she is getting
everything on that plate.
294
00:11:11,266 --> 00:11:12,734
We love to see it.
295
00:11:15,467 --> 00:11:16,700
[Ted] Order up, chefs.
296
00:11:16,700 --> 00:11:18,300
Seconds left on that clock.
297
00:11:18,300 --> 00:11:20,700
Ten, nine,
298
00:11:20,700 --> 00:11:23,800
eight, seven, six,
299
00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,367
-five, four...
-Five seconds, guys.
300
00:11:26,367 --> 00:11:29,867
[Ted] three, two, one.
301
00:11:29,867 --> 00:11:31,100
-[Justin] Woo!
-[Ted] Hands up!
302
00:11:31,100 --> 00:11:33,000
Oh, my gosh.
303
00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:34,567
-[Geoffrey] Wow.
-Yeah.
304
00:11:34,567 --> 00:11:36,000
-[Michael] Good job, good job.
-Ooh.
305
00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:37,800
So, this was intense.
306
00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,700
But I feel confident because
I grind meat every day.
307
00:11:40,700 --> 00:11:42,567
I know what makes
a good burger.
308
00:11:42,567 --> 00:11:43,867
[Michael] That 20 minutes
309
00:11:43,867 --> 00:11:45,266
really felt like
it was two minutes.
310
00:11:45,266 --> 00:11:46,967
But the thing is,
I'm very confident
311
00:11:46,967 --> 00:11:48,166
that I can win
this burger competition
312
00:11:48,166 --> 00:11:49,266
because I make
the best burgers.
313
00:11:49,266 --> 00:11:50,300
[laughs]
314
00:11:50,300 --> 00:11:53,934
[tense music playing]
315
00:11:58,367 --> 00:12:01,100
Chefs, you have arrived
at the chopping block.
316
00:12:01,100 --> 00:12:02,700
In the first round
of our burger battle,
317
00:12:02,700 --> 00:12:04,367
you opened
your appetizer basket
318
00:12:04,367 --> 00:12:08,000
and found cheesesteak-stuffed
pickles, salsa verde,
319
00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:11,100
thick-cut bacon,
and Wagyu beef cheek.
320
00:12:11,100 --> 00:12:13,166
Chef Michael, please tell us
about your burger.
321
00:12:13,166 --> 00:12:16,000
So my slider
is a Southwestern slider
322
00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:18,000
with salsa verde
apple chutney.
323
00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,700
The patty's made
with beef cheeks, bacon,
324
00:12:20,700 --> 00:12:22,400
and a little bit
of cheesesteak meat,
325
00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:24,800
and then we got
sliced pickles with mayo.
326
00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:27,300
So Michael, what is it
you love about burgers?
327
00:12:27,300 --> 00:12:28,667
[Michael] It's a piece
of Americana for me.
328
00:12:28,667 --> 00:12:30,367
I'm a first-generation
Vietnamese-American,
329
00:12:30,367 --> 00:12:33,000
and, you know, living at home,
it was, uh, very Vietnamese,
330
00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,367
but when I was able
to hop on my bike
331
00:12:35,367 --> 00:12:37,000
and ride out
to the closest burger chain,
332
00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:38,400
it was like my gateway
to Americana.
333
00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:39,600
Love it.
334
00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:41,367
[Tiffany] Michael, I thought
the burger was really nice.
335
00:12:41,367 --> 00:12:43,166
The flavor is delicious.
336
00:12:43,166 --> 00:12:46,266
It feels very Americana
as you say.
337
00:12:46,266 --> 00:12:49,867
I love the edges of the bread
that got toasted,
338
00:12:49,867 --> 00:12:51,367
almost a little too much.
339
00:12:51,367 --> 00:12:53,166
-It was perfect though...
-Thank you.
340
00:12:53,166 --> 00:12:54,700
...because you want
that little crunch
to come through.
341
00:12:54,700 --> 00:12:55,800
Got it.
342
00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:57,967
Michael, I really,
really enjoyed this burger.
343
00:12:57,967 --> 00:12:59,867
Um, I thought grinding
that, uh, cheesesteak meat
344
00:12:59,867 --> 00:13:02,100
in with the beef,
uh, was very, very smart.
345
00:13:02,100 --> 00:13:03,100
Thank you.
346
00:13:03,100 --> 00:13:04,066
And then parcooking that bacon
347
00:13:04,066 --> 00:13:05,567
so you can still get
a little bit of pink
348
00:13:05,567 --> 00:13:07,266
in your burger
without having raw bacon,
349
00:13:07,266 --> 00:13:09,367
-uh, that was a pro move.
-Thank you.
350
00:13:09,367 --> 00:13:11,600
But I just think
the ratio of mayo
351
00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:13,600
to the rest of the condiments
was a little much.
352
00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,500
The apple pickle chutney
is really good.
353
00:13:16,500 --> 00:13:17,767
Oh, thank you.
354
00:13:17,767 --> 00:13:19,100
Probably because of that
salsa verde in there.
355
00:13:19,100 --> 00:13:20,467
-Yeah. Yup.
-That helps anything.
356
00:13:20,467 --> 00:13:22,700
However, I think that
357
00:13:22,700 --> 00:13:24,066
you want
the cheese everywhere.
358
00:13:24,066 --> 00:13:26,000
I just got two bites
of cheese.
359
00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:28,100
-Of course.
-Thank you, Chef Michael.
360
00:13:28,100 --> 00:13:29,467
Next up, Chef LaMara.
361
00:13:29,467 --> 00:13:34,600
Okay. So I did a beef cheek
and bacon slider,
362
00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:37,000
and a salsa verde aioli.
363
00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,667
What is your connection
to our burger theme?
364
00:13:39,667 --> 00:13:41,166
When I was young,
365
00:13:41,166 --> 00:13:43,100
we grew up
next to an A&W Root Beer,
366
00:13:43,100 --> 00:13:45,166
so I grew up eating burgers,
367
00:13:45,166 --> 00:13:47,000
and then I ran this bar
in Brooklyn
368
00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:48,367
doing sliders and wings,
369
00:13:48,367 --> 00:13:52,100
and then ran, uh, the Cowboys'
official sports bar in Texas
370
00:13:52,100 --> 00:13:53,767
and I sold thousands
and thousands...
371
00:13:53,767 --> 00:13:55,467
-Wow.
-and thousands of burgers.
372
00:13:55,467 --> 00:13:56,867
You know your way
around a burger.
373
00:13:56,867 --> 00:13:58,000
Yeah. [laughs]
374
00:13:58,000 --> 00:13:59,100
[Justin] The flavor
of your burger meat was nice.
375
00:13:59,100 --> 00:14:01,600
I thought it was smart
to grind that bacon in there.
376
00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:05,166
I did find a few pieces of,
like, some tough fat in there.
377
00:14:05,166 --> 00:14:07,467
So maybe trim
a little bit of that off.
378
00:14:07,467 --> 00:14:09,600
But I love Hawaiian rolls,
I think they're delicious.
379
00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:11,500
That sweetness adds,
you know, a lot of flavor
380
00:14:11,500 --> 00:14:13,667
to any slider or sandwich
that they're on.
381
00:14:13,667 --> 00:14:14,567
You got this.
382
00:14:14,567 --> 00:14:16,600
But it did kind of get
the bun to meat ratio
383
00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:17,567
a little bit off.
384
00:14:17,567 --> 00:14:20,567
There's a lot of bun
for a very small meat.
385
00:14:20,567 --> 00:14:22,000
The flavors here are delicious
386
00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:23,500
when you have them together,
387
00:14:23,500 --> 00:14:25,367
but unfortunately,
I'm fighting hard
388
00:14:25,367 --> 00:14:26,800
-to put 'em together.
-Yeah.
389
00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,967
I used a fork and a knife,
and I would never do that.
390
00:14:29,967 --> 00:14:32,100
I'mma pick it up.
I'm not Geoffrey over here,
right?
391
00:14:32,100 --> 00:14:35,967
I just wanna make sure
that you get that flavor.
392
00:14:35,967 --> 00:14:39,100
I think that... Well,
I love them salsa verde,
mayo and all that,
393
00:14:39,100 --> 00:14:41,600
I think in this instance,
it needed way more of that.
394
00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,166
And I think that
when you grind bacon,
395
00:14:44,166 --> 00:14:45,567
it's not like
it's gonna cook uniformly.
396
00:14:45,567 --> 00:14:47,367
So now you're having raw bacon
397
00:14:47,367 --> 00:14:49,667
in the inside and cooked bacon
in the outside. It's odd.
398
00:14:50,500 --> 00:14:51,700
Thank you, Chef LaMara.
399
00:14:51,700 --> 00:14:53,166
Next up, Chef Pat.
400
00:14:53,166 --> 00:14:54,800
Judges, today, I made for you
401
00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,567
a Wagyu cheek
and bacon fat slider
402
00:14:57,567 --> 00:14:59,066
with a verde cream sauce
403
00:14:59,066 --> 00:15:03,367
and a cheesesteak-stuffed
pickle relish.
404
00:15:03,367 --> 00:15:05,667
What does the relish
consist of?
405
00:15:05,667 --> 00:15:07,400
It's the stuffed pickle,
I just chopped it up,
406
00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:09,700
and then added
champagne vinegar,
407
00:15:09,700 --> 00:15:11,467
and some Dijon mustard, too.
408
00:15:11,467 --> 00:15:13,700
Oddly, your biggest success
on this was that relish.
409
00:15:13,700 --> 00:15:15,767
It's almost like
a grilled cheese sandwich
410
00:15:15,767 --> 00:15:17,000
with relish aioli.
411
00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:18,500
And I love a sesame seed bun,
412
00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:19,700
so I'm glad
you went that route.
413
00:15:19,700 --> 00:15:22,100
I think that you've spent
a lot of time
414
00:15:22,100 --> 00:15:24,734
on the relish, cheese,
very little time on the meat.
415
00:15:25,467 --> 00:15:27,800
It's wildly unseasoned.
416
00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:29,700
I was a little worried
about getting too much salt
417
00:15:29,700 --> 00:15:31,367
on the bun
with the stuffed pickle
418
00:15:31,367 --> 00:15:33,700
just 'cause it was really
heavy in salt.
419
00:15:33,700 --> 00:15:35,567
Outside from the salt,
420
00:15:35,567 --> 00:15:36,867
it just needed
more beef, right?
421
00:15:36,867 --> 00:15:39,166
-Yeah. Yeah.
-[Tiffany] But it looks great.
422
00:15:39,166 --> 00:15:41,266
You definitely wanna bite
into it.
423
00:15:41,266 --> 00:15:42,867
It's appetizing.
424
00:15:42,867 --> 00:15:45,000
-Chef Pat, thank you.
-Thank you.
425
00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:45,867
Finally, Chef Melanie.
426
00:15:45,867 --> 00:15:49,100
Today, I made
a rustic merguez burger
427
00:15:49,100 --> 00:15:51,100
with radicchio slaw.
428
00:15:51,100 --> 00:15:53,266
Put a little bit
of that salsa verde in there,
429
00:15:53,266 --> 00:15:55,800
Brie cheese
on French baguette.
430
00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,800
Well, I wanna congratulate you
431
00:15:57,800 --> 00:15:59,800
on being the first person
I've ever see
432
00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:01,600
finished plating with one hand
behind their back.
433
00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:02,667
[laughter]
434
00:16:02,667 --> 00:16:05,066
Pickles are called
one-hand chopped pickles.
435
00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:08,500
I'm gonna do whatever
it takes to get it done.
436
00:16:08,500 --> 00:16:10,266
So I like the look of it.
I like the composition.
437
00:16:10,266 --> 00:16:12,266
Almost a kebab
on a crusty bread.
438
00:16:12,266 --> 00:16:14,166
It's so different
than a regular burger,
439
00:16:14,166 --> 00:16:17,333
but unfortunately,
it's not cooked through.
440
00:16:18,166 --> 00:16:21,467
I agree, but I really like
the flavor.
441
00:16:21,467 --> 00:16:23,767
The spice level in there
is really nice
442
00:16:23,767 --> 00:16:25,767
and I really like
the radicchio part of it.
443
00:16:25,767 --> 00:16:27,233
I like the bitterness.
444
00:16:28,166 --> 00:16:29,300
What else did you put
in the radicchio?
445
00:16:29,300 --> 00:16:31,500
-The green verde salsa.
-[Geoffrey] Yeah.
446
00:16:31,500 --> 00:16:33,367
It adds a lot
of, like, mouth feel.
447
00:16:33,367 --> 00:16:34,266
It's really good.
448
00:16:34,266 --> 00:16:37,166
I did enjoy the heat
of the merguez
449
00:16:37,166 --> 00:16:39,100
that you mixed in there.
I think that flavor was nice.
450
00:16:39,100 --> 00:16:41,000
I think just a little melt
on that cheese
451
00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:42,467
would've been fantastic.
452
00:16:42,467 --> 00:16:44,166
Your radicchio salad
was great,
453
00:16:44,166 --> 00:16:46,734
but the burger,
just needed it cooked through
a little bit more.
454
00:16:47,467 --> 00:16:49,600
Chef Melanie, thank you.
455
00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,867
Unfortunately, our next task
is the first elimination.
456
00:16:52,867 --> 00:16:54,233
Thank you, chefs.
457
00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,000
The time really got me.
458
00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:58,467
But I know my meats
459
00:16:58,467 --> 00:17:00,400
and I think I still have
some really good ideas
460
00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:02,166
that I can bring to the table.
461
00:17:02,166 --> 00:17:04,000
[LaMara]
I'm a little disappointed
462
00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,100
that I did not show
my cooking.
463
00:17:06,100 --> 00:17:08,567
All of us had challenges
with our beef.
464
00:17:08,567 --> 00:17:09,867
All of us did, except Mike.
465
00:17:09,867 --> 00:17:12,367
It's fair game at this point.
466
00:17:12,367 --> 00:17:15,467
So whose dish
is on the chopping block?
467
00:17:25,367 --> 00:17:29,000
[tense music playing]
468
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:32,433
So whose dish
is on the chopping block?
469
00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,300
Chef Melanie,
you've been chopped.
470
00:17:41,300 --> 00:17:43,166
-Judges?
-Chef Melanie,
471
00:17:43,166 --> 00:17:46,567
the issue we had lied
within the cook of the burger.
472
00:17:46,567 --> 00:17:49,467
The Wagyu itself
was undercooked,
473
00:17:49,467 --> 00:17:50,900
and so we had to chop you.
474
00:17:50,900 --> 00:17:53,100
I understand.
Good luck, everybody.
475
00:17:53,100 --> 00:17:55,100
I didn't get
the execution right,
476
00:17:55,100 --> 00:17:57,300
but they did like my idea.
477
00:17:57,300 --> 00:17:58,300
And just showing up here
478
00:17:58,300 --> 00:18:00,567
with these
other fabulous chefs,
479
00:18:00,567 --> 00:18:02,266
I feel like a winner anyway.
480
00:18:03,700 --> 00:18:05,567
Chef Michael,
Chef LaMara, Chef Pat,
481
00:18:05,567 --> 00:18:07,367
you've made it to round two,
482
00:18:07,367 --> 00:18:09,533
brand-new start,
brand-new basket.
483
00:18:11,467 --> 00:18:12,734
Open it up.
484
00:18:13,300 --> 00:18:16,000
Oh, triple-layered cheese.
485
00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:19,200
[Ted] And we've given
you a cheese cake.
486
00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:20,667
Some pearl red onions.
487
00:18:20,667 --> 00:18:22,200
[Ted] Pearl onions.
488
00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:23,767
Crunchy garlic.
489
00:18:23,767 --> 00:18:24,900
Oh, I love this.
490
00:18:24,900 --> 00:18:26,767
[Ted] Crunchy garlic
with chili oil.
491
00:18:26,767 --> 00:18:27,867
Love that.
492
00:18:27,867 --> 00:18:29,300
Right. Let me get this
outta here.
493
00:18:29,300 --> 00:18:30,567
[Ted] And a leg of lamb.
494
00:18:30,567 --> 00:18:31,400
[grunts]
495
00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:33,367
So this leg of lamb
is stressing me out.
496
00:18:33,367 --> 00:18:35,200
The fact that I have
to butcher it down,
497
00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:38,033
I'm like, "Oh, my gosh,
how much time?" [chuckles]
498
00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:40,967
You'll be making
main-course burgers.
499
00:18:40,967 --> 00:18:42,734
And this 30-minute round...
500
00:18:45,300 --> 00:18:47,100
-starts now.
-Woo!
501
00:18:47,100 --> 00:18:48,166
Go.
502
00:18:48,667 --> 00:18:49,767
-All right.
-Let's go.
503
00:18:50,867 --> 00:18:52,767
What a gift this basket is.
504
00:18:52,767 --> 00:18:54,367
This is a gift,
another gift.
505
00:18:54,367 --> 00:18:56,467
You have this chili garlic,
you have lamb.
506
00:18:56,467 --> 00:18:57,967
-[Tiffany] And pearl onions.
-[Justin] Oh.
507
00:18:57,967 --> 00:19:00,166
And all those
beautiful cheeses.
508
00:19:00,166 --> 00:19:01,967
The lamb is an absolute gift.
509
00:19:01,967 --> 00:19:02,967
But at the same time,
510
00:19:02,967 --> 00:19:05,200
not only do they have
to grind it,
511
00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:06,967
they have to do
some butchering.
512
00:19:06,967 --> 00:19:08,767
And if they don't have
those skills to get in there
513
00:19:08,767 --> 00:19:09,867
and get that done fast,
514
00:19:09,867 --> 00:19:11,100
that could really hurt them
on the clock.
515
00:19:11,100 --> 00:19:12,166
[Geoffrey]
And you have to understand
516
00:19:12,166 --> 00:19:13,867
that lamb is a bit leaner
than beef,
517
00:19:13,867 --> 00:19:16,166
so maybe grab some sausage.
518
00:19:17,100 --> 00:19:19,000
[Michael] This lamb
is definitely daunting,
519
00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:21,967
but the judges seem to really
like my appetizer burger
520
00:19:21,967 --> 00:19:24,200
so I'm feeling
really confident.
521
00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:28,100
I'm making a quadruple cheese
fondue lamb burger
522
00:19:28,100 --> 00:19:30,367
and caramelized pearl onions
and chili oil.
523
00:19:30,367 --> 00:19:32,567
Leg of lamb
doesn't have a lot of fat.
524
00:19:32,567 --> 00:19:34,667
So I try to incorporate
some more fat
525
00:19:34,667 --> 00:19:36,333
with a stick of butter.
526
00:19:38,166 --> 00:19:39,300
Oh, my gosh.
527
00:19:39,300 --> 00:19:43,467
So I do bold Korean flavors
in most of my cuisine,
528
00:19:43,467 --> 00:19:45,800
but I didn't have that
at all in the first round.
529
00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,467
So I'm gonna create
a Korean-inspired
530
00:19:48,467 --> 00:19:51,200
bulgogi lamb burger
with a quick cucumber kimchi
531
00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:53,000
and sesame green beans.
532
00:19:53,000 --> 00:19:54,300
I need the butcher back.
533
00:19:54,300 --> 00:19:57,100
I'm a little nervous
because this leg of lamb,
534
00:19:57,100 --> 00:19:59,000
there's so much
connective tissue,
535
00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:00,200
just to break it down
takes time.
536
00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:02,767
So, I need to deal
with it right away.
537
00:20:02,767 --> 00:20:04,767
[Geoffrey]
Here's what's shocking,
538
00:20:04,767 --> 00:20:06,467
not one person has gone
and gotten rosemary
539
00:20:06,467 --> 00:20:08,166
or anything
that's close to lamb,
540
00:20:08,166 --> 00:20:09,367
like rosemary or thyme.
541
00:20:09,367 --> 00:20:10,767
I mean, I like it though.
542
00:20:10,767 --> 00:20:12,200
-I mean, we're not gonna get
the lamb burger...
-[Geoffrey] I guess.
543
00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:13,634
...that we thought
we were gonna get.
544
00:20:15,100 --> 00:20:16,767
[Pat] As the competition
stands right now,
545
00:20:16,767 --> 00:20:18,300
I definitely think Michael
did the best
546
00:20:18,300 --> 00:20:19,667
in the appetizer round,
547
00:20:19,667 --> 00:20:21,967
and I think LaMara and I
were really right on par.
548
00:20:21,967 --> 00:20:23,567
I definitely think
I'm gonna have to step up
549
00:20:23,567 --> 00:20:25,300
this round
to make myself stand out.
550
00:20:25,300 --> 00:20:28,767
I'm making
a lamb cheeseburger
551
00:20:28,767 --> 00:20:31,967
with crunchy garlic,
chorizo ragu,
552
00:20:31,967 --> 00:20:34,200
and chopped onions.
553
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:36,367
The biggest critique
I got from the appetizer
554
00:20:36,367 --> 00:20:38,266
was the lack of seasoning
in my patty.
555
00:20:38,266 --> 00:20:39,967
So this round,
I need to really bring out
556
00:20:39,967 --> 00:20:41,100
that lamb flavor.
557
00:20:41,100 --> 00:20:44,200
And to make my ragu,
I mix together ketchup,
558
00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,100
wholegrain mustard,
soy sauce,
559
00:20:46,100 --> 00:20:48,967
and I add in the crunchy
garlic in chili oil
560
00:20:48,967 --> 00:20:51,266
to add texture
and heat to the sauce.
561
00:20:51,266 --> 00:20:54,100
I spent 10 years working
in corporate accounting,
562
00:20:54,100 --> 00:20:56,200
but always had a passion
for cooking,
563
00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,166
so I quit my job and walked
into my favorite restaurant.
564
00:20:59,166 --> 00:21:00,300
And I've worked my way up
565
00:21:00,300 --> 00:21:02,867
to running the kitchen
as the head chef.
566
00:21:02,867 --> 00:21:04,867
Winning Chopped
would make me believe
567
00:21:04,867 --> 00:21:06,867
that it was all worth it.
568
00:21:06,867 --> 00:21:08,467
[Justin] I mean,
crunchy garlic in chili oil,
569
00:21:08,467 --> 00:21:10,200
I mean, that is the condiment
of the moment.
570
00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:11,867
-I mean, it's a umami bomb.
-[Tiffany] Okay. Yeah.
571
00:21:11,867 --> 00:21:13,567
You've got the spices,
the chili,
572
00:21:13,567 --> 00:21:15,166
you've got that crispy garlic.
573
00:21:15,166 --> 00:21:16,934
You can just use the oil.
574
00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:19,300
Oh, that's hot.
575
00:21:19,300 --> 00:21:21,166
Okay, chefs,
you've got 20 minutes left.
576
00:21:21,166 --> 00:21:23,767
[tense music playing]
577
00:21:23,767 --> 00:21:26,567
So the cheese cake
really is just
578
00:21:26,567 --> 00:21:28,300
three different cheeses.
579
00:21:28,300 --> 00:21:29,300
They're all cow's milk.
580
00:21:29,300 --> 00:21:32,367
All of them are very delicious
and can go great
581
00:21:32,367 --> 00:21:35,800
with the lamb as long
as you don't put too much.
582
00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:37,300
I feel confident.
I know what to do.
583
00:21:37,300 --> 00:21:41,000
To make the fondue,
I slice the three cheeses
584
00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:42,567
as thin as I can.
585
00:21:42,567 --> 00:21:44,300
I added some cream
586
00:21:44,300 --> 00:21:47,000
and I added parmesan
to add a little kick.
587
00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:49,467
Being an entrepreneur
in the restaurant industry
588
00:21:49,467 --> 00:21:50,567
is very important to me.
589
00:21:50,567 --> 00:21:52,667
I would love to win Chopped
to show kids
590
00:21:52,667 --> 00:21:55,900
in my Vietnamese immigrant
community that
they can pursue their dreams
591
00:21:55,900 --> 00:21:57,667
and be at the top as well.
592
00:21:57,667 --> 00:21:59,100
Ten minutes to go, chefs.
593
00:21:59,100 --> 00:22:01,934
[rock music playing]
594
00:22:04,700 --> 00:22:05,967
The problem
with the pearl onions
595
00:22:05,967 --> 00:22:07,300
is that they're a lot of work.
596
00:22:07,300 --> 00:22:08,567
-Yes.
-But they're delicious.
597
00:22:08,567 --> 00:22:10,100
-They're delicious
-They are delicious.
598
00:22:10,100 --> 00:22:12,767
[Justin] You're gonna have
to process 'em
in some capacity,
599
00:22:12,767 --> 00:22:14,433
pickle them,
blanch 'em, shock 'em.
600
00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:17,567
[LaMara] For my quick
cucumber kimchi,
601
00:22:17,567 --> 00:22:20,367
I'm slicing up my cucumbers
and the pearl onion.
602
00:22:20,367 --> 00:22:24,467
Throw it in with gochujang
and some white vinegar.
603
00:22:24,467 --> 00:22:27,200
So for me
these last five years,
604
00:22:27,200 --> 00:22:28,767
I beat breast cancer.
605
00:22:28,767 --> 00:22:31,767
I was furloughed
from a job that I loved.
606
00:22:31,767 --> 00:22:33,567
I got divorced.
607
00:22:33,567 --> 00:22:36,367
And now,
I have my first recipe
608
00:22:36,367 --> 00:22:37,867
in Food & Wine magazine.
609
00:22:37,867 --> 00:22:41,166
And I'm here to win
that $10,000
610
00:22:41,166 --> 00:22:44,967
and to prove that I am
the real Chopped champion
611
00:22:44,967 --> 00:22:47,100
when it comes to burgers.
612
00:22:47,100 --> 00:22:50,433
[rock music playing]
613
00:22:51,667 --> 00:22:54,300
[Pat] As I'm cutting
in to my buns, I cut my thumb.
614
00:22:54,300 --> 00:22:55,667
Cut.
615
00:22:55,667 --> 00:22:57,200
[Tiffany]
We got a cut right now.
616
00:22:57,200 --> 00:22:59,567
[Justin] Pat just cut himself
but he left his burgers
617
00:22:59,567 --> 00:23:00,967
-on the grill.
-[Geoffrey] Yup.
618
00:23:00,967 --> 00:23:02,667
[Justin] They were
already thin to start with.
619
00:23:02,667 --> 00:23:03,900
If those
don't get flipped soon,
620
00:23:03,900 --> 00:23:06,000
they're gonna shrink up
to hockey pucks.
621
00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:08,467
This is my worst-case
scenario,
622
00:23:08,467 --> 00:23:10,300
I'm starting to panic.
623
00:23:10,300 --> 00:23:11,967
-[Justin] He's back.
-[Tiffany] There you go.
624
00:23:11,967 --> 00:23:14,166
Let's get those burgers
flipped there, Pat.
625
00:23:14,166 --> 00:23:16,100
All right, chefs,
five minutes left.
626
00:23:16,100 --> 00:23:19,166
[tense music playing]
627
00:23:20,567 --> 00:23:22,567
[Michael] To top off
my burger,
628
00:23:22,567 --> 00:23:25,000
I'm caramelizing the pearl
onions with the chili oil.
629
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,767
And I know I need
a sauce component
to my burger,
630
00:23:27,767 --> 00:23:29,100
so I'm gonna need
Japanese mayo.
631
00:23:29,100 --> 00:23:31,166
And I see LaMara
already has some.
632
00:23:31,166 --> 00:23:32,300
Can I get some of the mayo?
633
00:23:32,300 --> 00:23:33,367
You can't take mine
from my station.
634
00:23:33,367 --> 00:23:34,900
-[Michael] Okay.
-[LaMara] Sorry.
635
00:23:34,900 --> 00:23:36,367
I know you're my competition.
636
00:23:36,367 --> 00:23:38,667
I can't give you
my ingredients.
637
00:23:38,667 --> 00:23:40,567
[Justin] Right now,
Michael is everybody's
biggest competition.
638
00:23:40,567 --> 00:23:42,000
-[Geoffrey] Yeah, exactly.
-Absolutely.
639
00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:43,800
So, I mean, if the front
runner is trying to borrow
something from me,
640
00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:45,300
"No, not, bud,
you play your game."
641
00:23:45,300 --> 00:23:46,300
[laughs]
642
00:23:46,300 --> 00:23:47,867
Is that real? Damn.
643
00:23:47,867 --> 00:23:49,967
This went to zero
to one hundred real fast.
644
00:23:49,967 --> 00:23:52,200
LaMara is getting serious.
645
00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,100
LaMara,
how are you feeling, chef?
646
00:23:55,100 --> 00:23:56,300
I feel
like I need to hurry up.
647
00:23:56,300 --> 00:23:57,767
Just keep your head
in the game. You got this.
648
00:23:57,767 --> 00:23:59,467
[LaMara] To make my aioli,
649
00:23:59,467 --> 00:24:01,567
I add the crunchy
garlic in chili oil
650
00:24:01,567 --> 00:24:04,667
with the Japanese mayo
and a little bit of scallion.
651
00:24:04,667 --> 00:24:08,100
So from the cheese cake,
I'm gonna use La Noix cheese
652
00:24:08,100 --> 00:24:10,834
on the patties
which are already in the oven.
653
00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:13,900
-[Geoffrey] One minute!
-One minute!
654
00:24:13,900 --> 00:24:16,200
[tense music playing]
655
00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:17,734
Let's scrape down my bun here.
656
00:24:20,367 --> 00:24:21,967
Pat, how are you doing
post-cut?
657
00:24:21,967 --> 00:24:24,000
I'm behind, but I'm trying
to catch up here.
658
00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:26,667
At this point, I haven't done
anything with the onions.
659
00:24:26,667 --> 00:24:28,100
I'm not gonna have time
to caramelize them
660
00:24:28,100 --> 00:24:29,667
as I had originally planned.
661
00:24:29,667 --> 00:24:31,333
I just need
to get them on the burger.
662
00:24:34,100 --> 00:24:35,867
All right. This is it, chefs.
663
00:24:35,867 --> 00:24:40,700
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
664
00:24:40,700 --> 00:24:46,700
five, four, three, two, one.
665
00:24:46,700 --> 00:24:48,700
Time's up. Please step back.
666
00:24:48,700 --> 00:24:51,066
[cheers and applause]
667
00:24:55,467 --> 00:24:57,166
[LaMara] That was better
than the first round
668
00:24:57,166 --> 00:24:59,700
because I feel like
I at least cooked
my style of food.
669
00:24:59,700 --> 00:25:01,300
I put my flavors to the plate.
670
00:25:01,300 --> 00:25:02,834
We'll see what happens.
671
00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:05,867
[Pat] It is incredibly hard
to make a burger
672
00:25:05,867 --> 00:25:07,000
in the Chopped kitchen.
673
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:09,100
It was to the point of just
get everything on the plate
674
00:25:09,100 --> 00:25:11,967
and hope the flavors
come through enough.
675
00:25:11,967 --> 00:25:14,233
[tense music playing]
676
00:25:30,500 --> 00:25:32,367
Chefs, in round two,
we asked you to build
677
00:25:32,367 --> 00:25:33,800
a main-course burger
678
00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:37,000
using a cheese cake,
pearl onions,
679
00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:39,166
crunchy garlic
with chili oil,
680
00:25:39,166 --> 00:25:41,266
and a leg of lamb.
681
00:25:41,266 --> 00:25:43,000
-Chef Pat.
-Today I made for you
682
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:44,767
a leg of lamb cheeseburger
683
00:25:44,767 --> 00:25:48,967
with chorizo ragu
and chopped pearl onions.
684
00:25:50,266 --> 00:25:52,100
[Tiffany] The flavor
is so delicious.
685
00:25:52,100 --> 00:25:55,100
It feels
like a barbecue burger.
686
00:25:55,100 --> 00:25:56,800
A little sweet,
a little tangy.
687
00:25:56,800 --> 00:25:58,467
I must say the chili crunch
688
00:25:58,467 --> 00:26:00,367
adds and brings something
689
00:26:00,367 --> 00:26:03,166
to the burger itself,
some flavor.
690
00:26:03,166 --> 00:26:04,800
[Geoffrey] So I think
you had a good idea.
691
00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:06,467
I like a barbecue sauce.
I think it really
692
00:26:06,467 --> 00:26:09,000
is a great way
to enhance lamb.
693
00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,000
And I like the chorizo.
694
00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:12,367
I don't know
where the pearl onions are.
695
00:26:12,367 --> 00:26:13,467
-Are they chopped up?
-They're just...
696
00:26:13,467 --> 00:26:15,367
Yeah, they're diced
and on top of the sauce.
697
00:26:15,367 --> 00:26:16,900
Okay.
698
00:26:16,900 --> 00:26:18,667
This desperately
needs vinegar.
699
00:26:18,667 --> 00:26:20,100
Like a pickle, like something.
700
00:26:20,100 --> 00:26:21,367
Yeah.
701
00:26:21,367 --> 00:26:23,166
[Justin] I know
that the injury
702
00:26:23,166 --> 00:26:24,467
caused you have to leave
your burger patties on
703
00:26:24,467 --> 00:26:27,367
longer than you expected,
but just that the time
704
00:26:27,367 --> 00:26:28,667
caused them to be to dry out.
705
00:26:28,667 --> 00:26:30,467
And that cheese is phenomenal
706
00:26:30,467 --> 00:26:32,667
and that nuttiness
would quite pair
707
00:26:32,667 --> 00:26:34,166
very, very well with the lamb.
708
00:26:34,166 --> 00:26:35,967
I would just probably
like to see a little bit more.
709
00:26:36,567 --> 00:26:37,667
[Ted] Thank you, Chef Pat.
710
00:26:37,667 --> 00:26:38,900
Next up, Chef LaMara,
711
00:26:38,900 --> 00:26:40,000
please tell us
about your burger.
712
00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:44,467
So I did a bulgogi lamb burger
713
00:26:44,467 --> 00:26:46,900
with a quick cucumber kimchi.
714
00:26:46,900 --> 00:26:48,367
I'm half Korean.
715
00:26:48,367 --> 00:26:49,467
And this round,
I actually brought
716
00:26:49,467 --> 00:26:51,166
some of the flavors
that I actually cook with.
717
00:26:52,367 --> 00:26:54,166
[Justin] I love that
you showed yourself
718
00:26:54,166 --> 00:26:55,500
with this burger, for sure,
719
00:26:55,500 --> 00:26:56,667
like, I know who you are
as a chef.
720
00:26:56,667 --> 00:26:58,500
I know the flavors
that you celebrate
721
00:26:58,500 --> 00:27:00,500
and there are so many things
that are...
722
00:27:00,500 --> 00:27:01,700
That are good
about this burger.
723
00:27:01,700 --> 00:27:04,367
I think the cook on mine
is great.
724
00:27:04,367 --> 00:27:07,000
Those kimchi flavors
are definitely coming out.
725
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:08,667
The cheese is nicely melted.
726
00:27:08,667 --> 00:27:10,800
The flavor that you impart
in there was really nice.
727
00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:11,867
Thank you, Chef.
728
00:27:11,867 --> 00:27:14,000
[Tiffany] LaMara, I think
this is a delicious burger.
729
00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:15,166
It has lots of flavor.
730
00:27:15,166 --> 00:27:16,700
I taste the lamb.
731
00:27:16,700 --> 00:27:18,767
I love the spice level
that's here.
732
00:27:18,767 --> 00:27:21,800
I think that the pearl onions
were used very well here,
733
00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:23,667
making sure
that it had some pickle,
734
00:27:23,667 --> 00:27:25,767
and lend itself well
to the burger.
735
00:27:25,767 --> 00:27:27,467
-Like, just edit yourself.
-Yeah.
736
00:27:27,467 --> 00:27:29,367
And make sure
that the basics are there,
737
00:27:29,367 --> 00:27:30,700
toasting the bun,
738
00:27:30,700 --> 00:27:32,166
no, I don't need
these green beans,
739
00:27:32,166 --> 00:27:33,467
no, I don't need the spinach.
740
00:27:33,467 --> 00:27:35,900
You had the time
to get everything
741
00:27:35,900 --> 00:27:37,367
intentional on a plate.
742
00:27:37,367 --> 00:27:38,867
I have cucumbers
on one side of my burger.
743
00:27:38,867 --> 00:27:40,767
I don't have cucumbers
on the other side,
744
00:27:40,767 --> 00:27:44,667
so I'm physically moving it
to get a bite of that.
745
00:27:44,667 --> 00:27:46,500
Well, I like
the spice obviously.
746
00:27:46,500 --> 00:27:48,000
-Sniffling.
-[laughter]
747
00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:49,467
-[clears throat]
-[Tiffany] Oof.
748
00:27:49,467 --> 00:27:50,700
[Geoffrey]
That chili garlic sauce,
749
00:27:50,700 --> 00:27:51,900
I thought
was really good on the bun.
750
00:27:51,900 --> 00:27:55,000
And I commend you
on the burger ratio to bread.
751
00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:56,900
And the bulgogi seasoning
and the cucumbers
752
00:27:56,900 --> 00:27:58,767
are really good but,
753
00:27:58,767 --> 00:27:59,767
have you worked
with lamb before?
754
00:28:00,567 --> 00:28:02,266
-Not much.
-So this is it...
755
00:28:02,266 --> 00:28:03,900
Well, it's cooked well,
it's very dry.
756
00:28:03,900 --> 00:28:05,266
[LaMara] Mmm-hmm.
757
00:28:05,266 --> 00:28:06,266
[Ted] Thank you, Chef LaMara.
758
00:28:06,266 --> 00:28:07,467
Next up, Chef Michael.
759
00:28:07,467 --> 00:28:09,767
What we have here
is a quadruple-cheese
760
00:28:09,767 --> 00:28:11,367
fondue lamb burger.
761
00:28:11,367 --> 00:28:13,900
There's also caramelized
pearl onions
762
00:28:13,900 --> 00:28:16,233
sauteed in the crispy
garlic oil.
763
00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:19,100
[Geoffrey] It's really tasty.
764
00:28:19,100 --> 00:28:20,266
I like the onion relish.
765
00:28:20,266 --> 00:28:22,867
I like the idea of the burger.
766
00:28:22,867 --> 00:28:25,467
And it had a nice
burger bun ratio.
767
00:28:25,467 --> 00:28:27,567
I liked
how you constructed it.
768
00:28:27,567 --> 00:28:28,767
It looks good.
769
00:28:28,767 --> 00:28:30,667
You got a little oozing
action going,
770
00:28:30,667 --> 00:28:33,767
but because
of the overpowering cheese,
771
00:28:33,767 --> 00:28:35,767
it didn't taste
like I wanted it to taste.
772
00:28:35,767 --> 00:28:37,166
Got it.
773
00:28:37,166 --> 00:28:39,100
My favorite part
on this was the...
774
00:28:39,100 --> 00:28:41,266
Was the chili crunch
with that onion marmalade.
775
00:28:41,266 --> 00:28:42,567
That's delicious.
776
00:28:42,567 --> 00:28:43,667
You could bottle that,
sell it.
777
00:28:43,667 --> 00:28:45,667
You shoulda put three times
as much of that on there
778
00:28:45,667 --> 00:28:47,266
and about half
the amount of cheese.
779
00:28:47,266 --> 00:28:48,500
Got it.
780
00:28:48,500 --> 00:28:50,500
-Chef Michael, thank you.
-Thank you.
781
00:28:50,500 --> 00:28:51,900
[Ted] Thank you, chefs.
782
00:28:51,900 --> 00:28:54,367
[Michael] I think LaMara
is definitely gaining
some ground on me,
783
00:28:54,367 --> 00:28:56,166
but I'm really confident
I can win.
784
00:28:56,166 --> 00:28:58,834
I just gotta stay focused
and, uh, get my next plate up.
785
00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:02,166
I feel it's anybody's game.
We all made mistakes,
786
00:29:02,166 --> 00:29:03,667
but I showed my flavors
this round.
787
00:29:03,667 --> 00:29:05,166
[Pat] The judges
weren't thrilled
788
00:29:05,166 --> 00:29:06,667
with any of our patties.
789
00:29:06,667 --> 00:29:08,900
So it could be
any of the three of us
790
00:29:08,900 --> 00:29:11,000
on the chopping block.
791
00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,000
After the second round,
comes the second elimination.
792
00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,567
So whose dish
is on the chopping block?
793
00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:34,433
[tense music playing]
794
00:29:36,767 --> 00:29:40,433
So whose dish
is on the chopping block?
795
00:29:46,967 --> 00:29:49,400
Chef Pat, you've been chopped.
796
00:29:49,400 --> 00:29:50,500
Judges?
797
00:29:50,500 --> 00:29:53,467
[Justin] Chef Pat,
the lamb patty was overcooked.
798
00:29:53,467 --> 00:29:55,567
And then the pearl onions,
which was a basket ingredient
799
00:29:55,567 --> 00:29:57,467
just kind of seemed
like an afterthought,
800
00:29:57,467 --> 00:29:59,166
so we had to chop you.
801
00:29:59,166 --> 00:30:01,300
Um, totally fair.
I understand.
802
00:30:01,300 --> 00:30:02,867
Good luck to you both.
803
00:30:02,867 --> 00:30:04,200
The hardest part
about this moment
804
00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:07,400
is not leaving
being named Chopped Champion.
805
00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,200
I'll take this opportunity
and use it as fuel
806
00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:12,233
for the fire
to get even better next time.
807
00:30:13,667 --> 00:30:15,867
-I'm grabbing the mayo first.
-[laughter]
808
00:30:15,867 --> 00:30:17,767
Well, you can have it
this time.
809
00:30:17,767 --> 00:30:21,233
[tense music playing]
810
00:30:24,867 --> 00:30:26,967
Chef LaMara, Chef Michael,
811
00:30:26,967 --> 00:30:29,367
you've made it
to the Chopped dessert round
812
00:30:29,367 --> 00:30:32,767
your chance to show us
your sweet side
in burger form.
813
00:30:32,767 --> 00:30:33,967
You on board with that?
814
00:30:33,967 --> 00:30:35,767
-Yes.
-100%.
815
00:30:35,767 --> 00:30:37,433
Excellent. Third basket.
816
00:30:40,967 --> 00:30:42,667
Get into it.
817
00:30:42,667 --> 00:30:44,400
All right.
What do we got here?
818
00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:47,166
Your desserts must include
French fry cookies.
819
00:30:47,166 --> 00:30:48,400
Those are cookies?
820
00:30:48,400 --> 00:30:49,900
Cherries.
821
00:30:49,900 --> 00:30:51,100
[Ted] Cherries.
822
00:30:51,100 --> 00:30:52,767
-What is this?
-Oh.
823
00:30:52,767 --> 00:30:54,000
[Ted] Honey butter.
824
00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:55,300
I don't know
what's happening here.
825
00:30:55,300 --> 00:30:57,300
[Ted] And chocolate rice
cereal.
826
00:30:57,300 --> 00:30:59,133
I think I can put
something amazing together.
827
00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:01,834
Thirty minutes.
828
00:31:02,767 --> 00:31:03,867
Clock starts now.
829
00:31:03,867 --> 00:31:05,867
-All right.
-All right. Let's go.
830
00:31:05,867 --> 00:31:07,467
Dessert burgers.
831
00:31:08,166 --> 00:31:09,967
I'm gonna say that I think
832
00:31:09,967 --> 00:31:12,567
this is the toughest basket
of this competition.
833
00:31:12,567 --> 00:31:14,166
No protein, but in your mind
834
00:31:14,166 --> 00:31:15,500
-you gotta make a burger,
like what?
-[Tiffany] Right? Yes.
835
00:31:15,500 --> 00:31:16,867
I mean we're taking the idea
836
00:31:16,867 --> 00:31:19,166
of a burger and really
just seeing how creative
837
00:31:19,166 --> 00:31:20,367
-they can get for dessert.
-[Tiffany] Yeah.
838
00:31:20,367 --> 00:31:21,767
[Ted] I would take
that chocolate rice cereal
839
00:31:21,767 --> 00:31:23,266
and form it into cakes.
840
00:31:23,266 --> 00:31:24,667
-[Justin] Yeah.
-[Tiffany] Mmm-hmm.
841
00:31:24,667 --> 00:31:26,033
-And shape
like a hamburger patty.
-[Justin] Looks like a burger.
842
00:31:26,567 --> 00:31:28,467
[LaMara] This dessert round,
843
00:31:28,467 --> 00:31:30,066
I'm more nervous
than I've been the whole day.
844
00:31:30,066 --> 00:31:31,667
I mean,
$10,000 is on the line.
845
00:31:31,667 --> 00:31:32,767
It's a lot.
846
00:31:32,767 --> 00:31:34,767
But the chocolate
rice cereal, I can use this
847
00:31:34,767 --> 00:31:36,667
for the patty
because of the color.
848
00:31:36,667 --> 00:31:38,867
I'm making a chocolate
almond slider
849
00:31:38,867 --> 00:31:40,100
with fresh cherries
850
00:31:40,100 --> 00:31:42,100
and chocolate-dipped
French fries.
851
00:31:42,100 --> 00:31:43,900
Melts, chocolate melts.
852
00:31:43,900 --> 00:31:46,066
Anything that has a pit
or a seed, do it first.
853
00:31:46,066 --> 00:31:47,367
Get it out of the way.
854
00:31:47,367 --> 00:31:48,900
Cherries are a little tart.
855
00:31:48,900 --> 00:31:50,300
I think they're great
to make it
856
00:31:50,300 --> 00:31:51,967
look like sliced tomatoes
on a burger.
857
00:31:51,967 --> 00:31:55,066
Chef Michael
is a tough competitor.
858
00:31:55,066 --> 00:31:59,834
So my strategy is to stay
focused on what it is
that I'm doing.
859
00:32:01,767 --> 00:32:03,300
Chef Michael,
what are you making?
860
00:32:03,300 --> 00:32:05,767
I'm making
a fried pate a choux
861
00:32:05,767 --> 00:32:07,967
chocolate
peanut butter burger.
862
00:32:07,967 --> 00:32:09,200
I will say that combining
863
00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:11,567
that chocolate rice cereal
with peanut butter is a...
864
00:32:11,567 --> 00:32:14,367
-Is a terrific combination.
-[Tiffany] Great idea.
865
00:32:14,367 --> 00:32:15,967
[Michael] I'm thinking
I could use pate a choux
866
00:32:15,967 --> 00:32:17,767
as my buns for the burger.
867
00:32:17,767 --> 00:32:19,867
So I start by adding water,
868
00:32:19,867 --> 00:32:21,767
milk, and butter to the stove.
869
00:32:21,767 --> 00:32:23,567
And then I take the cherries,
870
00:32:23,567 --> 00:32:25,967
I remove the pit, slice them,
871
00:32:25,967 --> 00:32:27,767
and then I'm gonna just
coat the cherries
872
00:32:27,767 --> 00:32:28,667
with some melted chocolate
873
00:32:28,667 --> 00:32:30,900
to add some acidity
to the dish.
874
00:32:30,900 --> 00:32:33,667
LaMara is a very
competitive person,
875
00:32:33,667 --> 00:32:35,100
but I'm here to prove
876
00:32:35,100 --> 00:32:36,867
that there's something
special about me and burgers,
877
00:32:36,867 --> 00:32:38,767
so I'm trying
to take this one home.
878
00:32:38,767 --> 00:32:41,300
All right,
coming up on 14 minutes.
879
00:32:41,300 --> 00:32:44,233
[tense music playing]
880
00:32:46,667 --> 00:32:49,200
[LaMara] I need to form
my chocolate almond slider.
881
00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:51,567
So I grab the mascarpone,
the honey butter,
882
00:32:51,567 --> 00:32:54,266
a little cream,
some confectioners' sugar,
883
00:32:54,266 --> 00:32:57,400
and I start to fold in
my crunchy ingredients,
884
00:32:57,400 --> 00:32:58,567
the nuts, the dates,
885
00:32:58,567 --> 00:33:00,400
and the chocolate
rice cereal.
886
00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:02,300
[Geoffrey] The honey, butter
is a beautiful mixture
887
00:33:02,300 --> 00:33:04,200
of honey butter,
vanilla, sugar.
888
00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:05,467
-It's really fantastic.
-[Tiffany] Mmm-hmm.
889
00:33:05,467 --> 00:33:06,900
[Justin] So it looks like
LaMara took that
890
00:33:06,900 --> 00:33:08,767
puff pastry
and cut circles out.
891
00:33:08,767 --> 00:33:09,767
So it looks like that's what
892
00:33:09,767 --> 00:33:11,500
she's gonna use
as her bun vessel.
893
00:33:11,500 --> 00:33:14,567
[Geoffrey] Perhaps she fries
her rolls
894
00:33:14,567 --> 00:33:16,166
and slathers it
with honey butter,
895
00:33:16,166 --> 00:33:17,667
-rolls it in sugar.
-Mmm-hmm.
896
00:33:17,667 --> 00:33:20,367
[Tiffany] I want to walk away
with the $10,000
897
00:33:20,367 --> 00:33:22,567
for my own business,
Cornbread and Kimchi.
898
00:33:22,567 --> 00:33:25,767
The intensity in the kitchen
is pretty wild.
899
00:33:25,767 --> 00:33:26,867
Nobody wants to go home
900
00:33:26,867 --> 00:33:29,567
without that money
at this point.
901
00:33:29,567 --> 00:33:32,200
[Michael] To make the patty,
I am using peanut butter
902
00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:34,266
with the French fry
cookie crumbles,
903
00:33:34,266 --> 00:33:35,300
lay it out on the sheet tray,
904
00:33:35,300 --> 00:33:37,400
and I'm adding
the chocolate rice cereal,
905
00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:38,900
you add some texture.
906
00:33:38,900 --> 00:33:41,367
And now it's time to start
frying my pate a choux.
907
00:33:43,500 --> 00:33:45,166
Michael, what are you doing?
908
00:33:45,166 --> 00:33:46,834
I'm frying
some pate a choux dough.
909
00:33:47,400 --> 00:33:48,500
As I'm frying my dough,
910
00:33:48,500 --> 00:33:50,266
I realize
it's not puffing up.
911
00:33:51,166 --> 00:33:52,166
I'm starting
to freak out a little bit.
912
00:33:52,166 --> 00:33:54,033
I'm trying to figure out
what's going on.
913
00:33:55,000 --> 00:33:56,166
How did you make that?
914
00:33:56,166 --> 00:33:57,567
I made it with some flour,
butter,
915
00:33:57,567 --> 00:33:59,533
milk, moved it to the mixer.
916
00:34:00,867 --> 00:34:03,200
I did not move it
to the mixer. [laughs]
917
00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:06,133
He forgot to go
into the mixer with the eggs.
918
00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:08,400
Oh.
919
00:34:08,400 --> 00:34:09,867
Oh, boy. He's in trouble now.
920
00:34:09,867 --> 00:34:11,567
[Michael] I'm feeling
extremely nervous now.
921
00:34:11,567 --> 00:34:13,166
At this point, I'm not sure
922
00:34:13,166 --> 00:34:14,967
I'm gonna have a dessert
on the plate at all.
923
00:34:14,967 --> 00:34:16,333
Oh, my God.
924
00:34:20,867 --> 00:34:23,333
[tense music playing]
925
00:34:25,500 --> 00:34:27,667
[Justin] Michael went straight
to the fryer with no eggs
926
00:34:27,667 --> 00:34:28,867
-in his pate a choux dough.
-[Geoffrey] I know.
927
00:34:28,867 --> 00:34:30,300
And realized it
with five minutes left
928
00:34:30,300 --> 00:34:32,767
on the clock and now
he's going back to redo it.
929
00:34:32,767 --> 00:34:34,500
[Michael] I'm feeling
extremely nervous now.
930
00:34:34,500 --> 00:34:36,300
At this point, I'm not sure
931
00:34:36,300 --> 00:34:38,367
I'm gonna have a dessert
on the plate at all.
932
00:34:38,367 --> 00:34:40,467
[tense music playing]
933
00:34:42,266 --> 00:34:44,767
All right, chefs,
five minutes left.
934
00:34:44,767 --> 00:34:46,967
[Michael] I'm really running
out of time right now.
935
00:34:46,967 --> 00:34:48,300
I run my dough
back to the fryer
936
00:34:48,300 --> 00:34:50,400
and try to get frying.
937
00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:52,166
He's got
four-minutes-and-a-half.
938
00:34:52,166 --> 00:34:53,667
This is gonna take
the majority
939
00:34:53,667 --> 00:34:55,200
of the rest of his time.
940
00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:56,500
[Michael] As I'm frying
my dough this time,
941
00:34:56,500 --> 00:34:58,367
it looks like
it's finally puffing up,
942
00:34:58,367 --> 00:35:00,467
but it's gonna come down
to the wire.
943
00:35:00,467 --> 00:35:02,867
Having made it this far,
all the way to third round,
944
00:35:02,867 --> 00:35:05,834
there's no option but to win.
945
00:35:08,066 --> 00:35:09,967
I'm gonna use
the French fry cookies
946
00:35:09,967 --> 00:35:11,300
and dip them in chocolate
947
00:35:11,300 --> 00:35:13,667
because burger
and fries work together.
948
00:35:13,667 --> 00:35:15,166
Okay.
Two-and-a-half minutes, chefs.
949
00:35:15,166 --> 00:35:16,567
[Tiffany] Let's go, y'all.
950
00:35:16,567 --> 00:35:18,233
[Geoffrey] You've got this.
951
00:35:19,567 --> 00:35:21,367
Make sure
it's all on the plate.
952
00:35:21,367 --> 00:35:23,000
[Michael] I pulled
my pate a choux buns
953
00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:24,200
out of the fryer.
954
00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:25,600
They're not
as crispy as I like,
955
00:35:25,600 --> 00:35:27,200
so I cut out the centers
956
00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:28,500
and try to only use the edges.
957
00:35:28,500 --> 00:35:31,033
One minute to go, chefs.
958
00:35:32,367 --> 00:35:34,500
You can do it!
Get everything on the plate!
959
00:35:34,500 --> 00:35:36,934
Doesn't count
if it's not on the plate.
960
00:35:39,300 --> 00:35:40,967
Oh, my God.
961
00:35:40,967 --> 00:35:42,367
He can't find something
he's looking for.
962
00:35:42,367 --> 00:35:44,266
[Michael] I'm trying
to get everything plated
963
00:35:44,266 --> 00:35:46,100
and I can't find my cherries.
964
00:35:46,100 --> 00:35:47,266
[Ted] All right, chefs,
965
00:35:47,266 --> 00:35:49,400
final seconds
of the final round.
966
00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:51,300
But Michael can't
find what he's looking for.
967
00:35:51,300 --> 00:35:52,400
-[Ted] Ten...
-[Tiffany] Go for it.
968
00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:53,500
-[Ted] nine...
-[Justin] Make it happen.
969
00:35:53,500 --> 00:35:55,266
-[Ted] eight, seven, six...
-[Tiffany] The cherries?
970
00:35:55,266 --> 00:35:57,867
-Where are the cherries? Okay.
-[Ted] five, four...
971
00:35:57,867 --> 00:36:01,166
-He almost gave up, y'all.
-[Ted] three, two, one.
972
00:36:01,166 --> 00:36:02,400
Time's up. Please step aside.
973
00:36:02,400 --> 00:36:03,767
[LaMara] We did it.
974
00:36:03,767 --> 00:36:05,000
[cheers and applause]
975
00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:06,333
That was great.
976
00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:08,734
Good job.
977
00:36:10,567 --> 00:36:12,767
To win this final round,
I had to bring
978
00:36:12,767 --> 00:36:14,600
what I always bring
when I cook,
979
00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:15,600
and it's my heart.
980
00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:17,500
And to be at the end
with Chef Michael,
981
00:36:17,500 --> 00:36:19,266
obviously I wanna beat him,
you know,
982
00:36:19,266 --> 00:36:21,066
but it was stiff competition.
983
00:36:21,867 --> 00:36:23,600
I wanna win this so bad.
984
00:36:23,600 --> 00:36:25,000
It'll mean so much to me.
985
00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:27,400
It justified the last
14 years of my life
986
00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:29,300
that, uh, I'm not just good
at doing this,
987
00:36:29,300 --> 00:36:30,567
I'm the best at it.
988
00:36:32,367 --> 00:36:35,467
[dramatic music playing]
989
00:36:42,867 --> 00:36:44,467
Chef LaMara and Chef Michael.
990
00:36:44,467 --> 00:36:46,100
Let's see what happened
when we took
991
00:36:46,100 --> 00:36:47,867
our burger theme
to the dessert round.
992
00:36:47,867 --> 00:36:50,400
In the basket,
the French fry cookies,
993
00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:54,166
cherries, honey butter,
and chocolate rice cereal.
994
00:36:54,166 --> 00:36:56,066
Chef LaMara,
what have you made?
995
00:36:56,066 --> 00:37:01,400
So I did a chocolate
almond cherry burger
996
00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:03,500
sandwiched between
puff pastry and I have
997
00:37:03,500 --> 00:37:06,634
some cookie fries
that are chocolate-dipped.
998
00:37:07,667 --> 00:37:09,200
[Geoffrey]
What is the burger part?
999
00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:10,467
[LaMara]
So I put chopped dates,
1000
00:37:10,467 --> 00:37:11,867
pecans, almonds,
1001
00:37:11,867 --> 00:37:14,967
extract, the honey butter,
and mascarpone.
1002
00:37:14,967 --> 00:37:16,266
[Geoffrey] I get
all the almond,
1003
00:37:16,266 --> 00:37:18,400
I get the honey, I get
the chocolate crispy rice.
1004
00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:20,600
And I love the presentation.
I think it's really whimsical.
1005
00:37:20,600 --> 00:37:22,066
And you've got
the puff pastry cooked,
1006
00:37:22,066 --> 00:37:24,100
which is a rarity here.
1007
00:37:24,100 --> 00:37:25,767
And you've got
the proportion right.
1008
00:37:25,767 --> 00:37:26,767
So that's good.
1009
00:37:26,767 --> 00:37:28,600
LaMara, I think your dish
looks great.
1010
00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:32,300
We asked you for a dessert
burger and you gave us that.
1011
00:37:32,300 --> 00:37:35,300
Was there anything you did
to the actual cherries?
1012
00:37:35,300 --> 00:37:37,266
No, because I felt
like that was the only thing.
1013
00:37:37,266 --> 00:37:39,867
They're not even that sweet.
They're a little bit tart.
1014
00:37:39,867 --> 00:37:43,066
So I kind of just left that
to give it some balance.
1015
00:37:43,066 --> 00:37:45,066
Had you done something
to the cherries,
1016
00:37:45,066 --> 00:37:47,066
um, then I would've
enjoyed it more.
1017
00:37:47,066 --> 00:37:48,400
-Mmm-hmm.
-But I see the purpose
1018
00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:51,266
of the cherries and the,
like, tomato kind of look.
1019
00:37:51,266 --> 00:37:53,066
-Yeah.
-[Justin] Yeah.
1020
00:37:53,066 --> 00:37:54,767
I think, my only two issues
were the cherries
1021
00:37:54,767 --> 00:37:56,767
and the fry cookies
weren't manipulated,
1022
00:37:56,767 --> 00:37:58,066
but I love the creativity.
1023
00:37:58,066 --> 00:37:59,500
The plate was beautiful
1024
00:37:59,500 --> 00:38:00,767
and I think it's cool
that you tried
1025
00:38:00,767 --> 00:38:03,300
to replicate the burger,
what we've been doing all day.
1026
00:38:03,300 --> 00:38:04,967
-Thank you, chef.
-[Ted] All right.
1027
00:38:04,967 --> 00:38:06,400
Chef LaMara, thank you.
1028
00:38:06,400 --> 00:38:07,600
Finally, Chef Michael.
1029
00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:09,867
[Michael] What I have
before you is a pate a choux
1030
00:38:09,867 --> 00:38:12,000
peanut butter
chocolate crisp burger.
1031
00:38:12,000 --> 00:38:14,600
The peanut butter mixture
made with the French fries,
1032
00:38:14,600 --> 00:38:15,667
I grinded those down.
1033
00:38:15,667 --> 00:38:17,367
I added the honey butter
into that as well.
1034
00:38:17,367 --> 00:38:18,867
And then on top of that,
I tried to chill
1035
00:38:18,867 --> 00:38:21,066
some chocolate
Rice Krispies into that.
1036
00:38:21,066 --> 00:38:22,100
[Tiffany] I like
that there's chocolate.
1037
00:38:22,100 --> 00:38:23,767
I like the idea
of peanut butter.
1038
00:38:23,767 --> 00:38:26,567
I like the idea of the French
fry cookies in there.
1039
00:38:27,200 --> 00:38:28,767
But the real issue for me is,
1040
00:38:28,767 --> 00:38:30,767
the pate
a choux is very undone.
1041
00:38:30,767 --> 00:38:33,400
Like it is raw.
1042
00:38:33,400 --> 00:38:34,867
[Geoffrey] I was so excited
when you made pate a choux.
1043
00:38:34,867 --> 00:38:36,200
-Yeah.
-But it does take
1044
00:38:36,200 --> 00:38:37,467
a quite a bit of time
1045
00:38:37,467 --> 00:38:39,166
because you need
to cool the mixture off,
1046
00:38:39,166 --> 00:38:42,000
get the eggs in and then
it's traditionally baked.
1047
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:44,367
So I like it but I can't
get past the dough.
1048
00:38:45,600 --> 00:38:47,300
When I got a bite
of the peanut butter
1049
00:38:47,300 --> 00:38:49,400
with the cherry and the edge
of the pate a choux,
1050
00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:51,100
that was nice
and crispy and cooked.
1051
00:38:51,100 --> 00:38:53,433
Uh, the flavor was...
The flavor was there.
1052
00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:55,767
[Ted] Chef Michael, thank you.
1053
00:38:55,767 --> 00:38:56,934
Thank you.
1054
00:38:58,000 --> 00:39:00,100
Burgers, burgers, burgers.
1055
00:39:00,100 --> 00:39:02,166
You took on the challenge
and never let go.
1056
00:39:02,166 --> 00:39:03,266
Nicely done.
1057
00:39:03,266 --> 00:39:06,166
Now, the judges have
a difficult choice to make.
1058
00:39:06,166 --> 00:39:07,734
Thank you, chefs.
1059
00:39:11,767 --> 00:39:13,967
Judges, we were looking
for burger perfection.
1060
00:39:13,967 --> 00:39:15,467
Did the chefs deliver?
1061
00:39:15,467 --> 00:39:16,867
[Geoffrey] I think
in the first course,
1062
00:39:16,867 --> 00:39:19,867
Chef Michael
did a very, very good slider.
1063
00:39:19,867 --> 00:39:22,166
Beautifully-cooked,
beautifully-seasoned,
1064
00:39:22,166 --> 00:39:24,867
and he just made
this really good sauce.
1065
00:39:24,867 --> 00:39:27,667
You know, Michael did
a delicious flavorful burger,
1066
00:39:27,667 --> 00:39:29,767
but I thought
it had too much mayo.
1067
00:39:29,767 --> 00:39:32,100
-Yeah.
-I will say that LaMara
1068
00:39:32,100 --> 00:39:33,133
did have some good flavors
1069
00:39:33,133 --> 00:39:35,667
with that salsa verde aioli
that she put together.
1070
00:39:35,667 --> 00:39:36,767
She ground up the burger,
1071
00:39:36,767 --> 00:39:38,300
but she put bacon,
you know, raw bacon.
1072
00:39:38,300 --> 00:39:40,600
The outside might taste
kind of cooked, but inside...
1073
00:39:40,600 --> 00:39:41,767
-[Tiffany] Yeah.
-[Justin] It was chewy.
1074
00:39:41,767 --> 00:39:43,600
Chewy, raw bacon.
1075
00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:44,600
So entree round.
1076
00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:46,200
I enjoyed LaMara's burger.
1077
00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:48,400
I thought the pickles
were excellent.
1078
00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:49,500
[Geoffrey] Mmm-hmm. They were.
1079
00:39:49,500 --> 00:39:51,200
[Tiffany] I thought
that sauce was so delicious.
1080
00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:52,867
Definitely LaMara had a burger
1081
00:39:52,867 --> 00:39:55,967
that was cooked properly
but it was very dry.
1082
00:39:55,967 --> 00:39:57,400
-Yeah.
-For me, the best thing
1083
00:39:57,400 --> 00:39:58,967
on Michael's burger
was those caramelized onions
1084
00:39:58,967 --> 00:40:00,166
with the chili crisp.
1085
00:40:00,166 --> 00:40:01,767
If he were to put three times
as much of that on there
1086
00:40:01,767 --> 00:40:03,000
and half the amount
of cheese,
1087
00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:05,300
it would've been
a much more successful burger.
1088
00:40:05,300 --> 00:40:06,600
All right.
Our chefs are waiting.
1089
00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:07,767
Do you know who's won it?
1090
00:40:07,767 --> 00:40:09,066
We know who won.
1091
00:40:09,066 --> 00:40:12,834
[tense music playing]
1092
00:40:14,567 --> 00:40:16,166
[Michael] The dessert round
kind of got away from me,
1093
00:40:16,166 --> 00:40:17,867
but I truly stayed
1094
00:40:17,867 --> 00:40:19,867
in the spirit
of passion for burgers.
1095
00:40:19,867 --> 00:40:21,600
I highlighted
it in all three rounds,
1096
00:40:21,600 --> 00:40:22,667
I hope it shines through.
1097
00:40:24,266 --> 00:40:25,867
The first round,
I thought I was going home,
1098
00:40:25,867 --> 00:40:28,066
but I am proud that I made it
1099
00:40:28,066 --> 00:40:30,767
all the way through
and I showed who I was.
1100
00:40:30,767 --> 00:40:32,166
I want the title.
1101
00:40:32,166 --> 00:40:34,233
I want to be able to say
I am a Chopped Champion.
1102
00:40:36,667 --> 00:40:39,767
So, whose dish
is on the chopping block?
1103
00:40:39,767 --> 00:40:42,834
[tense music playing]
1104
00:40:49,266 --> 00:40:52,166
[Ted] Chef LaMara,
you've been chopped. Judges?
1105
00:40:52,166 --> 00:40:54,767
Chef LaMara,
we loved having you here,
1106
00:40:54,767 --> 00:40:56,767
but first course
the fault really laid
1107
00:40:56,767 --> 00:40:59,867
in grinding Wagyu beef
with raw bacon.
1108
00:40:59,867 --> 00:41:02,066
The second course,
the lamb was dry.
1109
00:41:02,066 --> 00:41:03,500
And third round,
1110
00:41:03,500 --> 00:41:05,367
the French fry cookies
and the cherries
1111
00:41:05,367 --> 00:41:08,667
weren't really transformed,
and so, we had to chop you.
1112
00:41:08,667 --> 00:41:10,200
I understand.
1113
00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:11,867
Thank you so much
for this opportunity.
1114
00:41:11,867 --> 00:41:13,400
I appreciate
all the feedback today
1115
00:41:13,400 --> 00:41:15,300
and I will grow from it.
1116
00:41:15,300 --> 00:41:17,066
-[Ted] Very much so.
-[LaMara] Thank you so much.
1117
00:41:17,066 --> 00:41:18,967
-[Ted] Good luck to you, Chef.
-[LaMara] Thank you.
1118
00:41:18,967 --> 00:41:20,767
It would've been better
if I walked away
1119
00:41:20,767 --> 00:41:23,667
knowing I had $10,000
in my bank account coming.
1120
00:41:23,667 --> 00:41:25,667
But I feel like I showed up
1121
00:41:25,667 --> 00:41:27,600
and I was myself,
1122
00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:28,767
and the world
is gonna be able
1123
00:41:28,767 --> 00:41:30,667
to see that,
so I am proud of it.
1124
00:41:31,500 --> 00:41:33,500
And that means
Chef Michael Pham,
1125
00:41:33,500 --> 00:41:35,667
you are the Chopped Champion
1126
00:41:35,667 --> 00:41:37,867
for beating everybody
in this burger battle.
1127
00:41:37,867 --> 00:41:39,400
You have won $10,000.
1128
00:41:39,400 --> 00:41:41,634
Congratulations, Chef.
Well done.
1129
00:41:43,967 --> 00:41:45,400
Nicely done.
1130
00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:47,266
It's something
so simple as a burger,
1131
00:41:47,266 --> 00:41:50,600
but a burger really meant
that I was a, uh, an American.
1132
00:41:50,600 --> 00:41:51,767
-Thank you so much.
-Nice to meet you.
1133
00:41:51,767 --> 00:41:52,767
-Appreciate you.
-You're very welcome.
1134
00:41:52,767 --> 00:41:53,867
-Congratulations, Chef.
-Thank you so much.
1135
00:41:53,867 --> 00:41:56,300
I believe this win proves
1136
00:41:56,300 --> 00:41:57,867
I'm one of the best burger
chefs in the country.