( music playing )
( cheering )
Gordon: Here we go.
Joe: Finale time! Look at this.
( hooting )
Thank you! Look at you guys!
Welcome back, guys.
Thank you so much!
Wow.
Welcome, everybody, to the "MasterChef: Back to Win" finale.
This "Back to Win" season has been absolutely incredible.
- This season... - Oh, my gosh.
we invited some of the most promising past home cooks...
Can you believe we're back here?
back for a second chance...
Last time I was in this kitchen, I was 12 years old.
- We got this! - back for redemption...
- Emily! - I was crushed when it
slipped through my fingers the first time.
- Shayne! - I'm not a kid anymore.
I'm not the same junior that was here last time.
..."Back to Win."
- You got what it takes? - Yes, I do.
- Why come back? - I'm back to win.
But to meet the highest standards in "MasterChef" history...
- 1,000 layers. - High risk, high reward.
...the journey was far from easy.
You have to cook an incredible vegan dish.
It's like a bad nightmare.
Hold, left to right, right to left, half-moon shape.
- Oh, God. - Taste that before?
Never even heard of it.
- Week after week... - Cowboys are coming in!
...we pushed them to their breaking point.
- Gabe, you okay? - Check the temp, Christian.
- I've cooked a million ( bleep ) steaks. - Ice cold.
- ( bleep ) - That was personal.
Bowen, I'm almost ( bleep ) ready! Calm down!
Ramsay to Coast Guard.
- How long are you blanching them? - Don't holler at me.
- We good, we good. - It's stressing everybody out.
Hey, it's raw. ( bleep )!
Emily: Use the cream you cooked them in!
- I already strained it! - What are they doing?
Gordon: Ladies and gentlemen, Wolfgang Puck!
You're gonna put the reputation of Spago on the line.
Where's the duck?
Just put it down. Come on, Emily.
Gordon: It's ( bleep ) freezing!
It's ( bleep ) raw.
What you trying to do, close down Spago?
Congratulations, the red team!
But these comeback cooks never gave up the fight...
I think we've just found our next master baker.
It's exact replicas. Congratulations.
Absolutely exceptional.
You plate with such beautiful finesse.
I'd serve this in my flagship restaurant tonight.
That is redemption in a bowl beyond belief.
Aarón: Award-winning stuff.
That's so clever and smart,
I might even take that from you.
...and now only three remain.
Will it be season ten's cookbook author Michael,
the culinary grad from "Junior" season one Dara,
or season five's Southern private chef Christian?
Only one will become America's next MasterChef.
- ( cheering ) - That's right.
Three young pros have come back to win.
Last time they were here, their quest for victory was cut short.
Now they'll do battle in the finale arena
right before your very eyes.
And by the end of the night, one will be crowned
the very first "MasterChef: Back to Win" champion.
Let's welcome our three amazing finalists.
First up, a 34-year-old best-selling cookbook author
from Austin, Texas, ladies and gentlemen, Michael.
Michael: Being here in this finale,
it's like a dream come true for me,
and I'm getting a second chance to prove
that I have what it takes.
I can't waste it, and I will fight to win it.
When I was here on season ten,
I certainly didn't have the confidence.
Not nearly enough. ( bleep ).
I went home really early. I went home in 15th place.
Michael, you've cooked for the last time.
But I left "MasterChef" on a mission to follow my dreams.
I walked away from my career in real estate
and I started my own business as a private chef.
I've written two best-selling cookbooks,
but I felt like I had unfinished business.
Michael. Don't burn out to quick this time, bro.
I have clawed my way to be at the top
of the "Back to Win" season.
That broth is award-winning stuff.
It's just a perfect medley of balances of richness and profound flavors.
I have really proven myself to be skilled at creating and innovating
and taking risks in this kitchen.
This is my passion in life.
I am not leaving here until I go home with that trophy.
All right, everyone, next up, a 20-year-old college student
from Culver City, California.
She was first seen at the age of 12
here on "MasterChef Junior" season one.
Now back to win, Dara.
Yay, Dara!
Dara: Coming back to cook in the "MasterChef" finale
- for the second time... - Go, Dara!
...is definitely surreal.
This moment means everything to me.
It's a culmination of all of my hard work,
my passion, my drive to win.
I first came into this competition
as a 12-year-old home cook
and made it all the way to the finale.
The winner, Alexander.
But I didn't take the loss as a defeat.
I've gone through culinary school,
and I've been able to have
some amazing opportunities in this industry.
So I came back into this MasterChef kitchen
to show my growth as a chef.
Let's go, Dara!
Being one of the youngest competitors
put a lot of pressure on me.
I doubted myself.
( bleep ), oh, my God. This is not working, Fred.
- Just re-roll it. Just re-roll it. - Re-roll it?
But week after week, I was able to find that confidence.
Fricking buttercream!
Gordon: Dara, it's delicious.
If anyone thinks that you're the youngest
and the underdog, they need to think again.
My drive and passion came from my father.
He passed away when I was six years old.
I know that all my Dad wanted for me
was just to follow my dream.
I've done exactly what he wanted me to do.
I think that's why I put a lot of pressure on myself as well,
because I feel like I'm a living legacy of his
and I have to make him proud.
And finally, a 36-year-old private chef
from New Orleans, Louisiana.
This young man made his presence felt across season five,
and he is definitely back to win.
Please give it up for Christian.
Christian: I would've never thought that I would ever
have an opportunity to come back to redeem myself.
Ha, ha! Yeah!
So to be in the finale, it's a dream come true.
I'm coming in focused, determined to win.
- Ha, ha! Dad. - Whoo!
I'm ready.
When I first showed up in the MasterChef kitchen,
I was an amateur chef.
That pork's delicious. Cooked it beautifully.
To leave at top five,
it was an honor, but of course I wanted to win.
I left "MasterChef" with a purpose.
I started my catering business.
I also became a private chef.
When I left my season, I always told myself
if I ever get a chance to come back to "MasterChef,"
I'm gonna cook my way to the top.
Our first apron goes to Christian.
I was determined to knock out the competition.
There can only be one alpha male in this kitchen, and that's me.
I've been at the top five times.
Gordon: I think you've hit the jackpot on there,
and I just love the sort of fried Southern style
- 'cause it screams you. - Thank you so much.
You know, I come from a family of cooks.
My family is my motivation, especially my late grandmother.
I just want to make them proud.
I've been waiting seven years
for an opportunity to change my life.
I came back to win.
You three, a hearty congratulations from Joe, Aarón, and myself
for making into the "MasterChef: Back to Win" grand finale.
Christian, young man, here to support you tonight,
you have your young son Caden, and your mother Charlotte.
Caden, what would it mean for you
for Dad to become America's next MasterChef?
It would mean a lot.
I just want to go see him do what he loves
and be the king of "MasterChef."
Absolutely. Absolutely.
Michael, here to cheer you on tonight,
you have your parents and fiancé Jacob.
- How proud are you? - I'm beyond proud of him.
I know that this means everything to him to be back,
and I just know when he walks out of here
he'll be walking out of here with that trophy.
Joe: Wow.
Dara, here to support you you have your beautiful family,
your mother Carol, your boyfriend Marco.
- Orale. - Yes.
Miss Carol, how excited are you
to see your daughter after all this time?
I'm so excited I can't even talk.
The first time she was here, she was 12,
and now she's here as an adult.
I'm so proud. Yeah.
Your families aren't the only VIP guests here tonight.
You also have some of your fiercest former competitors.
Welcome back, guys. Nice to see everyone.
Good luck.
Right, you three, tonight is your last chance
to prove that you deserve the grand prize--
a quarter of a million dollars,
the MasterChef trophy,
but more importantly,
the title of America's next MasterChef.
And the winner will get a complete kitchen makeover...
- Wow. - ...with a state of the art Viking kitchen,
including a top of line range, a stunning refrigerator.
And on top of that,
a full package of countertop appliances from Revel,
and an amazing set of kitchen tools from Oxo.
Wow.
In order to get your hands on that prize package tonight,
you must make us a cohesive three-course menu--
an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert.
Michael, please tell us the theme
that's gonna be guiding your three-course meal tonight.
Tonight, I'm gonna bring you a menu
that's really inspired by my culinary journey.
I want to bring a little bit of my Texas roots,
and I'm gonna make a Tex Mex inspired menu for you.
- Nice. Dara? - My theme is an ode to my childhood.
All my dishes are inspired by experiences
and food that influenced my passion for cooking.
And, of course, Christian.
I came into this competition staying true to myself.
The menu that I've created for you guys tonight is my Southern roots,
basically where I started and where I'm headed.
Right, shall we get started with the appetizer round?
Yes? This is it.
You'll have 60 minutes to make us your stunning appetizers.
The very best of luck to all three of you.
Your 60 minutes start now! Let's go!
Come on! Let's go!
Let's go, let's go!
Come on, come on, come on.
Tonight I'm sticking to the flavors
- that I grew up with. - Asparagus.
But I'm using a ton of traditional French culinary techniques.
I just really want to prove to everyone
that my age is nothing but a number.
Cucumber, cucumber, I need cucumber.
My Tex Mex menu is unlike anything the judges have ever seen in this kitchen before.
It's bold, it's risky,
and it's gonna blow the judges away.
Gordon: Let's go. Well done, Christian. Well done.
Come on, sweetie! Come on! Let's go!
- Let's go! - Come on, come on!
- ( overlapping shouts ) - Go, Michael!
Let's go, Dara!
- Gordon: This is it. - Aarón: Yep.
"Back to Win" finale. How exciting.
Three appetizers. Very, very exciting.
We want dishes tonight that we would be proud to serve in our restaurants.
- Yeah. - The level is going to be sky high.
- Absolutely. - Go, Christian! Yeah!
Christian: This Southern menu is gonna prove
to everybody that I stayed true to myself.
But I'm going against two amazing chefs.
- Whoo! Michael! - It's gonna be a battle.
So I have to find a way of how I'm gonna elevate my dishes.
Either you go big or you go home,
and I ain't going home without the MasterChef trophy.
- Come on, guys! - Let's go!
Gordon: 10 minutes gone. 50 minutes remaining.
Keep it going, guys. Come on.
Let's go, Dara!
Michael: Whew. Stay calm.
Looks good, Michael! Looks good, bud!
- Go, Michael! - Whoo, Mikey!
Christian: Let's get it.
- Yes, yes! - Yes!
- Break it out. - Let's go, guys.
Right, young man, how you feeling?
- Feeling good, Chef. - You good?
- Yeah, I'm feeling great. - You got this?
- Yes, sir. - Right, tell me about this dish.
I am making a fried green tomato with a crawfish salad,
and then you also have a remoulade sauce.
The green tomato, how you gonna elevate that?
What I'ma do is I gonna batter in a little bit of flour,
fold in a little bit of breadcrumbs, a little cornmeal,
and then once all that is done, we're gonna top it with a little bit of caviar.
- Yes, yes, yes! - Ooh!
I've never seen the green tomato and caviar together.
With this appetizer ahead of the entrée and then the dessert,
what message are you sending out?
Christian: I'm a force to be reckoned with, you know?
I stayed true to myself throughout the whole competition,
and now it's time to elevate,
show a little bit more what I got.
You're playing to your strengths.
You're staying in that wheelhouse, right?
Make sure you put it all on that plate.
- Yes, Chef. - Just over 45 minutes to go.
- Yes, Chef. - Good luck, yes?
- Yes! - Come on!
Let's go, baby.
- Shanika: All right, Michael. - Ooh!
We want the smoke!
- Look at Michael there smoking away. - There he goes.
Michael: Come on, baby.
Dara, them asparagus looking real good, baby.
- Thank you, Willie. - Aarón: All right, so, Dara.
- Hello, Chef. - How's it going, young lady?
- Good, how are you? - I'm doing good.
You feel good about where you are right now?
I'm feeling really good.
So talk to me about some of the elements
that you have going on in your dish.
I'm doing crispy skin red snapper.
I have grilled white asparagus
as well as a sautéed green asparagus.
And then there's a miso béarnaise sauce with those.
This whole meal is actually inspired
by one of the last trips I took with my father to Japan.
Aarón: This idea of the miso béarnaise,
is that something that you really sort of gravitate towards,
like, mixing these different kinds of influences--
Asian into something very classical like a béarnaise?
Oh, 100%. I mean, I came into this competition
showing you guys my Asian flavors, and I've stayed true to that.
But, you know, I have that French culinary school background.
So I want to pull that out for you guys as well.
I got to say, Dara, you seem very poised. It's refreshing to see.
I know at some times, some the challenges,
you've gotten a little bit flustered,
but I see that you have that steely resolve right now.
I like to see that. That shows growth.
Cool, calm, and collected.
- Aarón: Orale. - Yep.
Best of luck.
30 minutes remaining. Halfway!
Christian: Let's go, let's go!
Breathe, breathe, breathe.
Michael, Michael, Michael.
- Yes, Chef. - What are you making?
Michael: I'm making a cold smoked trout
with cucumber and pomelo aguachile
and salsa macha.
- Whoo! - Whoo, yeah!
Where's the steelhead trout?
I'm smoking it right now in the refrigerator.
You're smoking it in the refrigerator?
I'm smoking it 'cause I want it to stay cold.
- Aguachile should be raw. - Right.
So I don't want to actually cook the fish.
So since you're not cooking,
you have basically three things going on in this dish--
- acidity, heat, and smoke. What's the balance? - That's right.
The balance is gonna be the complexity of this aguachile.
I use some pomelo, so we're getting
a little bit of sweet, a little tart.
It's gonna hit every note.
We're gonna be really focusing in on the minute details
- of that balance between heat, acidity. - Right, 100%.
And smoke can be a very tricky thing.
You're really putting yourself under a lot of scrutiny.
And I want to show that.
I think it takes a lot of confidence
to come in here and do a raw dish.
- Good luck. - Looking good, Michael!
- Looking good! - Christian: Let's get it.
- Got this. - Looking good, Dara.
Three amazing sounding appetizers.
Christian's playing to his New Orleans roots with that fried green tomato.
What I love about the fried green tomato, it's a beautiful canvas.
You can put just about anything that's luxurious on top of that.
But here's the thing, fried green tomatoes,
is it elevated enough for the "MasterChef" finale?
Gordon: Sure.
- Looking good, Michael! - Thank you!
Michael is not cooking.
- He's smoking a steelhead trout. - Wow.
And he's serving it as an aguachile.
I like the idea of an aguachile, or in essence, ceviche,
but you definitely wouldn't smoke an aguachile, so we'll see.
- Michael: Come on, baby. - Joe: The other thing is
- is the knife skills on this trout. - Sure.
The most important thing about Michael's knife cuts for me
- is taking off that bloodline. - Yeah.
That line runs close the skin.
If any is left on, it gives the fish a bitter taste.
He's got to remove all that.
Dara: All righty. All right.
Dara seems to be well ahead.
She's gonna make a beautiful crispy snapper
with a miso béarnaise.
And it's very challenging to balance the richness of the béarnaise
and also that sort of fermented flavor of miso.
- Miso and béarnaise? - Yes, I've never heard of it.
Gordon: The béarnaise is derivated from a hollandaise.
- Aarón: Yes. - Which should be cooked over a double boiler,
and then that gives you the stability.
When you blend it like that, it can break.
They're almost like a warm mayonnaise.
There's a big difference between a warm mayonnaise
and a béarnaise.
- It's a tough one. - Absolutely.
Gordon: Just under seven minutes remaining. Let's go!
Ooh. Just about there.
Michael: Beautiful.
Come on, you got it. You got it.
Oh, my God.
- ( bleep ) - Gordon: Oh, my goodness.
Look at-- Dara's sauce is broken.
She's panicking right now.
I don't know what's happening.
I'm extremely frazzled and stressed out.
( bleep )
Take a deep breath. You got this.
I'm adding the butter, and it's not emulsifying,
and my miso béarnaise sauce is ruined.
This is horrible.
- Hey, re-emulsify. You got it. - I can't make the sauce again.
- I have six minutes. I can't. - You got it.
She's in a massive tailspin right now.
- Oh, my God. - I'm worried.
Dara: Ugh, what am I doing?
( crowd cheering )
( bleep )
Dara, she's in a massive tailspin right now.
- I'm worried. - Dara: Ugh, what am I doing?
I have, like, five minutes to go,
and my miso béarnaise sauce broke.
And if it's not perfect,
it's gonna ruin the whole dish.
So I have to start the sauce over.
Oh, my God.
Shayne: Breathe. You got this.
You got it, Dara! Let's go, Dara!
You got this! You got this!
Come on, Dara!
This is my first dish of the finale.
Right now I'm just pushing
and making sure that I get everything on the plate.
- Come on. - Keep pushing, Dara. You got it, okay?
Gordon: Four minutes to go. Come on.
Looking good! Let's go, Christian!
Gordon: I've never seen Christian work
with such precision, the way he's doing tonight.
And more importantly, this does sound delicious.
It just needs to be elevated. It's the finale, right?
- Absolutely. - Michael: Perfect.
Mikey, that fish looks gorgeous.
Thank you!
Gordon: 60 seconds to go!
Here we go!
Come on, you guys!
Come on, come on, come on!
Let's go, Christian!
Michael, get it all on that plate!
Come on, Michael!
- Fred: Let's go, Dara! - You go, Dara!
All: Ten, nine, eight,
seven, six, five,
four, three, two, one.
- And stop. Hands in the air. - That's it! Oh!
It's time to taste your appetizers.
Please make your way around to the front, thank you.
Right, well done. Michael, please make your way down with your appetizers.
- Thank you. - Yes, Chef.
Mmm, the dramatics. Ooh!
- Smoke it up! Smoke it up! - Keep it steady.
I've taken so many risks with this dish.
This is the first impression of my finale menu,
so it really does need to sing.
Whew.
- Crowd: Ooh. - Willie: All right, judges.
Joe: Ooh-la-la.
For the appetizer, I made you a cold smoked steelhead trout
with a pomelo and cucumber aguachile,
salsa macha, and pickled cucumbers.
Visually, it's stunning.
The colors pop. It's got that glamour.
You're turning the whole aguachile culture on its head.
You definitely wouldn't smoke an aguachile,
and I love the fact that you're putting your little touch onto that.
It looks like something that I would be proud to serve at a table in a restaurant.
- Wow. - Let's hope it tastes as good as it looks.
Cross your fingers, boy.
Michael, what a way to start the finale.
It's fresh, it's vibrant.
I love the freshness of the aguachile.
Just be careful.
When you prepare trout like that and you lift that skin,
you've got to go over that bloodline.
I've got essence of the bloodline left on my fish.
And also the trout needs a touch more salt for me.
I think you did so many different things here brilliantly.
I think the idea of the salsa macha with its inherent smokiness
echoes the smoke that you already introduced into it,
and they stand up to one another, and I love that.
Yeah, you took a risk here, Michael, and it's good.
I just feel like when you have a void of salt in a dish like this,
it's kind of like hearing music mono, not stereo.
- Michael: Mm. - And that hurts.
- Thank you, Michael. - Thank you.
- Good job, Michael. Good job. - You got it, Mike.
I think the fascinating thing about this dish is
how is this gonna connect with his main course?
- Are we going up or are we gonna go down? - Exactly.
Dara, can you please bring your appetizer forward?
- Go, Dara! - Dara!
- Go, Dara!
Even though I got really frazzled
and had to remake my sauce,
I have to present it still with the confidence
that I would if it was perfect.
Can you please describe the dish?
Today I prepared a crispy skin red snapper
with asparagus and a miso béarnaise sauce.
Young lady, tough start.
You got frazzled there at the last couple of minutes.
- Yes, Chef. - But visually, yeah, it looks intriguing.
I think you got a really nice color on the skin.
The knife cuts are beautiful on the vegetables,
and love the idea of this miso béarnaise.
Can't wait to dig in.
Fish are cooked beautifully, young lady.
Crispy skin.
But I've got a big issue with this sauce.
It's a cross between a cold béarnaise and a warm mayonnaise.
Damn.
Gordon: Dara, I've got a big issue with this sauce.
It's a cross between a cold béarnaise and a warm mayonnaise.
Damn.
And you need to cook those egg yolks to create a sabayon,
which completes a texture to a béarnaise.
But the miso works.
And bizarrely, it actually tastes quite nice.
Thank you, Chef.
I'm not so hung up on the technicalities of this sauce.
Béarnaise, mayonnaise, aioli--
it doesn't make a difference to me.
Quite frankly, what makes a difference to me-- that it's all yours.
- And it's delicious. - Thank you, Joe.
I would imagine that personal approach you have
to making food comes from maybe your dad.
- Mm-hmm. - You have a courage
to just kind of do what's right to you,
and it worked for me.
This is damn good.
There's a lot of rich flavors with the grilling of the leeks
and the asparagus echoing that really sort of richness of the skin of the snapper.
The idea of having this aggressive flavor
I think really says a lot of boldness about you,
and I really, really appreciate that.
Gordon: Thanks, Dara.
- Go, Dara! - All right, Dara!
Emily: Wow, Dara! Good job!
- Fish cooked beautifully, by the way. Absolutely. - Joe: Yeah, fish was good.
- And the seasoning was very consistent throughout. - Yep.
Okay, Christian, can you please bring your appetizers down?
Yeah, Christian!
For my appetizer, I stayed true to myself and my Southern roots.
It's a restaurant quality dish to me.
Okay, Christian, what did you make us?
Tonight I prepared for you a fried green tomato
topped with a crawfish salad,
remoulade sauce, and caviar.
Christian, I think this dish, for me, screams you.
I think you're refusing to become anybody different.
- Yes, Chef. - And I think it's one of the most glamorous,
poshest green tomatoes in America tonight anywhere,
because I've never seen a green tomato quite like that.
- Thank you. - Yeah, Christian, I think this is really much in line
with what's happening right now in the South,
where chefs are interpreting Southern traditional food
and elevating it, and I like this.
Christian, tomato's delicious.
- I just love the crunch. - Thank you.
I think for me the magic is in the breading.
It's crispy and it's classy.
The green tomato is absolutely delicious.
Everything works.
The only issue, it's over-macerated
with the herbs, which is distracting
from those wonderful, sweet, salty crawfish
- with the caviar. - Gotcha.
I've had a lot of green tomatoes in my life,
and this one is completely unique,
and it's so you, and I just love that.
But at this level, I got to take you to task
because we're talking about tools of refinement.
How do you get it to that next level?
Take that cornmeal and buzz it,
so you can give it the fineness of the breading.
Maybe put some seasoning in there.
Yes, Chef.
- But delicious stuff. - Thank you.
I like the dish.
I liked everything about it.
I think that what you were able to do
is put yourself and your background
and all the things that are important to you,
including your son and family, on a plate.
- Good job. - Thank you.
Whoo! Yes!
Way to go, baby.
Good seasoning throughout.
This is him, man, and I love it.
So your favorite appetizer was what?
Good question.
I don't know who has the edge
- after the first round. - Mm-hmm.
Michael, Dara, Christian, what a great introduction
to your menus this evening.
Well done, all of you.
Honestly, right now it is anyone's game.
This finale is neck and neck.
The level competition is so intense,
but my appetizer was not perfect.
And so if I don't step up,
I could start to fall behind in this finale.
And that is not an option for me.
( cheering )
Wow, those appetizers were definitely restaurant quality.
Now we're almost ready to begin the entrée round.
But it wouldn't be a "MasterChef" finale
without some last minute surprises.
Oh, God.
We have a very special guest joining us for the entrée round.
And he has certainly seen his fair share of dishes
in this kitchen over many, many years.
Everyone, put your hands together
for an OG "MasterChef" judge...
Graham Elliot!
Yes!
- Whoo! - Oh!
Graham Elliot here. Come on, man, that's my boy.
Graham Elliot was on my season, season five.
So just to have him back in the MasterChef kitchen
is such an amazing thing.
- Welcome back, young man. - Thank you.
You were here right at the very beginning of this phenomenal competition.
- Are you gonna be cooking to your strengths? - Mm-hmm.
- Or you are you gonna be cooking to their weaknesses? - Mm-hmm.
You have every reason to be happy.
- Thank you. - I mean, I want to cry. It's that good.
This is one of the best that you've put up.
- It's really, really good. - Wow, thank you.
Good job, Christian.
...in the middle. Oh, jeez.
- ( kids shouting ) - Oh!
- This is my appetizer. - This dish sealed the deal
for Graham's second Michelin star.
Graham: I love the fact that you steamed those.
That's the kind of mentality that a chef has,
not a 12-year-old. What's wrong with you?
Graham, how does it feel to be back?
Amazing. Like, literally. It's like a reunion, you know?
- We love you. - Aw, I love you.
Willie, you know that I wear the glasses for attention.
I'm doing the same thing. Attention.
So, Graham, what advice would you give all three
of these talented chefs ahead of this next big course?
This is where you just don't want to overthink things.
You know what dish you want to do.
Commit to that,
and really focus on the technique and artistry.
Absolutely. Now you'll have 60 minutes
to cook those amazing entrées.
Please tell us what you are making
for the entrée round, Michael.
I'm gonna make a chili rubbed loin of lamb with a corn purée,
a roasted poblano grit cake,
- and a birria jus. - Joe: Dara.
I'll be making Chinese style short ribs
with whipped sweet potato, a spiced roasted carrot,
- and a carrot top gremolata. - Wow.
- Joe: Christian. - Tonight I'll be preparing for you guys
a Cajun rubbed filet mignon, crab cake,
parsnip purée, tomato cream sauce,
and of course, my late grandmother's favorite-- turnips.
Joe: Love that.
- Now are you three ready? - All: Yes, Chef.
60 minutes on the clock.
Your time starts...
- Now! - Let's go!
Dara: Sorry.
Even though I got really frazzled
- in the appetizer round... - Some soy sauce.
...in the past, I've been able to bounce back.
And tonight is the night that I have to make sure
that I come back stronger than ever.
Christian: Come on, y'all! Let's go!
Let's go. Be careful.
Wow. Here we go. So, three amazing entrées.
Which one's standing out for you?
For me, it's gonna be Christian.
I think if he's able to pull off that marriage of the crab cake,
have that be a textural component,
I think we'll have a winner.
Why's it so quiet? Let's go.
( cheering )
We asked for dishes that could stand up in our restaurants.
Michael's loin of lamb is the most restauranty dish
in its conception, so I think Michael's got it.
Pepper.
I think that Dara's short rib sounds really exciting.
- Yeah, Dara! - Let's go!
Whoo, whoo, whoo!
- Right, look who's here. - Hello, Chef.
- Graham: How are you? - Good. How are you?
Good. You should look more stressed out.
- We're keeping cool today. - Okay, okay, okay.
Gordon: We are gonna keep cool.
Why try and cook a short rib
in under 60 minutes in a pressure cooker?
This is the finale. It's not time to play it safe.
And I know I'm gonna be pulling these short ribs out
with five, six minutes to go,
so I'm putting it all on the line.
There's no way to kind of cheat if they're undercooked,
so I'm really, really hoping that you get those going.
Get that lid on there. That's right.
What's that in there? What are you putting in there?
Dara: This is dark soy rice vinegar,
brown sugar, chili flakes.
The good thing that you're doing is as that gets braised,
you have all the time to work on the other accompaniments
- for the dish. - Exactly, Chef.
What does this entrée say about Dara?
This is inspired by one of my favorite meals growing up.
My grandma and my mom, I grew up--
I grew up eating spare ribs.
I'm actually-- I'm using short ribs today.
It's a play on your traditional meat, potatoes,
and carrots, but I'm elevating it, so...
Good luck, young lady. Come on. Ten minutes gone.
- Go, Dara! - Yeah, let's go, Dara!
- Yeah! - Whoo!
Perfect.
Christian: Let's go, baby. Let's go.
Michael: That's good, that's good, that's good.
- Michael. - Yes, Chef.
All right, so talk to me a little bit about your dish.
What kind of lamb cut are you using?
I'm using shanks to drive the broth,
and then I'm gonna do a chili rub on my loin of lamb.
So we're gonna get kind of a lot of depth of flavor
both in the sauce and in the lamb.
Okay, now talk to me about the garnish.
Doing a beautiful aji amarillo yellow pepper corn purée,
and then I'm gonna accompany that
with a roasted poblano grit cake.
Aarón: Man, you're a wacko.
- You're taking Peruvian chilies... - Yeah.
...and mixing them with Mexican chilies.
- Yeah. - Have you gone mad?
- Michael: Absolutely! - Look, if I were you,
try to put some beautiful sear on this lamb,
make sure that the seasoning blend
kind of echoes what you have in your jus.
- Heard. - All right. Best of luck.
Thank you so much.
( cheering )
Keep cracking, Mike! Keep cracking.
( muttering )
There it goes.
Michael: Perfect.
- Joe: Christian, Christian. - Sup?
- Cajun filet, is that too much? - Cajun rubbed filet.
You know what I mean? This is quite different.
Out of New Orleans-- growing up, my grandmother,
she grew turnips, she grew okra, she grew collard greens.
So, you know, I just wanted to stay true to myself.
I know I'm taking a big risk cooking these filets tonight.
- You've got to make four medium rare filets. - Yes, I do.
You know, they're all gonna be cut,
so there's nowhere to hide today on the temperature.
- For sure. - What do you think about Michael,
who's making this lamb? It seems very, very restauranty.
Dara's taking a big risk with those short ribs, right?
- How do you feel? - Honestly, hands down,
I feel I have the most expensive meat of the night,
- you know what I mean? - Expensive doesn't always win.
Exactly. But, hey, I bet you all four
of these steaks gonna be medium rare.
( cheering )
Do it, baby! Do it!
- Yeah, that one in the middle. - Mm-hmm.
Christian: Let's cook, baby.
Gordon: We're just coming up to halfway.
Just over 30 minutes to go, guys.
Michael: Oh, my God.
I don't have time to play.
Dara: All right, come on.
Christian: Oh, yes. Let's get it.
Joe: So, Christian is very confident.
Again, he feels he's got this in the bag.
When you cook with love, you just know.
Joe: He's doing four filets, 12 to 14 ounce,
pan-seared, and they all gotta be medium rare.
So, that's just a lot of jeopardy right there.
Every single second of this cook counts.
It's like how my mama used to say,
"Chris, make today count."
I got to make sure all four steaks is cooked medium rare,
and it's a big risk.
I can't mess this up.
So, Christian feels he's got this in the bag,
but there's a lot of jeopardy in those filet mignons and the Cajun seasoning.
Chris, you working on your crab cake mixture?
Yes, sir. It's not your traditional crab cake,
but you got a little bit of New Orleans in there--
shrimp, claw meat, and crab.
- Nice. - If the filet wasn't enough,
you have the seafood on the dish, which also, you know,
a crab cake has to be moist, has to be crunchy.
- There's a lot of jeopardy in this dish. - Yeah.
Hey, Dad, make sure you make some more of that crab cake.
Got you, baby.
Looks good, Dara.
So, Dara's on it. Thankfully those ribs are in that pressure cooker.
Think about the jeopardy of a pressure cooker in the "MasterChef" finale.
You put it in, you open it up three minutes
before you have to plate, and it's either there or it's not.
- That's right. No control. - You have nowhere to hide.
Aarón: Does it allot you enough time
- to make sure your presentation is beautiful? - Graham: Right.
'Cause you're gonna be struggling to get that meat on
- at the right time. - Both: Yeah.
Wow.
Michael seems very confident.
He's gonna get a lot of flavor out of this lamb shank
sort of braising liquid that's gonna turn into a sauce.
I like the strategy of Michael, very complex,
very restauranty, of creating a sauce for a lamb loin
based on a secondary lamb cut like the lamb shank.
But again, too much ambition for Michael?
Come on, baby.
45 minutes gone. We're now down to the last 15 minutes.
Come on.
- All right, Dara, you've put the meat in there. - Yeah.
You don't get to see it until three minutes before you plate it.
- Yes, Chef. - You're gonna serve us those short ribs,
and I'm gonna take that meat between my fingers
- and I'm gonna pinch it like this. - Yes, Chef.
And if I doesn't fall apart, it's gonna be a problem.
I know, and that's a risk that I'm willing to take.
Joe: Well, look, I'm very, very excited.
And just remember.
- Come on, Dara! - What's going on, Christian?
- What's up, boss? - Talk to me. How do you feel?
- I'm feeling great right now. - Yeah?
It seems like you're ahead of the game.
You've got your crab cakes already fabricated.
They're looking good. There's a nice little thickness to that.
- You know. - There you go.
All right. Now, Christian, your entrée
is sort of like the meat and potatoes,
or in your case, the meat and parsnips
- of this meal, right? - Yeah. Yes.
That presentation needs to be concise,
- it needs to be beautiful... - Correct.
- ...whimsical, and catch the eye. - Yes, Chef.
- You gonna be able to do that? - I'm gonna be able to do that.
- All right, we're counting on you. - Yes, Chef.
- Go, Christian! - Come on, Chris.
- Right, young man. - Michael, how we doing?
Michael: Ooh, we're doing good.
- How you feeling? - A little bit stressed,
- but I'm having a great time. - There's a lot going on here.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I'm just getting ready for my grit cakes to come together.
I'm prepping all my "mise".
I've got my corn purée done.
My herbs are done. My radishes are pickling.
Man, everything's happening right now.
All the garnish has been done. Sauce is en route.
- The lamb's still raw here. - It's not super thick.
I need to treat it very, very delicately.
Is this going in the oven at all or completely done in the pan?
Michael: I'm gonna just finish it gently in the oven
'cause I don't want to burn those spices.
- Good, so baste it. Work nice and tidy. - Yes, Chef.
- Good luck. - Spend an extra minute to get organized.
- You got it. Thank you. - You got this!
- Man, he's behind. - He's behind.
It literally looks like he's making five dishes.
- There's stuff everywhere. - Gordon: So he's got all the pickled vegetables,
everything else ready, but the grit cakes need to be set
before he makes an actual cake and fry them. That's still in the pan.
He's not gonna get all that done.
Too many burners, too many pots, too many unnecessary things.
I agree, but when you look at the station, it's a mess.
There is crap everywhere.
Joe: I'm concerned that Michael's ambition
might take him down today.
I'm nervous.
I work clean, I'll look clean.
- My plate will be clean. - The jeopardy for Dara,
when she serves me that short rib
and I can put my fingers in it and squeeze it apart,
- it'll be perfect. - Graham: Yeah.
Gordon: This is gonna be make or break.
When that lid comes off, it could go either way.
Christian's now starting to sear his beef.
Some are that size, some are that size. They're not all the same size.
Four filets, medium rare, there's nowhere for him to hide.
This is gonna be so down to the final minute.
Everyone's really playing it risky.
Gordon: Yeah, one wrong move in these final moments
and their dreams of becoming the next MasterChef
- could go up in smoke. - ( cheering )
- Go, Dara! - Yeah, Dara!
Whoo!
Let's go, Chris!
Oh, boy.
Next time, the "Back to Win" finale continues.
It's the finale now. Everything you've done so far
in this competition, you're not blowing it now.
Less than five minutes, and Dara's short ribs are still in the pot.
Gordon: We are judging you on what you serve.
Big, deep breath. Compose yourself.
With another guest judge to impress...
Give a big warm welcome. Christina Tosi!
...and with just two courses left,
it's a fierce fight to the finish line.
This dessert is a triumph.
You're pushing the boundaries. You're testing our palates.
It's clear that you know great flavor. It's a beautiful dessert.
America's next MasterChef is...