Welcome to Fire Masters
where three chefs will take
three blazing culinary challenges.
-Ooh! -Beautiful.
[Dylan] Two will be eliminated.
And the last chef standing will go head-to-head
against one of our Fire Masters' judges
battling for the chance to win $10,000.
-Whoo! -I need that to be money.
And to earn their place as a Fire Masters' champi
Flavor is dead on.
It's not, like, creative though.
[Dylan] Speed, skill,
-scorching competition. -[exclaims]
This is Fire Masters.
Three chefs think that they contain the flame
and be the next Fire Masters' champion.
Let's meet them.
First up, Rodrigo Silva from Toronto, Ontario.
[Rodrigo] I'm a chef and I've been cooking over open fire
since I was probably 15, 16-years-old.
I have a huge passion when it comes to grilling meat.
For me, I cannot get enough of, like, the char,
the smokiness.
Just because I was born with one hand,
to me, I look at that as an advantage.
Because that just means I put in those extra hours
to do what I'm doing now
better than anyone in this competition.
Hey, chefs.
[Dylan] Next, Sukant Dakua from Calgary, Alberta.
I come from Odisha in India.
I work as a chef for the Canadian energy sector.
My earliest memory of cookin comes from my mom
cooking on an open fire.
I'm ready to turn up that he
and let's just cook.
Hello, chefs. Happy to be here.
[Dylan] And last, William Whitfield from Seattle, Washington.
[William] I'm a pitmaster.
Cooking over open fire is in my DNA.
It is like breathing.
It's like drinking water.
It is a part of me.
I did not come all this way
to walk out empty-handed.
I came here to win.
I wanna put something over a fire. Let's go!
Greetings, chef. Thanks for having us.
Chefs, welcome to Fire Masters.
Here's how it's going to go down.
There will be three rounds of competition.
In the first two rounds,
you'll be competing against one another.
And at the end of each of these rounds
one of you will be going home.
In the third and final round,
the last chef standing will go head-to-head
against one of our judges
for the chance to win $10,000
and the title of today's Fire Masters' champion.
Speaking of judges,
here's who you'll need to impress.
Roger Mooking is a globally inspired celebrity chef,
author, TV personality
and live fire cooking expert
Welcome to the Fire Masters' arena, chefs.
Make sure you taste your food and have fun.
-Good advice. -[indistinct]
[Dylan] Chef Eddie Jackson is a celebrity chef,
cook book author and owner of Rosehill Beer Garden
in Houston, Texas.
Which one of you is a champion?
-See these guns? -I didn't say who was swole.
[all chuckling]
[Dylan] Chef Dominique Leac is an acclaimed chef
and barbecue expert.
She's the chef-owner of Lexington Betty Smokehous
with three locations in the Chicago area.
Thank you for joining us, chefs.
Can't wait to try your food.
-It's a pleasure. -Nice to meet you.
Chefs, I hope you brought your A-game
because we're about to stoke the competition.
In this first Wildfire round,
you'll create a signature dish
that showcases who you are as a chef.
You'll each have your own top of the line grill station.
And use our Fire Masters' firepit.
As well as access to our fully stocked pantry
Your dish will be judged on presentation,
creativity and taste.
Chefs, are you ready?
-Born ready. -Yes!
Yes, sir!
You got 30 minutes on the clock
and your time starts...
Now!
-Let's go, chefs! -[all applauding]
Let's go!
Bourbon.
Some would say I'm a competitive person.
Hey, look at that. Ribeye, baby.
Even more so
when I get in front of a fire
or a barbecue pit.
It's game on.
My signature dish is
a grilled ribeye with a mushroom cream sauce
Gonna put this on an open fire
and we gotta make sure we get good char.
But this is just not a basic ribeye.
I'm going to have carrots.
There's gonna be a maple bourbon flavor to 'em.
And then I'm gonna add some broccolini.
This is my signature dish because
it's a meal I make for my friends,
so I can't mess this up.
I'll never be able to show my face again...
[chuckling] ...around the guys.
[Rodrigo] Cabbage.
The reason why I'm here
is because I wanna prove to everyone
that the guy with one hand
is gonna be a Fire Masters' champion.
You don't wanna cut yourself.
But I've nothing left to cut. [chuckles softly]
I want me to bring it.
There's no such thing as a good luck. It's all hard work.
So, today I'm making kalbi short ribs
paired with a braised cabbage
as well as an edamame puree.
And kimchi.
So, my sweet and sour cabbag
I throw that on a pot.
I throw a whole jar of maple syrup.
I put a lot of apple cider vinegar
and I'm trying to get that to reduce super, super quick
Well, judges, the wildfire round is underway
and these chefs are hustling down there
and I'm really, really loving the energy.
I'm seeing the boneless chicken thighs.
I'm seeing bourbon, some soy sauce.
I'm excited right now.
Super excited about that bourbon and those rib eyes.
The key to getting the perfect rib eye
is to make sure that you get it on soon enough,
so that it rests especially when you cut it that thick.
That's what I want to see.
I'm starting to smell the aromatics.
I'm super excited to try everyone's food.
I'm making some... marinating some chicken thighs.
Definitely want to impress the judges
and so, I'm gonna really push hard.
This is gonna be really bold flavors,
marinated and then, right on the pit.
My signature dish is
a tandoori spiced chicken
with charred vegetables.
-[Dylan] Chef Sukant, how are you? -Very good.
What does this dish say about you as a chef?
Basically, where I come from, in India.
[Dylan] And what about this dish is gonna wow the judges
and get you through to the next round?
Skills that I'm gonna show with my cooking
is gonna take me to the next round.
And I hope my competitors don't do very well
-and they... -[Dylan laughs]
I've got all the faith in the world in you, Chef.
Thank you.
I have to get this marinated really quick.
So, I get my yogurt and sour cream in there.
Garam masala.
Cumin, some coriander.
Some chili powder.
[William] So, I load up the grill was some pecans and mesquite wood chips.
Another element of smoke.
This is gonna make my mushrooms taste that much better.
-Chef William, how're you doing? -I'm doing well.
[Dylan] What's the biggest risk you're taking with this dish?
[William] Overcooking those ribeyes.
I need that to be money.
What about this dish is gonna really impress the judges?
Although, there is some simplicity,
it's the blending of different flavor profile,
they just bring it all home for you.
-Looking forward to seeing this dish. -[William] Ah, thank you.
[Rodrigo] Now, I'm gonna make the marinade.
I'm gonna start working on my kalbi marinade.
Green onions, sesame seeds,
mirin, brown sugar, garlic and onion.
Mixing it all together.
As it creates a nice thick paste.
Chef Rodrigo, how're you doing?
Oh, I'm doing great right now.
This could be a $10,000 day for you.
How do you feel about that?
[Rodrigo] You know what?
-I was born for this. -[Dylan chuckles]
This is what my calling is.
So, I'm looking to get to the finals, baby.
Then, I'm gonna take on one of those judges,
with respect, of course, and beat them.
[Dylan chuckles]
I love the confidence. Love the attitude, Chef.
-I appreciate it. -[Dylan] Thanks.
[Sukant] While I'm getting this chicken marinated,
I need to get this rice started.
This is some whole garam masala spice
and some cumin.
[Dominique] I love smoking cumin.
Particularly, in adding it to some basmati rice.
If it cooks through, it's gonna be good.
Cauliflower is really good when it has that char
from the fire pit.
[Rodrigo] I'm gonna use up all the grill, baby!
I am trying to get that real estate on the grill.
Now, trying to make sure that my stuff gets cooked first.
Gonna leave that.
So, here I'm gonna make the edamame puree.
I'll throw all my edamame into a blender.
Throw in some jalapeno and some cilantro.
I'm literally looking at my cabbage
and it's not cooking fast enough.
This is gonna take forever.
So, I am putting on two different pans now,
so that it can cook a lot faster.
Chefs, 15 minutes left!
You are halfway through the cook.
I realize my chicken needs to really go.
Putting those chicken on the skewers,
so I can put it right on the grill.
I'm concerned with the amount of time he has.
Gonna cook through?
-But the chicken is on the grill. -[meat sizzles]
[William] I'm just making su
that I get that nice edge and crisp
on all sides of the steak.
Let 'em rest here.
Now, I gotta focus on that bourbon glaze sauce for my carrots.
I'm gonna add a little brown sugar.
A little maple syrup.
Carrots come off the firepit
and go right on to the sizzle zone until they glaze.
I realize that my short ribs are done,
so I grab 'em off the pit.
I'm just concerned it's gonna be a little bit overcooked.
You know, you don't need to get those cooked very long
over a direct high heat.
I'm doing damage control at this point...
Come on.
...with my cabbage.
It is not reducing enough.
What's hotter than infrared?
Direct coals.
Oh, that's very hot.
-[exclaims] -Oh, man.
[Rodrigo] My cabbage is everywhere at this point.
What am I gonna do?
[Rodrigo exclaims]
My cabbage is everywhere.
What am I gonna do?
Half of my cabbage is still on the infrared.
So, I grab myself a wider cast iron.
Five minutes left.
I'm putting on the grate, lowering it as low as I can
and I'm trying to get this thing going.
This cabbage is going to be the death of me.
[exhales]
Some green peas with cumin seeds,
so it can go into the rice.
The clock really moves and does not stop
for anyone.
I check on the chicken and it's ticking,
so I grabbed a spatula and then just cleaned it off
the grill, so it does not burn.
[William] I love mushroom sauce on ribeyes.
But I wanna kick it up a notch
by adding a cream and Romano cheese
that's gonna just be perfect on a ribeye.
More salt, pepper.
Come on! Needs to get softer.
[Dylan] Chefs, you got one minute left.
-This is it, chefs. -[all exclaiming]
-[Dylan] You should be plating. -[Dominique] Go! Let's go!
Okay, there's no more time left. I just gotta plate.
Ah!
[William] There's no panic in me right now
because I've done this a thousand times. [chuckles]
-[all cheering] -Let's go! Let's go!
[all applauding]
[Sukant] I am roasting at the end.
This is ready now. I have to put it all together on to a plate.
[judges] Ten, nine,
eight, seven,
six, five,
four, three,
two, one.
[Dylan] Time's up, chefs.
-Let's go, guys! -[all applauding]
[William] I look at the dish I'm happy.
Think I did a really good jo
[Sukant] I really believe my dish is gonna take me to the next round.
[Rodrigo] Looking down on my plate
and I'm about to panic
just because that rib
is a little a darker than I expected.
[Dylan] Chef, please tell u about your signature dish.
[Sukant] Judges, I made tandoori spiced chicken
with charred vegetables.
I really taste the Fire Masters' arena in this dish.
The char on the chicken was really great.
But it needed some salt.
And I do feel like you could have used some more sauce.
Chef Sukant.
The thing that stands out the most to me is
how aromatic this plate of food is.
The rice is cooked very nic
and I love those little pop of cumin in there.
I feel like the chicken, as I eat it, in some places,
it does become a little dry for me.
Okay.
-Thank you, Chef Sukant. -Thank you.
I think my dish is really good.
I just hope that others made more mistakes than mine.
Chef Rodrigo, please tell us what you made for the judges.
[Rodrigo] Today, I made grilled kalbi ribs
with sweet and sour cabbage
[Roger] Chef Rodrigo, there's a lot of flavor coming off this plate.
Especially, when I compose a bite with all of the components.
There's little bit of sweetness in there.
Some char and smoke in there.
It's very, very dynamic.
Now, I think you've done a job of kinda overcooking the ribs though.
They're little bit on the dry side.
Chef Rodrigo.
The cabbage was done really well.
I think I've seen you put a cast iron right down in the pit.
-Yes. -[Dominique] Is that right?
Well, it paid off. I think it's really flavorful.
-I can taste the smoke. -[Rodrigo chuckles]
I can taste your plan, for sure.
Thank you, Chef.
I fell just slightly short because of the char on my ribs.
So for me...
I wish I did better.
Chef William, please tell us about your signature dish.
[William] Well, we got a ribeye here
with a mushroom cream sauce
[Roger] Mmm.
Here's the moment of truth.
[Dominique] Chef William.
This was really good.
I could have gone for a little more char on the steak.
But man, the flavor is so good.
The glaze on the carrots are like seeping into the steak,
giving me an all around just a bomb in my mouth.
Thank you.
It's seasoned perfectly. [chuckles]
This mushroom sauce with the cream
was just rich and decadent.
[Eddie] So, Chef.
I think everything is cooked to perfection.
-Thank you. -It's not, like, creative though.
You have just given us
steak and two veggies.
-See what I'm saying, so... -Yeah. Okay.
[Eddie] If you do make it to the next round,
I wanna be sure
-that you're able to stand up to the challenge. -Will do.
-Thank you, Chef. -Thank you.
And thank you, chefs.
Let's give the judges a couple of minutes
to discuss what they've tasted.
We'll call you back shortly.
[Eddie] Good job, Chef.
If I make it in the next round, I'm stepping it up.
All right, judges.
Another Wildfire round is complete.
How did they do?
I thought all three chefs really brought it today.
Chef William's dish really blew me away.
I enjoyed every bite of it.
It was really hard to find anything critical to say about it.
[Eddie] Here's the thing. It was great.
It was a steak.
I'm worried that maybe Chef William,
may be a one trick pony.
What's gonna happen
when he gets to the second round
and he gets the challenge that he knows
absolutely nothing about.
Clearly, this is one of his specialties.
He's made this many, many times.
But like Chef Eddie said,
arena hit different in the round two.
[all laughing]
[Dylan] Let's talk about Chef Rodrigo and those kalbi short ribs.
[Dominique] Chef Rodrigo's dish,
man, the presentation was probably my favorite between the three chefs.
[Roger] The flavors were really popping on the thing
but you know, the main thing on the plate, the star,
the protein, those short ribs were just overcooked
and a little bit dry.
[Eddie] But everything else on his plate...
You take the short ribs away
and we're talking about a knockout dish.
[Dominique] I felt like,
Chef Sukant's plate could have used more sauce.
The rice was good. I would like to eat that plate because it's just so vibrant.
It did have a lot of flavor
from fragrant spices,
like the garam masala, like the cinnamon.
But Chef Sukant didn't add salt.
If you don't bring salt to the party,
then it's not a party, it's just a get together.
Three very talented chefs in this first Wildfire round.
This is gonna be a difficult one to call.
But have you made a decision?
[judges] Yes.
Let's call the chefs back in.
Chefs, in this Wildfire round,
you were asked to create a signature dish
that showcases your personal style of cooking.
Judges, whose signature dish was the best in this round.
The chef with the best dish is...
Chef William.
[all applauding]
I am lost for words. I am floored right now
that that just happened.
Congratulation, Chef William.
You will have an advantage heading into the next round.
Judges, it's down to Chef Sukant
and Chef Rodrigo.
Who will you be sending home?
The chef who will be going home is...
Judges, it's down to Chef Sukant
with his tandoori spiced chicken and charred vegetables.
And Chef Rodrigo
with his grilled kalbi ribs and sweet and sour cabbage.
Tell us, who will you be sending home.
The chef who will be going home is...
Chef Sukant.
Chef Sukant, it was a pleasure having you here.
But unfortunately, you've been eliminated
from the competition.
It's time to leave the Fire Masters' arena.
Thank you, judges.
This was an amazing experience.
Good luck, guys.
This is by far hands down the best experience
that I had cooking.
And I'm very proud of my meal.
Chefs, welcome to the Crossfire round.
Please welcome Montana's executive chef,
Jen Hennings.
Hi, chefs.
-Hi. -Hey. How're you doing?
At Montana's, we believe the grill is the perfect place
to marry big, bold flavors.
For your next challenge,
you will go head-to-head
to create your take on a classic dish.
Get ready for...
Battle Of The Taco.
[all applauding]
[Dylan] From tortillas to toppings
and everything in between.
Give us your take on the taco.
-All right. -All right.
Chef William. Because you won the first round,
you have the advantage
and you get to choose your ingredient first.
Chef William, which will you choose to cook with?
Skirt steak or cod?
I'll go with the skirt steak.
I'm okay with that.
Which means, that Chef Rodrigo,
you'll be cooking with cod.
Love it. Absolutely love it.
The chef that takes their taco to the next level
will have their dish used as inspiration
for a special Montana's menu item.
-Wow! -Wow!
-[clapping] -I'm really excited about this.
Thank you, Chef Jen.
Thanks, Dylan. Good luck, chefs.
Chefs, are you ready?
-Yes, sir! -Born ready!
You've got 30 minutes back on the clock.
And your time starts...
Now!
-[all applauding] -Go, chefs!
Cilantro, cilantro, cilantro.
As the winner of the first round,
I gotta put the judges on notice
that I'm coming for 'em.
Making a skirt steak
with a pineapple salsa.
It's gonna have some roasted peppers.
Then, I'm going to make a crema sauce.
It's gonna go with some Mexican potatoes.
I've always wanted to inspire a meal that will be
on someone's menu and so I would love this opportunity
for this taco to be on their menu.
I really want more of this.
Today's Crossfire challenge
is the battle of the taco!
So, being from El Salvador,
I do these things all the time.
I'm so creative when it comes to the type of tacos and meats,
the veggies that I use to make amazing tacos.
Just make it flavorful. Pack a punch.
I'm making pan seared cod ta
with daikon slaw.
Daikon is a root vegetable.
It's got lots of water in it.
It's very similar to apple in texture,
but a little bit more bitter.
So, now I'm making a hot sauce.
I'm grabbing the pineapple,
throwing it in the blender with a whole bunch of chilies.
Fresh grapefruit juice and I'm blending it.
And it is out of this world.
Beautiful.
Well, judges, the Crossfire round is underway
and just like us,
Montana's is here for some tacos.
Who doesn't love a taco?
Chef William, he chose to work with skirt steak.
Beauty in the skirt steak is it's a working muscle
that has a lot of flavor,
but also has the magic of marbling at the same time.
-Yeah. -[Roger] Which is unusual.
And Chef Rodrigo was left with cod
which is a very sturdy protein.
And it also loves the grill. It's very thick.
I'm interested to see what these chefs come out with
because they lend so well to bold flavors.
Making homemade tortillas.
It's a taco challenge,
so I'm making my own tortillas.
My great grandmother would be so upset
if I gave them store bought tortillas.
Chef, making some fresh tortillas here?
[Rodrigo] Yes, I am.
How are you gonna amp these up to really wow the judges?
Fresh. Freshness is always better.
Especially, when it comes to tacos.
Which is my specialty, by the way, William.
-[Dylan chuckles] -I hear you, brother. I hear you.
Loud and clear.
[Dylan] What else have you got going on?
So, I got a roasted tomato salsa
that I'm gonna make with this.
-Yup. -It's gonna be accompanied with...
a beautiful, beautiful corn
which... actually, you just reminded me about it.
So, I'll be right back.
[Dylan chuckles]
So, this corn is gonna be my take
on Mexican street corn.
Well, chef, plenty left to do in this round.
-I'm gonna leave you to it. -Thank you.
Chef, it's taco time in the Fire Masters' arena.
What are you doing with the skirt steak?
I got a little citrus marinade going on with cilantro.
Let this sit there for a while.
[Dylan] I see you're not afraid of the fire pit.
You got all those beautiful vegetables roasting over there.
What are you doing with them?
We're gonna make a nice, good salsa that's gonna go on the top of that.
Some of it is actually going to my crema sauce
that's gonna be on top with some Mexican potatoes
which means I gotta go.
[Dylan] Really looking forward to seeing these tacos.
[William] Appreciate it.
So, while the marinade is working,
it's time to work on those fried potatoes.
So, I get those chopped up,
putting olive oil, cumin
and I'm gonna crisp this up
with the rest of the vegetables.
Chef Rodrigo wants to make sure that tortilla
is flat enough, otherwise he's serving gorditas
-and that's not the challenge today. -[all laughing]
[Rodrigo] We're good.
So, some people might think I'm making these tortillas way too thick.
But if you're from El Salvador, like I am.
This is the way we make them.
I got the fish going.
So, I start working on my co
I gotta make sure I cook it perfectly.
That last round killed me,
so I have to step up my game
Right now, I'm just gonna season it with little salt and pepper.
I grab a piece of parchment paper.
I oil it.
And then, boom. Non-stick.
I wanna make sure they have char on the meat
in my tacos.
[William] So, the perfect salsa not only has these nice chunks,
they're gonna have some nice acid, salty.
Looking pretty good.
[Rodrigo] Just get the butter on there.
You need a little bit of butter on your corn.
Mexican street corn, the way I'm gonna make it
is putting on some crema
and a little sprinkle of guajillo chili powder.
One right there.
I go check on my cod.
So, I'd rather cook the cod perfectly
than give it more color
and then get eliminated because I overcooked my protein again.
It's broken.
[William] So, this is a basi crema sauce.
Crema sauce, lime.
But I'm gonna add jalapenos and serrano peppers to this.
Pretty good.
Chefs, just two minutes left in the cook.
-Let's go, chefs! Come on, now. -[Dominique] Come on, chefs!
I'm mad at myself because I've lost track of time
and I didn't give myself enough time to plate.
Ooh!
I'm flying through the steak They're cutting beautifully
I love their color.
I just gotta get it cut right.
Breathe, breathe.
Let's get that fish on there.
[judges] Ten, nine,
eight, seven,
six, five,
four, three,
two, one.
Time's up, chefs!
[Dominique] Oh, that was stressful.
[all applauding]
-Ah! Well done, sir. -You too, buddy.
So, time's up. I'm looking down at my taco
and I'm realizing that my plating isn't as clean
and as perfect as I want it to be.
[William] I look at my taco
I'm a little disappointed th I didn't fill up those taco
with the extra skirt steak that I had
sitting right here on the side.
Chef William,
please tell us about your taco with flank steak.
[William] Judges, I made a skirt steak taco
with spiced fried potatoes.
Been waiting for this for the last 30 minutes.
[chuckles]
Chef William.
I love skirt steak.
The flavor was really good on it.
I just felt like it could have used some more char.
Chef William.
The flavor is there on the skirt steak.
You know, you added the citr like you're supposed to.
You had the right seasoning in there.
But ratio. You want your first bite to taste like the last bite.
-Right. -[Eddie] You know what I mean.
The whole top half is just tortilla.
It's... Yeah.
Thank you very much, Chef.
-Appreciate it. Thank you. -Good job.
[William] I'm a little disappointed.
I should have filed that thing up with all the meat I had.
Chef Rodrigo, please tell us about your taco using cod.
[Rodrigo] I made pan-seared cod taco
with daikon slaw.
Chef Rodrigo, now when I look at this,
-you call this a Salvadorian... -[Rodrigo] Tortilla.
-Tortilla. -[Rodrigo] Yes.
Now, is that... fit the bill of a taco though?
You do get the same flexibility of a tortilla.
It's just more flat.
But I figured, "You know what...
We're at Fire Masters,
I'm gonna show them a bit of my heritage today."
[Eddie] You say we can pick this up, right?
Yes, sir.
Well, I gotta tell you, the fish was cooked perfectly.
Now, I would have loved to see a little bit of char on there
because you get the heat from that guajillo powder,
but I'm not really getting that char.
I think that the, everything that goes with the taco,
the slaw, the pico de gallo you just have on there
is very flavorful and seasoned very, very well.
Let's face it. This isn't a conventional taco. Right?
But the flavor is dead on.
That lingering hot sauce.
Great flavor profile. I really enjoyed it.
Thank you, Chef.
And thank you, Chef.
Let's give the judges a couple of minutes to discuss what they've tasted
and we'll call you back when we're ready.
[Rodrigo] I think the cod was extremely well highlighted.
But at this point, it's all up to the judges.
Judges, the Crossfire round is complete.
And today, it was Battle Of The Taco.
It's a lot to taco about.
[all laughing]
I thought it was a great round, both of them worked really hard
and had us on the edge of our seat.
[Dominique] We all agree that Chef William
had some shortcomings with his taco.
I really wanted to love it
because his last steak was just out of this world.
[Eddie] Chef William had all the makings of a great taco.
I just think his ratios were all off.
And I think of a taco as much like a burger or a sandwich.
It's all about ratio. Right?
But it was undeniably a taco.
[Dominique] I really enjoye Chef Rodrigo's cod taco.
The flavor profile was really there.
That lingering hot sauce,
you can pour it for everything.
Did he really use the Fire Masters arena
to the best of his ability?
Chef Rodrigo cooked his cod in a cast iron skillet
with parchment paper, so it never really got any char.
This is gonna be a difficult one to call.
But have you made a decision?
[judges] Yeah.
Let's call the chefs back in.
Chefs, in this Crossfire round,
you were asked to create a taco
using cod or skirt steak.
The winner of this round will walk away with
a Napoleon portable grill and move on to the third
and final round to face off against one of
our Fire Masters judges.
Judges, tell us
who will be moving on to the final round?
The chef
who will be moving on to the final round is...
Chef Rodrigo.
[all applauding]
Congratulation, Chef Rodrigo.
You've won yourself a portable grill
and you're moving on to the final round.
Chef William, you're an incredible chef
and your passion for cooking is undeniable.
I'm sorry to say you've been eliminated from the competition
and it's time to leave the Fire Masters' arena.
Thank you, Dylan. Thank you, chefs
for having this great opportunity.
-Good job today, Chef. -Good job.
[William] Congratulations to Chef Rodrigo.
He did an amazing job.
But this has awakened a different animal in me now,
so look out world, Chef Will is coming.
Chef Rodrigo.
In the first two rounds,
you showed the judges that you can take the heat,
but now it's time for the ultimate test.
In this final round,
you'll be going head-to-head
against one of our Fire Masters' judges.
And the judge that you'll be battling is...
Chef Eddie Jackson.
-Yeah, buddy! Let's go! -Yeah!
-[Dominique laughs] -[Eddie] Let's go!
Yeah!
You know judging is great,
but with competition, now that's a whole different story.
I got the ultimate smack talker now. Okay.
Good job, brother. Good job today, man.
Chef Rodrigo,
Chef Eddie,
you're about to face off in the Feast Of Fire.
Chefs, in this final round,
you must create a family style feast
inspired by the theme...
Date Night.
Whoo! Yeah!
I've cooked for so many of my dates
that I can even have a date night cookbook.
[Dylan] Give us a feast that pairs romantic dishes
with a kiss of the grill.
The stakes have never been higher.
So, you'll each have a sous chef
to help you create your feast.
These feasts will be tasted blind.
Which means none of us will be here to watch you cook.
However, when we do get back,
I'll be taking Chef Eddie's seat at the judges' table.
But chefs, before you get started,
I've got a hot twist for you.
Next to the firepit, you'll find two stands.
Choose a stand and light it to reveal an ingredient
you must use in your feast.
Chefs, are you ready?
-Oh, yeah! -Oh, yes!
You've got 45 minutes on the clock.
And your time starts...
Now!
Date Night. What a theme.
Yeah, and that's a really great barrel.
[Roger] They look excited on this one.
Oysters! Nice!
-Porterhouse steak! -Whoo!
So, oysters are the best item you can have for date night.
-Oysters rockefeller, panko and all that kinda stuff. -Okay.
For my main, I'm making maple and miso-glazed salmon.
For one of my sides,
I have an Asian-inspired oysters rockefeller.
For my other side, I have zucchini with togaras
and ginger creme fraiche.
For my dessert, I have
singed champagne-glazed strawberry pancakes.
I got that batter going right now.
So, I'm gonna start working on my pancake batter.
Whisk it all together and I set it aside.
We're gonna add a little olive oil.
-[sous chef] Yeah. -[Rodrigo] And we're gonna go with the togarashi.
I want all those flavors of the togarashi
to go into my zucchini.
And as I place it on to the pit,
I want that smokiness to just kinda infuse that zucchini even more.
[Eddie] So, I'm going kinda classic,
so I'm doing just salt, pepper, little garlic and onion powder.
I'm gonna get a little bit of heat with some chili, some ancho pepper.
Then I'm gonna give it some citrus,
you know, with a little bit of sumac.
I'm excited. Porterhouse steak.
I mean, like, you know, date night.
We're going to the steakhouse, baby.
All right, so, for my main,
I'm making a spice-rubbed grilled porterhouse.
For my first side, I have
seared scallops with charred pepper butter.
For my next side, smoked macaroni and cheese.
For my dessert, watermelon rose pudding.
So, the porterhouse steak
is a striploin and a tenderloin.
So, you have one side that's a little bit more tender
and then you have the other side
that doesn't have as much fat.
So, it runs a risk of coming out
a little bit drier than its counterpart.
I got a hot behind. I got a hot behind. [laughs]
I'm gonna cool my charcoal grill down
by taking out the hot charcoals,
add my maple chips.
I want the porterhouse to kinda pick up
a little bit of the smoke.
-[Rodrigo] How are you doing? -[sous chef] Doing great.
The oysters are cooperating.
[Rodrigo] That's what I like to hear.
I could have gone the simple route.
Leaving them raw and unshucked,
but I'm like, "You know what,
like always, let's do jazz it up Fire Masters' style.
So, I'm chopping cilantro and parsley.
I'm adding that straight into the bowl
with my hand cooked parmesan
my fresh ginger
and the smoke of the firepit
will add such a good smokiness to these oysters.
So, next, I'll be making my maple and miso glaze for my salmon.
Two ingredients, maple and miso.
[chuckles]
I just want to make a really good dish standout
when it comes to the freshness of sockeye salmon.
Honestly, I think Eddie's gonna be having
his run for his money.
[chuckles]
My friends, it's the Feast Of Fire.
And we are in for a treat tonight.
Date night is food you don't have everyday.
So, you kinda treat yourself a little bit on date night.
This feast is really gonna show us
what Chef Rodrigo is made of.
And he's gonna have a hard time going against
Mister Jackson.
Yeah, yo. And Eddie's like a very competitive dude.
One of the beautiful things about this barrel in particular
is that the theme is wide open.
There is so much room for creativity here
and these chefs can really get outside of their box
and bring us something that's unique.
Yeah, I don't know about all that.
-I'm just excited for some lobster, crab, caviar. -[all chuckling]
[Dylan] I can't wait to see what they've made.
[Eddie] Fancy seeing you here.
[Rodrigo] Hey, you know, that's how it is.
How you doing?
I'm waiting to take that money.
Taking the money?
I love Rodrigo, but at the end of the day,
he's in my way of victory.
[mixer whirring]
[Eddie] The watermelon puddi comes together very, very quickly.
All it is is just pureed watermelon, some vanilla paste,
some sugar, some mint.
And we just wanna let this reduce down
with a little bit of corn starch until it thickens.
And that's gonna go right into the freezer.
-[pops cork] -[sous chef] Ooh!
I'm popping a bottle of champagne 'cause it's date night.
So, these champagne-glazed strawberrie
are gonna be so good
when they're poured right on the top of my pancakes.
I'm gonna start grilling the salmon.
I'm gonna heavily oil this grate over the pit
'cause I do not want that salmon to stick.
15 minutes. We got 15 minutes left!
I'm from Texas.
We got steakhouses on every corner.
When you go to the steakhouse, it's all about meat
and then rich side.
That's why I'm getting macaroni and cheese.
So, we're gonna go down with a few different types of cheese
and make, basically, a bechamel.
But cheese sauce.
That's what we're gonna use to coat our macaroni noodles.
That sounds good, huh?
[Rodrigo] How are those pancakes coming? Beautiful.
So, I go check on the salmon.
Oh, no.
And oh, my God!
My skin is stuck.
Okay.
Let's think.
I can't use the skin.
I gotta salvage what I have for my salmon
and I just gotta think quick.
I brushed it quickly with a miso-maple glaze.
I want that flavor to be on the other side,
now that I don't have skin.
But I'm thinking, that salmon cannot be like that.
I need to fix this.
Ah, I know!
I'm gonna go on a limb
and make this makeshift salmon crust.
I am throwing into the food processor,
bread and herbs.
And then, boom, we got instant crust to cover my mistake.
This should go on top.
I use my parchment trick
'cause I do not want any fish to stick again.
[Dylan] Five minutes! Five minutes!
Time for me to get this porterhouse on to some hot, hot heat.
This is gonna help me get a beautiful char
on the outside of this steak
Boom.
Oh, this is almost done.
So, these oysters should be the star of the show of everything.
Oh, yes.
These oysters are so beautiful,
I'd date them.
So now, I'm plating my salmo
And you know what, the judges are never
even gonna find out what happened.
It's time to plate my zucchini.
Then, I'm adding my creme fraiche
that has fresh pickled ginge
[Eddie] All right, so, macaroni is done,
steak is done.
Grab the desserts.
Everything is done,
now it's time for me to cook my scallops.
So, I really want a hard sea on these scallops.
Two minutes!
They literally only take about two minutes.
I know, I have this deliciou charred pepper butter
that's gonna be the finishing touch
as soon as they come off the grill.
One minute! One minute!
[all] Ten, nine,
eight, seven,
six, five,
four, three,
two, one.
-We got this. -Yeah.
-Good job, Sue. -[Sue] Thank you, Chef.
[exclaims]
[Rodrigo] Looking at that food,
just makes me feel like I had accomplished so much today.
What I want these judges to feel
is, like, they're in love.
[Eddie] Rodrigo wants the money,
but I'm telling you right no
he's gonna have to do a whole lot of romancing
the judges to get it.
My friends, it's Date Night.
And tonight, it's all about the love of food.
I cannot wait to dig in.
It smells and looks amazing.
[Dylan] This chef has made for us
crusted maple and miso-glaze salmon.
Asian-inspired oysters rockefeller.
Grilled zucchini with togarashi and ginger creme fraiche.
And we'll finish off with
singed champagne-glazed strawberry pancakes.
This chef had to cook with oysters.
Ah, man, the salmon looks great.
[Dylan] I love wild salmon like this,
with the maple and miso-glaze on top.
It's a little bit sweet, little bit salty.
The issue that I'm having with this salmon, however,
is it's crusted.
But those bread crumbs on to haven't been toasted at all
so there's no crust.
This chef is also overcooked the salmon unfortunately.
[Roger] Yeah, in the wild salmon like that is very lea
unforgiving and really tenuous.
I really enjoyed the miso-glaze on the salmon.
I wish there was more of it.
[Roger] But yeah, I really enjoyed these oysters.
The oysters, you know, the panko is nice and crumbly, crusty,
buttery and rich
and fit with the rest of the meal.
I agree, Roger. The flavor in those oysters is fantastic.
[Dominique] I felt the zucchini,
the togarashi and ginger creme fraiche
was really refreshing.
That char really brings a great flavor profile.
[Roger] The doneness of the zucchini is really nice.
I feel like, the meal overall is cohesive.
And I would definitely be willing to try it
a second time at a restaurant.
I'm ready to see what this chef has prepared for dessert. How about you?
-[Roger] Yeah, me too. -Oh, yeah. I'm ready for dessert.
[Dylan] This chef has crafted us some
singed champagne-glazed strawberry pancakes.
[Roger] Enjoy.
[Dylan] I'll tell you what.
It's a really delicious pancake,
but I'm not really sure if it fits the theme of Date Night.
I think the macerated strawberries are the star on this plate.
-[Roger chuckles] -[Dominique] They are really good.
Almost so good, we didn't really need the syrup.
This chef has created a playful interpretation of Date Night
and I'm looking forward to seeing
what the second chef has created.
-I've got the look of love staring at this feast. -[Roger chuckles softly]
[Dylan] The second chef has prepared
spice-rubbed grilled porterhouse.
Scallops with charred pepper butter.
Smoked macaroni and cheese.
And we'll wrap it up with watermelon rose pudding
This chef had to cook with porterhouse steak.
[Dominique] Oh, yes.
This steak is very well seasoned.
It tastes delicious.
However, the chef managed to overcook it.
I found the same problem, but the flavor is really good.
-Flavor's great. -He's got some of that ponzu in there.
It's really good, really well seasoned.
The flavor is a bomb.
Pour it all over everything It's money.
-[Roger chuckles] -Despite it being slightly overcooked, I'm enjoying it.
The mac and cheese is also very good.
I can tell the chef took their time on the bechamel.
It's really well done
and there's a nice amount of smoke.
[Roger] Like, you look at the scallops.
You know, it didn't get much of a sear
The scallops that I got were actually cooked really well in the center.
I think the chef managed to get a ton of flavor into here
with the lemon and the chili
But without that crust on the top,
it's not really hitting the mark
of a perfectly cooked scallop for me.
Flavor's quite nice.
Man, I want some more of that sauce.
Really knocked the flavor profile out of the park.
Let's see what they made for dessert.
Our final dessert is here.
And this chef has prepared watermelon rose pudding.
[Dominique] It's sweet like a dessert.
But I feel like there's some savory trying to come through.
It almost reminds me of a gazpacho.
-[Dylan] Yeah. -[Roger] I wouldn't call it pudding.
It's more like a iced...
like a granita almost.
Very refreshing.
But can't say that I'd order it a second time.
We got two Date Night feasts
that brought two totally different approaches to the theme.
Let's break it down dish-by-dish
-and see how these chefs did. -Yeah.
The first chef prepared for us that miso-maple glaze salmon.
And the second chef, the grilled porterhouse.
We all know the porterhouse was overcooked.
The flavor on that char,
the herbs was really working for me.
There's a lot of wiggle room for flavor.
But, like, you gotta nail that,
the doneness is so critical.
The flavors on each of them were fantastic.
They were both a little bit overcooked.
Not unforgivably overcooked.
But just a little bit more than I like,
so they're pretty even up until then.
Let's move on to the sides.
The first chef prepared
Asian-inspired oysters rockefeller.
And the second chef, the scallops with the butter
I mean, for me that's an easy one all day.
I'd go for the oysters.
It was done well. It was executed flawlessly.
The flavors were on point.
But the scallops, there's no sear on the outside.
It was undercooked.
Next up on the sides, we've got the grilled zucchini
with togarashi and ginger creme fraiche from the first chef.
The second chef with the smoked mac and cheese.
[Dominique] The macaroni, the texture was really nice
I can tell the chef knew what he was doing with the bechamel.
[Roger] First chef had some of the togarashi on the zucchini itself.
And I'll eat the zucchini all day long.
Moving on to dessert.
Our first chef with the champagne-glazed strawberry pancakes.
And the second chef with tha watermelon rose pudding.
You know, the watermelon rose pudding
won on creativity, hands down.
The first chef's pancakes,
neither of us were expecting that for dessert,
but they were really good.
They were so good.
Well, my friends, these chefs took us on two very different dates.
There can only be one winner in the Fire Masters' arena.
I think we've made our decision.
-I think so. -I think we have.
Let's call the chefs back in.
[Rodrigo] The reason why I'm taking home that $10,00
'cause this feast beats Chef Eddie's feast
day in and day out.
[Eddie] I think Rodrigo may have met his match.
You know, I may not be the fanciest chef.
But when it comes to flavor, I'm the man.
Chefs, we had chemistry
with both of your Date Night feasts.
They were both playful and delicious.
In the first feast, we were smitten with the oysters.
However, we felt the salmon was slightly overcooked.
In the second feast, we really fell for the flavor of that porterhouse steak.
However, we were left wantin some sear on the scallops.
And while both of your Date Night feasts
were lovingly prepared,
there can only be one winner.
Tonight's winning feast is...
The first feast with the glazed-salmon and grilled zucchini.
[all applauding]
I'm a Fire Masters' champi!
[both chuckle]
[Eddie] I always have fun when I compete.
I lost, but at the end of the day,
I had fun and I had a worthy opponent.
-You did it, brother. -Oh! Whoo!
I love it!
[Dylan] Congratulation, Chef Rodrigo.
You've won $10,000
and the title of today's Fire Masters' champion.
Well done.
I'm so proud of myself.
Congratulations, Chef.
Thank you.
Honestly, if you put your mind to becoming
anything you want in this world,
as long as you have that determination
and that hard work,
you can overcome anything.
-Good job. -Feel like I'm dreaming right now.
Oh, you're awake. [chuckles]