02x03 - Alex vs Pork

[bunniefuu]

Some competitors
prove themselves
in a sports arena,

others in a boardroom,
this is where I proved myself.

What's up with that, America?

There isn't a chef
more competitive than I am.

My heart,
I can't have you win.

It's just not in my DNA.

She's like the shark.

She's like,
circling prey, right?

Ah!

Chefs from across
the country,

all want a shot
at Alex Guarnaschelli.

I'm about to take down
an Iron Chef.

Wow.

So each week,
three of America's best chefs

will battle Alex
at the same time.

These chefs have
been hand-selected

for their mastery
in a specific type of food

and they're all here
for one goal, to beat Alex.

You are going down.

I'm coming for you, Alex.

My name's up there
for a reason.

Pretending this is your head.

Oh.

Mwah.

I know
they all want a shot at me.

Bring it on.

This is the ultimate
culinary battle.

This is Alex vs America.

Did you know that pork
is the most widely eaten meat
in the world?

So there are a lot of chefs
who cook with it,

but these three
are masters at it.

And tonight,
they'll try to beat
culinary icon,

Alex Guarnaschelli
on her own turf.

I think I'm gonna
take a pound of pork
out of her today.

Will their pork obsession
be their competitive edge?

Let's find out.

I'm ready.
Sharp as a tack.

Man, I do it all.

I think you've got
to constantly be a student
of this craft.

And I'm not ashamed
to admit it.

Another day at the office.

All right, so the three
of you have been chosen

for your culinary prowess
with pork.

And tonight, those skills
will be front and center

as you take on
one of the biggest names

in the food world
for a classic pork showdown.

Please welcome
one of America's most
celebrated chefs

and greatest
culinary competitor,

Iron Chef, Alex Guarnaschelli.

I'm excited to be here
in this arena tonight.

It's like a gymnast
walking on a balance beam.

I feel a lot of pressure
to deliver.

These three chefs
are what you might call,
pork pros.

I mean, I love it.

Let's do it, Eric.

So from New York,
this is Eric Levine.

He's a Long Island
restaurateur known for his
award winning pork dishes.

Eric is also a Chopped winner.

He was chopped during
his bid for the championship

by the one and only you.

- I chopped you?
- Yes, ma'am.

You did.

You offer me the promise
of a crostini.

What it really ends up
being is four somewhat
divorced components.

What did you take like
a bus across the country
with a dart board?

They asked and I came.

Chef, meet Emme Collins.

Chef Emme
is from Washington State.

She's an executive chef.

She's also voted
one of the top

most 100 influential people
in Seattle.

Her family opened
the first Brazilian restaurant
in Seattle.

Alex, meet chef Rob Nelson.

Arkansas in the house.

That's right.
Go Hogs.

He's the executive chef
of a restaurant group

whose eateries,
highlight pork and bacon.

Chef Rob is also considered
an authority on hog cookery
by the James Beard Foundation.

Okay.

So as you can see,
Alex,

we really bought
the best of the best

when it comes to pork.

I see this.

All right, chefs,
you'll be competing

against Alex in a two round
pork showdown.

You can collectively win
up to 15 grand.

All right, chefs.
First up
is the survival round.

If your dish ranks
in the top three,

you're moving on
to the money round

and the fourth ranked chef
will go home,
even if that's you, Chef Alex.

So here's the thing, chefs.

I won't be the one picking
the challenge.

Alex won't be the one picking
the challenge.

I'm actually gonna
leave that up to you three.

Awesome, let's go.

You're ready to see
the options?

- Yes.
- Let's do it.

All right.

So we're gonna
start by choosing

what vegan pork substitute
you'll be using.

I'm just joking.

Which kind of pork
you'll be using?

Ground pork,
pork tenderloin
or pork shoulder?

You can do a lot
with the ground pork.

- Pork tenderloin?
- I feel like the...

Shoulder
would take a long time

if you try to cook it
that way.

- But if we grind it down...
- Pork shoulder is out.

Chef Alex,
what's your favorite cut?

I would probably pick
the shoulder.

Yeah.

The tenderloin
has no personality,

so the time you make up...

So we can build
our personality.

Into that. Yeah.

Pork tenderloin.

- Tenderloin.
- Tenderloin.

- Three of three.
- Let's do it.

Sheesh. All right.

So pork tenderloin,
you alright with that?

No, it sucks.
I hate it.

Let's move on.

All right, let's move on.

All right.
So what goes well with pork?

- Everything.
- Everything.

- Apples.
- Right.

Sure. Awesome.

You have candy apples,
apple crisps or apple sauce.

I'm down with either the chips
or the sauce.

- So weird.
- Why not?

Because you have
a whole fresh apple.

You have a whole fresh apple
right here.

I wasn't even
thinking about candy,

like the apple
inside the candy apple.

I was just
thinking the candy.

You got to think about
how long of time we could get.

It's a really good point.

Okay. Let's just do chips.

- Chips.
- Chips it is.

Apple chips it is.

The worst choice.

You guys are batting
a thousand with me.

Last and final detail
for your cook is,

what type of pork dish
you'd be making.

Sour, spicy and smoky.

- I like spicy.
- Me too.

Why spicy?

That's gonna help that
apple for that.
- Yeah.

Apple chip.
Apple chip.

- Final answer?
- I'm spicy.

- Spicy.
- All right.

I may have
all three of them in mind.

Yeah, me too.

Alex, what do you think
about spicy now?

It's my least favorite one.

Spicy, I mean,
you've got apple.

To me, apple
is pretty delicate.

Guys, I hold in my hand
a very important detail
to your cook, the time.

I wonder
how much time we have?

You have up to anywhere
between one minute
to 60 minutes.

Don't pick one minute.

- One is out.
- 40.

- Let's do 40.
- 40, yeah.

- You want all 40.
- Yeah.

You know what happens
when you get all 40?

She gets...
she gets all 40 as well.

Got you.
- And you're comfortable
with that?

All right. The cook is set.

And to give you a little bit
of extra incentive,

whoever prepares the top
ranked dish in this challenge,

will get sole control
of all the choices
in the money round.

Pretty big advantage.

Time starts now.

Whoa!

This could be some
really smart game play.

I mean, they did
choose everything
that Alex didn't want.

Oh, sorry.

They're pork experts,
so they're probably playing

into the fact that
she's not as versed.

That might be a strategy
that works well with them.

I'm at the mercy
of the chefs

'cause they pick
what we cook with,

and here we are.

They pick pork tenderloin,
folks.

It's just very boring.

When I think people
are sniffing for blood
in the water,

my radar goes on.

Pork fat.

My meditative self just says,

let's look down and inward

and focus on
what we want to cook.

I'm gonna make
a pork tenderloin,

Milanese style cutlet.

I'm gonna try
to make an apple chip
and golden raisin puree.

I pound my pork
as soon as I can get it

and I put it in egg
and the breadcrumb.

I think the Milanese cutlet
is a little, like,

removed from the porkiness.

So I use the pork fat
to cook the pork cutlets.

Chef Alex,
how are you doing over there?

Fantastic.

Awesome.

What are you making?

Pork.

Pork?

Alex is an Iron Chef,

but I believe I could beat her
in the pork game,

because that's what I do
all the time.

I have menus that are just
pure pork from appetizer,

through entree,
through dessert.

So it's...
it's in my wheelhouse more so

than it is in hers.

Coming at you, Alex.

I want the redemption.

I want that pound of pork
from you.

Seasoned, marinated,
a little bit salt, pepper,

a little bit of chili powder.

Then I'm gonna sear it,
finish it in the oven.

Now I'm gonna make
a cilantro sauce
and some basmati rice.

So you want to get a nice
crust formed on top of it.

This way, the flavors stay in,
the juices stay in.

That's what I'm talking
about, baby.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I know I wanted to use
another park product,

so I'm thinking chorizo.

I want to get that
spiciness in there,

'cause the whole idea
about this dish is spice.

So, if I have
some spice in the pork,

some spice
in the basmati rice,

some spice in the sauce.

I'm covered. I'm good.

Right now, I'm gonna work
on a cornbread batter.

I'm gonna put some
guanciale in it,

gonna put those dried
apples inside it as well.

I'm gonna make
a grilled pork tenderloin
with cornbread.

I make cornbread
because I used to watch

my grandmother and my granddad

make it all the time
back in the day.

I'm here to represent
Arkansas,

and I'm gonna bring
in some of what

we're known for in the south
as far as cuisine.

Decided to make cornbread
because it is a classic
that goes with pork.

I almost forgot
the apple chip.

It's just a really
intense apple flavor.

It's gonna permeate through
the cornbread.

This isn't a normal cornbread

that we usually do
in the restaurant.

But, hey.

Chef Rob has his apple chips
in the cornbread.

Hopefully the apple
and that pork fat
doesn't get lost.

- Chef Emme...
- Hey, chef.

- ...how are you?
- Doing all right.

What's going on?

Tell me what flavors
you're working with.

I'm all about
my Afro-Brazilian flavor.

So I'm doing kind of a take
on a Brazilian dish
called Vatapa.

Vatapa is...
- Vatapa,
it's like a peanut sauce...

Peanuts, yeah.
- ...the coconut milk
and palm oil.

Yeah.

So I think it's gonna
go really well
with the pork tenderloin.

Since it's kind of bland,
needs a lot of flavor.

Sounds good.

I'm originally from Brazil,

where pork is worshipped.

I mean, it's heavily featured
on our national dish
feijoada.

Chef Rob, how are you doing
over there?

I'm making it, man.
How are you doing?

If I said any better,
they'd have to
split me in two, baby.

These chefs in particular,

seem determined to win,

and I think they're all sizing
each other up
and not just me.

The first round jitters,
I'm definitely feeling it.

But as soon
as someone goes home,

the tone will change.

We have 25 minutes left
on the clock.

Chefs, 25.

It feels like,
or it smells like,

every, like, three minutes,
four minutes have new flavor,

new smell, new aroma
coming out.

These chefs are like cooking
with mad intensity.

Getting some
green beans going.

I'm just trying to render
some pork fat.

No one's really
doing the same thing.

Really?

I think the judges are gonna
appreciate it as well.

So speaking of the judges,
we keep them
fully sequestered.

I'm gonna go check in
on them.

- We have world renowned
culinary historian...
- Okay.

...and world traveler,
Simon Majumdar.

He's covered the history
in global traditions

of cooking with pork
extensively on his podcast,
Eat My Globe.

And our second judge,
Kathy Fang,

is a second generation
restaurant store owner

and coauthor
of the San Francisco
world renowned restaurant,

Fang, which features Chinese
pork dishes

with an exciting modern twist.

So tonight
it's all about pork.

So we've got round one going.

The chefs
are already cooking.

Let me tell you
what they're working on.

Pork tenderloin, apple chips.

Lastly,
the chefs chose spicy.

So when I hear pork,
I get very excited.

- Yeah.
- I'm Chinese.

I own a Chinese restaurant,

and our diet is essentially
70% pork.

Spicy doesn't always
mean hot.

So what we don't want
is to just be thrown
in with chiles.

It's like a creative
use of spice.
- Yeah.

Yeah. For sure.
For sure.

Any last minute advice
that I can throw to the chefs
before I head back?

- Don't overcook the pork.
- Yeah.

Just don't overcook the pork.

18 minutes, chefs.

- 18.
- 18, Eric.

Chef Alex,
how are you doing over there?

Making apple chips
right now, people.

Apple chips.
I got you.

Thanks to you guys.

Apple chip is dehydrated,
dried, just tastes terrible.

But I'm thinking,
why not put them
in an herb salsa?

So I start making a pine nut
and Fresno chili herb mix
with apple chips.

- Can I try?
- Of course.

Do you get any heat?

Umm, subtly, yeah.

I'm making
a spicy pork tenderloin,

and I'm gonna serve it
with a basmati rice
that has chorizo in it,

corn in it.

I'm thinking, hey,
I could take this
sweet apple chip for texture,

crunch it up a little bit
and rehydrate them
in the basmati,

there's a little sweet,
there's a little
spicy in there.

The sauce that I'm making
is a really vibrant sauce.

It's got jalapeno,
cilantro, tomatillo.

I want to beat Alex,
mostly because she chopped me
on Chopped Champions.

Chef Eric,
you've been chopped.

I'm coming home with a win.

So I've been doing this
for 42 years

and there's nothing
that I haven't done with pork.

Chef Emme is making a classic
Brazilian Vatapa stew.

It reminds me of,
like, a groundnut soup
that you might get in,

like West Africa.

So you've got
a little bit of peanut,

you've got some spices
sweetened with coconut milk

that we're seeing
a little bit of culture.

She might be setting herself
apart right now.

Growing up in Brazil,

my mom owned
a catering company,

so I grew up
watching her cook,
watching my grandma.

So they really were like
my first culinary instructors.

This is some red palm oil.

We use it a lot
in Afro-Brazilian cuisine.

It's gonna give color,
it's gonna give
beautiful flavor.

Yeah.

The key to cooking this
pork loin is like high,
quick sear heat.

We don't want to overcook it

so that it does not dry out.

While my Vatapa is going
I'm gonna work
on my cilantro gremolata

and this is where I'm gonna
use my apple chips.

The apple chips are acidic,

which is great
because the sauce,

the Vatapa sauce is so rich.

So I think
I can make it work.

I decided to make
cornbread

because it is a classic
that goes with pork.

While the cornbread
is in the oven,

next thing I'm working
on is my pork tenderloin.

And that is the least
sexy of the cuts of meat
on the pork,

'cause this is bland.

I want to make
a rub real quick.

Since I have to use
the apple chip,

I figured I would use them

in just about every component
that I could on the plate.

My plan
for the pork tenderloin

is to start it on the grill
and get a nice,

good crust
and good color on it.

The spice is gonna
come in on the sauce.

I got some red chili flakes,
I'm gonna add to it,
pinch of cayenne.

And this is the spicy.

My pork tenderloin
is not cooking as fast
as I want it to.

I'm gonna go ahead
and flash grill on the top.

I'm a little worried
because he grilled
the entire tenderloin.

He cut it up
and he's grilling it again.

So it may lose some moisture.

It may not.

Hopefully,
he's the master of that grill.

Eight minutes,
I'm going to have it ready.

I wish I would have started
my pork tenderloin earlier,
but here I am.

We have
five minutes left, chefs.
Five minutes.

I pour that
boiled apple chips

and golden raisins
in the blender.

I start with a nice
spoonful of the apple chip
golden raisin puree.

Then I put the cutlet down,
the salsa with the pine nuts

and the Fresno's
and everything, prosciutto.

Just to give that
quirky reminder like,

"Hey, don't forget
about the pork."

This will definitely
not be an average dish.

I see the sauce
as this bright,

beautiful little canvas that
I could build up on top of.

And then I'm going right
into my rice.

Probably the best pork
I've ever cooked in my life.

The first thing
I'm gonna put down
is the rice,

and then I add
my Vatapa sauce.

I cut into my pork tenderloin
and it looks perfect.

I hope it's good enough
to beat Alex.

I know the flavors are not
gonna be the flavors
that she's doing.

I took the cornbread...

That looks like a good piece
of cornbread to me.

...I cut it into nice
three little pieces
and started plating.

Time to get the green beans on
and then my spicy sauce.

I'm waiting
for the last few seconds

before I put the pork
on the plate.

Five, four,
three, two, one.

That's about it, chefs.
Good job.

Oh.

All right, chefs,
you can write down
the description of your dish,

exactly how you want me
to describe it to the judges.

Then I'm gonna kindly
ask you guys to leave.

I'm gonna bring the judges in

and they'll go ahead
and deliberate on your...
on your dishes.

Sorry.
See you in a second.

What's this?

Chef Rob's cornbread.

Oh, I cannot.

How bold is that?

- Cornbread?
- Yeah.

- Apple chips...
- Is he nuts?

- ...and bacon inside.
- 'Spect.

- Mad respect.
- That was gorgeous.

It does.

Pork tenderloin
in a cumin crusted dry rub.

What is this?

So it's a Brazilian
peanut based stew,

little bit
of coconut palm oil.

- That is super cool.
- Yeah.

- Oh, my gosh.
- And chef Eric...

What is wrong
with these people?

- He cooked a lot.
- Rice and cornbread?

Did I think that my plate
looked the most polished
or refined?

No.

All right, Chef. You've got
to take off as well.
- Goodbye.

And I'll call you
in a second.

But delicious
really always wins.

Feeling really good
about my dish.

I don't like spice to be like,
bam, and hopefully,

like, the judges
are fine with that.

It's kind of just like
there to complement
the dish.

I was afraid
that I was gonna,

you know, overcompensate
or under compensate

because I don't eat
heavy spice.

- Right, right.
- Yeah.

So if I had it
to do all over again,

I would have cooked the pork
a little bit.

I would have started the pork
a little bit sooner.

All right. Judges up.

Let's go ahead
and bring the judges in,
please.

Simon and Kathy, welcome in.

I feel underdressed.
You guys look great.

Let me tell you
what they decided on

- and then
we'll get into the dish.
- Yeah.

They chose
pork tenderloin,
apple chips,

and they have to make the dish
spicy all in 40 minutes.

So the dish you
have in front of you

is a grilled pork tenderloin

rubbed with pepper,
apple crisp,

guanciale and apple crisp
cornbread,

arugula and chili emulsion.

That's the spicy sauce.

So Rob made cornbread,
which I think is such a risk.

He represented
where he comes from.

I... I'm gonna start
with the cornbread.

It's a brilliant usage
of the apple chips.

The sauce itself, I think,

needs a little bit more acid
and more brightness.

The pork like,
that is still the...

the main ingredient
and that just was not
ex*cuted well.

So the cornbread works well
with the pork.

The problem
with pork tenderloin often

is it can dry out
very quickly.

It's a very lean
piece of meat.

And I think
we've seen that here.

And maybe if that sauce
had been put on top,

that would have helped it
rather than put it underneath.

So I think
the cornbread works well.

The apple crisp works well.

The pork itself, spicy?

Yes, but overcooked.

I have to agree that the pork
is a little bit underwhelming
compared to the cornbread.

Understood. All right.

Let's move on
to the next dish, please.

So we have in front of you
a pork tenderloin cutlet

with an apple crisp
golden raisin sauce.

I think it kind of looks like
it's been plated by accident.

So it's a little bit messy.

Even though the presentation
of this dish
was a tad bit sloppy...

Okay.

...the dish itself
tastes really good.

Pork tenderloin
tends to be dry.

So frying it is adding
an element of fat to it.

- It's comfort meal.
- It is, yeah.

Pork tenderloin is fantastic.

I was worried
with the topping

that it was gonna
lose that crunch
and it really hasn't.

- It holds up. Okay.
- It really holds up.

But I really like
this apple sauce.
- Yeah.

It works beautifully
with the tenderloin.

There's even little bits
and pieces of the apple.

So it's almost like two ways.

You've got this relish
with the dried apple chips

and then it's incorporated
into the sauce.

But unless I go and grab
the jalapeno,

- nothing else is spicy.
- Yup.

I have to purposefully
go for that help, you know.

All right. Let's move on
to the next dish.

This is where I'm worried,
though.

If you say it's plated
by accident
and if it's Alex,

she's gonna come out
and beat me up.

All right, chefs.

This chef prepared
a seared pork tenderloin

with apple chips
and chorizo basmati rice,
jalapeno cilantro sauce.

I love Eric's plate.

I mean, I think it's vibrant,
it's playful, it's fun,

it's pork central.

I actually really like
the whole concept of the dish.

I think the chef
was very daring.

They, like, put so many
different flavors

and ingredients and seasoning.

It's like a very
exciting dish to me.

I think the pork
is cooked beautifully.

It has a little bit of spice
on that as well.

For me, the apple crisp
is the fail here.

Even if they topped it,

instead of a fried piece
of bacon with some...

- they fried apple
crisp on top...
- Oh, right.

...just to show
one more use.

All right.
Let's go ahead and move on
to the last dish, please.

Thank you, judges.

But good food,
by the way.

- So far, right?
- Yeah.

Really good food.

Our chef has prepared
for you a cumin rubbed

pork tenderloin
with a Vatapa sauce

and apple cilantro gremolata.

I thought it was beautiful.

I mean, I think she really
went to her Brazilian roots.

She made like a form
of like a groundnut stew,

that's traditionally mixed
with rice.

The rice
is beautifully cooked.

- The pork is cooked perfectly.
- Yeah.

I think of all the dishes

we've had so far,

this is where I'm seeing
the spiciness come up,

but it's not kind of just
punching us.

Ah, okay.

It's... it's being used
properly.

I think it's beautiful.

It's a very well
composed dish.

If there was anything that
could have been done

a little better when I think
about pork tenderloin

and I think about
spice and apples,

I do want some
sort of acid in it.

Sure.

So it doesn't feel
one note to me.

Simon,
how do you feel about the use
of the apple crisp?

I think the apple crisps,

it works and it gives
a little sweetness.

This is again,
you've had four really great
cooks in here.

Yeah. Yeah.

So I feel like
they've knocked it out
of the park with this.

I really liked... I like...
I want a doggy bag.

It's high praise.

I feel fine.

One more round to go
if I make it that far.

Welcome back.

Bring it.

Unfortunately,
the chef that finishes fourth
will be headed home early.

So the chef that
finished fourth
in the state of...

Arkansas.

Chef Rob, sorry.

They thought
your pork tenderloin

was a little bit
on the dry side.

If I had it
to do all over again,

I would have started
the pork earlier.

Thank you so much, man.

- Good luck, guys.
- Thank you.

So now for third place.

The chef from New York,
Chef Eric.

That means either Emme
or Alex finished first.

Chef Emme, they actually
thought your dish

was the best spiced dish
out of all four.

Good.

But your sauce could have used
a little bit more nuance.

Alex, the judges thought
your pork
was cooked perfectly,

and they loved
the crispiness of it.

But...

They thought the presentation
felt a little sloppy,

and actually they wanted
a little bit more spice.

So the chef
that finishes first this round

has exclusive pick
for the next round is...

Congratulations, Chef Emme.

- Well done.
- Thank you.

- Awesome.
- I told you.

I beat the Iron Chef.

Now it's time
to take her down again.

It's not often
I say this,

but I really thought
I won the first round,

so I'm just feeling a little,
you know.

So congratulations again
for all surviving

the survival round.

But in this next round,
of course,

there's a little bit more
incentive.

And there's only one way
to earn money.

Your dish has to
outrank Alex's.

If Alex ranks third,

the first
and second place chef

will win 10K
and 5K respectively.

But if Alex comes in first,
guys, kind of figure out

- what's gonna happen?
- Yeah.

- You both going home
at empty handed.
- Get a high five.

A quick high five
with a pat on the back.
There you go.

So, chef Emme, since your dish
was the top ranked dish,

you get to choose the details
for this final challenge
all by yourself.

- Want to see?
- Yes.

All right.
This could be a huge help
for you to win.

This is what kind of pork
you're gonna be using.

Bone-in pork chop,
pork secreto
or pork belly?

I mean,
I personally love pork belly.

- You love pork belly.
- I love pork belly.

I love cooking pork belly.

I love pork belly.

And I just want to make sure
there's enough time

'cause it's not cured,
not smoked.

- Pork belly it is.
- All right.

Pork belly it is.
Straight to the point.
I like it.

That's Iberico pork
sitting there.

I want to cry.

So there's another
pork product for you.

Oh, gosh.

Pork rinds, pork jerky
or pickled pigs feet?

Oh, man.

Tasty.

Chef, what do you care for?

Anything but...

I mean, I just think the jerky
is bad for all of us.

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

That's out for sure.

I always go
for the real stuff.

- Let's go with the pigs feet.
- Okay.

Pigs feet it is.

Did you mean that
or were you trying
to like just...

No.

You can't be anything
but honest here.

Yeah.

It's not
that kind of place.
We'll make it work.

Pork Belly,
pickled pigs feet.

Whoa.

Last but certainly not least.

What are you making
and how long do you have?

You can make something
that goes with a beer
in 25 minutes

and something that goes
with champagne in 40.

Highbrow, lowbrow.

High in the hog,
low in the hog.

We're going to go
with the 40.

- You're going with 40?
- Yeah.

Because you need the time?
- Because I need the time.

That's why you don't pick
raw pork belly.

Oh,
that's got to work.
- They all hate me now.

Listen, you want to win.
I get it.

Your time starts now.

High end, pickled pig's feet
and pork belly...

One of the three
do not belong with the other.

The pickled pig's feet,
it's essentially pig's feet

that's been pickled in
a briny liquid, right?

Pork belly, huge fat content,

as you can see right here.

There's a lot of like
subcutaneous fat.

Typically, pork belly takes
two to three hours
or even longer.

You're gonna need
the pressure cooker.

That's probably
the only way to do it.

Elevating this,
especially with only pork,

is gonna be a task.

Ingredient wise,
this is one of the most

challenging rounds
in the history of the show,

because it's high end,
but we have pork belly,

so it's a tougher cut of meat
and it takes a long time
to cook.

But as we well know,
it's worth it.

And not for nothing,
but I didn't win
the first round.

I know Emme's really good
and Eric's here

'cause he's good too.

But being good at something,

being successful at something
means pushing through

even when you're having an
off day.

That's what I do.

Artichokes.

Stuffed artichokes
with pork belly,

pickled pigs feet

and a champagne
and pig's feet beurre blanc.

Oh, you're not
playing at all.

That sounds delicious, chef.

I came here to beat Alex
and I did that round one.

The pressure is on,
but I'm just focusing on
my Brazilian flavors.

I know that's gonna
really give me the win.

I'm making a pork belly
and pig's feet tutu,

topped with a
braised pork belly

and crispy collard greens.

Congratulations for winning
the survival round.

- Thank you.
- What do we have today?

I'm going to make
a tutu feijoada.

Feijoada is the national dish
of Brazil.

- It's filled with pork.
- Okay.

And I'm doing the tutu,
which is more like
polenta like,

which is a little bit
more high end, so...

I'm gonna get out
of your hair

- 'cause you really need...
- Thank you.

- ...to start work
on this pork belly yesterday.
- Yes, I do.

So the first thing
I'm gonna get started on
is my feijoada.

If I grab my pressure cooker
and I get my onions going,

I add pork belly,
tomato paste, some herbs,
my black beans.

All right, here goes nothing.

So I also need to use
this pickled pigs feet.

I was a little concerned
that it's gonna maybe,

like, make the stew
a little sour.

So I'm just, like,
throwing it in

and kind of saying
a little prayer,

hoping that it'll work out.

Once I've seared all the sides
of my pork belly,

I add in a little bit
of the beef stock

and some orange juice
to really give some flavor

and moisture
to the pork belly.

This is a dish that
usually takes all day to me,

and I'm trying to make it
in 40 minutes.

So even though
you finished third,

we're wiping the slate clean.

- That's right.
- What are you doing
to win this?

So I'mma do a little
braised pork belly
in a red wine reduction.

I'm gonna do
a English pea risotto
with a little pancetta.

Okay.

And then the risotto
is actually have

the pig's feet in it as well.

This is the round that
I have to beat,
Emme and Alex.

I do pork every day.

I'm not worried about
overcooking, under cooking.

I just want to make sure that

it's got some
of the grill flavor

when I throw it
into the braising liquid.

I'm not gonna use
the pressure cooker,

so I make a nice
red wine bath just slowly
braise the pork belly.

So I know that in 35 minutes
it's gonna be done.

When you put that
pressure cooker down,

you don't know
what's gonna happen.

So I have to use
the pickled pigs feet

and the risotto
is the best vessel to use it

because it's gonna be
a nice texture to it.

I sweat some garlic
and shallots

and my cut up
pickled pigs feet.

I got some fennel.

I know the flavor is there,
the texture is there.

I add Arborio in there,
then I add some
white wine to it.

I've got to cook it
just right.

I definitely still need that
Alex redemption.

So, Alex, let's go.

The pressure cookers
are so intense,

they provide so much heat

that you can actually
over braise, right?

And if you wanted to
do something like fried after

or even just cool it down,
there's not
a lot of time left.

Come on, steam.

High end dish,
pickled pigs feet,

raw pork belly,
40 minutes, yikes.

Pigs feet and pork belly
are really kind
of humble ingredients.

So I start turning
six little artichokes

to braise them
because it's high end
in a little beurre blanc

I think it would be nice.

To start a beurre blanc,

I start shallots in salt,
pepper and butter.

Then I add about
a half a bottle of champagne,

a splash of cream,
just to bring it all together
and smooth the edge.

I braised pork belly
two ways.

I put it
in the pressure cooker,

and I've got some
cooking on the stove.

I give myself such a hard time

when things don't go well
when I'm cooking.

It's like sports, you know?

One day you strike out.

You just got to keep going up
to bat.

Pork belly raw
takes hours and hours
to cook right.

Put it in the pressure cooker
and it's hissing

and doing all this stuff,
but you don't actually believe

it's gonna work.

It's like
when you lift a rock,

like what's gonna be
underneath.

Luckily, it looks
really good to me.

Let's break it down.

Chef Emme is doing another
classic Brazilian staple,

but she's finding
different ways

to kind of elevate it,
'cause she needs to.

I'm making a pork belly
and pigs feet tutu,

topped with a braised
pork belly

and crispy collard greens.

I'm gonna get started
on cilantro chimichurri and,

you know, this dish
is gonna be rich.

The pork belly
is super fatty.

So I put the juice
from the pickled pigs feet
in my chimichurri.

And so it's really gonna
add some acidity
to this dish.

Winning this competition
would really help me.

With everything
that has happened

over the past two years,
we've had to close down
our restaurant.

I mean,
it was our family restaurant
for over 20 years.

It really means
a lot to our family.

It's not gonna explode, is it?

The feijoada looks great
and now it's time
to make tutu.

So this is the process
of making tutu.

So you basically taking
the toasted cassava flour

and adding the feijoada
or the braising liquid
of the beans in it.

I hope that
this is enough to beat Alex.

I don't really know
what she's been
cooking up there,

but I can only imagine.

I have no time to worry
about that now, though.

Just add a little...

add little bit
of aromatics to it,

'cause I'm gonna use
this braising liquid
for the sauce.

I want to get some fresh thyme
in there.

So my pork belly is cooking
in the braising liquid.

I know that I got to make this
green puree with the peas,

but I can't add it
to the risotto

until the last minute
because it will go brown.

I love the approach.

He's taking risotto,
a little bit
of French influence,

a little bit
Italian influence,

a little bit
of English influence as well.

Almost like that melting pot
that New York is
and where he comes from.

And I love the approach.

So if I win
the $10,000 today,

it's going right to my team
at the restaurants.

They're the ones
who allow me to do what I do

and I'm very blessed
to have them.

2:30 seconds left,
chefs.

So I put a little bit
of the shalloty champagne
beurre blanc

down on the bottom
of the plate

and then the two artichokes
with a lot of chives.

Then I put the more
tender pieces of pork belly,

some larger pieces on top.

Then I put the crispy
pieces of pigs feet on top,

and then I finish
with just a little caviar.

I don't want to look at pork
for the next five years,
but I'm happy.

90 seconds left.

I want to give
a dainty bite, my tutu.

When I'm thinking high end,
I think small bites.

I feel like you go
to a high end place,

you leave there hungry
is like the running joke.

So I add my sauce
into the plate

and then I top everything off
with a crisp collard greens.

60 seconds left
on the clock, chefs.

I need to finish
this risotto last minute

with green puree,
because it's got to be bright,

it's got to be elegant,
it's got to say high end.

I laid the three pieces
of the pork belly down,

small amount of the pickled
pigs feet risotto

and I have this red wine
reduction

that I just finished
with a little bit of butter.

Mary and Joseph, that's good.

So I'm looking at the dish
and I'm thinking about

what we're tasked with,
which is to create
a high end dish

and I'm like,
"This kills it."

Five, four, three,
two, one.

Well done, chefs.

So, guys, you know the deal.

Go ahead and do me a favor.

Write down the description
in full detail,

exactly how you want me
to present it to the judges.

Again, you guys won't be here
to do it yourselves.

I'm really proud of myself
'cause it's not my impulse

to cook pork belly
in a hurry like that.

- Chef?
- How's it going, Chef?

Hi, chef.
We're over here eating.

- Yeah
- Nice.

- Do we get to eat?
- Yeah.

- Snack on it.
- Do we, really?

- Yeah, please.
- I'll make you a little spoon.

This is most of it.

And I'll make you one, too.

Mmm.

It's just about enough food
for a chef

before you throw
the rest in the garbage.

That's it.

- That's so good.
- All right.

Just give it to her. I quit.

That's really nice.

The journey wasn't pretty,
but the destination
is pretty okay here.

Chefs, you don't have to go
home just yet,

but you do have
to leave here.

Thank you, chef.

- Oh, so fancy pants.
- Yeah.

She made it like classic
comfort food in Brazil.

That little technique
was what she's going for.

- Pea risotto.
- This is very... Oh, what?

Pea risotto.

He used the pork belly
and braised it in red wine.

Oh my God.
- His reduction
is delicious.

- Yeah.
- That's beautiful.

Yeah.

I'mma kindly ask you to leave
the premises.
- Yep.

That was a trip.

- That was a trip.
- That was a trip.

And Alex's food was...

- Amazing.
- ...that was amazing.

Flavor on that,
that was, like,
so intense.

So good.
That's why I taste that.

I was like, I'm done.

We'll see what the judges
have to say about
my pork belly now.

- That was a...
- I wish we had more time.

- Yeah.
- You know?

So the winning chef
in round one had a choice.

They chose pork belly,
pickled pigs feet

and a 40 minute
high end dinner.

I'm excited.

I am as well.

It's been a really
interesting cook.

So the first chef
has prepared for you,

Pork belly with artichokes,
champagne beurre blanc,

crispy pigs feet skin
and caviar.

I would have liked,
like, one more little garnish,
but I didn't have time.

I think all three cooks
needed that time.

Before I say anything else,

what a beautiful
looking plate.

Yeah?

I have to agree that
when I look at this dish,

I already want to eat it,
right?

It's very inviting.

It was just
very well composed dish.

And then when I taste it,
it hits all the right notes.

It's got a little bit tart
and sweet.

The pork belly
is cooked to perfection.

- Wow.
- Okay.

This looks like
the perfect tasting
in a high end dinner.

The pickled pigs feet
that are fried,
gives a texture to it.

Only thing, just a tiny bit
of acid on this would be,

I think, one of my best dishes
that I've had for a long time.

- No kidding.
- Wow!

- I really like this.
- That's high praise.

All right.
Let's go ahead
and move on to the next dish.

High praise.

If all the cooking's
gonna be like that,

we're gonna do very well.

- Thank you very much.
- Oh, you're so welcome.

The next chef
has prepared for you
a pork belly

and pigs feet tutu
with braised pork belly,

pigs feet crumble,

pigs feet pickled chimichurri
and a crispy collard green.

I thought Emme's dish
looked beautiful.

She stayed true
to her Brazilian roots.

The pork belly
is well cooked.

It's got a little bit
of char to it.

I do think that it's lacking
a little texture for me.

Okay.

The bottom piece here
feels a little muddled to me.

So it's like soft with soft.

I really like that.
I like that slight mushiness.

I'm definitely getting
a high end feel.

I think it looks beautiful.

Where I'm getting the pickled
pigs feet is more

in their kind
of nature of them.

So pickled pigs feet
are very earthy.

I can definitely taste them
in there.

All right.
Let's go ahead and move
on to the last dish, please.

My wife's gonna have to eat

all our anniversary
meal tonight.

All right, judges.
Our final dish.

This chef prepared
a red wine braised pork belly

with pickled pigs feet,
pea and fennel risotto,

fennel red wine reduction.

I thought Eric's dish
was beautiful, too.

This does read
very high end to me.

I wouldn't be surprised
to see this

on a fine dining
restaurant menu.

The pork belly
was done really well.

The risotto fell
a little flat for me,

but still a well
composed dish.

I think that red wine
comes through,

it's... it's not too strong,
but I think it works
really, really well.

Um, the biggest problem
was its construction.

The pork belly
is right at the bottom,

and then it's covered
with a risotto,

which is not part
of the competition.

So for me, the risotto
at the bottom with the sauce,

pork belly on top of that,
may be top with them
pickled pigs feet fried,

but I really like the cooking
of the pork belly.

All right.

Let's go ahead
and clear the plates

and get to the reason
why we're all here.

Let's go ahead
and rank these dishes.
- Thank you.

I'm a little tired.

Sometimes, you know,
you have that double espresso

and your body just kicks
into gear.

So I'm gonna go have
a quadruple espresso
and see how that goes.

All right.
Chefs, come on in.

So judges, you get to see
who's been cooking for you.

Chefs, you get to see
who's been eating your food.

So, chefs, this is world
renowned food writer,
Simon Mujumdar.

Hi. Hi, everyone.

Recognized Simon right away.

You know, when I saw him,
I was like,

"Okay, we're gonna get
the real deal
at this moment."

And this is the chef
at the forefront

of San Francisco
Chinese cuisine, Kathy Fang.

Hi, chefs.

Kathy does amazing
things working

to bring her heritage
forefront in culinary,

which is exactly
what I'm trying to do

with my Afro-Brazilian
heritage.

And respectively,
I'm sure you're dying to know
who cooked what.

- Yes.
- Definitely.

All the way
from my favorite state,
New York, Eric Levine.

Eric made,
fried pork belly risotto.

The execution of everything
was really terrific.

Thank you.

Very spot on.

And from the great state
of Washington,

this is Emme Collins.

Chef Emme made, a pork tutu.

Chef Emme made
the winning dish in round one.

Wow.

That was really good.

So that, of course,
means Chef Alex made
the pork belly with artichoke.

So remember,
the judges ranked your dishes
completely blindly.

The chef that they had
finishing third
in this round was...

Chef Emme, I'm sorry.

- No worries.
- Thank you.

Just for me, crunching up
the actual piece of pork

a little bit on the top
would have given it
an extra texture

and I think that
would have been just right.

Everything else was done
so beautifully.

At least you won
round one.
- Yes.

You can now tell
your friends that you

at least beat Alex,
at least half.

Thank you.
Awesome job, chef.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

This is only
the beginning of seeing you.

Thanks, guys.
- You are dangerous
with the pig.

She is.
She is.

So again,
from the state of New York,
someone's going home.

From the state of New York.
New York wins again.

Eric, if you win,
I'm handing you $10,000.

But if Alex wins,
walking away with zero.

So chef Eric, they thought
your dish stood out

because of the unique use
of pork belly.

But there were some issues
with the construction
of the dish.

Chef Alex,
they thought your plate
was visually beautiful.

They loved the crispy texture
of the pigs feet,

and they thought your pork
was cooked perfectly.

I've never cooked
so much pork in my life.

For three small plates
of food,

I cooked half of the pigs
in America.

But there was one
low point.

What your dish
was calling out for

was just a little bit
more acid to punch things up.

And the chef who won,
Alex vs America pork, is...

from New York,

chef Alex Guarnaschelli.

- Well done.
- Thank you.

Thank you.

Unfortunately, Eric,
it seems like
Alex sent you home again.

Thank you, Chef.
Thank you so much.

God bless.
Thank you.

If someone
wants to come down here

and they want to win money
when it's pork,

it'll be when pigs fly.

Congratulations.

Hi. How are you?
I'm good.

Hello. Nice to see you.

Thank you.