The Chef's go to Allen Brothers which is a meat supplier. They also do catalog orders which I have had and they are fantastic! The challenge is to cut individual chops from a dry aged rib rack and french the bone in 20 minutes. With the racks being dry aged, it was hard to cut. My mouth was watering just thinking what those steaks would taste like. Spike says that both of his grandfathers were butchers and it showed up in this challenge, he flew through those ribs.
The second half of this challenge is to cook a steak for guest judge Rick Tramonto. They get to use the chops they made at Allen Brothers. Chef Tramonto didn't taste any of the steaks, only looked for the butchering techniques and doneness. I couldn't judge a steak without tasting it, you would have had to roll me out of there! Spike and his butchering wins him the challenge.
The elimination challenge is to take over Chef Tramonto's restaurant, Tramonto's (how original) for a night. Chef Tramonto seems very reluctant to hand over his restaurant going as far as to beg the chefs not to upset his customers. Go take a tranquilizer Chef, it will be over before you know it! The chefs get to the restaurant and have to wait while Spike decides his proteins for appetizer and entree' which was his reward for winning the quickfire challenge. He chooses the tomohawk steaks for entree' and scallops that he found in the freezer for appetizer. Chef Tom is back and will be expediting the service. He stops by each chef's stations and makes some nervous about their choices like Lisa's peanut butter mashed potatoes. I love peanut butter but that is something I would have to be talked into trying. Stephanie's entree is beef tenderloin piled on a plate with mushrooms and apple sauce.
The guest judges for this round are the winners of the previous Top Chefs. They all loved Richard's sweetbread appetizer. Antonia also made sweetbreads and it looked as if Ilian was actually gaging over her dish. Chef Tom gets on Richard for being slow but Richard says he wants everything to be perfect even if the customers have to wait. Remind me to order another glass of wine if I'm going to be waiting! The judges loved Stephanie's dish, the taste as well as the presentation, which was, let's just say, different. Chef Tom looked like he was having more fun expediting the service than he does when he is out front eating. He has to remind the chefs that he is judging and to save him some food.
At judge's table the judges went to each chef in turn with the critique. Stephanie, Antonia and Richard all took it well. Then there is Lisa. Lisa was beaming when they praised her entree' and her peanut butter potatoes but then they started criticizing her shrimp appetizer, she had death ray look in her eyes again. That is one scary woman when she gets mad!
Spike screwed up royally. He picked frozen scallops from the walk in and challenged Chef Tramonto for having them there in the first place. Someone should shove a scallop in his pie hole. Talking to a chef, not to mention that he is a judge as well, only makes that target on your back that much bigger! Just to keep you guessing, the judges went after Lisa making her death ray glare scorch the table cloth. Stephanie wins the challenge (and Richard doesn't look to happy about that) and gets a prize of Chef Tramonto's cook book and a suite of GE Monogram appliances. Antonia and Richard will join her in Puerto Rico for the final.
The judges get on Spike and Lisa one last time telling Lisa that she has been in the bottom five times now but it's Spike that has to pack his knives and go. Stephanie has really jumped to the top out cooking Richard. I'm still thinking Richard to win but Stephanie is going to make him work for it! Double D
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