Suvechha Sarkar
The competition is gradually reaching a sizzling point in season 15 of Fox’s ‘MasterChef: Dynamic Duos.’ Episode 12, titled ‘Backyard BBQ’, returns with the remaining six duos who are judged by the same panel of judges — Gordon Ramsay, Tiffany Derry, and Joe Bastianich. The amazing cooks are set to battle it out in the garden, in a challenge that is all about open flames, grilling, and smoking, in short, barbecue. This is the final team challenge of the season, where only the sharpest teamwork and boldest flavors earn the compliments and mark one’s team safe from elimination.
Top Six Duos Face the Final Team Challenge in the Garden For a Barbecue Feast
Once the six duos enter the garden, Gordon starts by welcoming them and announcing that they are facing their last team challenge. While their win today can guarantee a spot in the top five, the losing team faces the risk of another dreaded Pressure Test. Tiffany explains that this afternoon, they are hosting a special barbecue right in the garden and have invited around 40 of the biggest fans of the same, who love the heat and also to eat. Joe adds that they are going to be cooking in two teams with three duos on each team. Finally, Gordon informs Adam and Joel that since they won the last challenge, they have the advantage of picking today’s team. Joel notes that picking their team involves strategy because if they pick the best team and things take a turn for the worse, they have to face them in the Pressure Test.
Adam and Joel are on the Red Team, and they pick Julio and Rachel for their good teamplay. Following that, they select Zach and Michelle, who work well as a team. The Blue Team consists of Aivan and Tina, Javier and Azu, and Jesse and Jessica. Upon asking, Jesse confidently states that Adam and Joel assumed they are going to lose, but he believes they are actually going to win. Gordon then instructs them to pick their team captains. During the process, Jesse and Jessica express concern in their confessional that although Tina is loud, she is not always direct. After much deliberation, the Red Team unanimously nominates Adam and Joel as the captains, and the Blue Team selects Tina and Aivan. Right after, Gordon reveals that each team will have one of the following proteins: bone-in ribeye (steak) and double-bone pork chop.
Since Adam and Joel won the advantage, they must call heads or tails. If they receive the former, they can select the protein of their choice, or else the chance passes on to the Blue Team first. They call heads, and when it matches, they pick the ribeye. When Adam notes that the pork chop has a massive fat cap and can be tricky in an open fire, Jesse quickly remarks that it is flavorful. However, the former reiterates that it is flammable as well. Joe cautions them that it is an elegant garden barbecue lunch party, and they should use the herbs, fruits, vegetables, and even the garden to bring vibrance to their dishes. As the guests are going to arrive in just over an hour, the judges will taste the dishes in about 30 minutes. Gordon and Tiffany will oversee the kitchen, and Joe is set to oversee the dining room.
While the Red Team Begins Working in Harmony, Tensions Rise in the Blue Team
Without wasting any time, both teams get into a discussion as to what their menu is going to consist of. During the discussion, Zach and Michelle honestly admit that they may need help while preparing their succotash since they are not used to making it. On the other hand, Azu and Tina get into an argument, which prompts Azu to note that Tina is unwilling to listen. She expresses frustration that if she doesn’t get independence while cooking, she has to keep asking for instructions. Gordon intervenes and reminds them to work as a team. As the time on the clock begins ticking, Joe notes that this is the first time in the show’s history that a team has had a fight before starting their challenge. The judges further discuss that Joel and Adam picked a team they can work well with, so it is on them if they can pull the challenge together.
Gordon remarks that he is happy to see Tina and Aivan as the team captains. However, Joe questions whether Tina can run a team besides being a culinary captain. Tiffany chimes in that the duo has different personalities, which balances them, and if they can work as a team, the judge believes they can really make it work. In her confessional, Tina reveals that her profession as a general contractor helps her organize, making her good at leading. Although she knows Jesse and Jessica wanted to be the captain, she states that today Tina and Aivan will focus on being the captains. She will let Jesse focus solely on the grill as their strategy. After reminding everyone that there are only 10 minutes left for the sample tasting, Gordon explains to Joe that for the Red Team, their protein has 30% raw fat.
Gordon elaborates that the Red Team has to render the fat first. Otherwise, by the time one cuts into it, it is going to be white and hard to chew. Similarly, Tiffany observes that the pork chop has a fat cap, which requires the Blue Team to figure out a way to sear or render the fat to make it delicious. The Blue Team is the first to present their dish before the judges: grilled pork chop with warm potato salad and grilled corn. Tiffany points out that the inspiration looks weird since corn and potatoes are both starches. Although Jesse wanted the pork to be medium-rare, it turns out to be undercooked. Gordon notes that the protein is bland, the potatoes are greasy, and he expected something more than grilled corn. While he advises the team’s captains to bring a refreshing flavor, Joe asks them to get their cultural twist on the pork flavors.
Dissatisfactory Execution Leaves Both Teams Battling the Clock Before Service
The Red Team presents spice-rubbed ribeye with avocado sauce, warm potato salad, and summer succotash. Tiffany quickly remarks that the succotash looks more like salad, and Joe states that they can turn it into panzanella salad. The judges point out that the protein is undercooked and the potatoes are inconsistently prepared. Gordon adds that the sauce is beautifully seasoned, but the potatoes need more salt. Following the feedback, Adam and Joel return to Zach and Michelle to pivot and prepare panzanella instead of succotash. However, it upsets Michelle since they wasted 30 minutes previously making something they didn’t want. She feels the captains’ leadership ability sets them up for failure. With 20 minutes left on the clock for the guests to begin arriving, the judges discuss that the Red Team’s succotash isn’t something that goes well with the steak.
When Gordon asks Joe, the latter expresses doubt that he isn’t sure if the steak is cooked by the right person. Joel is nervous because the protein is the highlight of their dish, and he may need backup, but everyone on the team is doing something. Meanwhile, Tiffany observes that she didn’t taste Aivan and Tina in the pork chop. Gordon then approaches Jesse and suggests that he let the protein rest after getting the heat up. He also asks him to put a little brush on to ensure the fat is well seasoned. On the other hand, Tiffany and Joe learn that the Red Team is now preparing a panzanella. The latter advises getting salt in the tomatoes to get the water out and using herbs, oil, and garlic to make the bread crispy. When Joe asks Julio if he is okay with letting Joel grill the protein, the contestant states he has confidence in the team’s captains.
As the final five minutes tick down, the guests begin to arrive. In the final few seconds, the Blue Team begins waiting for the guests first, while the Red Team is still not ready. In her confessional, Jessica reveals that her team is all over the place and she feels like she is being pulled in a thousand directions. She is also unhappy that Jesse is struggling at the grill by himself. Once the service begins, Gordon asks Tina to stop running back and start giving instructions like a proper captain. As the Red Team struggles with their slow pace, Joe bluntly states that they have 90 seconds to make their plate or he is sending the diners without their food. Although Julio has finished his potato salad and is helping with the panzanella, he sees Joel alone at the grill. He also notes that he has no idea what Adam is up to.
The Blue Team Celebrates a Hard-fought Win and Safety From Elimination
With the service in full swing, Gordon and Tiffany discuss that both teams are facing struggles. While Jesse needs help since he is at the grill alone, Tiffany also points out that Joel is falling behind. Meanwhile, Joel brings back a raw steak from the diners to the Red Team, which leaves Joel feeling defeated. Shortly after, Joe brings back a raw pork chop from one of the diners. Gordon quickly gathers the team around and asks Tina and Aivan to check the protein before serving it. He emphasizes that this is bound to happen if they start rushing instead of checking. This only makes Jesse nervous, and he wonders if all the pork he has grilled is undercooked. While some diners express that they are impressed by the combination and cohesiveness of the Blue Team’s dish’s flavor, others prefer the combination of the Red Team’s steak and side dishes.
As the Blue Team ends serving their final plates, Gordon praises how well they pivoted. However, the Red Team ends up making the last diners wait since their steak was not fully prepared yet. Once they finish serving, Gordon bluntly states that the team did not do a great job and asks them to take a rest. One by one, Joe approaches the diners to better understand their preference for the two teams’ preparations. Once again, the judge is disappointed to bring back two more raw steaks to the Red Team. When Gordon asks if Rachel is actually putting it on the plate, she gets emotional. She feels that she takes pride in the dish she usually serves. So, this situation is heartbreaking for her since she should’ve checked the steaks better.
Although Rachel knows she didn’t cook the steaks, she feels that, being the last line of defense, anything that goes wrong falls on her. The judges welcome both teams once the diners complete their dishes and the vote is taken. Although Jesse is tired, he feels good, but he admits that his team still has no idea how the Red Team has performed. On the contrary, Adam remarks that they began confidently by choosing their dream team, but when some of the steaks came back, it went downhill from there. After much anticipation, Gordon announces that the winner of the team challenge is the Blue Team. While they are safe from elimination the following week and are already in the top five, the Red Team must battle it in the Pressure Test. Rachel realizes that they are going to face some of the strongest competitors in the competition. Similarly, Adam feels it’s a one in three shot since they will be going up against three powerhouse duos.
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