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[ Whistle blows ]
BROWN: The biggest football game of the year is upon us --
two talented squads slugging it out for gridiron supremacy --
and the Chairman wants to celebrate the big brawl.
Two teams of Iron Chefs, one winner,
60 minutes of smashmouth cooking.
It's Big Game Day here in Kitchen Stadium.
CHAIRMAN: This is "Iron Chef America."
BROWN: Hi, everybody.
You know, the clock is ticking down to kickoff,
so once again, it's time for
the Chairman's annual celebration
of the year's biggest football extravaganza.
Last season, the Chairman hosted an away game
at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Oahu
in an Iron Chef versus Iron Chef face-off
in honor of football, food, and America.
CHAIRMAN: And the winner is...
MAN: Hut, hut!
...Iron Chef Symon.
BROWN: This year, the stakes are higher,
as the Iron Chefs return for a rematch on home turf.
Iron Chef Michael Symon and Iron Chef Marc Forgione
versus Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto
and Iron Chef Jose Garces.
Lock the doors, shut the blinds, and turn off the phone.
Now let's go a man who has slipped many a tackle
during his days as a legendary college running back --
the Chairman.
Thank you, Alton.
Iron Chef Symon, Iron Chef Forgione, welcome.
I trust you are wearing your game faces.
Can't you tell, Chairman?
I can.
Iron Chef Morimoto, Iron Chef Garces, welcome.
Are you well-prepared
for 60 minutes of culinary conflict?
We're ready, Chairman.
Excellent.
You are four of my finest Iron Chefs,
and I'm confident you will provide
a super display of cooking in today's confrontation.
I think you will be pleased with the assembled ingredients.
Today's theme is...
...a game-day party!
[ Cheers and applause ]
MORIMOTO: You see six-foot hero.
FORGIONE: There was, you know, a beautiful rack of ribs,
already baked bread, hot dogs already made.
You had -- I'm not sure what kind of cheese up there.
You know, I think it was a little scary,
to be honest with you.
Iron Chefs, using these game-watching party ingredients,
you will have one hour to prepare five dishes,
but there is an added requirement --
each dish must be an item that you can eat with one hand!
[ Whip! ]
SYMON: How do we take these ingredients
and make them "Iron Chef" worthy,
but still make them hand food?
GARCES: You know, a handheld item --
does that phase you at all?
Does that even --
look at this.
[ Both chuckle ]
Your initial game-day offering must be served to the judges
during the first 20 minutes of the battle.
Later in the battle, I will unveil my culinary curveball,
but that is all I will say at this time.
Good luck, Iron Chefs.
So now, America, with an open heart and empty stomach,
I say unto you in the words of my uncle...
[ Whip! ]
[ Whip! ]
...allez cuisine!
BROWN: Battle Big Game Day, I guess we'll call it,
is on here in Kitchen Stadium.
And, of course, the first thing
that these chefs do is grab their javelins.
Oh, no, wait. Those are hoagie rolls.
Six feet in length.
I saw that six-foot roll,
and I'm like, "There's no way that I'm not using this thing."
BROWN: Now, the Chairman has brought forth a cornucopia of goodness.
We've got big beef rib racks up there.
We've got, as far as I know, at least 120 foot-long hot dogs.
We got a couple hams up there. We've got turkey wings.
We've got turkey legs
and some big, old bricks of processed cheese food.
It's going to be interesting to see how these chefs
take these foods and make them "Iron Chef" worthy and handheld.
FORGIONE: Mike, want to get together?
Yeah.
The chefs all kind of talking it over right now.
All right, guys, so, 20-minute dish.
I'll take it. We'll do the chips and dips.
I'll make a paella for you, yeah.
Some tempura?
Got it.
Our overall theme is really combining our cooking styles
and meshing them together.
We knew each other before that.
Yeah.
Right.
Tailgating.
Let's go around the country?
Pick a team. Focus on the team.
We're going to Philly and to Cleveland and Chicago
and New York and, you know, up to Buffalo, as well.
So, you know, we're gonna try and get the judges
to feel like they're having a tailgate at one of those cities.
MORIMOTO: Okay.
Uh!
Let's do it, let's do it.
Oh, hell yeah, hell yeah.
FORGIONE: So, for the first dish,
we're gonna take the judges to Philadelphia.
And, you know, what is Philadelphia known for?
It's obviously the steak and cheese, or cheesesteak.
You know, I'm from New York,
so I'm not sure which one is proper terminology.
It's cheesesteak.
Yes. [ Laughs ]
[ Laughs ]
I'm not even allowed to admit that I like cheesesteak.
Quit pretending you don't know what it's called.
You know what it's called, New York boy.
[ Laughs ]
BROWN: Already, over on Iron Chef Symon and Forgione's side,
we can see sous-chef Chris
very quickly mowing through those ribs.
Those are probably all going to
be heading into pressure cookers,
or else there just won't be any way for those to get done.
Bone saw -- or rather a big hacksaw
being used by sous-chef Michael
over on Iron Chef Morimoto and Garces' side.
That is not an easy thing to do,
especially when you've got nothing to hold onto it.
And I use a big vice when I'm doing that.
It's hard to get that bone started.
You really want to use a jigsaw for that, chef.
Just saying.
Chef, I'll take the diced ham whenever you're ready, okay?
Okay! Ham first!
Thank you.
Iron Chef Morimoto is starting to break down this large ham.
GARCES: So, our first dish is chips and dips,
and we're serving three elements --
a smoked ham and onion dip,
a beer-and-cheese fondue with short ribs,
and then a hot dog and mortadella spread
that we put over a crouton.
Perfect.
Oh, thank you very much. Shoot!
BROWN: And I see Kevin Brauch heading over
to Iron Chef Symon's side right now.
Yes, sir.
I'm very excited.
If I remember correctly,
you won Battle Tailgate against Iron Chef Morimoto.
Twice!
Do you have the edge here today for the big game?
Do you know more about it than he does?
No. You know what?
Morimoto is always a force to be reckoned with.
He's gonna bring it no matter what.
I'm gonna stay a little bit more traditional.
I'm sure he will be nothing but untraditional.
So, you know, Forg is gonna have some fun.
We're gonna have a good time. We're gonna bring it.
What are the Browns' chances this year? What do you think?
Ours are better. Ours are better.
Not as good as -- Okay, I'm gonna go right now.
I'm gonna use that little -- follow down the line.
Not as good as the Giants.
Not as good as the Giants.
You're sort of known for American cuisine.
Uh-huh.
Does that whole American identity
on a day like today give you guys the edge?
Yeah, we're basically going around
to the different cities and kind of
putting what you'd eat in those different cities.
That's a smart way to think, Iron Chef Marc Forgione.
All right. Good luck. Have fun today.
Hut, hut, hut!
Iron Chef Morimoto.
All right. Big Game Day.
You have elaborate plates and dishes,
and your food is always so big.
Today, it has to be in the hands.
Yes.
How are you gonna tackle that part of the game?
How can I make sushi for the Super Bowl?
[ Laughs ]
I don't know, I don't know.
Yeah, yeah.
Thank you, thank you.
Iron Chef Morimoto.
And let's go down here to Iron Chef Jose Garces.
Hey, what are your big-game traditions?
I know you're a sports guy. Chips and dips.
GARCES: Yeah. Wok.
That's not gonna get you the win here today in Kitchen Stadium.
Believe it or not, it is.
Appreciate it.
Thank you.
I am.
Aw, come on. You're Canadian.
You don't even know what you're standing on.
Give me an A! Give me an L!
Stop, stop. I can't unsee that.
Okay. I'm finishing up the grid.
The Chairman has most of them.
I can get you in here for one or two.
Do you want in there?
I'll take that one. Yeah, right there.
A.B. and A.B.
Okay, now we're done.
The Iron Chefs are having a bit of fun here today.
Well, they ought to.
What we're looking for is real innovation.
Whether it's elevated, whether it's fancy-schmancy,
or whether it's "Iron Chef" food,
it's got to be delicious.
It's got to be in the hand. We'll see.
Then, of course, we've got one dish
that will be served early in the battle,
and I don't know what that's gonna be yet.
BROWN: First dish is due in 10 minutes.
Chefs, 10 minutes to get your first dish
up to the judges or you lose those 15 possible points.
GARCES: Michael, how are you looking, brother?
FIORELLO: Pretty good, chef.
Bread's in. Chips are frying.
Good.
How are you doing, Forg? All right?
FORGIONE: I'm doing great.
The heat is on here in Kitchen Stadium,
and we'll get right back to the "Big Game Day" action
when "Iron Chef America" returns.
[ Whistle blows ]
Hi, kids. We're back in Kitchen Stadium.
This is "Iron Chef America," and the clock is ticking.
This is the Big Game Day Battle between two teams of Iron Chefs.
We've got Iron Chef Symon and Forgione
on this side of Kitchen Stadium,
and Iron Chef Morimoto and Garces are over on this side.
Now, these chefs have got some pretty fine culinary minds,
to be sure, but so do our judges.
And to introduce them, we're gonna go to Kevin Brauch.
Kevin.
Konban wa. Good evening.
Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Brown, here come the judges.
Leading off, this successful restaurateur
is a two-time winner
of New York's annual meatball madness competition.
We're always happy to have her sharp palate here
in Kitchen Stadium.
This is Donatella Arpaia.
Next, he's one of the Mikes behind the mike
on ESPN'*** show "Mike & Mike."
He's the author of three books.
He loves the New York Jets, and he says he's a neat freak,
so maybe he'll help the chefs
clean up Kitchen Stadium tonight.
This is Mike Greenberg.
Finally, this feisty New Jersey native
is a familiar face to reality-TV fans.
She's a real housewife who knows her way around a kitchen,
often serving her tasty meatballs to friends and family.
Here is Caroline Manzo.
BROWN: All right. Thank you very much.
Looking over on Iron Chef Symon and Forgione's side,
these little dough squares
that are being fried now by Iron Chef Forgione.
Look at them puff up. Those are spring roll wrappers.
Iron Chef Forgione's used kind of a perfect technique on that,
getting those to puff up like little pillows.
So, I don't know what they're gonna be calling that,
but I assume that that is going to be going up
with their first course,
which has got to be served in six minutes.
Chefs, you have six minutes
to get those first courses up to the judges.
GARCES: Yo!
Everything under control?
No problem, Chef. We're good.
You're the man.
There we go over on Iron Chef Symon and Forgione's side.
I think that that is the skin off of one of the turkey legs
being deftly prepared by sous-chef Chris.
FORGIONE: The next dish, we're gonna take the judges to Buffalo.
What's Buffalo known for?
I mean, you know, buffalo chicken wings.
It's real simple.
We actually just took the turkey and the chicken
and just basically made like a mousse with it,
laid out some chicken and turkey skin
out on a little plastic wrap,
kind of piped it into it, rolled it up nice and tight,
and then just threw it in the circulator
and forgot about it.
BROWN: Over on Iron Chef Morimoto and Garces' side,
that is a paella pan.
We've got some sausage in there, some chilies in there,
some Manilla clams, medium-grain rice -- critical.
A lot of seafood also been thrown into that paella,
including some langoustine, now also some prawn.
How in the world they plan on serving paella
as a handheld item I have no idea.
But I'm intrigued.
Gentlemen, you've got just under three minutes
to get your first courses up to the judges.
We're looking at this plating that's happening
over the hands of Iron Chef Forgione.
He may be poofing little pillows out of spring-roll wrappers.
He seasoned that Wagyu
with chili powder, cayenne, and black pepper,
seared it, and sliced it thin.
He's actually piping cheese sauce into those little pillows.
And that's the cheese sauce that he made earlier
with the processed-cheese product from the altar --
some shredded provolone and some milk.
So essentially he's making a Philly cheesesteak.
He seems to be single-handedly dealing
with a plating of that first course right now,
while Iron Chef Symon works with his turkey
that he butchered a little earlier.
He pounded that thin, rubbed it with mustard,
skewered the pieces, and that's headed for a pan fry.
So I would call that a braciole,
or slices of meat that are pounded thin and pan-fried,
typically with bread crumbs.
SYMON: You know, Midwesterners love their football,
so I want to do the Chicago dog justice,
but give it just almost like a little bit
of an Italian flare, almost in the style of braciole.
Mike, get it on. Get the mortadella on first.
BROWN: Well into plating in this first course
over on Iron Chefs Morimoto and Garces' side,
in the hands of sous-chef Michael,
that is the mousse he was making a little earlier.
So they took some hot dogs from the altar.
They combined that with chunks of mortadella
and heavy cream and blended it up
and now are spreading that onto a crostini.
I don't know if that's brilliant or sick or what,
but it's certainly something I've not ever seen before.
Let's go, Michael. Let's go.
First course has to be up in front of the judges
in 26 seconds.
Where are the chips, chips, chips, chips?
Chips, chips right here.
15 points, of course, are possible for that first course.
BRAUCH: And here he comes.
Iron Chef Marc Forgione competing with Michael Symon,
and the first dish comes up, and it's a beauty.
FORGIONE: This is a Philly cheesesteak.
So, you have a little pastry here filled with aged provolone
and the processed cheese that they gave us on the altar,
a little Wagyu rib eye.
Obviously, usually you have
sautéed onions and mushrooms on there,
so that's what's diced on the middle.
Have fun today, okay, guys?
Thank you.
BRAUCH: Not far behind, Iron Chef Jose Garces
coming up with his first plate of the game
from him and Iron Chef Morimoto.
GARCES: Okay, we did a ham-and-onion dip,
and then, in the black, cast-iron container,
there's a short-rib, cheddar fondue.
And then, to the left, is a mortadella and hot dog mousse.
Iron Chef Jose Garces. One down, four to go.
Yeah.
All right. [ Laughs ]
You made it.
BRAUCH: Let's start with Iron Chef Marc Forgione
and Iron Chef Michael Symon.
Donatella.
ARPAIA: I love the presentation,
but Iron Chef Forgione's offering is a bit disappointing.
I think the biggest problem
is there was just too much cheese inside.
BRAUCH: Mike Greenberg.
GREENBERG: I agree completely.
A cheesesteak to me is a steak with cheese.
This was more of cheese with a little bit of steak.
Caroline, was the taste there for you?
The cheese overwhelmed everything.
I love the crispiness and the texture,
but I didn't even taste the steak.
Now go on to the ultimate chips and dip,
if you will, from Iron Chef Garces
and Iron Chef Morimoto.
This was a very fun plate,
and you could see there was a lot of work to the plate.
Yes.
It was delicious, fun, and easy to eat.
Great. Mike Greenberg.
I would say this was a touchdown with a two-point conversion,
particularly this.
If we're looking for originality,
I would say I have never in my life
eaten anything that reminded me of this,
so you can't get any more original than that.
Caroline, what do you think?
My belly is doing a happy dance right now.
Everything about this was amazing.
The mortadella and the hot dog -- my God.
Great taste. I love everything about it.
Okay, well, part of your job is done, the eating part.
Now the scoring part.
Five points each for a total of 15 points.
We'll tabulate the results,
and Alton Brown will announce them shortly.
BROWN: Back to the action.
We're looking over
on Iron Chef Morimoto and Garces' side of the world.
Sous-chef Michael.
FIORELLO: [bleep] Ouch.
Ow. That looks like it hurt.
Sous-chef Michael was in the process
of preparing short ribs for a beef-rib sausage.
And I look over, and he's bleeding profusely.
FIORELLO: Hey, I need a cot over here.
WOMAN: Another one?
Yeah.
GARCES: His face is like flush.
You all right, Mike?
There's a medic that comes over,
but the blood isn't stopping,
and I'm thinking we have to figure out how to cover it.
What's the ruling on this?
Can we stop the clock at all or no?
Can I give him some injury time at all?
BROWN: Sorry, Iron Chef.
The Chairman has never stopped the clock,
and it doesn't look like he's going to do it today.
Half time is approaching here in Kitchen Stadium,
and the injury is really going to complicate things
for Team Morimoto/Garces.
We'll review the judges scores
and check in with the injured sous-chef, Michael,
when "Iron Chef America" returns.
[ Whistle blows ]
Welcome back to "Iron Chef America."
This is our Big Game Day Battle. It's raging on.
I have here in my hand
the judges' scores for that first dish.
Now, Iron Chef Morimoto and Garces
have gotten 15 out of 15 possible points
for their first dish.
Jose!
Yo?
De nada.
Perfect.
Iron Chef Symon and Iron Chef Forgione --
11 points for the first dish.
We're all right. We fight back.
FORGIONE: So, you know, 11's not a terrible score,
but, you know, I thought for sure
that we would get at least in the teens on that dish.
SYMON: Look, at the end of the day,
we still have four dishes to make up the difference.
I'm not worried about four points.
Big deal.
Keep in mind at this point in the battle,
we can expect the Chairman
to roll out his cart of culinary chaos,
and we'll see how the chefs incorporate the curveball
into their handheld courses.
And, also remember, sous-chef Michael
on Iron Chef Garces and Morimoto's side
has been sidelined with an injury,
and he's still not back in the game yet.
So we'll keep you updated when we know more about it.
Let's get back to it.
Over on Iron Chef Morimoto and Garces' side,
we've got some Wagyu beef going on skewers,
also some shrimp going on skewers
in the hands of Iron Chef Morimoto.
He rolled out most of his oysters in bacon.
Those have been skewered. Those are standing by.
So I'm thinking he's gonna do a whole dish of skewers.
INTERPRETER: Our third dish is kushiage
"Kushi" means "skewered."
"Age" means "fried."
From the hero roll, I made bread crumbs,
and I will bread the proteins and then fry them.
And then I made three dipping sauces --
a tonkatsu sauce, a cocktail sauce,
and a tartar sauce.
BROWN: All right, A few moments ago,
we saw Iron Chef Garces mix masa and water,
of course to make a dough, press those into tortillas,
and is now frying those in a rather unusual fashion.
Kevin, can you find out what he's doing down there?
BRAUCH: What's it called
when you're making a tortilla like that?
That's a San Antonio-style puffy taco.
A puffy taco?
For our next course, we made fresh masa.
We fry it crispy till it bubbles up,
and then we put a utensil inside the taco to make a puffy shell.
I'm braising turkey with chilied árbol,
chicken stock, onions, garlic, sesame seeds, cumin,
and then alongside,
we made a pineapple and cachucha pepper guacamole.
Going into the fryer
over on Iron Chef Symon and Forgione's side,
those are pig's ears, ladies and gentlemen.
FORGIONE: Wow. Well, that's spraying fierce.
BRAUCH: Big game day.
And those have been in the pressure cooker for a while.
I didn't even see them go in there.
SYMON: You were chatting away.
Me and Kevin were putting pig ears in the pressure cooker.
[ Laughs ]
Kevin didn't bother to mention that.
BRAUCH: I'm just out there, trying to give him my best.
He was trying to explain
the Canadian Football League to me.
BROWN: Was he?
[ Laughs ]
Hey, Kevin, what's the latest injury report?
BRAUCH: We're getting some tape work done
on the sideline over there with the sous-chef.
BROWN: You know what?
In a battle this intense, if I were them,
I would consider running some sort of culinary Hail Mary.
FIORELLO: I'm sorry, Chef.
GARCES: What state is the rib in?
Is it gonna happen?
If I can get to it, it will happen.
I was just starting to dice the meat.
Okay.
Can you make a sausage, you think?
Just make the sausage itself?
I don't think that I can.
Iron Chefs!
Iron Chefs, the time has come to reveal my culinary curveball.
BROWN: Oh, as if the Iron Chefs don't have enough on their plates,
here's our head coach, the Chairman,
with his cart of culinary chaos!
[ Whip! ]
I would like you to utilize these...
beer helmets!
as you continue to prepare your four remaining dishes.
SYMON: You find humor in our pain.
[ Laughs ]
BROWN: Kevin Brauch, this is something,
a piece of hardware, we've never seen in Kitchen Stadium.
BRAUCH: We definitely have not perceived this
in Kitchen Stadium.
And all I can hope is that they are going to
come up with something to serve
that will require the judges to wear the beer hats.
One of the dishes remaining
has to be utilizing the beer helmet.
GARCES: Yeah?
What are you gonna do?
INTERPRETER: The Chairman gave us beer hats.
Beer hats?
I'm not sure what to do with these.
This must be some kind of joke.
All right. What do you want to do with these beer hats?
[ Laughs ] Give me a second. I got to think.
Want to make like a Michelada or something?
Yeah. There you go.
Michelada? All right.
What is it? It's beer...
Beer, clam juice.
No, no, no, no, no.
Beer --
Tomato juice.
It's tomato juice. That's what it is.
FORGIONE: Yeah, yeah, and Worcestershire. That's right.
Tomato, Worcestershire.
A little bit of this.
BROWN: Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement.
I've just gotten word from the Chairman,
and this is a first here in Kitchen Stadium.
But since sous-chef Michael
looks like he's gonna sit out the rest of the battle.
Iron Chef Garces, you can choose a replacement sous-chef.
Who's it gonna be?
Omae. Give me Omae.
Jump in, baby. Ready? Here we go.
Ready? Here we go.
Kevin Brauch, for the first time,
we've got a sous-chef injured badly enough
to have to be replaced by another chef.
We're gonna make a Philly cheesesteak, okay?
Short ribs are in there.
Get some mushrooms real quick. We got the hero roll.
Make a beautiful Philly cheesesteak.
BROWN: You know, often in football, a player is injured.
Here, we have a sous-chef, Michael,
for Iron Chefs Morimoto and Garces,
has apparently cut himself badly enough to be replaced
with sous-chef Omae,
who has certainly been here in Kitchen Stadium
with Iron Chef Morimoto many times.
I guess we're lucky
that we had a replacement player here,
or Iron Chef Morimoto and Iron Chef Garces
would be finishing this battle alone.
Jose, you've lost control.
[ Laughter ]
GARCES: Seriously.
Over on Iron Chef Morimoto and Garces' side,
Chef Omae has just stepped in and is taking over,
and they're starting by cutting onions.
This really wasn't planned.
They have to get him up to speed.
Michael's explaining to him some of the things
that have to be done.
But Michael cannot touch anything here in the kitchen.
If I see sous-chef Michael touch anything,
I'm going to throw a flag on the play.
They're like professional cheaters.
[ Laughs ]
BROWN: All right. Check out the sandwich.
I have to ask you,
Iron Chef Symon, are you compensating for something?
Look at this.
The sandwich is served.
It's just like as I come down, I've got ham, ham,
more pork products, more pork products all the way down.
We serve this sandwich with a Hummer and a Corvette.
Are those pickle ears going on here, as well?
Those fried ears going on the sandwich?
The fried ears, the pork belly, the pickled green tomatoes,
a little bit of mint, a little bit of cilantro
and stadium mustard.
Well, of course it is.
How bad can it be?
Oh, sh--
In other words, Iron Chef Michael Symon
has made a sandwich he calls a few of my favorite things.
WOMAN: 15 minutes to go.
Watch your back.
Okay.
The Big Game Day cooking continues,
and the Iron Chefs must deal with the Chairman's
culinary curveball, which has just been put into play,
when "Iron Chef America" returns.
How the [bleep] --
How am I supposed to plate this?
How am I supposed to plate this?
[ Whistle blows ]
Welcome back to "Iron Chef America."
This is the Big Game Day Battle. And you know what?
If you can't take the heat,
you're in the wrong Kitchen Stadium,
'cause the competition is heating up around here.
And yes, that's a beer hat.
We're now under the 10-minute mark.
Of course, the dramatic thing going on today
is that sous-chef Michael for Iron Chef Morimoto and Garces
suffered a bad injury --
bad enough to be replaced by sous-chef Omae,
who is now playing for him.
Kevin, can you find out they're coping with their man down?
The big game is producing results here.
You guys are perfect so far,
but then you had a little injury on the play.
What's going on here?
Well, you know, like any game, injuries happen,
and, you know, you got to get a substitute.
That's like bringing in Michael Jordan
when LeBron gets hurt.
BRAUCH: Yeah, so you guys are confident
you're still gonna get the result here today
I'm feeling good.
All right, all right. Not much time left.
Good luck with the rest of the game.
Yeah.
...take it out, strain au jus.
GARCES: I'm a sports fan, so sometimes in a big game,
there is big injuries,
and somebody has to always fill in and step up,
so luckily sous-chef Omae was on the sidelines,
[ Laughs ]
We actually had a different dish planned out.
I knew that we had some short ribs cooking
in a pressure cooker,
so I knew that I could pull together
a truffled Philly cheesesteak.
So we caramelized some onions, some mushrooms.
We got some shaved black truffles,
and I made kind of like a Romanesco hand salad.
FIORELLO: A little bit thicker.
BROWN: Of course, we're all gonna sit here and wonder
if sous-chef Omae is gonna run his hand through that mandoline
so that they have two injured sous-chefs.
BRAUCH: I don't know how many they have waiting in the wings.
I mean, I have done an Iron Chef by myself.
I figured with two Iron Chefs,
they'd at least be able to finish.
Boy, the [bleep] talking this guy does.
Unbelievable, man.
SYMON: The injuries in Kitchen Stadium,
the list is long and distinguished.
No.
BROWN: Over on Iron Chef Symon and Forgione's side,
Iron Chef Forgione plating some of that pressure-cooked beef
that was glazed with a little bit of oyster sauce,
fish sauce, and sugar.
FORGIONE: New York's a melting pot,
and I was at a football game in New York,
and I see this Laotian family,
like, messing with papayas and glazing things
with fish sauce and oyster sauce,
and the smell coming out just blew my mind,
so I wanted to interpret this Laotian dish for this battle.
That rib is now getting topped with this green papaya salad
that Iron Chef Forgione made earlier.
Sous-chef Chris is working with the mousse
that have the turkey wing in it, Dijon, white wine.
That was dredged in cereal, and that went into the fryer.
That's now going over some sauce.
He made that earlier with the Fresnoes,
hot sauce, honey, and there was some butter
and some apple-cider vinegar in there.
And look. Some blue cheese has been added.
So it's almost a riff on a hot wing.
Over at Iron Chef Morimoto, Garces' side.
All right.
He's turning his beer hat into a smoker!
Iron Chef Morimoto,
you have no idea what you have started, sir,
at colleges all over America.
INTERPRETER: It's kind of a joke.
I cut off both cup holders on the sides of the hat,
and I tape the beer hat tube to the smoke-gun tube.
I know that the smoked flavor won't be very strong
in the sauces that I'm smoking,
but I hope the judges understand my joke.
Beer hat.
Smoker.
[ Laughs ]
You're fantastic.
BRAUCH: Two minutes to go, Iron Chefs.
Ooh! Sorry.
BROWN: And how the tides have turned
here in Kitchen Stadium,
where the team that was behind by four points,
Iron Chefs Symon and Forgione, are done,
and they're drinking beer,
and the team that was ahead suffered an injury
and is now scrambling to finish on time.
GARCES: Give me some black truffle.
Black truffles. Let's go.
FORGIONE: Should we help them?
Yeah, see if they need help.
Get out of here.
[ Laughs ]
Ahh.
1:30 remaining.
Oh, look.
Iron Chef Morimoto has some nori in his hand.
He's making a paella maki,
and he's doing it like a hand-roll style,
like a little cone,
and he's adding some daikon, carrots, and cucumber
that he thinly sliced and pickled earlier.
Chef Morimoto makes a paella maki, or a hand roll.
BRAUCH: They are a bit behind.
Did they just "MacGyver" that?
INTERPRETER: What's a "MacGyver"?
"MacGyver" is a show.
Oh, oh. I don't think so.
[ Both laugh ]
I'm a serious Iron Chef.
[ Both laugh ]
With 45 seconds remaining, looking over the courses,
we've got the puffy taco,
which I just keep saying because it's fun,
the paella maki --
that's getting a little more pickled veg on top --
the skewer plate with the sauces that Iron Chef Morimoto smoked
under the Chairman's culinary curveball, the beer helmet.
30 seconds remaining.
Iron Chef Symon and Forgione --
maybe they took that beer break a little too soon.
It looks like they've got things to do themselves.
They're using the Chairman's culinary curveball
to make a Michelada beverage.
They've got their braciole hot dog.
They've got their stuffed turkey skin.
Now, that is getting some more blue cheese. Yum.
They've got their ribs with papaya salad,
and then this six-foot sandwich of doom!
[ Laughs ]
Oh, thank you.
10 seconds!
Iron Chef Garces adding shaved truffle
to this Philly cheesesteak they made at the last minute
with sous-chef Omae after sous-chef Michael got hurt.
FORGIONE: Right up to the last second.
SYMON: [ Laughs ]
Put it down. Walk away.
Our Big Game Day Battle is over here in Kitchen Stadium.
[ Laughs ]
Good job.
Well, the cooking may be over here in Kitchen Stadium,
but there is still plenty of excitement,
as the judges prepare to dig into their delicious task.
But for that, let's go over to Kevin Brauch
for an explanation of the judging rules.
Kevin?
Absolutely, Alton.
Okay, here's how it goes down on Big Game Day.
Each judge can award an Iron Chef team
up to 30 points.
We have 10 points possible for taste,
5 points for plating design,
5 points for the originality
and the use of our ingredients in today's Big Game Day theme,
5 points for the use of the Chairman's culinary curveball.
And as always, may the better team prevail.
BROWN: And keep in mind
the team of Iron Chef Symon and Forgione
are trailing by four points.
That's quite a lead
for Iron Chefs Garces and Morimoto.
So let's go to the Chairman and get the judging under way.
Iron Chef Morimoto.
Thank you.
Iron Chef Garces.
Please tell us what your approach was
to today's big-game meal.
Well, Chairman, we wanted to have a true collaboration
between Chef Morimoto and I, and really focus on the altar
and try to make those altar ingredients shine today.
So, for this dish,
Chef Morimoto wanted to do some hand maki rolls,
so I suggested making a paella.
INTERPRETER: So, I'm wrapping the paella in Japanese seaweed
with some pickled vegetables, kind of like a banh mi.
It's true fusion. [ Chuckles ]
Oh, that's off the charts.
There's so much going on, though.
It's like every bite is different.
But it's not a big mess.
And to be quite frank,
I didn't know if I was gonna like paella with the seaweed,
but it really works beautifully together.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Yes.
GARCES: I think nothing screams more big-game food to me
than guacamole and tacos,
so we made a charred pineapple
and charred cachucha pepper guacamole,
and then we braised the turkey legs
and made San Antonio-style puffy tacos,
shredded romaine, radish, and queso fresco.
I love avocado, and I usually don't like it messed with,
but it really works.
This is very tasty, but I don't like mess,
and this is all about mess right now for me.
This is ridiculous.
The more it breaks, the better I like it.
[ Laughter ]
You sure I'm not married to you?
Because my husband says the same thing.
Thank you, Iron Chefs. Next course, please.
Thank you.
Iron Chefs.
INTERPRETER: Okay. I made a smoker out of the beer hat.
It's infusing smoke flavor into the sauces for your next course.
As long as you're not making me put it on my head,
I'm happy.
MORIMOTO: [ Laughs ] Thank you very much.
INTERPRETER: So, this is a dish we call kushiage.
You have Wagyu, shrimp, oyster wrapped with bacon, and scallop.
I like the oyster and the bacon a lot.
Delicious. I love this first sauce.
I thought the whole thing worked beautifully.
Chef Morimoto, the use of the culinary curveball,
the helmet -- it was more for effect,
but it wasn't really going to --
not enough time to get smoked flavor.
It's just more for fun.
I think big ball game and, you know?
I think we were going for some subtle smoke on the sauces
and then a little show.
Chef Garces, ever the politician.
Good answer. I'll take it.
Thank you, Iron Chefs.
Next course, please.
Iron Chefs.
So, this was an audible that I called at the line,
and we changed up our fifth dish
to a Philadelphia-inspired cheesesteak
with shaved black truffles.
My favorite part about this --
I knew it was coming
about two feet before it got here,
because the aroma hit you literally from two feet away.
GREENBERG: Just tremendous.
The short ribs are extraordinarily tender,
which is exactly the way it should be.
And the truffle's not overpowering either.
I'm someone that likes the idea of a Philly cheesesteak,
and every time I order it, I'm always disappointed.
This is excellent, and a lot of fun,
a lot of great-tasting food,
more highlights than there were lowlights.
My least favorite dish was the fried servings,
but my favorite was the closing rib-eye sandwich was delicious.
GREENBERG: My favorite was the paella,
going all the way back to the very beginning,
and I thought they did extremely well
in coming up with creative ideas.
I love the fact that they've blended
their cultures so effortlessly
and neither fought with the other.
It was really nice. Mm-hmm.
Iron Chef Morimoto.
Thank you very much.
Iron Chef Garces.
Chairman.
Thank you for an excellent meal.
Thank you.
Overall, I'm feeling really good,
so I think we have a good shot.
INTERPRETER: I agree.
We had a lead going into judging from the 20-minute dish,
so I'm feeling confident right now.
BROWN: When we return,
today's second team of Iron Chefs
will take the field right here on "Iron Chef America."
[ Whistle blows ]
Welcome back, food fans.
Our first team of Iron Chefs
has presented its offerings to the judges,
and now the second half of judging begins,
as team two is about to kick off with their edibles.
Mr. Chairman, please continue.
Iron Chef Symon, Iron Chef Forgione.
Please tell us what your approach was
to today's big-game meal.
Well, Mark and I are both huge football fans,
so we've been to tailgates in other cities.
We've seen the food,
and we wanted to reinterpret it in an Iron Chef style for you.
Excellent.
Please tell us about this dish.
This is our trip to Buffalo.
And, you know, obviously, Buffalo is famous
for buffalo chicken wings.
And, of course, you need the celery.
We made a buffalo red-pepper jelly,
and then you have some smoked blue cheese.
And I really implore you to every once in a while
just throw a piece of blue cheese in your mouth.
That's not up my alley, but the jelly,
the dipping jelly, is fantastic.
Did you call it jelly?
Yeah.
Wow.
You really did get the flavor of the buffalo wings,
which I happen to love.
Of all of these kinds of food, that's probably my favorite.
My son -- I'm sorry -- Christopher,
who lives on buffalo wings -- I don't like them.
I would eat this all the time.
It's like buffalo wings grew up.
ARPAIA: I 100% agree.
It really was one of those perfect bites.
Loved it.
Thank you, Iron Chefs. Next course, please.
Thank you.
Iron Chefs.
So your next course, guys, brings you to Chicago.
Don't act like we're not looking ridiculous here.
I'm gonna get to that in a moment.
The elephant in the room
is the beer helmets, all right, boys?
We all acknowledge we're wearing beer helmets.
We have to thank the Chairman for that one.
CHAIRMAN: You're welcome.
The dish kind of brings you to Chicago.
We took the turkey leg, and we made turkey braciole,
but we made it with all the flavors
that you see in a Chicago dog.
Oh, that is fantastic.
I lived in Chicago for 11 years. I know Chicago-style hot dogs.
SYMON: Thank you.
You nailed it exactly right.
Well, you made this Italian girl very happy
by putting little braciole in there, but it's amazing.
Very, very good.
What was the drink? Yeah, it had a real kick to it.
FORGIONE: We just made a very simple Michelada
using a little bit of beer, hot sauce, celery seed,
fresh lime juice, and a little bit of ice.
The drink is great.
It's a beer helmet.
[ Laughs ]
There are really only so many ways you can use a beer helmet.
I'm extremely impressed, because besides it being fun,
there's a lot of work going into this.
There was crunch and spice and heat and seasoning,
and they improved on the hot dog.
Thank you, Iron Chefs. Next course, please.
Iron Chefs.
All right, so, this next course,
when we saw the giant ribs,
we figured it's got its own handle.
Chairman wants us to use one hand.
So you're gonna have to get a little primal
Little?
This is like a Flintstone bone.
For something that looks so intimidating,
with this giant bone and everything,
when you bite into it, it's just so pleasant
and just very, very nice.
Are you feeling like a caveman right now?
I do. I have unleashed my inner caveman.
I think that the dish tastes ridiculously good.
If you ordered this in a restaurant,
you would come back regularly and order it again.
I think it's that kind of good and that kind of unique.
Thank you, Iron Chefs. Next course, please.
Iron Chefs.
So, you guys, I'm not gonna lie.
When I saw that six-foot roll,
there was no way that I wasn't gonna make a giant sandwich.
So we have some house bacon,
that beautiful ham you gave us, Mr. Chairman.
We took the pig ears
and fried them up till they were crunchy.
We have some house-made pickled green tomatoes
and then that beautiful jus that we cooked the pork in
that is finished with Cleveland ballpark mustard
and some hot chilies.
I love this.
You took this challenge, and you listened to it,
and you took something
that's so traditional in all of our lives
and just took it to the next level.
I have never been this full in my entire life,
and yet I can't stop eating it.
It tastes that good. I like the tailgating theme.
I like that they said,
"Okay, this is a traditional Buffalo tailgate,
now a traditional Chicago tailgate."
So I think they really did a good job
of creating a cohesive theme
above and beyond just a big-game meal,
which I think shows a lot of thought and a lot of creativity.
This admittedly is the most obnoxious sandwich
I've ever seen in my life.
I live for this.
FORGIONE: It's not that bad.
I thought it was gonna be much worse.
Iron Chef Symon...
Iron Chef Forgione,
thank you for an excellent meal.
[ Cheers and applause ]
SYMON: I mean, the judges appreciate
how we embraced game day
and just made delicious, tasty food.
FORGIONE: Yeah, I think at the end of the day,
we had fun, the judges had fun,
and I hope the people at home had fun.
BROWN: And as I speak, the scores are rolling in,
and the Iron Chef team of Symon and Forgione
pull ahead to win in the category of taste,
but still trail behind by two points overall.
So the final tally of scores for plating, originality,
and the innovative use of the Chairman's culinary curveball
when "Iron Chef America" returns.
[ Whistle blows ]
Welcome back to "Iron Chef America."
Our final result is just around the corner.
At this point, either team could win,
so let's get up to the Chairman and see what he's got to say.
Today, two teams of champions
met in a Big Game Day Battle here in Kitchen Stadium.
Iron Chef Symon.
Iron Chef Forgione.
Iron Chef Morimoto.
Iron Chef Garces.
The judges have spoken, and the winners are...
...Iron Chefs...
...Symon and Forgione.
BROWN: In a surprise come-from-behind victory,
Iron Chef Symon and Forgione get the "W" in taste,
originality, and the use of the culinary curveball.
SYMON: I mean, what's better than victory?
We beat Morimoto and Garces -- two incredible Iron Chefs.
There was 2:37 left on the clock,
and, you know, it was --
we're at our own 10-yard line, and we had to go.
[ Laughs ]
We had a great two-minute drill, and we brought it home.
The fix is in. [ Laughs ]
It's a big game. It's got to be a fix.
We battled two great Iron Chefs today.
Unfortunately, the judges didn't see it our way.
But in the end, like, I'm proud of our work that we did,
and it was a good game-day experience.
INTERPRETER: I completely agree.
Yes.
So it goes on the culinary gridiron of Kitchen Stadium.
But, you know, there's no championship ring here,
no trophy, no ticker-tape parade.
Just bragging rights among colleagues until next year.
In closing, I quote the great Vince Lombardi,
who once told his Green Bay Packers,
"Gentlemen, we will chase perfection,
"and we will chase it relentlessly,
"knowing all the while it can never be attained,
but along the way, we shall catch excellence."
I'm Alton Brown.
On behalf of the Chairman, Kevin Brauch,
and everyone here in Kitchen Stadium,
I bid you good eating.
[ Cheers and applause ]
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.