Big flavors meet big personalities as regional rivals from the thriving Kansas City barbecue world compete to see who will advance to the $50,000 Grill Masters grand finale and face winners from Texas, North Carolina and Memphis. A 20-minute appetizer round doesn't seem long enough to deal with the double cut pork chops in the first basket. Then, a bubbly surprise in the second basket prompts the chefs to bring the sweet to their entree dishes. Pineapple and banana are two of the flavors that must be married on the last two competitors' dessert plates.
Three Chopped Junior Champions are taking a seat at the Chopping Block, as four regular Chopped judges -- Amanda Freitag, Alex Guarnaschelli, Marcus Samuelsson and Chris Santos -- compete for $25,000 for charity. The chefs are cooking with some of the same ingredients that the kids did, but with a few shocking twists, starting with cured fish roe in the appetizer basket. The entree basket contains some familiar barbecue ingredients, and the chefs must also incorporate an elaborate gelatin creation. The dessert basket turns into an ice cream showdown, and the remaining two chefs must cook with ears!
For the holidays, Chef Robert Irvine is heading west to Jackson Hole, Wyo. to visit the City Kids Wilderness Project, a camp in the heart of the Grand Teton Mountains that welcomes at-risk teens from the inner city of Washington, D.C. Robert's giving back by redoing three of their spaces in just three days, updating their 25-year old facilities that are full of broken equipment, disorganization, and under-utilized space. As Robert get to know the campers, he is inspired to add more special surprises and a cook a huge barbecue with help from chef Stephanie Izard.
Start your grills, today Marcela has a Mexican menu for every backyard barbecue! First up, her Poc Chuc Pepitos, delicious marinated steak sandwiches. Marcela pairs her steak sandwich with baby red potatoes, tossed on the grill, then finished with spicy Chipotle butter. Marcela continues the spice by stuffing fiery jalapeno chiles with cheese, wrapping them in bacon and throwing them on the grill for the perfect party kick. Even dessert gets grilled! She's grilling bananas and drizzling them with a spiced chocolate sauce. Indoor or outdoor there's a grill dish to delight everybody, straight from Mexican Made Easy.
It's a cornucopia of meat to satisfy every carnivore! Iron Chef Bobby Flay dines on American classics at Wolfgang's Steakhouse in New York City, but Iron Chef Michael Symon skips the standard steakhouse and heads to Lewis Barbecue in Charleston, SC, when he's craving prime rib and beef ribs. Iron Chef winner Tim Love is addicted to the Pig's Ear Salad and Pork Leg Steak at the Purple Pig in Chicago, then Iron Chef winner Lee Anne Wong shares her love for the Argentinean-style grilled skirt steaks, short ribs and sausages at the Ox in Portland, Ore.
Four years ago, lifelong friends Kurron and Vinny opened Against Da Grill, a casual, diner-style restaurant in their Staten Island, N.Y., hometown. As beloved and active members of the community, the restaurant's struggle to stay open goes deeper than the food alone. Vinny thinks a barbecue concept will save their future; Kurron wants to upgrade his existing diner concept. Chef Rocco DiSpirito arrives on the scene, divides the restaurant to showcase both concepts and helps them develop their menus. He opens both restaurants side by side for one night only and determines which concept will move forward, saving these hometown heroes.
The Kitchen is making a week's worth of healthy, weeknight-friendly recipes, starting with Jeff Mauro's Baked Coconut Chicken with Spicy Mango Dip and Geoffrey Zakarian's Root Vegetable Lentil Stew. Chef Michael Symon joins the hosts to make his Baked Cod Shakshuka-Style, and the hosts pass the Asian Barbecue Bowl with Brown Rice Noodles piled high with pork marinated with ginger and pear, Quick Pickle Asian Slaw and Miso Carrot Ginger Dressing. Then Katie Lee makes Fusilli with Kale and Walnut Pesto, and registered dietitian and nutritionist Maya Feller drops by to walk through popular meal plans and share healthy breakfast options.
The Kitchen is grilling up the summer's best recipes, starting with Sunny Anderson's low and slow 12th District Pork Roast. Alex Guarnaschelli shares her Grilled Tomatoes with Scallions, Chives and Ricotta, and Jeff Mauro throws deli meat on the grill for his Barbecue-Lacquered Grilled Bologna on Texas Toast with Fennel Slaw. Katie Lee Biegel serves up a bright and flavorful summer side dish of Grilled Corn and Farro Salad, and special guest Kalen Allen stops by to judge the season's grilling trends. To cap things off, Geoffrey Zakarian shakes up a Spicy Pineapple Margarita for the first official sip of summer.
The Kitchen is celebrating the end of summer, starting with Katie Lee's Grilled Paella. Learn how to save summer foods and souvenirs all winter long, and get tips from expert party planner Mary Giuliani on throwing a Piece of Cake Party. Jeff Mauro's Crispy Crunch Pig Candy Sriracha Baked Beans are the perfect barbecue side dish, while Secret Eats host Adam Richman has a twist on flank steak with his Matambrito a la Pizza. Finally, Geoffrey Zakarian gives one last sip of summer with his Kickin' Bucket cocktail before the gang makes a splash with The Kitchen's bucket dunker.