Bobby Flay Pitches a New Kitchen Gadget for 'Shark Tank'

What do Derrell Smith, an NFL player turned meatball maestro, and luxury restaurant consultant Chris Arellanes have in common? They both want to “fillet Bobby Flay” (a term Derrell coined and used three times throughout the episode). On this episode of Beat Bobby Flay, self-made entrepreneur Lori Greiner hops out of the Shark Tank to heckle Bobby alongside the eternally sassy Scott Conant.

Texan, Buccaneer, Chef: Derrell Smith

Once an NFL linebacker, Derrell pivoted his career from the field to the kitchen as the co-owner and executive chef of Smokey Chance BBQ, and now has an LA pop-up, Amazeballs. Today, he’s seeing if he can top chef Chris Arellanes for the chance to challenge Bobby.

The Monastery’s Finest: Chris Arellanes

Raised in a Buddhist monastery, chef Chris is the founder and principal consultant of Addicted Hospitality. His experience in Michelin-level kitchens gives him a slightly different background from Derrell’s time on the gridiron. But to beat Bobby, he needs to ace the first challenge. The star ingredient? Merguez sausage.

Cooking for the Women

Chris’ mentor, his late grandmother, is one of his many sources of motivation. “I’m here to win for the women in my life, my mother in the sky, my grandmother in the sky and my wife here watching me tonight.” When Chris points out his wife in the crowd, Scott noted, “You’re punching up there, my friend.” Women love a man who can cook. It's that simple.

No Pain, No Gain

Scott didn’t want to put all the heat on Chris, so he paid Derrell a visit to play some junior varsity-level mind games. “So, what team did you play for in the NFL?”

“Texans and the Bucs,” replied Derrell.

“And you got out of that, and you decided to become a chef because you just love punishment, clearly,” chirped Scott.

Derrell responded with a laugh: “That’s a fact.” Nice try, Scott.

Round 1: Egg Rolls vs. Couscous

To prove that he’s worthy of “filleting Bobby Flay” (trademark Derrell Smith), Derrell made guest judges Lori and Scott a sausage, pepper and shrimp egg roll. But the lack of crispiness from inadequate fryer time and the mishmash of flavors led to his dish falling short compared to Chris’ couscous and tzatziki base. It’s time for him to (say it with me) beat Bobby Flay!

It’s Cacciatore Time

For the final round, Chris challenged Bobby to a cacciatore-off. One of his grandma’s signature dishes, Chris’ time in the monastery had all been leading up to this moment. The encouraging words of Scott were the perfect motivation: “Chef, clearly Lori and I are on your side.”

“Crush Bobby!” the Shark added.

Both Bobby and Chris chose to pair their cacciatore with polenta: Chris taking the creamy route and Bobby going toasted. But Bobby’s decision to opt for water over milk gave Scott the perfect fuel to clown him. “Bobby is going to make his polenta with water,” Scott called across the kitchen to Lori. “Chris is making his polenta with milk … which obviously tastes better than water … just sayin'.”

To get Bobby out of the zone, Lori threw him in the tank, calling on him to pitch the next great kitchen gadget. “C’mon, Bobby, bring it on — I’ll write a check now!” It’s never a bad day to flex the net worth.

His concept for a device that cooks a burger on both sides without grilling didn’t impress either of the judges, prompting another jab from Scott: “I think she hates your idea, Bobby!” With his mind on inventions, Bobby’s head was anywhere but the kitchen.

To top their respective dishes off, Chris chose to make a chicken-skin gremolata. At the beginning of the challenge, Bobby said he was finishing his with salsa verde. So, why is it that when plating, Bobby made the last-minute decision to sprinkle crispy chicken skin atop the cacciatore? Sneaky move, Flay. Sneaky move.

Winner, Winner, Chicken (Cacciatore) Dinner

With judges Frank Prisinzano, Lauren Scala and Michael Jenkins hungry for some poultry and polenta, their blind taste test began. Chris’ chicken was praised for its tenderness, but his polenta underwhelmed, getting lost in the sauce and being deemed “almost mush.”

But when it was time for Bobby’s assessment, the real star of his dish came to light: garlic. Despite differing opinions on which batch of chicken was cooked better, the consensus was clear: Bobby went “gangster on the garlic,” to quote Lori.

“Bobby, I love you, man,” Frank said with a chuckle, “But you can’t fly off the handle like this with the garlic.” That, paired with Lauren’s note that the raw garlic was “a lot,” was enough to secure Chris the victory.

“I’m gonna go out on a limb and say Bobby lost twice today,” added Scott, sneaking in one last bite before the credits rolled.