- 7/2/2025
Watch to the end and comment below with a rating of Mark’s dish!
Thanks to @MarkRober for cooking with me!
Thanks to Zack Jonas for Mark's special knife
Thanks to @MarkRober for cooking with me!
Thanks to Zack Jonas for Mark's special knife
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:00This is Mark Rober, one of the biggest YouTubers on the planet who's gotten billions of views on his science and engineering videos.
00:06But it turns out he has no idea how to cook.
00:09Today, I'm going to turn Mark into a master chef.
00:12I'll start by putting him through an intense culinary boot camp.
00:15And once he masters the three most important skills in the kitchen, he'll attempt to cook a gourmet meal all by himself, completely from scratch.
00:21Mark, apron on. You'll get a chef's coat just like this one if and when you earn it.
00:25And before we start our official training, I have a gift.
00:30Whoa.
00:32That is your brand new chef's knife. Take good care of it.
00:34This is what's going to teach you to do anything in the kitchen.
00:36How do I judge if it's sharp?
00:37I'll give you a piece of paper.
00:38Okay, yeah.
00:40Look at that sharp.
00:41Not how it's done.
00:42Oh.
00:43Whoa.
00:45Can we just cook with paper?
00:47One more thing before we start.
00:48If you succeed in this whole challenge, you get this cool trophy right here.
00:51I do have a trophy case at Crunch Labs, and this would look very good.
00:54If you fail, you have to wear this hamburger hat on your whole trip home.
00:58Come on.
00:58This is how I'd look.
01:00The first skill I'm going to teach Mark is knife skills.
01:02Before you can cut anything, you need to know how to hold a knife.
01:04How would you hold this knife?
01:06Uh, for sure like this.
01:08Wrong.
01:08Really?
01:09I at least have the right end.
01:10Give me that.
01:11The way that you actually hold a chef's knife is you pinch around the base of the blade with
01:15your thumb and pointer finger, and then wrap the rest of your fingers around the handle.
01:19That gives you full control, almost like an extension of your arm, and then you can slice nice,
01:23even cuts.
01:24Because I don't trust you yet, you're going to put this cut-proof glove on.
01:27No way.
01:28This is like chain mail.
01:29Mark can't cut his fingers now.
01:30With your other hand, you want to make a nice claw.
01:32The claw.
01:33And you want to cut using the claw as a guide and go down the edge there.
01:36Pick up this knife and just start showing me those slices on the cutting board.
01:39Try to get in the rhythm of it.
01:40Watch the motion.
01:42Oh yeah.
01:43Mmm, I understand.
01:45He's a quick learner.
01:46Can I do a no look, or I always need to be looking?
01:48You can do a no look.
01:49You sometimes do that?
01:51Alright, let's bring in some ingredients.
01:52First up, tomatoes.
01:54Tomatoes?
01:54Isn't that like the hardest thing to cut?
01:56With the first tomato, I want you to make nice, even slices.
01:58Yes, chef.
02:01It should be going forward the whole time.
02:02Oh yeah, yeah.
02:02That's how you slice.
02:03Okay, okay.
02:05Even slices.
02:06You said that like I'm not doing them evenly.
02:08Well, are you?
02:08You know, this was the first one.
02:10We're not counting this.
02:11This is the last one.
02:12I know as chefs, you'd never count the first and the last.
02:15I've seen worse.
02:16Looking at these initial knife cuts, we're starting back at square one.
02:18Maybe square zero.
02:19There's room for improvement.
02:20I'll give you that.
02:21If we get to the challenge later in the video, I'm not going to be the one judging you.
02:24You're going to be the judges.
02:25So at the end of the video, comment down below if you think Mark did a good job,
02:28and if you think he became a master chef.
02:30My fate is in your capable hands.
02:32Next, tomato.
02:33Get me the thinnest slice you can possibly get.
02:35This is all about precision and knife control.
02:37Whoa, okay.
02:39You're not holding the knife correctly, are you?
02:40Yes.
02:42Ah.
02:43Ah.
02:48Okay.
02:48Do this.
02:49Curl.
02:50Don't stand awkwardly.
02:51Relax.
02:52And just position yourself however you need to be able to cut properly.
02:55Good point.
02:56Thin, even slice.
02:57Thinner than that.
02:58I need like thin, thin.
02:59Okay, first one doesn't count.
03:00This is nice.
03:05Oh.
03:06I can see like the cells in that thing.
03:09Already you've gone from about a one on a scale of 100 to maybe a seven or an eight.
03:14Dang.
03:14Okay, so precision you've got.
03:16That's my thing.
03:17In the kitchen, I'm more of a like precise guy.
03:19That's why I don't have like the feel in the art, but like give me the numbers.
03:23You crushed this exercise.
03:24When do I graduate from the glove?
03:25I feel like such a newbie with this.
03:27You'll graduate when you're ready.
03:28One time I saw you perfectly take all the rind off of watermelon, but you used sponges
03:32and you kind of cheated.
03:33Yeah.
03:33Now I want you to do it like a real chef would with a knife.
03:36Clean it off in the fewest number of cuts that you can.
03:39Wow, that's a lot.
03:40Don't stand awkwardly.
03:42Grab the knife appropriately.
03:43Relax, relax.
03:44Relax.
03:45Mm-hmm.
03:45Here we go.
03:48This is where you need to be a little bit more forceful.
03:49Okay, yeah, I'm getting that.
03:51One, you're going at an angle right now.
03:52Be careful.
03:53Look at the shape of the watermelon.
03:54Look at the base.
03:54If I do that though, it's not going to be parallel to the other side.
03:57That's like 12 degrees right there.
04:01Now I'm going to put it like this.
04:03Oh boy.
04:03Follow the rind.
04:04Okay, just follow the rind.
04:06Mm-hmm.
04:06Oh boy.
04:07Holding the knife incorrectly.
04:08Oh, such a stickler.
04:11Sometimes a smaller knife helps try that out.
04:13That even says your name on it.
04:15I'm going to speak to Mark in some science terms now.
04:17Apply lots of torque and twist down the edge of the watermelon.
04:20Understood.
04:21You're not holding the knife right.
04:22This is safer and better.
04:24Whoa, the Mark Grover knife, it's easier to apply that torque.
04:27You want me to show you one?
04:28Yeah.
04:30Boom.
04:30See that?
04:31See how curved it is?
04:32That was very different.
04:36Not bad.
04:37A little bit more red here than here.
04:39That's all right.
04:40What do you think, chat?
04:40Stop calling them chat.
04:41Chat's got my back.
04:42Much better.
04:43You're getting better throughout the watermelon.
04:45Yeah.
04:45Now flip it upside down and do some cleanup.
04:47Remember, we want as much watermelon there as possible.
04:50When you take off the rind, it should just be green and white.
04:52Oh, that was a bad one.
04:55Next, I look at Hank to see if I'm getting an approving glance.
05:00What do you think, chef?
05:01Why don't you grade yourself with this?
05:02That's like a B minus.
05:03You need to be at an A.
05:04To get the Knife Skills badge, you must chop this whole onion in 60 seconds or less.
05:08Before you try to do that, I'm going to show you how to stuff.
05:11I'm only going to show you this once.
05:12I actually have a picture of myself cutting an onion when I was six years old
05:16because my mom asked me to help prepare for dinner,
05:18and I went upstairs and got the swim goggles.
05:20Goggles.
05:21Goggles!
05:22I came up with this idea first, Nick, all right?
05:24And this actually works, right?
05:25I don't need goggles for this, so...
05:27What?
05:27Wait, why?
05:28You're, like, immune?
05:29No, if you have a sharp enough knife and you use the right technique, you shouldn't cry.
05:32So you're saying I'm going to cry because my technique will be so bad?
05:35Well, hopefully it's not.
05:36This would be a bummer of a video if it just ended here.
05:38So first step, peel the onion.
05:39There's no real chef's trick.
05:40It's just kind of annoying for everybody.
05:42First thing, chop off the top.
05:44Upside down, chop it in half.
05:45What about this part?
05:46That actually is what holds the whole onion together, so we need that.
05:49This is where the claw comes in.
05:50Chop down the onion.
05:51You're not going through the whole thing?
05:53Not all the way through.
05:5390% of the way through.
05:54If I'm being honest, you haven't done anything.
05:56Like, it just looks like an onion.
05:58Sure, okay.
05:58That's where we do the claw again.
05:59One, two, three, four, five.
06:02Six, seven, eight, nine, ten.
06:03That is so cool.
06:05And you're just going forward.
06:06And we're left with this stub, and if you really want to chop the rest, you can just.
06:10And that's how you chop an onion.
06:12No way.
06:13That's wild.
06:15Wait, the clock starts from the beginning?
06:17I mean, like, from this point?
06:19For the knife skills badge, you must chop this whole onion in 60 seconds.
06:22You ready?
06:22I'm ready.
06:23Three, two, one, go.
06:29It's not my best start.
06:32Peel!
06:36Moving, quick.
06:37Oh.
06:38Nice.
06:39Don't forget how you hold your knife.
06:40Yeah, you got it.
06:4030 seconds left.
06:41Come on.
06:43I need a sous chef.
06:44Oh, God.
06:45I'm falling apart, chef.
06:4710 seconds left.
06:48What?
06:49There's no way that's true.
06:51Quick, quick, quick.
06:51Five, four, three, two, one.
06:57Hands up.
06:58I got a little bit of glove in there in the end.
07:00I'm not going to lie.
07:01To see if Mark gets the badge, I say we compare my pile of chopped onion to Mark's pile of chopped
07:05onion.
07:06There are a couple bigger chunks there where you didn't cut all the way through.
07:09The thing is, I like my onions a little chunkier.
07:11So this was definitely an intentional choice.
07:14Mark, for somebody who never cooks, I think you just earned yourself the knife skills badge.
07:20There it is, baby.
07:21One of three, right?
07:22One of three.
07:23I'm very motivated.
07:24For the second badge, you must learn heat control.
07:26What does that even mean?
07:27Cooking with a flame.
07:28It requires just as much focus and precision as knife skills, but now we're dealing with
07:32fire, which is cool.
07:34If we make it to the final challenge, this will be extremely important.
07:36The first thing I want you to do is toast this bagel perfectly.
07:40Perfectly.
07:41Remember that one time in your video when you made me toast?
07:43I still dream about that.
07:44As you know, I don't put my bagels or my toast in a toaster.
07:47I cook it on the pan.
07:48So I need you to cook it on the pan and get the inside perfect golden brown.
07:52Can you do it?
07:53Yeah, I got to remember what you did.
07:54It definitely had something to do with butter.
07:56Okay, we'll just turn that on to 11 heat.
07:59Are you asking?
08:00No, I'm just saying and I'm looking at your face when I do it.
08:03Maybe a little lower.
08:04Like 8 heat, I mean?
08:065 heat.
08:07Perfect.
08:07I'm going to take this butter and I'll put it right on the bagel in the pan.
08:13Then I'm going to do this like a pro.
08:16Let it melt.
08:17I just pop this in here and I move it all around.
08:19This is exactly so far how I would be doing it.
08:22This is good.
08:22I'm not kidding.
08:23When you made me that toast, that's like the top 5 culinary experiences in my life.
08:27You're being totally serious.
08:28I'm dead serious.
08:30I dream about that toast.
08:31I'm not kidding you.
08:32I'm noticing two things already.
08:33First, your pan is off-center on the flame.
08:36Ugh, this way.
08:38Right, exactly.
08:39Then, constantly be adjusting that flame as you go.
08:41You should be picking up the bagel, checking it, seeing if it gets brown anywhere, and then
08:45shifting it around at all times.
08:47You need to constantly be moving the pan, changing the heat like a DJ.
08:50You want to see a quick trick that I think you'd appreciate because of science?
08:54Yeah, so if my pan ever gets too hot, I will immediately bring it back to the sink, turn
08:58on the water.
08:59It instantly cools the pan down.
09:01That is so good.
09:02And then you're back to square one.
09:04Okay, back up to five.
09:05There's so many variables to be thinking about when you're cooking something over heat.
09:09The other key that you have to think about that you haven't really thought enough about
09:12yet is that surface area of contact between the bagel and the pan.
09:16When people are trying to cook a steak and they don't get a proper sear, it's usually
09:18because the steak's bubbling up.
09:20And there's little pockets of it that aren't touching the pan.
09:22Press down, make even contact on the whole bagel.
09:24Treat it like a really fancy steak.
09:26Mmm.
09:27What I'm also noticing here, and what I'm proud of Mark for, is the fact that he's got
09:30chef hands already.
09:31You aren't seeming to be fazed by the heat, by the hot oil that's lining up on you, by
09:35the butter.
09:36It's just calluses from engineering and weightlifting.
09:38You have chef hands.
09:39Heck yeah.
09:4099% of people I meet don't have chef hands.
09:42Yeah, I bet Trahan had softball baby hands.
09:44Pillow hands.
09:45Yeah.
09:45It probably smelled like lavender or something.
09:48That looks golden brown.
09:50I can already tell you're really good around heat, and you just perfectly nailed a golden
09:54brown bagel.
09:54So I actually feel ready to jump you to the final test for this batch.
09:58Okay, do I get to taste this?
10:02Oh, I like the crunch.
10:03That's pretty good.
10:04It's not as good as your toast.
10:05But it's good.
10:06Come out.
10:07Wow.
10:08That's really good.
10:09Did you hear the crunch?
10:09What is that from?
10:10Maillard reaction.
10:11Mmm.
10:12If you want the real science.
10:13I do want the real science.
10:14For the heat control badge, Mark, you must make me the perfect pancake.
10:18Oh.
10:18It's got to be fluffy.
10:20It's got to be even golden brown across the whole thing.
10:22And it's got to be delicious.
10:23Do you make pancakes?
10:24Do Eggos count as pancakes?
10:26They're waffles.
10:26So no.
10:27Are you ready?
10:28Are you going to go without butter?
10:30Oh, no.
10:31I'm not going to go without butter.
10:32I'm going to go with about this much butter.
10:35Make the perfect pancake.
10:36That's it, right?
10:37That's it.
10:38Already, this is usually more butter than I would typically.
10:40Is that like a trick to be a good chef?
10:42Yeah, chefs use a lot of butter.
10:43Do a very small amount.
10:44Make sure it's perfect.
10:45And no reaction at all.
10:50On these final challenges, I can't tell you much.
10:52Choose your weapon.
10:53I'm more of a flat wide guy.
10:55Trick to a good pancake, I learned when I was a kid, is you wait for the bubbles.
10:59Cool.
11:00You said cool like that's not the trick.
11:02Okay, we're not sticking.
11:03That's good.
11:04You kind of only want to flip once, too.
11:06That's what I always say.
11:07I've never met anyone who flips their pancakes more than once.
11:11Okay, we're seeing the bubble action.
11:12We're just waiting for that one last section to come through.
11:15You've got to be very confident when you flip.
11:17It's got to be a clean...
11:18The other thing is, a lot of times, I don't even use a spatula when I flip.
11:21I do...
11:22No way.
11:23Yeah.
11:23Do you want to see it?
11:24I'm going to flip this without a spatula.
11:26Can we agree?
11:27Regardless of how this looks, if I flip this without a spatula, I get the badge.
11:30No.
11:31Let's just be clear.
11:32If it's burnt, you don't get the badge.
11:34If it gets messy when it flips, you don't get the badge.
11:36Gosh!
11:37Until you make me the perfect pancake, you don't get the badge.
11:39It's so much pressure.
11:40Okay, here we go.
11:41I'm ready.
11:41Three, two, one.
11:45Hey!
11:47That doesn't look normal.
11:49How did you even get those patterns on there?
11:51I don't know.
11:52It's burnt.
11:53It kind of looks like an English muffin.
11:55That tasted disgusting.
11:59What was that?
12:00Try again.
12:00I cannot move forward until I get this right.
12:02This time, I'm going to flip it earlier.
12:04I don't want to wait for full bubbles throughout.
12:07I'm not going to say anything.
12:08It's back to you.
12:08Okay, here we go.
12:10Okay, we're up to a great start already.
12:12I'm already turning it down to like a four.
12:14I feel like slow and low is how you want to rock a pancake.
12:17Already, we've got great bubble formation.
12:20The pancake's a little off-center in the pan,
12:22and what I'm optimizing for is pancake placement.
12:25The pancake itself is right in the crosshair of the stove.
12:28Smart.
12:28I like how you're using your engineering skills
12:30to create the perfect pancake.
12:32You've got to play to your strengths, right?
12:33Sure.
12:34The thing about cooking is that it's actually all science.
12:37So theoretically, Mark should be a really good cook.
12:39That's true.
12:40Theoretically.
12:41Theoretically, I should be able to do this.
12:45Now sometimes, and this is an advanced move,
12:48you can do a little bit of a peek.
12:49Smart.
12:50I like that.
12:51I saw some brown.
12:52I'm ready for the flip.
12:53You are?
12:54Yep.
12:54All right, let's see.
12:55Here it is.
12:57Boom.
12:58We're good.
12:59You were a little heavy-handed on the butter on this one.
13:01I still don't know that I'd call that the perfect pancake.
13:03Third time's the charm.
13:03What are you doing different this time?
13:05I want a nice thin layer of butter.
13:06I've been a little heavy-handed on the butter.
13:08What I'm going to do now is wipe it around,
13:10and I'm just coating the whole entire pan.
13:11I've turned the heat down.
13:13A single pour right in the middle.
13:14That's your best pour so far.
13:16That is a perfectly circular pancake,
13:18and already those bubbles are starting to form.
13:19I'm also rotating the pan a bit more
13:22in case, like, parts of the flame are hotter than others.
13:24It's kind of like how on your microwave it spins around,
13:26so you don't have, like, hot spots and cold spots.
13:28You cook with a microwave, Nick?
13:30No.
13:30Me neither.
13:31I mean, look at that.
13:32You could calibrate an instrument on the International Space Station
13:35with the circularity of this pancake.
13:38I don't even know what that means.
13:39I think it's ready to flip.
13:42This is the big moment.
13:43Come on.
13:46That's a nice, clean pancake.
13:48I like the texture.
13:49Perfectly smooth across the whole thing.
13:50You do have an attention to detail with the food,
13:52I've noticed, Nick,
13:53that really takes it to the next level.
13:56This is really, really, really good.
13:58If that's not the definition of heat control,
14:00I'm not sure what is.
14:01It's a perfect circle.
14:02It's perfectly even in thickness,
14:04and that crust on the top is even in golden brown,
14:06which means...
14:07Two for three, baby!
14:10We're getting there!
14:11Still one left.
14:11I've heard this is the hardest of the three.
14:13I was actually about to say that.
14:14Okay, and I made that up.
14:15I assume it is.
14:16Well, it is.
14:16Okay.
14:17What is one, isn't it?
14:18In order to make it to the final challenge,
14:19you need to achieve your seasoning batch,
14:22which is one of the most important things in cooking.
14:23In front of us,
14:24I've created a mad scientist flavor lab
14:26with all the different textures and flavors you find in food.
14:29There's a lot here.
14:30To start out,
14:31I want you to look at all these categories.
14:32They're in groups of three.
14:33Each one of these groups represents some kind of taste
14:36or some kind of texture.
14:37In order to move into the next stage of our seasoning lesson,
14:40I need you to properly identify each of these sections.
14:43I'm on it.
14:43This...
14:44That's a potato chip.
14:46This...
14:47Is a cornflake.
14:49And this...
14:51Breadcrumbs?
14:52Well, I feel like this represents the texture of crispy.
14:55Nailed it.
14:56Boink!
14:56Get it out of here.
14:57Here we go.
14:57This...
14:58Syrup.
14:59Ooh, I'm looking forward to this bite.
15:01The good stuff.
15:01Salt?
15:03Just kidding.
15:03It's sugar.
15:04And this looks like honey.
15:05This represents sweet.
15:07Correct.
15:07Get it out of here.
15:08Oh, these are getting harder.
15:09Okay, I think I got this one.
15:10Lemon juice?
15:12Vinegar?
15:12Woo!
15:14And pickles.
15:15This is like vinegar or like acidity.
15:17Acidic.
15:17Here we go.
15:18All right.
15:18This...
15:19Pean bar?
15:21What is this going to be?
15:22Cream?
15:23Mm-hmm.
15:24And this looks like mayonnaise.
15:26This feels like fat.
15:28Mark's getting good.
15:29Mmm!
15:30You're already doing way better than Ryan Trahan with the seasoning section.
15:33He didn't know really what any of this stuff was.
15:35He thought pesto grew on trees.
15:36Everyone knows it grows in the bush.
15:39Coming up next.
15:40This is...
15:42Oh, ugh.
15:43Ugh.
15:43Ginger?
15:44Yeah.
15:46Okay.
15:46Hot sauce.
15:46Could have been ketchup, but it's hot sauce.
15:49That's pepper.
15:50I don't need to taste that.
15:51This is high concentration of capsaicin, also known as spicy stuff.
15:55Spice.
15:56Good job, Mark.
15:56Now, this is where it might start to get a little bit tricky.
15:58You can tell I've gone from, like, what's easy.
16:00Remember, some tastes, some textures.
16:02Okay.
16:03This, I'm hoping it is what I think it is.
16:06I thought that was coconut.
16:07That was not coconut.
16:08It was not coconut.
16:08What is it?
16:09It's, um, Parmesan cheese.
16:10There you go.
16:11This is a mushroom.
16:12I don't need to taste that.
16:13Well, I'm going to do it anyways.
16:14This.
16:14Any guesses?
16:15Soy sauce?
16:16Ugh.
16:17What is that?
16:18Worcestershire.
16:18Oh, Worcestershire.
16:19So, this is umami.
16:22Wow, I didn't think you'd get that like that.
16:23I made that up.
16:24I don't know what umami is.
16:25I've heard people say it.
16:26That was a Hail Mary.
16:27What does umami mean?
16:28Sort of like a taste that makes you want to keep eating.
16:30I thought that was sugar.
16:31This, I know what it is because I grow it in my yard.
16:34As suspected, it smells like toothpaste.
16:37This is mint.
16:38Mm-hmm.
16:38This, I have no idea what's about to happen.
16:41Sour cream.
16:42Nope.
16:43What?
16:43Okay, okay.
16:44Yogurt.
16:44Yeah.
16:45Last one.
16:46Cucumber.
16:47What are all those doing to you?
16:48It's like refreshing.
16:49Close.
16:50Cooling.
16:50There you go.
16:51Okay, two more.
16:52This looks kind of delicious.
16:55That's like coffee.
16:56Yep.
16:57Really hoping this is cocoa powder.
16:58I'm just going full send.
17:01Ugh.
17:01It is cocoa powder.
17:02Why would you eat that much?
17:03I thought like quick, Nestle quick tastes delicious.
17:06You're gonna choke on it.
17:06Water!
17:07Taste in small amounts.
17:08The heck is this?
17:09Last one.
17:10It tastes like gross Sprite.
17:12Tonic?
17:13Water?
17:13Yeah.
17:13What do they do to your palate?
17:14They make it.
17:15Bitter.
17:17Bitter!
17:17I pulled that out.
17:19This last one should be pretty easy.
17:20This looks like it's kind of like feta or blue cheese, which I love.
17:24That's feta.
17:25Mm-hmm.
17:26Salt, I'm guessing.
17:27Hard to mess this one up.
17:28Yeah.
17:28This, a clean spoon.
17:30Soy sauce.
17:31I want to say salty.
17:32Salty it is.
17:33Ready for the challenge though?
17:34I have prepared a beautiful chicken stir fry.
17:37It's got chicken.
17:37It's got all sorts of veggies.
17:38It's got sesame seeds.
17:39But it's missing something.
17:40It's got absolutely zero seasoning.
17:43To get the seasoning badge, you need to use a combination of these ingredients to make
17:47a sauce for this stir fry.
17:48It needs a one-way ticket to Flavotown.
17:50Bring it there.
17:51Okay.
17:52Generally for a stir fry, I think I want like a teriyaki.
17:54To me, that says like umami.
17:56I like it kind of sweet.
17:57Maybe a little bit of a kick to it.
17:59It's starting with honey.
18:00Like that much I know I want.
18:01Okay.
18:02That's probably enough honey.
18:04We're moving.
18:05You want to put the heat on or are you just going to let it cook without the heat?
18:08Oh, that's what happens when you flood the room with gas and then light a spark, kids.
18:12Now, this was the Worcestershire sauce.
18:15I just want a little bit of that.
18:16Soy sauce is like a given.
18:18I did a lot of soy sauce.
18:19Okay, I'm going to mix this in.
18:20Next up, go with me on this.
18:22A little potato chip.
18:24You never saw that coming, did you?
18:26I think a little peanut butter to be honest.
18:28And it's going to give you a little bit of that fat.
18:30Get those lipids in there.
18:31Mix that up.
18:32A little bit of that, hey, how are you?
18:33That's actually not bad.
18:35A little bit sweet.
18:36I want to bring that down a little bit.
18:38A little bit of ginger.
18:39Similar to like a bay leaf.
18:40It kind of goes in there for the flavor profile.
18:42You're not necessarily supposed to eat it.
18:43And that, by the way, is serving the same function as my potato chip.
18:47I'm not loving the viscosity.
18:49What you want is somewhere in between honey and soy sauce.
18:52And I feel like we're a little too close on the honey end of the spectrum.
18:55I might thin it out with a little bit of feta cheese juice.
18:58That juice is going to have a little bit of salt.
19:01You have something like a coconut milk.
19:02That's going to give it a little bit of that lipid.
19:04Sort of in the flavor profile of East Asian cuisine.
19:07Do we have any like seeds?
19:09Sesame seeds?
19:10Seeds.
19:11I'm really impressed that Mark is asking for stuff that is not actually already here on
19:14the counter.
19:15That shows that he's thinking outside the box.
19:18You know what it needs?
19:19I think it needs a little bit more sweetness.
19:22Making sure that's sugar, not salt.
19:23True story.
19:24I made a batch of cookies and I poured a cup of salt in.
19:26They were not good.
19:27Okay, let's see if that changed anything.
19:29Nick, I am very proud to say we've arrived to Flavortown.
19:33Once you pour it onto the stir fry, there's no going back.
19:35You ready?
19:35Yeah.
19:36It's like pencils down moment.
19:37Nice.
19:38Okay, chef.
19:39What I have prepared for you today is a chicken stir fry with a teriyaki sauce that's umami.
19:44It's got some of that sweetness in there.
19:45It's a hint of oaky undertones.
19:47It's not just saying this for the camera.
19:51That sauce is better than what you get at most restaurants.
19:55What?
19:56That actually is pretty good.
19:57It's really good.
19:58Wow.
19:58I genuinely feel pride right now.
20:00I feel really happy.
20:01How ready do you feel on a scale of one to ten to cook a gourmet meal fully by yourself?
20:06I'm a little bit nervous, but I'm excited.
20:09With this final badge, it means that Mark gets to move on to that final championship round
20:13where we get to find out if he is a true master chef.
20:15All three badges, how do you feel?
20:16I didn't honestly think I'd make it to this point, so I'm just stoked to be here.
20:20Close your eyes.
20:21To move into the final round, you need to put on your very own chef's coat.
20:25Chef Mark!
20:26What?
20:27Mark, do you have any idea what we're making?
20:29Um, I have no idea.
20:30I picked a recipe that, whether most of you know it or not, is filled with lots and lots of science.
20:34The perfect burger and fries.
20:36I love burgers and fries.
20:38Have you ever made one?
20:38Not fries.
20:40A very simple burger.
20:41Today, you're going to attempt to make a gourmet burger and fries entirely from scratch.
20:45Except for the buns.
20:47There's no way you'd make the buns from scratch in time.
20:49You have great buns, Nick.
20:51This won't be easy.
20:51You'll have one hour, and if you don't finish, then we'll just judge you on whatever you make.
20:55I'm not just saying this, but the work I had to do to earn those three badges means I'm entering this with, like, some level of confidence.
21:01Probably overconfidence.
21:02Your one hour starts now.
21:08Go.
21:09Let's go.
21:10Chat, I'm not going to let you down.
21:11Okay, this is the French fry maker.
21:13Place this here.
21:14Just going to try this.
21:17Ooh, smooth.
21:19Never cut potatoes like this for French fries.
21:21I love this little machine.
21:22Get those in cold water right away.
21:23Okay, ice, ice, ice.
21:25The cold water is going to pull the surface starch off these fries, and that will make them more crispy.
21:29Scientifically, we're making crunchier fries, baby.
21:32What's next?
21:32I make my sauce.
21:33This is for the burgers.
21:34You know what I like is a good fry sauce.
21:36In Utah, they have this stuff called fry sauce, which is basically just mayo and ketchup.
21:41I'm just going to mix this.
21:43Mmm.
21:43That's good.
21:44Ooh, my knife.
21:45Be careful.
21:46This is a big moment.
21:47Not bad knife skills for someone who's never cooked before today.
21:50So this is adding a little bit of texture, a little bit of saltiness.
21:54This is my bench scraper.
21:55Get them in there.
21:56Time for a little taste.
21:57Maybe a little more ketchup.
21:59I do feel like the sauce needs a little bit more sweetness.
22:0251 minutes left.
22:03Okay, yeah, yeah.
22:04Way too much time on his sauce.
22:05Just a hint of lemon.
22:06I came prepared today with a little bit of science.
22:08This is measuring the pH level of the sauce.
22:10Now, the perfect pH level for kind of a sauce like this is kind of like the high threes.
22:15And it looks like we are at 3.6.
22:17That's a little low.
22:19I want to get it a little less acidic.
22:20If I could just get it to the high threes, I'd be happy.
22:22You brought a pH tester?
22:24Nothing if not prepared, Nick.
22:253.8.
22:26I'm calling that a W.
22:27Sauce is done.
22:28Okay.
22:28All right, next up, I'm going to work on my toppings.
22:30Got some butter lettuce, red onion, and a juicy ripe tomato.
22:33Here we go.
22:34I'm going to slice this.
22:35This is where our practice with that tomato from earlier comes in handy.
22:37Mark needs to make a perfect even slice down the center of the onion.
22:41Oh, man.
22:41I'm losing time on the onion field.
22:43Yeah, this is just a waste of time, Mark.
22:45You've spent over a minute trying to peel this onion.
22:47Stay with me, chat.
22:48Okay, here we go.
22:49I got the claw.
22:51Claw that bad boy.
22:55Claw.
22:56You're taking way too long doing this part.
22:59You want to salt the tomato right after you cut it.
23:02Now, something I learned from watching your videos, it's like an osmosis thing.
23:05So the salt draws the water out.
23:07It kind of pulls the flavors of the top.
23:08He's exactly right.
23:09Topping's done.
23:10I'm going to put these in the fridge.
23:1142 minutes remaining.
23:12Next up, we got the burger.
23:14Okay.
23:15What are you doing right now?
23:16Honestly, this just feels cool.
23:18Believe it or not, Mark's actually doing the right thing.
23:20You want to throw your burger meat back and forth between your hands to remove all the air bubbles.
23:23Okay, Nick, it should come as no surprise.
23:25I like a precise burger right here.
23:27166 grams.
23:29Looking for about 151.
23:31153.
23:32148.
23:33There it is.
23:34151.
23:34No backup?
23:35Sure.
23:35I'm only making one.
23:36But you say that like I should have a backup.
23:38I'm going to make a backup.
23:39Mark, quick, quick, quick.
23:40Come on.
23:40I feel like I shouldn't have to say this, but never pull out a ruler when you're making
23:45a hamburger.
23:46Just wasted a full 25 seconds doing that.
23:48When you see how perfectly these burgers fit on the buns, you're going to regret that
23:52statement, Nick.
23:53Now, I'm seasoning high up because that gives you more of an even distribution.
23:56I really like to go high, Nick.
23:58Burgers are ready.
23:5934 and a half minutes to go.
24:01You need to just...
24:01Got to clean my workstation.
24:03I was about to say that.
24:04You don't need to say that.
24:05I'm a chef.
24:06I'm wearing the frigging white thing.
24:07Next up, fries.
24:09They've been chilling in that cold water to really draw out the starch.
24:12Now, I'm just going to like pick the best ones.
24:14Get out of here.
24:15Don't need that.
24:16Pull out those fries.
24:16Quick, quick, quick, quick.
24:17Okay.
24:18I need oil.
24:18All right.
24:19I can help you with that.
24:20Oh, this is cooler than I was anticipating.
24:22You're going to double fry these French fries.
24:23It makes them much crispier.
24:24Sounds delicious.
24:25And it's a little bit of a challenge I'm throwing in there for you because it's going
24:28to take you longer.
24:29And you only have 29 minutes left.
24:31Okay.
24:31Here I go.
24:32Watch your face.
24:33Oh, that's starting to bubble up real nice.
24:35That is a nice, gentle boil.
24:37There we go.
24:38Right on time.
24:39I realize there's an art to cooking.
24:41There's a science to it too.
24:42I mean, these are all physical properties that are happening that are affecting changes
24:46in the food.
24:46Admittedly, I don't have the art side as much.
24:49So that's why I brought all my instruments.
24:50Normally, when you double fry French fries, you want to go ahead and put them in the freezer
24:53for a while until you fry them for the second time.
24:56But since Mark's here, I wanted to bring him a treat.
24:59I got you some food grade liquid nitrogen.
25:01Liquid nitrogen.
25:03This part is kind of dangerous.
25:05Goggles on for safety.
25:06I'm not stopping the time for you, by the way.
25:08I don't need you to stop the time for me.
25:09We're just pouring the liquid nitrogen into this bowl here.
25:12So to be clear, we're doing this so you can freeze the fries faster and not run out of
25:16time for this challenge and then fry them again.
25:18All right.
25:18Here we go.
25:19Liquid nitrogen.
25:20This one's for you, chat.
25:21Only the best.
25:21Here we go.
25:22That's awesome.
25:22The most scientifically proven way.
25:24You can see what the lead and frost effect.
25:26Nobody knows what the lead and frost effect.
25:27Lead and frost does.
25:28It's named after him.
25:29Look at these little balls.
25:30They're kind of evaporating and rolling along the surface.
25:33Let's go.
25:35This is how you freeze french fries.
25:37See if they pass the sound test.
25:39Oh, that sounds frozen.
25:40Mark, that was really cool, but guess what?
25:41What?
25:42You only have 21 minutes left.
25:43Oh, no.
25:44Oil.
25:45Time to put it back in?
25:46Clean your workstation.
25:47I won't let him proceed until he keeps his workstation clean.
25:49It's not part of the deal.
25:51Oil.
25:51Our oil is up to 375.
25:54This is a little hotter the second time through.
25:56Fries in.
25:56Let's go.
25:57Very frozen fries in.
25:59I'm just kind of let him cook for the second time.
26:01All right, Nick.
26:01I brought another tool.
26:03This is a decibel meter.
26:04The thought here is I can measure the crunchiness of the fries.
26:07We look up.
26:08What's the ideal crunch for a fry?
26:09About 60 to 70 decibels.
26:11There it is.
26:11I'm going to take one out right now,
26:13and then we'll measure the crunchiness using the pressure waves of the sound.
26:17Okay, here we go.
26:18Moment of truth.
26:19Six decibels short of the desired crunchiness.
26:22How is it fried?
26:23The fries pretty good.
26:24It needs a little bit more crunch.
26:25Here we go.
26:26Got it.
26:27We're like low 60s.
26:28These look amazing.
26:30Now we need salties from a high elevation.
26:34This is quite possibly the best French fry I've ever had.
26:36The crunchiness of the outside,
26:38it's just like pillowy on the inside.
26:40Mark, you got to go.
26:40You got to move.
26:41Okay, okay, okay.
26:43I hear you.
26:44We still have to toast your buns and make the patty,
26:46and then melt the cheese.
26:47I know.
26:47All right, time to cook the burger.
26:48Go, go, go.
26:49Pull out my frying pan.
26:51Turn it on.
26:51Oil.
26:52I'm looking for a Maillard reaction here,
26:54meaning you need that nice crust on the burger.
26:56That means you want your pan to be around 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
26:59Got my trusty laser thermometer here.
27:00We're rocking like 480,
27:02so it needs to come down just a bit.
27:04I'm just going to gently put this in here.
27:06Lay it away from him.
27:07That's good.
27:08Making sure we have full surface contact
27:10so that Maillard reaction can take place.
27:12Come on, baby.
27:13Chef hands.
27:13We got one more tool here.
27:14This is an infrared camera,
27:16but it's not just a thermometer.
27:17Like, it visually gives you that indication.
27:19Oh, yeah.
27:20That's an even cook.
27:21Just the right temperature.
27:2211 and a half minutes to go.
27:24You're kind of got to get closer.
27:25I feel like I've got to make up some time here.
27:27Go ahead and flip away from me.
27:29Woo!
27:30That's a Maillard reaction right there.
27:32All right, here we go.
27:33Go.
27:33I got some cheese.
27:35I'm going to get my lid.
27:36Creates a nice little steam bath.
27:38Just gently melt the cheese.
27:39Better not take too long
27:40because you've got 8 minutes, 45 seconds.
27:42Woo, baby!
27:42While my cheese is melting,
27:44I'm going to go ahead and carefully cut my buns.
27:46That's a clean cut.
27:47Cheese check.
27:47Oh, that's looking melty.
27:49Pull this off.
27:50Just under 6 minutes to go.
27:51Here we go.
27:51Throw the buns on.
27:52I'm going to start plating.
27:53You're using the thermal camera again.
27:55Yeah, I'm liking that.
27:56Condiments.
27:56Coming through.
27:58A little bit of sauce on the bottom bun.
27:59Two layers of lettuce.
28:01My burger.
28:02Find the burger.
28:02Find the burger.
28:03Where's the burger?
28:04Find the burger.
28:05I'm looking.
28:06It's right there.
28:06Oh.
28:08I missed that.
28:0930 seconds remaining.
28:10Next up is the onion.
28:11Lightly salted tomato.
28:13Sauce on top.
28:14Quick, quick, quick, quick, quick.
28:15You're forgetting one big thing.
28:1710, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5,
28:225, 4, 3, 2, 1, done.
28:28Round of applause for Mark.
28:29Come on.
28:30Let's go.
28:32This truly, I'm not lying, is like the best thing I've ever made.
28:35Nothing I've made has ever looked this good.
28:37Unfortunately, I'm not the judge.
28:38So for everybody watching, Mark, why don't you describe your dish one last time before they
28:42comment down below their judgments?
28:43We've got a beautiful burger with an artisanal bun, all the classic toppings, special sauce,
28:47and then some double fried french fries with my proprietary seasoning blend.
28:51Go comment down below if you think Mark Rober is now a master chef.
28:55The moment of truth.
28:57That's really, really good.
28:58I'm going to cry.
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