Can I Turn Mark Rober Into A MasterChef?

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 https://www.jonasblade.com

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And before we start our official training,
I have a gift. Mark: Oh, whoa.
Nick: That is your brand new chef’s
knife. Take good care of it. This is what’s going to
teach you to do anything in the kitchen. Mark:
How do I judge if it’s sharp? Nick:
I’ll give you a piece of paper. Mark:
Okay? Yeah. Oh. That’s sharp. Nick:
Not how it’s done. Mark:
Oh. Whoa. Can we just cook with paper? Nick:
One more thing before we start. If you succeed in this whole challenge,
you get this cool trophy right here. Mark:
I do have a trophy case at Crunch Labs,
and this would look very good. Nick:
If you fail, you have to wear this hamburger
hat on your whole trip home. Mark:
Come on. This is how I’d look. Nick:
The first skill I’m going to teach Mark is
knife skills. Before you can cut anything,
you need to know how to hold a knife. How would you hold this knife? Mark:
Uh. For sure. Like this. Nick:
Wrong. Mark:
Really? I at least have the right end. Give me that. Nick:
The way that you actually hold a chef’s knife
is you pinch around the base of the blade with your thumb and pointer finger,
and then wrap the rest of your fingers around the handle. That gives you full control,
almost like an extension of your arm. And then you can slice nice,
even cuts because I don’t trust you yet. You’re gonna put this cut proof glove on? Mark:
No way. This is like chainmail. Nick:
Mark can’t cut his fingers. Now,
with your other hand, you want to make a nice claw? Mark:
Claw. Nick:
And you want to cut using the claw as a guide
and go down the edge there, pick up this knife and just start showing me
those slices on the cutting board. Try to get in the rhythm of it. Watch the motion. Mark:
Mhm I understand. Nick:
He’s a quick learner. Mark:
Can I do a no look or I always need to be
looking. Nick:
You can do a no look. Mark:
You sometimes do that. Nick:
All right. Let’s bring in some ingredients.
First up tomatoes. Mark:
Tomatoes. Isn’t that like the hardest thing
to cut. Nick:
With the first tomato I want you to make nice
even slices. Mark:
Yes, chef. Nick:
It should be going forward the whole time.
That’s how you slice. Mark:
Okay, okay, okay. Nick:
Even slices. Mark:
You said that like I’m not doing them evenly. Nick:
Well, are you? Mark:
You know, this was the first one. We’re not counting this. This is the last one
I know, chefs, you never count the first and last
I’ve seen worse. Nick:
Looking at these initial knife cuts,
we’re starting back at square one. Maybe square zero. Mark:
There’s room for improvement. I’ll give you that. Nick:
If we get to the challenge later in the
video. I’m not going to be the one judging you. You’re going to be the judges. So at the
end of the video, comment down below if you Mark:
My fate is in your capable hands. Nick:
Next tomato. Get me the thinnest slice you
can possibly get. This is all about precision and knife
control. Mark:
Whoa. Okay. Nick:
You’re not holding the knife correctly,
are you? Mark:
Yes. Ah ah ah. Okay. Do this curl. Nick:
Don’t stand awkwardly. Relax and just position yourself. However, you need to be able to cut properly. Good point. Thin. Even slice. Thinner than that. I need like thin. Thin. Mark:
Okay. First one doesn’t count. Nick:
This is nice. Oh. Mark:
I can see, like, the cells in that thing
already. Nick:
You’ve gone from about a one on a scale of
100 to maybe a seven or an eight. Mark:
Dang. Nick:
Okay, so precision you’ve got. Mark:
That’s my thing in the kitchen. I’m more of a precise guy. That’s why I don’t have,
like, the feel in the art, but, like, give me the numbers. Nick:
You crush this exercise. Mark:
When do I graduate from the glove? I feel like such a newbie. With this. Nick:
You’ll graduate when you’re ready. One time I
saw you perfectly take all the rind off a watermelon. But you use sponges and you kind
of cheated. Mark: Yeah.
Nick: Now I want you to do it like a real
chef would with a knife. Clean it off in the fewest number of cuts
that you can. Mark:
Wow, that’s a lot. Don’t stand awkwardly. Grab the knife appropriately. Nick:
Relax, relax. Mark:
Relax. Here we go. Nick:
This is where you need to be a little bit
more forceful okay. Mark:
Yeah I’m getting that one. Nick:
You’re going at an angle right now. Be
careful. Look at the shape of the watermelon. Look at the base. Mark:
If I do that, though,
it’s not gonna be parallel to the other side. That’s like 12 degrees right there. Now, I’m gonna put it like this. Nick:
Follow the rind. Mark:
Okay, just follow the rind. Oh, boy. Nick:
Holding the knife incorrectly. Mark:
Oh, you’re such a stickler. Nick:
Sometimes a smaller knife helps. Try that out. That even says your name on it. I’m gonna speak to Mark in some science
terms. Mark: Thank you.
Nick: Apply lots of torque and twist
down the edge of the watermelon. Mark:
Understood. Nick:
You’re not holding the knife,
right? Mark:
Oh. Nick:
This is safer and better. Mark:
Whoa! The Mark Rober knife. It’s easier to apply that torque. Nick:
You want me to show you one? Mark:
Yeah. Nick:
Boom! See that? See how curved it is? Mark:
That was very different. Nick:
Not bad. Mark:
A little bit more read here than here. Nick:
That’s all right. Mark:
What do you think, Chad? Nick:
Stop calling them Chad.
Mark: Chad. Got my back. Nick:
Much better. You’re getting better throughout
the watermelon. Mark:
Yeah. Nick:
Now flip it upside down. Do some cleanup.
Remember, we want as much watermelon there as possible. When you take off the rind,
it should just be green and white. Mark:
Oh, that was a bad one. Sometimes I look to see if I’m. Getting an approving glance. What do you think, chef? Nick:
Why don’t you grade yourself with this? Mark:
That’s like a B-minus. Nick:
You need to be at an A to get the knife
skills badge. You must chop this whole onion in 60s or less before you try to do that. I’m going to show you how it’s done.
Mark:Thank you.
Nick: I’m only going to show you this once. Mark:
I actually have a picture of myself cutting
an onion when I was six years old, because my mom asked me to help prepare for
dinner, and I went upstairs and got the swim goggles. Nick:
Goggles. Mark:
Goggles. I came up with this idea first. So. Nick. All right. And this actually works,
right? Nick:
I don’t need goggles for this. Mark:
So what? Wait. Why? You’re,
like, immune. Nick:
No. If you have a sharp enough knife and you
use the right technique, you shouldn’t cry. Mark:
So you’re saying I’m gonna cry cause my
technique will be so bad? Nick:
Well, hopefully it’s not. Mark:
This would be a bummer of a video if it just
ended here. Nick:
So first step, peel the onion. There’s no real chef’s trick. It’s just kind
of annoying for everybody. First thing, chop off the top upside down. Chop it in half. Mark:
What about this part? Nick:
That actually is what holds the whole onion
together. So we need that. This is where the clock comes in. Chop down the onion. Mark:
We got going through the. Nick:
Whole thing, not all the way through 90% of
the way through. Mark:
If I’m being honest, you haven’t done
anything like it. Just looks like an onion. Nick:
Sure. Okay. That’s where we do the claw
again. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Mark:
That is so cool. Nick:
And you’re just going forward. And we’re left
with this stub. And if you really want to chop the rest, you can just. And that’s how
you chop an onion. Mark:
No way. That’s wild. Wait. The clock starts from the beginning. I mean,
like from this point. Nick:
For the knife skills badge,
you must chop this whole onion in 60s. You ready?
Mark: I’m ready.
Nick: Three. Two. One. Go! Mark:
It’s not my best start. Nick:
Moving quick? Oh, nice. Don’t forget how you hold your knife. Yeah,
you got it. 30s left. Mark:
Go on. I need a sous chef. Oh, God. I’m falling apart, chef! Nick:
10s left. Mark:
What? There’s no way that’s true. Nick:
Quick, quick, quick! Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Hands up! Mark:
I got a little bit of glove in there in the
end. I’m not gonna lie. Nick:
To see if Mark gets the badge,
I say we compare my pile of chopped onion to Mark’s pile of chopped onion. There are a
couple bigger chunks there where you didn’t cut all the way through. Mark:
The thing is, I like my onions a little
chunkier, so this was definitely an intentional choice. Nick:
Mark. For somebody who never cooks. I think you just earned yourself. Mark: Yes!
Nick: The knife skills badge. Mark:
There it is, baby. One of three,
right? Nick:
One of three. Mark:
I’m very motivated. Nick:
For the second badge. You must learn heat
control. Mark:
What does that even mean? Nick:
Cooking with a flame. It requires just as
much focus and precision as knife skills. But now we’re dealing with fire.
Mark:
Which is cool. Nick:
If we make it to the final challenge,
this will be extremely important. The first thing I want you to do is toast this bagel
perfectly, Mark:
Perfectly. Remember that one time in your video when you
made me toast? I still dream about that. Nick:
As you know, I don’t put my bagels or my
toast in a toaster. I cook it on the pan. So I need you to cook
it on the pan and get the inside perfect golden brown. Can you do it? Mark:
Yeah. I gotta remember what you did. It definitely had something to do with
butter. Okay, we’ll just turn that on to 11 heat. Nick:
Are you asking? Mark:
No, I’m just saying. And I’m looking at your
face when I do it. Nick:
Maybe a little lower. Mark:
Like eight heat. I mean,
five heat. Nick:
Perfect. Mark:
I’m gonna take this butter and I’ll put it
right on the bagel in the pan. Then I’m gonna do this like a pro,
let it melt, and I just plop this in here,
and I move it all around. Nick:
This is exactly so far,
how I would be doing it. This is good. Mark:
I’m not kidding. When you made me that
toast, that’s like the top five culinary experiences of my life. Nick:
You’re being totally serious. Mark:
I’m dead serious. I dream about that toast. I’m not kidding you. Nick:
I’m noticing two things already. First, your pan is off center on the flame. Mark:
Oh. This way.
Nick:
Right. Exactly. Then constantly be adjusting that flame as
you go. You should be picking up the bagel,
checking it, it. Seeing if it gets brown anywhere and then
shifting it around at all times. You need to constantly be moving the pan,
changing the heat like a DJ. You want to see a quick trick that I think
you’d appreciate because of science?
Mark: Yeah. Nick:
So, if my pan ever gets too hot,
I will immediately bring it back to the sink. Turn on the water. It instantly cools the pan
down. Mark:
That is so. Good. Nick:
And then you’re back to square one. Mark:
Okay, back up to five. Nick:
There’s so many variables to be thinking
about when you’re cooking something over heat. The other key that you have to think
about that you haven’t really thought enough about yet, is that surface area contact
between the bagel and the pan when people are trying to cook a steak and they don’t get a
proper sear, it’s usually because the steaks bubbling up and there’s little pockets of it
that aren’t touching the pan, press down, make even contact on the whole bagel. Treat it like a really fancy steak. Mark:
Mhm. Nick:
What I’m also noticing here,
and what I’m proud of Mark for, is the fact that he’s got chef hands already. You aren’t seeming to be fazed by the heat,
by the hot oil that’s splashing up on you by the butter. Mark:
It’s just calluses from engineering and
weightlifting. Nick: You have chef hands.
Mark: Heck yeah.
Nick: 99% of people I meet don’t have chef hand. Mark:
Yeah, I bet Trahan had soft little baby.
Nick: Pillow hands. Mark:
Yeah. Probably smelled like lavender or
something. That looks golden brown. Nick:
I can already tell you’re really good around
heat, and you just perfectly nailed a golden brown bagel, so I actually feel ready to jump
you to the final test for this batch. Mark:
Okay, do I get to taste this? Oh, I like the crunch. That’s pretty good. It’s not as good as your toast. Nick:
But it’s good. Mark:
Your mouth. Nick:
Wow, this is really good. Mark:
Did you hear the crunch? What is that from? Nick:
Maillard reaction. If you want the real
science. Mark:
I do want the real science. Nick:
For the heat control badge. Mark, you must make me the perfect pancake. Oh, it’s gotta be fluffy. It’s gotta be even golden brown across the
whole thing. And it’s gotta be delicious. Do you make pancakes? Mark:
Do Eggos count as pancakes?
Nick: They are waffles. Mark: So. No. Are you ready? Nick:
Are you gonna go without butter? Mark:
Oh, no, I’m not gonna go without butter. I’m gonna go with about this much butter. Make the perfect pancake. That’s it. Right. Nick:
That’s it. Mark:
Already. This is using more butter than I
would typically. Is that like a trick to being a good chef? Nick:
Yeah. Chefs use a lot of butter. Do a very
small amount, make sure it’s perfect. Mark:
No reaction at all. Nick:
On these final challenges. I can’t tell you
much. Choose your weapon. Mark:
I’m more of a flat, wide guy. Trick to a good pancake. I learned when I was a kid. You wait for the bubbles. Nick: Cool.
Mark: You said cool like that’s not the
trick. Okay, we’re not sticking. That’s good. You
kind of only want to flip once, too. That’s what I always say. Nick:
I’ve never met anyone who flips their
pancakes more than once. Mark:
Okay, we’re seeing the bubble action. We’re
just waiting for that one last section to come through. Nick:
You’ve gotta be very confident when you flip. It’s got to be a clean. Mark:
The other thing is, a lot of times I don’t
even use a spatula. I flip, I do. Nick:
No way. Mark:
Yeah. Do you want to see it? I’m gonna flip this without a spatula. Can we agree? Regardless of how this looks,
if I flip this without a spatula, I get the badge. Nick:
No, let’s just be clear. If it’s burnt, you don’t get the badge. If it gets messy when it flips,
you don’t get the badge.
Mark: Gosh. Nick:
Until you make me the perfect pancake. You don’t get the batch. Mark:
So much pressure. Okay,
here we go. I’m ready. Nick:
Three. Two. One. Mark:
Hey, that doesn’t look normal. Nick:
How did you even get those patterns on there? Mark:
I don’t know. Nick:
It’s burnt. Mark:
It kind of looks like an English muffin. That
tasted disgusting. What was that?
Nick: Try again. Mark:
Cannot move forward until I get this right.
This time I’m gonna flip it earlier. I don’t want to wait for full bubbles
throughout. Nick:
I’m not gonna say anything. It’s back to you. Mark:
Okay, here we go. Okay,
we’re off to a great start already. I’m already turning it down to,
like, a four. I feel like slow and low is how you want to
rock a pancake already? We’ve got great bubble formation. The pancakes a little off center in the pan. And what I’m optimizing for is pancake
placement. So the pancake itself is right in the
crosshair of the stove. Nick:
Smart. I like how you’re using your
engineering skills to create the perfect pancake. Mark:
You gotta play to your strengths,
right? Nick:
Sure. The thing about cooking is that it’s
actually all science. So theoretically, Mark should be a really
good cook. Mark:
That’s true. Nick:
Theoretically. Mark:
Theoretically, I should be able to do this
now, sometimes. And this is an advanced move. You can do a little bit of a peek. Nick:
Smart I like that. Mark:
I saw some brown. I’m ready for the flip. Nick:
You are. Mark:
Yep. Nick:
All right let’s see. Here it is. Boom. Mark:
We’re good. Nick:
You were a little heavy handed on the butter
on this one. I still don’t know that I’d call that the perfect pancake. Third time’s the
charm. What are you doing different this time? Mark:
I want a nice, thin layer of butter. I’ve been a little heavy handed on the
butter. What I’m gonna do now is wipe it around, and I’m just coating the whole entire
pan. I’ve turned the heat down a single pour right in the middle. Nick:
That’s your best pour so far. That is a perfectly circular pancake. And already those bubbles are starting to
form. Mark:
I’m also rotating the pan a bit more in case
like parts of the flame are hotter than the other. It’s kind of like how on your
microwave it spins around so you don’t have like hot spots and cold spots. You cook with a microwave. Nick. Nick:
No. Mark:
Me neither. I mean, look at that. You could calibrate an instrument on the
International Space Station with the circularity of this pancake. I don’t even know what that means. I think
it’s ready to flip. Nick:
This is the big moment. Come on. That’s a nice clean pancake. Mark:
I like the texture. Nick:
Perfectly smooth across the whole thing. Mark:
You do have an attention to detail with the
food, I’ve noticed. Nick, that really takes it to the next level. Nick:
This is really, really,
really good. Mark:
If that’s not the definition of heat control, I’m not sure what is. Nick:
It’s a perfect circle. It’s perfectly even in thickness. And that crust on the top is even. And golden brown, which means. Mark:
Two for three, baby. We’re getting there. Nick:
Still one left. Mark:
I’ve heard this is the hardest of the three. Nick:
I was actually about to say that. Mark:
Okay. And I made that up,
I assumed. Nick:
Well, it is.
Mark: Okay. Which one is it? Nick:
In order to make it to the final challenge,
you need to achieve your seasoning batch, which is one of the most important things in
cooking in front of us. I’ve created a mad scientist flavor lab with all the different
textures and flavors you find in food. Mark:
There’s a lot here. Nick:
To start out, I want you to look at all these
categories. They’re in groups of three. Each one of these
groups represents some kind of taste or some kind of texture. In order to move into the
next stage of our seasoning lesson, I need you to properly identify each of these
sections. Mark:
I’m on it. This that’s a potato chip. This is a corn flake. And this breadcrumbs. So I feel like this represents the texture of
crispy. Nick:
Nailed it. Mark:
Get it out of here. Here we go. This syrup. Ooh. I’m looking forward to this. Bite the
good stuff. Salt. Just kidding. It’s sugar. And this looks like honey. This represents
sweet. Nick:
Correct. Mark:
Get it out of here. Oh,
these are getting harder. Okay, I think I got this one. Lemon juice,
vinegar and pickles. This is like vinegar,
like acidity. Nick:
Acidic. Here we go. Mark:
All right. This goombah. What is this gonna be? Cream. And this looks like mayonnaise. This feels like fat. Nick:
Mark’s getting good. Mark:
Mhm. Nick:
You’re already doing way better than Ryan
Trahan with the seasoning section. He didn’t know really what any of this stuff was. He thought pesto grew on trees. Mark:
Everyone knows it grows in a bush. Coming up next. This is. Oh, Ginger. Nick:
Yeah. Mark:
Okay. Hot sauce. Could’ve been ketchup,
but it’s hot sauce. That’s pepper. I don’t need to taste that. This is high concentration of capsaicin,
also known as spicy stuff. Nick:
Spice. Good job. Mark. Now this is where it might start to get a
little. Mark:
I know you could tell I’ve gone from,
like, what’s easy. Nick:
Remember some tastes,
some textures. Mark:
Okay. This I’m hoping it is what I think it
is. I thought that was coconut. Nick:
That was not coconut. Mark: Not coconut.
Nick: What is it?
Mark: It’s parmesan cheese. Nick:
There you go. Mark:
This is a mushroom. I don’t need to taste
that. Well, I’m gonna do it anyways. This. Nick:
Any guesses? Mark:
Soy sauce. Uh, what is that? Nick:
Worcestershire. Mark:
Oh, Worcestershire. So this is umami. Nick:
Wow. I didn’t think you’d get that. Mark:
I made that up. I don’t know what umami is. I’ve heard people say it. That was a Hail
Mary. What does umami mean? Nick:
Sort of like a taste that makes you want to
keep eating. Mark:
I thought that was sugar. This. I know what
it is because I grow it in my yard. As suspected, it smells like toothpaste. This is mint. This. I have no idea what’s
about to happen. Mhm. Sour cream? Nick:
Nope. Mark:
What? Okay. Okay. Yogurt. Nick:
Yeah. Last one. Mark:
Cucumber. Nick:
What do all those doing to you? Mark: It’s like refreshing.
Nick: Close.
Mark: Cooling. Nick:
There you go. Mark:
Okay. Two more. This looks kind of delicious. That’s like coffee.
Nick: Yep. Mark:
Really hoping. This is cocoa powder. I’m just
going full send. Ah, it is cocoa powder. Nick:
Why would you eat that? Mark:
I thought, like, quick Nestlé Quik tastes
delicious. Nick:
Choke on it. Taste in small amounts. Mark:
What the heck is this last one? It tastes like gross. Sprite tonic water. Nick:
Yeah. What do they do to your palate? Mark:
They make it, um. Bitter. Bitter? I pulled that out. Nick:
This last one should be pretty easy. Mark:
This looks like it’s kind of like feta or
blue cheese, which I love. That’s feta salt,
I’m guessing. Nick:
Hard to mess this one up. Yeah. Mark:
This. The clean spoon is soy sauce I want to
say salty. Nick:
Salty. It is ready for the challenge though.
I have prepared a beautiful chicken stir fry. It’s got chicken. It’s got all sorts of
veggies. It’s got sesame seeds, but it’s missing something. It’s got absolutely zero
seasoning. To get the seasoning badge,
you need to use a combination of these ingredients to make a sauce. For this stir fry. Mark:
It needs a one way ticket to Flavortown. Nick:
Bring it there. Mark:
Okay. Generally for stir fry you want like a
teriyaki. To me that says like umami I like it kind of
sweet. Maybe a little bit of a kick to it. It’s starting with honey. Like that much I
know I want. Okay, that’s probably enough. Honey. We’re moving. Nick:
You want to put the heat on. Or are you just
gonna let it cook without the heat? Mark:
Oh, that’s what happens when you flood the
room with gas and then light a spark. Kids. Now, this was the Worcestershire sauce. I just want a little bit of that. Soy sauce is like a given. I did a lot of soy sauce. Okay, I’m gonna mix this in. Next up, go with me on this little potato
chip. You never saw that coming,
did you? I think a little peanut butter,
to be honest. That’s gonna give you a little bit of that
fat. Get those lipids in there,
mix that up a little bit of a hey, how are you? That’s actually not bad. A little bit sweet. I want to bring that down
a little bit. The little bit of ginger similar to like a
bay leaf. It kind of goes in there for the flavor
profile. You’re not necessarily supposed to eat it. And that, by the way,
is serving the same function as my potato chip. I’m not loving the viscosity. What you want is somewhere in between honey
and soy sauce. And I feel like we’re a little too close on
the honey end of the spectrum. I might thin it out with a little bit of feta
cheese juice. That juice is gonna have a little bit of
salt. You have something like a coconut milk that’s
gonna give it a little bit of that lipid, sort of in the flavor profile of East Asian
cuisine. Do we have any like, seeds,
sesame seeds?
Nick: Seeds. Mark:
Thank you. Nick:
I’m really impressed that Mark is asking for
stuff that is not actually already here on the counter. That shows that he’s thinking
outside the box. Mark:
You know what it needs. I think it needs a
little bit more sweetness, making sure that sugar not salt. True story. I made a batch of cookies and I poured a cup
of salt in. They were not good. Okay,
let’s see if that changed anything. Nick, I am very proud to say we’ve arrived to
Flavortown. Nick:
Once you pour it onto the stir fry,
there’s no going back. You ready? Mark:
Yeah. He’s like, pencils down moment. Nick:
Nice. Mark:
Okay, chef, what I have prepared for you
today is a chicken stir fry with a teriyaki sauce. That’s umami. It’s got some of that
sweetness in there with a hint of oaky undertones. Nick:
Not just saying this for the camera. That
sauce is better than what you get at most restaurants. Mark:
What? Mark:
That actually is pretty good. Nick:
It’s really good. Mark:
Wow. I genuinely feel pride right now. I feel really happy. Nick:
How ready do you feel on a scale of 1 to 10
to cook a gourmet meal fully by yourself? Mark:
I’m a little bit nervous,
but I’m excited. Nick:
With this final batch. It means that Mark has to move on to that
final championship round, where we get to find out if he is a true master chef. All three badges. How do you feel? Mark:
I didn’t honestly think I’d make it to
this point, so I’m just stoked to be here. Nick:
Close your eyes. To move into the final
round, you need to put on your very own chef’s coat. Mark:
Chef. Mark. What? Nick:
Mark? Do you have any idea what we’re making? Mark:
Um, I have no idea. Nick:
I picked a recipe that,
whether most of you know it or not, is filled with lots and lots of science. The perfect burger and fries. Mark:
I love burgers and fries. Nick:
Have you ever made one? Mark:
Not fries. A very simple burger. Nick:
Today you’re gonna attempt to make a gourmet
burger and fries entirely from scratch. Except for the buns, there’s no way you’d
make the buns from scratch in time. Mark:
You have great buns, Nick. Nick:
This won’t be easy. You’ll have one hour. And
if you don’t finish, then we’ll just judge you on whatever you make. Mark:
I’m not just saying this,
but the work I had to do to earn those three badges means I’m entering this with some
level of confidence. Probably overconfidence. Nick:
Your one hour starts. Now. Go. Mark:
Let’s go. Chad, I’m not gonna let you down,
okay? This is the French fry maker. Place this here. I’m just gonna try this. Ooh. Smooth. Never cut potatoes like this for
French fries. I love this little machine. Nick:
Get those in cold water right away. Mark:
Okay. Ice, ice, ice. The cold water is gonna
pull the surface starch off these fries, and that will make them more crispy.
Scientifically, we’re making crunchier fries,
baby. What’s next? I make my sauce. This is for the burger. You know what I like
is a good fry sauce. In Utah, they have this stuff called fry
sauce, which is basically just mayo and ketchup. I’m just gonna mix this. Mhm. That’s good. My knife. Nick:
Be careful. Mark:
This is a big moment. Nick:
Not bad knife skills for someone who’s never
cooked before today. Mark:
So this is adding a little bit of texture a
little bit of saltiness. This is my bench scraper. Get them in there. Time for a little taste. Maybe a little more
ketchup. I do feel like the sauce needs a little bit
more sweetness. Nick:
51 minutes left. I’m spending way too much
time on this. Mark:
Just a hint of lemon. I came prepared today
with a little bit of science. This is measuring the pH level of the sauce. Now the perfect pH level for a sauce like
this is kind of like the high threes. And it looks like we are at 3.6. That’s a little low. I want to get it a
little less acidic. If I could just get it to the high threes,
I’d be happy. Nick:
You brought a pH tester. Mark:
I’m nothing if not prepared. Nick three
eight. I’m calling that a W. Sauce is done. Okay. All right, next up,
I’m gonna work on my toppings. Got some butter, lettuce,
red onion, and a juicy, red tomato. Here we go. I’m gonna slice this. Nick:
This is where our practice with that tomato
from earlier comes in handy. Mark needs to make a perfect even slice down the center of
the onion. Mark:
Oh, man. I’m losing time on the onion field. Nick:
This is just a waste of time,
Mark. You’ve spent over a minute trying to peel
this onion. Mark:
Stay with me, Chad. Okay, here we go. I got the claw. Claw that bad boy. Claw. Nick:
You’re taking way too long doing this part. Mark:
You want to salt the tomato right after you
cut it? Now, something I learned from watching your
videos. It’s like an osmosis thing. So the salt draws the water out. It kind of pulls the flavors to the top. Nick:
He’s exactly right. Mark:
Toppings done. I’m gonna put these in the
fridge. Nick:
42 minutes remaining. Mark:
Next up, we got the burger. Okay. Nick:
What are you doing right now? Mark:
Honestly, this just feels cool. Nick:
Believe it or not, Mark’s actually doing the
right thing. You want to throw your burger meat back and forth between your hands to
remove all the air bubbles. Mark:
Okay, Nick, it should come as no surprise. I like a precise burger right here. 166g, looking for about 151. 153… 148. There it is. 151. Nick:
No backups. Mark:
I’m only making one. But you say that like I
should have a backup. I’m gonna make a backup. Nick:
Mark, quick, quick, quick. Come on. I feel
like I shouldn’t have to say this, but never pull out a ruler when you’re making
a hamburger. Just wasted a full 25 seconds doing that. Mark:
When you see how perfectly these burgers fit
on the buns, you’re gonna regret that statement,
Nick. Now I’m seasoning high up cause that gives you more of an even distribution. I really like to go high,
Nick. Burgers are ready. Nick:
34.5 minutes to go. You need to just. Mark:
Gotta clean my workstation. Nick:
I was about to say that. Mark:
You don’t need to say it. I’m a chef. I’m wearing the freaking white
thing. Next up, fries. They’ve been chilling in that
cold water to really draw out the starch. Now I’m just gonna, like,
pick the best ones. Get out of here. Don’t need. Nick:
That. Pull up those fries. Quick,
quick quick, quick. Mark:
Okay, I need oil. Nick:
All right, I can help you with that. Mark:
Oh, this is cooler than I was anticipating. Nick:
You’re gonna double fry these French fries.
It makes them much crispier. Mark:
Sounds delicious. Nick:
And it’s a little bit of a challenge I’m
throwing in there for you because it’s gonna take you longer and you only have 29 minutes
left. Mark:
Okay, here I go. Nick:
Watch your face. Mark:
Ooh, that’s starting to bubble up real nice. That is a nice, gentle boil. There we go. Right on time. I realize there’s an art to cooking. There’s a science to it,
too. I mean, these are all physical properties
that are happening that are affecting changes in the food. Admittedly,
I don’t have the art side as much, so that’s why I brought all my instruments. Nick:
Normally when you double fry French fries,
you want to go ahead and put them in the freezer for a while until you fry them for
the second time. But since Mark’s here,
I wanted to bring him a treat. Oh, I got you some food grade. Liquid nitrogen. Mark:
Liquid nitrogen. Nick:
This part is kind of dangerous. Mark:
That goes on for safety. Nick:
I’m not stopping the time for you. By the
way. Mark:
I don’t need you to stop the time for me. We’re
just pouring the liquid nitrogen into this bowl here. Nick:
So to be clear, we’re doing this so you can
freeze the fries faster and not run out of time for this challenge and then fry them
again. Mark:
All right. Here we go. Liquid nitrogen. This one’s for you,
Chad. Only the best. Here we go. The most scientifically proven way. You can see where the leading frost effect. Nick:
Nobody knows what the leading frost effect. Mark:
Leading frost does. It’s named after him. Look at these little
balls. They’re kind of evaporating and rolling along the surface. Let’s go. This is how you freeze French
fries. See if they pass the sound test. Oh, that sounds frozen. Nick:
Mark, that was really cool. But guess what?
What? You only have 21 minutes left. Mark:
Oh, no oil. Time to put them back in. Nick:
Clean your workstation. I won’t let him
proceed until he keeps his workstation clean. Mark:
Ah, this is not part of the deal. Oil. Our oil is up to 375. This is a little hotter the second time
through. Fries in. Let’s go. Very frozen fries in. We just kind of let them cook for the second
time. All right, Nick, I brought another tool. This is a decibel meter. The thought here is I can measure the
crunchiness of the fry. We look up. What’s the ideal crunch for fry. Chad:
About 60 to 70dB. Mark:
There it is. I’m gonna take one out right
now, and then we’ll measure the crunchiness using the pressure waves of the sound. Okay, here we go. Moment of truth. Six decibels short of the desired
crunchiness. Nick:
How is the fry? Mark:
Fry’s pretty good. It needs a little bit more
crunch. Here we go. Got it. We’re like low 60s. These look amazing. Now we need salt. These from a high elevation. This is quite possibly the best French fry
I’ve ever had. The crunchiness of the outside,
it’s just, like, pillowy on the inside. Nick:
Mark, you gotta go. You gotta move. Mark:
Okay, okay, okay, I hear you. Nick:
We still have to toast your buns and make the
patty and then melt the cheese. Mark:
I know, all right, time to cook the burger. Nick: Go go, go.
Mark: Pull out my frying pan. Turn it on. Oil. I’m looking for a maillard
reaction here. Meaning you get that nice crust on the
burger. That means you want your pan to be around
450°F. Got my trusty laser thermometer here. We’re rocking, like, 480. So it needs to come down just a bit. I’m just gonna gently put this in here. Nick:
Lay it away from him. That’s good. Mark:
Making sure we have full surface contact so
that Maillard reaction can take place. Come on, baby. Chef hands. We got one more tool here. This is an infrared camera. But it’s not just thermometer like it
visually gives you that indication. Oh yeah. That’s an even cook. Just the right temperature. Nick:
11.5 minutes to go. You’re kind of gotta get
closer. Mark:
Like I gotta make up some time here. Go ahead and flip away from me. Wow. That’s a maillard reaction right there. All right, here we go. Go. I got some cheese. I’m gonna give my lid. Creates a nice little steam bath. Just gently melt the cheese. Nick:
Better not take too long because you’ve got
eight minutes. 45 seconds. Whew. Mark:
Baby. While my cheese is melting,
go ahead and carefully cut my buns. That’s a clean cut cheese. Check. Oh, that’s looking melty. Let’s pull this off. Nick:
Just under six minutes to go. Mark:
Here we go. Throw the buns on. I’m gonna start plating. Nick:
You’re using the thermal camera again? Mark:
Yeah, I’m liking that. Condiments coming
through a little bit of sauce on the bottom bun. Two layers of lettuce. My burger. Nick: Find the burger. Find the burger.
Mark: Where’s the…?
Nick: Find the burger! Mark:
I’m looking. Nick:
It’s right there. Mark:
Oh, I missed that. Nick:
30s remaining. Mark:
Next up is the onion. Lightly salted tomato
sauce on top. Nick:
Quick quick quick quick quick. You’re
forgetting. Mark:
Fries. Nick:
You’re forgetting one big thing. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Done. Round of applause for Mark. Come on, let’s go. Mark:
Thank you. This. Truly. I’m not lying is like,
the best thing I’ve ever made. Nothing I made has ever looked this good. Nick:
Unfortunately, I’m not the judge. So for
everybody watching. Mark, why don’t you describe your dish one last time before they
comment down below their judgments? Mark:
We got a beautiful burger with an artisanal
bun, all the classic toppings,
special sauce, and then some double fried French fries with my proprietary seasoning
blend. Nick:
Go comment down below if you think Mark Rober
is now a master chef. Mark:
The moment of truth. That’s really,
really good. I think I’m gonna cry.