Top Chef Texas Recap: Instant Karma's Gonna Get Ya!

By L. Stolpman in Arts & Entertainment on Dec 22, 2011 5:00PM

Pictured: (l-r) Padma Lakshmi, Emeril Lagasse -- Photo by: Vivian Zink/Bravo

Welcome back, Top Chef fans! Let's do a short and sweet recap of this week's episode.

Quickfire Challenge: Honestly, we find the entire Twitter-interaction-challenge too stupid to bother explaining. Suffice to say that the chefs have to make something with bacon. We roll our eyes. Really? Bacon is the jumping off point for a challenge? Savory chefs love bacon; to the point of ridiculousness, really. Dear bacon and cupcakes: we're over you. We found a new love: macarons.

The twist for the challenge is that they must incorporate 1) a hash and 2) an ingredient given to them by another chef. We brace ourselves and close one eye, waiting to see if Heather gives Beverly something other than a stink eye. Instead, the chefs pretty much softball this one and give each other fairly straight forward things. *YAWN*

Grayson, Chris J, and Ed end up on the bottom. Favorites: Beverly, Sarah, and Paul. Paul wins!

The chefs then go to the hotel bar where Patti LaBelle shows up. She says that everyone who cooks has a soul. At this point we expected the editors to cut to everyone giving Heather a sideways glance.

Elimination Challenge: The chefs are asked to make a dish as a tribute to the person who started them on their culinary journey.

Chris J. makes a miniature steak and potatoes dish completely with A1 based sauce. The judges are "meh" about it.

Heather makes a variation of her mom's beef stroganoff with herb spaetzle. Patti LaBelle refers to the indecipherable cut of meat as Big Foot. Uh oh.

Sarah makes cabbage stuffed with sausage that is light and clean, according to Tom.

Paul makes a quail adobo with ginger rice. Also gets high marks from Tom.

Chris C. serves Salmon cooked at too high a heat, resulting in leached-out albumin. This does not escape the judges' notice.

Beverly presents a Korean braised short rib. The judges love it.

Ed makes a play on bi bim bop and is the only one with a vegetarian dish. Emeril loves it.

Lindsay made a trout spanakopita that earns some high points but, according to Emeril, has too much butter.

Ty-Lor does an homage to his nanny with a chicken tender which is unlike any chicken tender we've ever had but entirely like the ones we'd like to have from here on out. The judges enjoy it.

Grayson cooks a twelve ounce ribeye with some German potato salad. The judges are not impressed that the dish was not refined into something new.

Earning top marks: Ed, Beverly and Sarah. And Sarah takes home the win!

Pictured: (l-r) Beverly Kim, Sarah Grueneberg -- Photo by: Vivian Zink/Bravo

On the bottom: Heather for her mushy meat, Grayson for her Flintstones meat, and Chris C for his albumin dotted salmon. Annnnnd it's Heather going home.

Heather returns to the stew room and breaks the news to the remaining chefs with a big "Don't be upset....", hands out, placating the masses. We roll our eyes. We'll say this for her, though: She owns the mistake and leaves with her head held high... then heads straight to Last Chance Kitchen and gets beaten by a dessert made by Nyesha.

See you next week!