Our first thought was that it was slightly salty but the flavor was pretty spot on. We finished up the grilling and then sat down with some brown rice and kimchee to try the trifecta. With the rice and kimchee, the salt factor seemed to tone down a bit. The fat on the meat kept it very moist and for the most part, very tender. It tasted good. It not exactly like mom makes, it was darn close. Definitely close enough to get that Korean barbecue fix at home on your own grill.

Overall, we'd buy these again. They flavor is really good and if we had the ribs in a restaurant, we'd be saying the same thing: Not what mom makes but really good. If you've never tried Korean barbecue, you should begin by going to a restaurant and cooking at your table for the full experience. However, if you want some of that flavor at home, this is a good, simple way to get it. Plus, if you lean over the grill, you'll even smell like Korean barbecue, just like you had it in the restaurant.

Chef Morimoto is removing the oyster from the bird: a piece of meat along the backbone, just up from where the thighs attach to the bird. Who knew? Lots of butchering goes on in both kitchens, along with meat grinders. Whoa, Virant is making consomme using the raft method. Probably something he learned at the CIA and which we read about with fascination in Michael Ruhlman's book The Making of a Chef.

Let's meet the judges. Steve Dolinsky! Hellur, fellow Chicagoan! Jean Nakayama, a Japanese restaurateur and...OUR FAVORITE...Jeffery Steingarten, author of The Man Who Ate Everything. We love this guy for his unabashed behavior. If the food sucks, he says so and if a judge sucks, he will probably say that, too.

Scotch eggs are made, pasta, dumplings, smoked breast - it's nonstop action. Chef Virant is wrapping a meat mixture (livers and hearts, we think) in caul fat. Alton notes that Chef Virant has yet to begin his plating.
With three minutes left, both sides are plating at high speed.

Time is over and we get a quick judging lesson: 10 points possible per judge for taste, 5 for plating, and 5 for originality. Morimoto is up first.

First course: Sous vide pheasant breast with cucumber. Marimoto says that because he is using the breast, he used female pheasants. Jeffery Steingarten says, "Those are the best breasts." Dolinsky comments that the pheasant is so perfectly cooked, it makes a good argument for sous vide style cooking. Steingarten obnoxiously grabs hold of Dolinsky's use of words and snorts out that it is almost as if Dolinsky stupidly thinks that sous vide needs an argument. We resist the urge to roll our eyes at Steingarten. Second course: Bagna cauda with crispy pheasant tenderloin chips. The dish has an oily dipping sauce that is kept bubbling hot with what we assume must be a little tea candle in the bottom of the container it is in. Third course: Pheasant gyoza and pheasant oyster tempura. The judges bemoan the lack of pheasant taste. Fourth course: Pheasant soup with pheasant meatballs. The judges praise the pheasant taste in this one. Fifth course: Pheasant rice with grilled pheasant breast. The dish wins big praise from the judges. Sixth course: Ground pheasant lettuce wraps. We have P.F. Chang flashbacks. There is mozzarella cheese on the miso dish and we shudder a little. Dolinsky remarks that the texture is muddled and asks for confirmation from Jeffery. Hmm. Dear Dolinsky: Jeffery is not the dad who never gave you praise as a child. You are just fine, sir, just fine.

Now on to Chef Virant. First course: Smoked pheasant breast with crispy skin on top of an almond tart and with a blackberry vinaigrette. Dolinsky says it's a little dry and one-note on the texture but Jeffery disagrees, saying that there is variety in the texture. We don't get to see if Dolinsky is crestfallen. Nakayama says the blackberry overpowers the pheasant flavor a bit. Second course: Crispy gnocchi with braised pheasant. Big praise from both Dolinsky and Steingarten for the flavors. Third course: Pheasant Scotch egg: pheasant sausage wrapped around a pheasant egg - all breaded and deep fried. It is sitting on a nest of arugula and shoestring potato. Also a mayonnaise made with pheasant egg. Steingarten says it is the best Scotch egg he's ever had. At this point, we re-affirm our belief that watching people chew is unappetizing, no pun intended. Fourth course: Pheasant caillette with pickled fennel (this is the dish and used the caul fat). Dolinsky likes the texture. This guy is really into his textures. We begin to wonder if he has some form of synesthesia and maybe salty feels like pine cones in his mouth? Fifth Course: Pheasant consomme. Steingarten thinks that the other flavors mask the pheasant.

THE RESULTS. The chairman has both Chef Virant and Chef Morimoto with him and declares the winner: Iron Chef Morimoto by one point! Here's a breakdown of the scores:

Taste: Morimoto - 25, Virant - 26
Plating: Morimoto - 13, Virant - 11
Originality: Morimoto - 13, Virant 13

Totals: Morimoto - 51, Virant - 50

Close match! We actually thought Virant had it. Getting edged out by plating, of all things. Well, writing all of this out, we're hungry and we'd be happy to eat Virant's dishes off of paper plates. Nice job, Chef Virant! You made Chicago proud.