Mike is so far beyond a “Normal“. No normal would ever conceive of a tomato cheesecake. That's a sort of dish you would see at high-end experimental cuisine restaurants.
Normal: "I'm going to out-chef the chef!" Chef: Marinates the pork ribs for 2 days beforehand and already has a batch of tomato kombucha brewed Normal: "Nevermind"
@@goldenghostinc I mean Mike could prepare things ahead too. And honestly I think he actually prepared the jam before hand as I don’t think it would be cool enough to use in an hour.
@@elif6908 Aside from if he could or did (I'm not on site so I can't answer those questions with certainty, although I think the jam would be possible in the time limit), I really don't think preparing parts of the dish beforehand has a place in a time limit battle.
Preparing things beforehand isn't cheating. In professional kitchens flavors developed with more time. Specific items are better when left alone for a few days. Mike could prep things too. HOWEVER, I agree with people who have been saying prep shouldn't be allowed in a timed challenge.
When I was in pastry school we made a Basil cake and the first thing I thought was, this would be a great base for a caprese cheesecake! Never made it though, so I'm happy someone did.
I would love to see an ultimate battle “redemption” series where a chef recreates the loser’s/lowest scoring dish to see if they can do it better! I would love to see Ben or james attempt that cheesecake!
I like that idea. Because the Normals have some really weird idea's sometimes and it would be good to see what tweeks would be needed to take their creation to the top.
yeah, but ben did feast, and mike cheesecake, you could see the defeat in his eyes when he turned around, also Ben used his own kombucha.. thats like several weeks of time
I'm gonna be honest, if there are people out there breeding tomatoes for good flavour, I'm all for it. Too many varieties of store tomatoes are basically just water.
Funny when it's in fact because of "over breeding" in order to make them pest and disease resistant, and double their shelf lives that tomatoes are tasteless nowadays... How about eating them when in season (like not in november for exemple) and locally sourced instead ?
Basically they pick them way before they taste good and are ripe so they don't get damaged in shipping. They would be very soft and easily damaged if they were properly ripe.
Mike is disappointed, but Ben had days, if not weeks, to make his. “Kombucha with a 2nd ferment” doesn’t appear overnight, and his pork chops admittedly spent a couple of days in the fridge. Mike’s idea was super original and clever. Well done, bud. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
The Chef: "We may have time limits but I actually have been making kombucha out of everything the past two months and also brought a few-days marinated ribs."
@@ragerblade82 It absolutely is fun and the theme of the show to make delicious food and meals even if they take some more time. Buuuuuut... this is meant to be a time challenge. That's the only thing I really hate about it. If Mike also got a week to prepare, perfect his recipe and make a freaking tomato-cello to go with his dessert then sure. But if Ben had an obvious advantage on top of already being the chef... it's just a bit dumb.
That is a solid point. Ben had no less than 2 days to work on those ribs. As for the Kombucha, I have a feeling that Ben started that for his own use and it just came in handy for the competition.
The textures on the garnish mostly. The basil leaves were a little soggy and the tomato skins are a great idea, but didn't crisp up the way Chef Franck's did. Mike was pushed for time!
@@zachsimsphoto5344 that's the case in some battles, but they specify when that's the case. Otherwise, no, it's overall time which is why there's so many moments of them stressing about something having enough time to cook/bake properly
See I'd almost go with Mike purely on the basis of it was original and focused on the tomato. Since I can only eat with my eyes, I have to wonder how many other flavours were competing with the tomato in Ben's dish.
Same here. If I could only pick one of them to try, I'd go for the cheesecake on the basis that it sounds interesting and unlike anything I've tried before. I'm sure the curry's delicious, but I've had curried pork in several different dishes.
Same. I made chocolate basil cupcakes several years ago when a friend gifted me bags of fresh basil from a bumper crop. I think there were 3 cups of chopped basil in the cupcakes (and it only yielded 12-18 cupcakes). Dark chocolate + basil.. everyone adored them, nobody was able to figure out what the additional flavor was because nobody in my circle thought of basil in a sweet. The cheesecake sounded fabulous! However, making a real baked cheesecake would have been better, IMO. The time limit placed on Mile with Ben got days to marinate and ferment was unfair.
“Is it like cross breeding dogs?” “It’s like they took the flavour and turned the volume up on it.” Mike and Ben both staying on brand with their analogies- Ben with dogs, Mike with music.
As they were learning about the tomato and saying it's sweet i was like "oh maybe they can pull off a dessert" and Mike DID IT. Absolute mad man, deserves more credit
Thanks for the comment! I was looking for one like this. At the beginning I thought: German but then there were instances where it almost sounded like a french accent and that threw me off. lol dutch makes a lot of sense!!
Same. I love how Dutch people think you don't know where they're from when they're in a different country speaking English :D And they're always laughing at soccer players speaking English. Edit: I guess I should say "our" and "we" since I'm still technically Dutch :D
Yeah, the Dutch accent is very distinguishable. Always cracks me up when i hear it, or in some cases makes me cringe like mad, depending on how good their English is.
i love the fact that whenever you present the dishes at the beginning of the challenge they are drawings, that way you dont get spoiled on how the dish is going to look and still give you an idea of how it should be, brilliant
I knew Ben would win cause he's a Chef, but I WOULD NEVER HAVE GUESS IN MY LIFE MIKE'S DISH... Remember when Ben said that the guys really are not "normals" anymore? This proves it!!! Congrats on the effort dude
Is it just me, or is Ben pulling out the premade ingredients because the Huttlestorm has been getting too close to taking the belt these last few months?
What exactly is the Point of a Time-Limit if Mr. Ebbers does everything at home ? :P It started small with bringing Basil Plants from Home, by now he is basicly pre-cooking whole Dishes at home :)
Having worked in a grocery store straight out of high school (we all been there, haven’t we bro’s?!) the bit about just making salad bowls last a day or two longer got me. I recall clearing out always one or two a day and thinking if only they had a day or two longer shelf life because they were such a waste. One bowl every day for just my one store in Sydney having 365 a year. Longer lasting food seems small and simple but it is game changing.
Exactly... scale is something we often overlook from our own little bubbles. These tomatoes were selected to have firmer skins so it reducing the bruising and damage in transit and increases their shelf life when you get them home too.
I think it is kind of unfair as the chef started his prep days ahead of time, whereas the normal did everything in the set time AND came up with something very original! I think the normal should have won!
@@jemimahe298 nah they always use premade things. James mentioned that Mike's dish was brilliant but would be better with some tweaks, indicating that he passed on creativity but failed on execution.
Why does Mike look so defeated before even going to the table lately, I mean, I laugh but I feel bad too lol 😂😂 his plates always look a-ma-zing, does he not know?
So, as a dungeon master for dungeons and dragons I often use the tomato as an example of intelligence versus wisdom… Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put that tomato in a fruit salad! I have just barely started the video, and I am excited to see how the tomato cheesecake turns out LOL
I've always felt that, of the three 'Normals' (and by this point, NONE of those three is a 'normal' anymore), Mike is the most 'Chefy'. He loves to experiment, he's not afraid to fail, learns from his mistakes, and always delivers something interesting, even when it doesn't always come out according to plan. I've said it before and I'll say it again and again. If I were still doing the chef thing and running a restaurant, I would hire any of the three Normals in a heartbeat. They all have great skills, fantastic amounts of culinary knowledge, and a drive to excel. They're not chefs (because there's a LOT more to being a chef than just being able to cook well), but with a bit of training up, they could all three be world class ones. Fantastic job Mike! You have NOTHING to be ashamed of. You swung for the fence and *ALMOST* got there. But that was a world class effort. That is the type of recipe you see in experimental kitchens, and more often than not, those dont quite turn out on the first go. You have to reflect, refine, and redo...A LOT...before you get a home run.
@@th7052 I think that's oversimplifying it since coworkers can also be friends. Besides if you watch their very very early videos the whole channel started because they were friends.
@@SheWolfiie A couple of them may have been. But if you watched it through, you'll see they "hired" James later. He was their cook, and wasn't good enough, initially, to be on the show.
Mike's was a really clever use of the tomatoes capitalising on the modifications made by the BASF.... He won in my opinion ♥️ Ben's was amazing nonetheless 😍
😱 Jamie's "Ebbers if you need another recipe for ice" had me laughing so hard hard I'm crying. Thanks Jamie. I guess tomatoes should go with a cheese cake seeing they are a fruit. Ebbers you should do a video teaching the guys how to make Kombucha. Or have it for your Friday video
I’m firmly Team Mike here. Either have a time limit or don’t, but the “one person is sticking to a time limit and the other isn’t” thing seems egregiously unfair. Once Ben started talking about all the things he did days in advance, it felt like these were two separate challenges that happened to be edited into one video.
I am hoping that they were both given the option and Mike just didn’t take advantage of it. Or maybe he didn’t plan to do any components ahead of time. But, I agree. Doing things ahead of time gives you an unfair advantage in that you just have more options open to you.
@@AlanHope2013 I agree, I felt like the time checks just ... didn't make sense in this one. They were doing completely different types of dishes, and Ben's 48 hours of marinating didn't get explained XD
@@elif6908 I guess. My issue is that the time they take to prepare stuff ahead isn't taken into consideration. For example, in a few previous videos they use "active time" where they don't taken in consideration the time required for food to just chill in the fridge or bake in the oven. Only the time in which the participants are actively contributing to the dish is counted. I feel like that should have been the case here as well. The time that Ben took to prepare the marinade and cut up the meat should have been subtracted from the time he got on the day of. Similar for the kombucha as well. I don't think it's fair otherwise.
I’d love to see a “get to know me” episode where all five of you cook your signature dish, and then all five of you cook one dish that’s exactly the same dish as the others, but done in your own way. It would be a great way for new subscribers to learn each person’s strengths and cooking style :)
@@superemillita2710 They actually have! Its a series called "Made Personal" from a few years ago. Search for Sorted Fish Pie to find Bens (Cus ofc Bens was Fish Pie hehe~)
I'm also in the club of feeling weird that Ben won when he took multiple days rather than the time allotted. Of course you can make a feast in the same time as a cheese cake if the most important bits of flavor, aging, marinating, fermenting, all started days before. It really seems unfair to compare the two just based on time alone.
@@ZahinHossain From sortedfoods reply above though it seems to suggest mike's dish could have been better but he was pushed for time "The basil leaves were a little soggy and the tomato skins are a great idea, but didn't crisp up the way Chef Franck's did. Mike was pushed for time!" If he had done it days earlier he wouldn't have been pushed for time.
Congrats Ben, that did look delicious. But hats off to Mike for a really outside the box use of the tomatoes. I really want to try that cheesecake. I love how Mike is always so gracious and supportive of others. Well done mate, you should feel very proud of the final result.
@@redhead2904 To me the making ahead makes the whole battle completely different. As in a different discipline and that kinda bothers me, to be honest. I'd say either both should go that direction (of preparing lots ahead) or neither. But I agree that you're technically right that Mike had the same option just didn't use it.
I really want to try that cheesecake, I can't wrap my head around how that would taste. I also want to try and make a savoury version but feel like ordinary vine tomatoes wouldn't quite cut it...
I dunno, I feel like Mike should have won this simply because he did EVERYTHING in the time limit. Whereas Ben had stuff marinating for a day, and then cooking for 3 hours, and kombucha for weeks. Feels a little like cheating to me to be honest. Why even have a time limit at that point?
I'm sure it improves the flavors of things, but it does seem to go against the spirit of having a time limit in the battle - multiple main flavor elements of Ben's plate were made outside of the time limit. Would like to see what he could do when kept to the same time limit as everyone else.
@@NoviLeigh Completely agree, esp if he's 'competing' against a normal, no less. I'm sure ben's dish is delicious, it should just be judged at a different standard since he technically started days before (with the kombucha) and his main dish was started 2 days before.
I feel that was a tad unfair for Mike as he made the entirety of his dish during the challenge whereas bens ribs had been marinated for 2 days and the kombutcha was made beforehand. The both looked 😍 though
I love this idea but I hate tomatoes. That got me thinking: I imagine you’d all say there are no flavors you HATE, but it could be fun if you did a challenge where you each have to take a flavor/food another person hates and try to make a dish that they like.
I absolutely LOVE how supportive they are of each other and there seems to be no ego problems. That meal looked fantastic, plus I learned that you can fry off the tomato skins and candy basil leaves!
Am I the only one thinking that by making a fermented kombucha and a 2 day-marinade, the whole "time limit" is negated and as such Mike should have just made his Cheesecake the day before 🤦🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️
So we all know that these battles are fun to watch and participate in. The chefs have an advantage because they have the learned/hammered knowledge of what a chef needs to know, and how flavors work and pair and develop and no mistakes should be made. Normals know that food tastes good and needs fire to make it. I think a time limit on the chef and letting the normal have twice the time would help them to fix their mistakes like Mike had with the first batch of tomatoes so they have that chance to make the dish in the best way possible. That aside, I love you guys and enjoy every video!
i think ben lost as he pre marinated his dish and the kambucha, 2 days marinating means more flavours in it, essentially he failed in the time limit given
Thank you for another great episode. Very educational, very entertaining, every dish looks amazing. Very inspirational even, to see someone use tomatoes for a Cheesecake. There is a reason this is my favourite channel, and if only all five of you were sitting at the judging table together instead of this COVID-enforced seperation, this episode would have been one of my top five you ever made (Nothing will ever beat the First Pass-It-On or the Valentine Battle). Thanks again, and lots of love from the Netherlands.
I never thought I’d ever find myself watching a video themed around tomatoes and actually benefit from its educational experience 😂 it’s incredibly daunting thinking about the huge variety of tomatoes that all possess unique characteristics that offer themselves well in different scenarios, but it’s also really interesting imagining the different possibilities of tomatoes because they’re tremendously more versatile than commonly perceived
I have watched a lot of SORTEDfood videos, but it is the first time that I am salivating over Ben's amazing dish - wish I was there to taste it. Looks gorgeous and I am sure it tasted heavenly too! Also, hats off to Mike, always so creative and daring with his recipes, way to go!!
Ben cheated a lot. All of his dishes had a pre made part in it while all of Mike's ingredients were fresh. If it was ribs without having been marinated for 2 days or kombucha, Ben would have been forced to be more creative and maybe Mike would have a better shot. They are playing under different rules.
BASF make a huge variety of things, a few years back I visited one of the their main seed breeding sites - it's really interesting tbh. Where as I know a few of my friends have worked for one of site that makes some of the purest fish oils for pharmaceutical uses.
Both chefs admitted Mike made something delicious that they wouldn't have thought of, and yet Ben wins? Yeah, naw, Mike won that one. Ben took a "shock and awe" approach of overloading James; if he'd been judged on a single dish, Mike would have handily won. The chefs need to be confined to what's realistic for normies when doing these 45 minute challenges, else it's pretty much a given (and kinda boring for it).
I think they both did a great job and Mike is so sweet and humble, even though he had a great idea and executed it well. Barry should take a page from Mike's book...
Dude....that cheesecake was extremely clever. I was so on board with Mike's idea the very second he finished explaining his idea. I don't care he lost, it's a really clever recipe and a good talking point on deserts with a twist.
The disappointment on Mikes face when he sees Ben’s dish broke my heart. You did good Mike,it was really original
I'd love to try that
@@nottoday9182 hobo to get to n9k9llkii
It was definitely more interesting to me, even if Ben's won in the end.
@@Anna-rm9yi yeah I agree! I would’ve never thought of it and it looked really good!
Please include that cheesecake on a future book 👏🏻
Mike is so far beyond a “Normal“. No normal would ever conceive of a tomato cheesecake. That's a sort of dish you would see at high-end experimental cuisine restaurants.
Couldn't agree more!
Nah. There's just a deep long drop under normal. It's where the people who think they're normal but manage to put their ramen on fire go.
Yeah Mike is somewhere between chef and normal I feel.
@@Grizzlow2 home cook
They have been doing this for so long they are not normal
Mike turning around to see Ben's dish.. like seeing your crush holding hands with someone else .. bless his heart!
Perfect description of how Mike looked!!
why i relate so much with this 😂
@@eroneko oof my guy
aw fuck dude this is too real
Normal: "I'm going to out-chef the chef!"
Chef: Marinates the pork ribs for 2 days beforehand and already has a batch of tomato kombucha brewed
Normal: "Nevermind"
ikr lol thats why i think its kinda unfair but idk lol
Exactly, and that's why for me the winner absolutely has to be Mike. And I would honestly really love to eat his dish.
@@goldenghostinc I mean Mike could prepare things ahead too. And honestly I think he actually prepared the jam before hand as I don’t think it would be cool enough to use in an hour.
@@elif6908 Aside from if he could or did (I'm not on site so I can't answer those questions with certainty, although I think the jam would be possible in the time limit), I really don't think preparing parts of the dish beforehand has a place in a time limit battle.
Preparing things beforehand isn't cheating. In professional kitchens flavors developed with more time. Specific items are better when left alone for a few days. Mike could prep things too. HOWEVER, I agree with people who have been saying prep shouldn't be allowed in a timed challenge.
I feel like mike deserves a bit more credit that cheesecake was such a good idea
It was brilliant! You'll have to give it a go and send Mike a pic!
When I was in pastry school we made a Basil cake and the first thing I thought was, this would be a great base for a caprese cheesecake! Never made it though, so I'm happy someone did.
@@SortedFood I'd love to see James make the tweaks he mentioned to the recipe and post it. I'd love to try it out.
A tomato, basil and ricotta cheesecake has potential for a non-sweet cheesecake too which is what I initially thought it was and was very excited!
@@pavioml me too!
I would love to see an ultimate battle “redemption” series where a chef recreates the loser’s/lowest scoring dish to see if they can do it better! I would love to see Ben or james attempt that cheesecake!
Ouch, if the chef won again its like stabbing the loser with their own knife
That seems like rubbing it in to me, poor Mike!
They kinda did that with Barry's cloud egg
I like that idea.
Because the Normals have some really weird idea's sometimes and it would be good to see what tweeks would be needed to take their creation to the top.
I think that would be genius; James said little tweaks would have helped with the Cheesecake at the end. He didn't say what though.
Ben earned that but Mike shouldn't be feeling down. Epic performance
yeah, but ben did feast, and mike cheesecake, you could see the defeat in his eyes when he turned around, also Ben used his own kombucha.. thats like several weeks of time
Given their respective levels of skill, I'd say Mike walked it. Brilliant conception, well executed. Ben, meanwhile, made ribs.
@@AlanHope2013 Jamie could have made ribs. Just sayin'
Ben didn't earn anything. He cheated.
@@valreal6049 Kinda yeah? The dish was supposed to star the tomato and he used ribs and kombucha which are both pretty overpowering tastes
Mike is so humble and sweet... He accepts Jokes, defeats, mistakes with such a humble smile... It's nice to watch on TH-cam.
I'm gonna be honest, if there are people out there breeding tomatoes for good flavour, I'm all for it. Too many varieties of store tomatoes are basically just water.
That’s why nobody likes them anymore, just adds water to everything 🤮
Funny when it's in fact because of "over breeding" in order to make them pest and disease resistant, and double their shelf lives that tomatoes are tasteless nowadays... How about eating them when in season (like not in november for exemple) and locally sourced instead ?
It's the case for pretty much anything commercially grown, everything's been bred for yield & resistance and not for actual nutrition or taste.
They do taste pretty epic - we were impressed!
Basically they pick them way before they taste good and are ripe so they don't get damaged in shipping. They would be very soft and easily damaged if they were properly ripe.
Mike is disappointed, but Ben had days, if not weeks, to make his. “Kombucha with a 2nd ferment” doesn’t appear overnight, and his pork chops admittedly spent a couple of days in the fridge. Mike’s idea was super original and clever. Well done, bud. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
"I'm going to out-chef the chef."
The Chef: My dish is a feast.
The Chef: "We may have time limits but I actually have been making kombucha out of everything the past two months and also brought a few-days marinated ribs."
@@trzynasty909 yes! This was a bit frustrating wasn’t it
wait I gotta ask do you play Donovan and Gwynn on dnd world?
I mean I can see why some people don't like it. I think it breaks the spirit of the challenge myself, but it is still good.
@@ragerblade82 It absolutely is fun and the theme of the show to make delicious food and meals even if they take some more time. Buuuuuut... this is meant to be a time challenge. That's the only thing I really hate about it. If Mike also got a week to prepare, perfect his recipe and make a freaking tomato-cello to go with his dessert then sure. But if Ben had an obvious advantage on top of already being the chef... it's just a bit dumb.
Vegetable cheesecake is genius. Carrot, orange & ginger cheesecake would be amazing or how about beetroot & chocolate cheesecake? Mike is a genius.
Damn carrot, orange and ginger cheesecake sounds great.
literally just had chocolate and beetroot baked cheesecake yesterday :) epic!
“Hey Siri,define burnt” Barry can be such a troll sometimes 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Loved it! That's what I'm here for... 🍅❤😂
savage right?
I wonder how many viewers' phone went off that moment.
Mike's dish reminds me of something James would think of, so that's a massive compliment
I genuinely thought James had come up with it for him, the way he used to workshop the ultimate battle dishes based on the normals' ideas.
Chef Franck Pontais’s kitchen looks very similar to the original Sorted kitchen! What a nice little throwback
You're right, it does!
For me Mike won. Most creative and nothing prepared in advance.
@@ZahinHossain his ribs would barely briefly touch the marinade - plus he used kombucha
@@ZahinHossain except that the ribs would have been 2% as good, and that was the main component. He also used the pre-made marinade in the sauce.
That is a solid point. Ben had no less than 2 days to work on those ribs. As for the Kombucha, I have a feeling that Ben started that for his own use and it just came in handy for the competition.
" Crack your eggs ...bake. "
I've heard that line literally a 100 times now lol
That is a massive shaksuka if it’s 100 eggs.
@@Matt-yw8tj no just a simple omelette. for a army.
Everytime I hear that I laugh to myself imagining Jamie just instructed me to crack an egg on a baking pan and put it in the oven
Rip let me bake
@@GigaBoost I liked that tune. There was a noise near the end of it that I’m sure was achieved by Ben squeezing a chihuahua.
Mike and Ebbers friendship gives me life. Ben's so proud of Mikes cheese cake and so encouraging of him in the kitchen 😭I love them
The cheesecake was an interesting way to go. I would like to know what tweeks James would make to make it better?
The textures on the garnish mostly. The basil leaves were a little soggy and the tomato skins are a great idea, but didn't crisp up the way Chef Franck's did. Mike was pushed for time!
He is true normal ( like us). Tries hard but can't be like chef food.
@@SortedFood I think the cheesecake could've used some kind of sauce drizzled on top. A balsamic syrup of sorts would've really punched it up i think.
@@GreyDevil Balsamic needs to be flushed down the toilet. So Come Dine With Me.
@@GreyDevil Tomato syrup that looks suspiciously like ketchup would have been interesting.
Ben kinda got an unfair advantage with the “pre-made” ribs and kombucha, what’s the point of the time limit if it doesn’t matter
They usually define their time limits by active time. So a 2 day marinade is not active time.
@@zachsimsphoto5344 And the 3 hours Ben's ribs needed in the oven?
@@lisse0099 do you stand and watch your food actively while it cooks?
@@zachsimsphoto5344 that's the case in some battles, but they specify when that's the case. Otherwise, no, it's overall time which is why there's so many moments of them stressing about something having enough time to cook/bake properly
@@zachsimsphoto5344 OK, so then they counted the time spent preparing the marinade and the meat etc?. That's 'active time'
See I'd almost go with Mike purely on the basis of it was original and focused on the tomato. Since I can only eat with my eyes, I have to wonder how many other flavours were competing with the tomato in Ben's dish.
Same here. If I could only pick one of them to try, I'd go for the cheesecake on the basis that it sounds interesting and unlike anything I've tried before. I'm sure the curry's delicious, but I've had curried pork in several different dishes.
Same. I made chocolate basil cupcakes several years ago when a friend gifted me bags of fresh basil from a bumper crop. I think there were 3 cups of chopped basil in the cupcakes (and it only yielded 12-18 cupcakes). Dark chocolate + basil.. everyone adored them, nobody was able to figure out what the additional flavor was because nobody in my circle thought of basil in a sweet. The cheesecake sounded fabulous! However, making a real baked cheesecake would have been better, IMO. The time limit placed on Mile with Ben got days to marinate and ferment was unfair.
MIKE THAT WAS BRILLIANT!! MAKE YOURSELF A BLOODY MARY WITH THOSE TOMATOS. YOU DESERVE IT!
“Is it like cross breeding dogs?”
“It’s like they took the flavour and turned the volume up on it.”
Mike and Ben both staying on brand with their analogies- Ben with dogs, Mike with music.
Yeah you're right here 😂
Yes, when you breed dogs their flavour gets better.......... 😬
for me it was Barry's "you know what it tastes like? like five tomatoes" that explained it the best
"This tomato goes up to eleven"
Gotta say, this battle was *intense*
And that's the dad joke of the week! :D
No, you didn't have to, but someone was going to say it anyway so it might as well have been you luv!
@@CarlGorn LOL!
Ben for sure earned that win but holy crap Mike that was so creative and looked so appetizing!
As they were learning about the tomato and saying it's sweet i was like "oh maybe they can pull off a dessert" and Mike DID IT. Absolute mad man, deserves more credit
Lol, as a Dutch person I heard that Ben was Dutch after he spoke all of two words, without having looked at his name 😂
The "hè?" absolutely cracked me up. We really can't hide it, can we?
@@FeministCtulhu we sure can’t hahaha
Thanks for the comment! I was looking for one like this. At the beginning I thought: German but then there were instances where it almost sounded like a french accent and that threw me off. lol dutch makes a lot of sense!!
Same. I love how Dutch people think you don't know where they're from when they're in a different country speaking English :D
And they're always laughing at soccer players speaking English.
Edit: I guess I should say "our" and "we" since I'm still technically Dutch :D
Yeah, the Dutch accent is very distinguishable. Always cracks me up when i hear it, or in some cases makes me cringe like mad, depending on how good their English is.
i love the fact that whenever you present the dishes at the beginning of the challenge they are drawings, that way you dont get spoiled on how the dish is going to look and still give you an idea of how it should be, brilliant
The fridge is back, THE FRIDGE IS BACK!!!
Came here to say this! It felt like seeing an old friend again after a long absence.
Same!
But not Dad Joke of the Week yet! 😭😭
@@gabrielleblais-jones6272 YES! That's exactly how it felt
@@macaoron Yeah I feel your pain
Ben being the most supportive opponent during the cheesecake reveal is the sweetest thing.
I knew Ben would win cause he's a Chef, but I WOULD NEVER HAVE GUESS IN MY LIFE MIKE'S DISH... Remember when Ben said that the guys really are not "normals" anymore? This proves it!!! Congrats on the effort dude
Is it just me, or is Ben pulling out the premade ingredients because the Huttlestorm has been getting too close to taking the belt these last few months?
Every Sunday, I watch sorted while having lunch (it’s currently 11AM here).
Thank you guys for making my Sunday lunches just that much better.
That’s awesome, it’s about 17:00 here (5pm) so I watch this alongside my dinner!
Try watching at 3am and just being hungry.
What exactly is the Point of a Time-Limit if Mr. Ebbers does everything at home ? :P
It started small with bringing Basil Plants from Home, by now he is basicly pre-cooking whole Dishes at home :)
I love your relativistic look at time.
"you have had 15 minutes"
Ben takes out stuff he did 2 days ago
Don't think you ever done this: normal vs. Chef where the chef gets to start 15 min later
Having worked in a grocery store straight out of high school (we all been there, haven’t we bro’s?!) the bit about just making salad bowls last a day or two longer got me. I recall clearing out always one or two a day and thinking if only they had a day or two longer shelf life because they were such a waste. One bowl every day for just my one store in Sydney having 365 a year. Longer lasting food seems small and simple but it is game changing.
Exactly... scale is something we often overlook from our own little bubbles. These tomatoes were selected to have firmer skins so it reducing the bruising and damage in transit and increases their shelf life when you get them home too.
I think it is kind of unfair as the chef started his prep days ahead of time, whereas the normal did everything in the set time AND came up with something very original! I think the normal should have won!
Eh, that cheesecake definitely didn't set only within the set time, but Ebbers definitely used more off-camera time than Mike did.
Mike definitely bet Ben with originality, and Ben imo cheated by using premade stuff
@@jemimahe298 nah they always use premade things. James mentioned that Mike's dish was brilliant but would be better with some tweaks, indicating that he passed on creativity but failed on execution.
Does Mike ever have a battle where he doesn’t forget a step...🤔
We don't think so? 😆
@@SortedFood He forgot the cheat step that Ben used twice.
Why does Mike look so defeated before even going to the table lately, I mean, I laugh but I feel bad too lol 😂😂 his plates always look a-ma-zing, does he not know?
impact - mike looks like normal cheesecake, while Ben did bring roasted ribs with more stuff and drink
So, as a dungeon master for dungeons and dragons I often use the tomato as an example of intelligence versus wisdom… Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put that tomato in a fruit salad! I have just barely started the video, and I am excited to see how the tomato cheesecake turns out LOL
You can’t really help Mike much when Ben’s had 2 days to marinate ribs and about a week to make a fermented drink.
Beat the chef is the most fun I've had watching sorted since the OG big nights in. I'm loving it
I've always felt that, of the three 'Normals' (and by this point, NONE of those three is a 'normal' anymore), Mike is the most 'Chefy'. He loves to experiment, he's not afraid to fail, learns from his mistakes, and always delivers something interesting, even when it doesn't always come out according to plan.
I've said it before and I'll say it again and again. If I were still doing the chef thing and running a restaurant, I would hire any of the three Normals in a heartbeat. They all have great skills, fantastic amounts of culinary knowledge, and a drive to excel. They're not chefs (because there's a LOT more to being a chef than just being able to cook well), but with a bit of training up, they could all three be world class ones.
Fantastic job Mike! You have NOTHING to be ashamed of. You swung for the fence and *ALMOST* got there. But that was a world class effort. That is the type of recipe you see in experimental kitchens, and more often than not, those dont quite turn out on the first go. You have to reflect, refine, and redo...A LOT...before you get a home run.
Mike has the best palate. He is a super taster.
I've always admired Ben's ability to throw an act of support to his friends. Like a simple assurance/praise.
They're not friends, they're coworkers. They're there for money, not to be buddies.
@@th7052 I think that's oversimplifying it since coworkers can also be friends. Besides if you watch their very very early videos the whole channel started because they were friends.
@@SheWolfiie A couple of them may have been. But if you watched it through, you'll see they "hired" James later. He was their cook, and wasn't good enough, initially, to be on the show.
Mike's was a really clever use of the tomatoes capitalising on the modifications made by the BASF.... He won in my opinion ♥️
Ben's was amazing nonetheless 😍
😱 Jamie's "Ebbers if you need another recipe for ice" had me laughing so hard hard I'm crying. Thanks Jamie. I guess tomatoes should go with a cheese cake seeing they are a fruit.
Ebbers you should do a video teaching the guys how to make Kombucha. Or have it for your Friday video
I’m firmly Team Mike here. Either have a time limit or don’t, but the “one person is sticking to a time limit and the other isn’t” thing seems egregiously unfair. Once Ben started talking about all the things he did days in advance, it felt like these were two separate challenges that happened to be edited into one video.
It didn’t really seem fair that Ben got to do a lot of components ahead of time
I am hoping that they were both given the option and Mike just didn’t take advantage of it. Or maybe he didn’t plan to do any components ahead of time. But, I agree. Doing things ahead of time gives you an unfair advantage in that you just have more options open to you.
To my knowledge preparing some of the components ahead of time is a choice given to all, but for some reason only Ben takes advantage of it.
@@elif6908 Makes a bit of a nonsense out of having a time limit though.
@@AlanHope2013 I agree, I felt like the time checks just ... didn't make sense in this one. They were doing completely different types of dishes, and Ben's 48 hours of marinating didn't get explained XD
@@elif6908 I guess. My issue is that the time they take to prepare stuff ahead isn't taken into consideration.
For example, in a few previous videos they use "active time" where they don't taken in consideration the time required for food to just chill in the fridge or bake in the oven. Only the time in which the participants are actively contributing to the dish is counted.
I feel like that should have been the case here as well. The time that Ben took to prepare the marinade and cut up the meat should have been subtracted from the time he got on the day of. Similar for the kombucha as well.
I don't think it's fair otherwise.
"What do you do for a living?"
"I'm a tomato breeder."
I am in the wrong job.
Even better, 'I'm a food forecaster'. I'm definitely in the wrong job.
I bet a balsamic vinaigrette reduction drizzle would have been an easy and excellent addition for Mike.
thought the same, that it needs something to drizzle over, to taste better and also have better ssight impact
Nice love this idea
I’d love to see a “get to know me” episode where all five of you cook your signature dish, and then all five of you cook one dish that’s exactly the same dish as the others, but done in your own way. It would be a great way for new subscribers to learn each person’s strengths and cooking style :)
I know this is an older comment but this is an awesome idea 🎉🎉 I would love to see that and get to know the boys a bit more ❤
@@superemillita2710 They actually have! Its a series called "Made Personal" from a few years ago. Search for Sorted Fish Pie to find Bens
(Cus ofc Bens was Fish Pie hehe~)
Yes, Bens dish may have been a better dish which deserves to win, but Mike deserves some serious applause for a TOMATO CHEESECAKE
I'm also in the club of feeling weird that Ben won when he took multiple days rather than the time allotted. Of course you can make a feast in the same time as a cheese cake if the most important bits of flavor, aging, marinating, fermenting, all started days before. It really seems unfair to compare the two just based on time alone.
@@ZahinHossain From sortedfoods reply above though it seems to suggest mike's dish could have been better but he was pushed for time "The basil leaves were a little soggy and the tomato skins are a great idea, but didn't crisp up the way Chef Franck's did. Mike was pushed for time!" If he had done it days earlier he wouldn't have been pushed for time.
Ben: "Watermelons that are much smaller and avoids waste."
Me: Who wastes watermelon???
watermelons 30 years ago were like twice the size you find these days.
Me when I'm the only one eating and the smallest one is like 15 pounds :(
That was my thought too...
Anyone that cannot eat an entire watermelon isn't trying hard enough.
@@legallyfree2955 i once ate 2 whole pineapples and my tongue fell out
My winner is Mike!! He did something no one has done and apparently is was wonderful.
I love the people you guys team up with. I always learn new things. ^_^
Also, Mike, I think you win for creativity, even if Ebbers won on flavour.
Love how you guys have grown and branched out into interesting and socially responsible videos. More power to you 🤘❤️
This was a bit unfair. Mike did his in the allotted time but Ben prepared almost all of his beforehand.
Congrats Ben, that did look delicious. But hats off to Mike for a really outside the box use of the tomatoes. I really want to try that cheesecake. I love how Mike is always so gracious and supportive of others. Well done mate, you should feel very proud of the final result.
Ben definitely but the cheesecake was an interesting idea.
Great presentation. Thanks! Your photography and filming gets better and better!
It is not really fair when Ben can use prepped kombucha and use ribs that he made 2 days ahead... But oh my god that looks amazing.
It's fair since Mike could do it as well
It's fair since Mike could do it as well
@@redhead2904 To me the making ahead makes the whole battle completely different. As in a different discipline and that kinda bothers me, to be honest. I'd say either both should go that direction (of preparing lots ahead) or neither. But I agree that you're technically right that Mike had the same option just didn't use it.
Ben also did the same work on camera, sans the waiting. So touch time is still the same.
"Buttery Biscuit Base."
I like the base, base, biscuit base.
I like the buttery biscuit base.
Mike did something absolutely incredible and risky, big props to him for actually pulling it off as well!
I really want to try that cheesecake, I can't wrap my head around how that would taste. I also want to try and make a savoury version but feel like ordinary vine tomatoes wouldn't quite cut it...
I dunno, I feel like Mike should have won this simply because he did EVERYTHING in the time limit. Whereas Ben had stuff marinating for a day, and then cooking for 3 hours, and kombucha for weeks. Feels a little like cheating to me to be honest. Why even have a time limit at that point?
I outright shouted out "He's fucking cheating, what the hell?" when I watched this. Disappointing.
I don't like how Ben always prepares things days ahead of time...
I'm sure it improves the flavors of things, but it does seem to go against the spirit of having a time limit in the battle - multiple main flavor elements of Ben's plate were made outside of the time limit. Would like to see what he could do when kept to the same time limit as everyone else.
@@NoviLeigh Completely agree, esp if he's 'competing' against a normal, no less. I'm sure ben's dish is delicious, it should just be judged at a different standard since he technically started days before (with the kombucha) and his main dish was started 2 days before.
Yes, he should have vacuum sealed it or something
Mike should have won!! The star was supposed to be tomato, not a side attraction. Ben cheated!
I feel that was a tad unfair for Mike as he made the entirety of his dish during the challenge whereas bens ribs had been marinated for 2 days and the kombutcha was made beforehand. The both looked 😍 though
I love this idea but I hate tomatoes. That got me thinking: I imagine you’d all say there are no flavors you HATE, but it could be fun if you did a challenge where you each have to take a flavor/food another person hates and try to make a dish that they like.
I absolutely LOVE how supportive they are of each other and there seems to be no ego problems. That meal looked fantastic, plus I learned that you can fry off the tomato skins and candy basil leaves!
I feel like Ebbers had an unfair advantage by having the pre-marinated pork and pre-made kombucha
Even without the prep, he would have won for a more cohesive dish
Mike in the background chatting to someone off screen from 10:55 is so precious and adorable
Am I the only one thinking that by making a fermented kombucha and a 2 day-marinade, the whole "time limit" is negated and as such Mike should have just made his Cheesecake the day before 🤦🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️🤷🏼♂️
So we all know that these battles are fun to watch and participate in. The chefs have an advantage because they have the learned/hammered knowledge of what a chef needs to know, and how flavors work and pair and develop and no mistakes should be made. Normals know that food tastes good and needs fire to make it. I think a time limit on the chef and letting the normal have twice the time would help them to fix their mistakes like Mike had with the first batch of tomatoes so they have that chance to make the dish in the best way possible. That aside, I love you guys and enjoy every video!
The absolute power of introducing yourself as a “tomato breeder”
i think ben lost as he pre marinated his dish and the kambucha, 2 days marinating means more flavours in it, essentially he failed in the time limit given
Had a tomato cheesecake from the tomato farms in Iceland, was surprisingly tasty 😋
NICEEEE!
I went there and tasted one too!
I loved how creative Mikes dish was. Nothing typical. These two against each other is awesome to watch bc of how different they are.
Hey Ben, you're going up against a guy making a tomato cheesecake, maybe chill a bit on your dish
Thank you for another great episode.
Very educational, very entertaining, every dish looks amazing. Very inspirational even, to see someone use tomatoes for a Cheesecake.
There is a reason this is my favourite channel, and if only all five of you were sitting at the judging table together instead of this COVID-enforced seperation, this episode would have been one of my top five you ever made (Nothing will ever beat the First Pass-It-On or the Valentine Battle).
Thanks again, and lots of love from the Netherlands.
I appreciate how hard Mike tries.
I never thought I’d ever find myself watching a video themed around tomatoes and actually benefit from its educational experience 😂 it’s incredibly daunting thinking about the huge variety of tomatoes that all possess unique characteristics that offer themselves well in different scenarios, but it’s also really interesting imagining the different possibilities of tomatoes because they’re tremendously more versatile than commonly perceived
Am a Malaysian, i damn proud to see our curry being featured in this episode. I want that curry so bad!! Goodjob Ben ❤️
I have watched a lot of SORTEDfood videos, but it is the first time that I am salivating over Ben's amazing dish - wish I was there to taste it. Looks gorgeous and I am sure it tasted heavenly too! Also, hats off to Mike, always so creative and daring with his recipes, way to go!!
Drinking game: Have a drink every time someone says "intense tomatoes".
You have a drink, and they get $20/£20.
The promotion was absolutely gross in the end.
7:45 is probably the most descriptive description I've ever heard described very impressive
jesus christ that scientist has the most dutch accent ever.
Hahaha ik zocht naar deze comment 😂
🤣
heb oprecht gelachen
LOL Ik dacht exact hetzelfde (I thought exactly the same) Cool to see another dutchman after the patatoes :)
Ik ging stuk toen hij begon te praten
I've been speaking with my wife and friends of using tomato in dessert for years now. I'm so glad I saw this. So Mike, you got my vote.
Ben cheated a lot. All of his dishes had a pre made part in it while all of Mike's ingredients were fresh. If it was ribs without having been marinated for 2 days or kombucha, Ben would have been forced to be more creative and maybe Mike would have a better shot.
They are playing under different rules.
I just love learning stuff while being entertained . This might be my favorite TH-cam channel on the platform.
When I was a kid BASF used to make cassette tapes.
They make basically everything involving chemistry.
BASF make a huge variety of things, a few years back I visited one of the their main seed breeding sites - it's really interesting tbh. Where as I know a few of my friends have worked for one of site that makes some of the purest fish oils for pharmaceutical uses.
I knew BASF sounded familiar!
Their commercials say they aren't the end product, they are the process. They are involved in the chemistry behind the end result.
This was very very very very cool . The challenge alone would be amazing but having the research trip before man I love you guys
Both chefs admitted Mike made something delicious that they wouldn't have thought of, and yet Ben wins? Yeah, naw, Mike won that one. Ben took a "shock and awe" approach of overloading James; if he'd been judged on a single dish, Mike would have handily won. The chefs need to be confined to what's realistic for normies when doing these 45 minute challenges, else it's pretty much a given (and kinda boring for it).
I think they both did a great job and Mike is so sweet and humble, even though he had a great idea and executed it well.
Barry should take a page from Mike's book...
This is a repeat of the ramen battle. I’m not sure I like how much work Ben does outside of the allotted time :/
Well done Mike!
Dude....that cheesecake was extremely clever. I was so on board with Mike's idea the very second he finished explaining his idea. I don't care he lost, it's a really clever recipe and a good talking point on deserts with a twist.
Mike going the Barry way with a tomato cheesecake... Completely off ... Hope he wins!!
Aawwww 😔 such a generous loser
12:52 "Splooge everywhere" Great stuff. Thanks Mike