Tonight on Chopped All-Stars a winner will be decided in the Grand Finale and the charity of their choice will get $50,000. The celebrity chefs will be preparing beef heart, panforte and panchetta out of their mystery baskets for a chance at the title.

The judges for tonight’s episode are as follows;

• Anne Burrell
• Chris Santos (He should not have been a judge because he was in this competition)
• Amanda Freitag

The Chefs competing tonight are as follows;

• Michael Symon - Autism Speaks
• Jeffrey Saad - Alexandria House
• Penny Davidi - PATH Gramercy (People Assisting the Homeless)
• Marcus Samuelson - C-CAP Careers Through Culinary Arts Program 

Ted tells the competitors that the judges will critique their dishes based on taste, creativity and presentation.

APPETIZER ROUND
Ted Allen told the Chefs they have 20 minutes to complete the round and has them open their baskets which includes the following ingredients;

• Galia Melon
• Beef Hearts
• Chinese Okra
• Pistachio Nuts

After the Chefs completed their dishes they were presented to the Judges and given the following critiques;

Chef Michael prepared a Grilled Heart Salad w/ Mint & Pistachio Yogurt. Chef Michael told the judges that he left off his fried okra chips. The judges said his heart was outstanding & tender. They said it was both bitter and sweet which was perfect.

Chef Penny prepared Zahtar Crushed Beef Heart w/ Pistachio Crusted Okra and Melon Salad. The judges said the seasoning and breading on the heart fell off and left the heart under seasoned. They loved the melon salad.

Chef Marcus prepared Grilled Beef Heart w/ Spicy Broth and Grilled Okra and Melon Salad w/ Pistachio Dressing. The judges said the sauce was spectacular but would have preferred the heart to be sliced thinner. They said the dish needed more crunch.

Chef Jeffrey prepared Five Spice Noodle Salad w/ Beef Heart. The judges said his dish was tasty, light and refreshing. They said there were too many noodles on the plate and his presentation was poor.

After careful deliberation the judges chopped Michael Symon for failure to plate the okra. Had he done so he would have had the best dish in the round.

ENTREE ROUND
Ted Allen told the Chefs they have 30 minutes to complete the round and has them open their baskets which includes the following ingredients;

• Rainbow Chard
• Bonito
• Hard Cider
• Couscous

After the Chefs completed their dishes they were presented to the Judges and given the following critiques;

Chef Penny prepared Pan Seared Bonito w/ Saffron Couscous. The judges said the skin left on the fish was inedible but the fish was moist. They said the saffron over powered her dish. They said the combination of heavy cream and olive oil made the couscous very heavy.

Chef Marcus prepared Seared Bonito w/ Hard Cider sauce and Smoked Chard. The judges said the fish was a little dry but the smoked chard was genius. They said the couscous was light and awesome. They said his presentation could have been better and the plate was a little bland.

Chef Jeffrey prepared Seared Bonito w/ North African Couscous. The judges said the broth was delicious and comforting but he had the skin in his dish also. They said his presentation left a lot to be desired.

After careful deliberation the judges had a no brainer decision and much to my delight eliminated Chef Penny for the reasons above.

DESSERT ROUND
Ted Allen told the Chefs they have 30 minutes to complete the round and has them open their baskets which includes the following ingredients;

• Panforte
• Pancetta
• Pink Currants
• Creme Fresh

After the Chefs completed their dishes they were presented to the Judges and given the following critiques;

Chef Marcus prepared a Chocolate Panchetta Crumble w/ Coconut Ice Cream and Candied Pink Currants. The judges said the sundae was elegant and delicious but the candied currants did not work.

Chef Jeffrey prepared a Toasted Panforte & Apple Turnover w/ Panchetta Ice Cream. The judges said the ice cream was spectacular and delicious but the skin left on the apples and the raspberry puree on the turnover was a mistake.

After careful deliberation of all of the courses the judges chopped Chef Jeffrey and named Chef Marcus the All-Star Champion. He wins $50,000 for his charity C-CAP.

Tell us what you think about the finale. Did your favorite win?

Links to the first four episodes leading up to the finale;

• Part 1 - Iron Chefs
• Part 2 - Prime Time
• Part 3 - Food Network Stars
• Part 4 - Judges Remix

images courtesy of foodnetwork.com