Leah really gave up - I think that they should have dumped her BECAUSE she didn't try so that Arianne would get the blame.

I totally agree. Have they ever booted somebody on TC because they slacked off, or do they just chew them out royally and then send the person who stuck their neck out home?

Ariane's situation suggests that these chefs really are removed from the source of their ingredients. She should have realized that the lamb would be very tender and not need a heavy marinade (for example.)

Yeah, she really was trying to make an argument about how she didn't know if the lamb would be tender or not. Dude! Baby animal!

Have they ever booted somebody on TC because they slacked off, or do they just chew them out royally and then send the person who stuck their neck out home?

Making just the salad has DEFINITELY been cause for elimination in the past. But I think in this case, Ariane's incompetence was worse than Leah's slackitude.

Marinade? Tenderize? IT'S A BABY LAMB! And I have to agree with Tom that taking the meat off the bone (in both the lamb and pork teams) was a bad idea. Cooking boneless meat isn't a timesaver if you have to butcher it yourself!

Right. And then "butcher" it in the worst sense of the word too.

It seemed odd to me that the meals were so heavy. It was a summer lunch! Couldn't someone have done a chicken salad? (And not doused in mayo, either, something lighter and brighter.) Or a cold soup? It astounded me that no one thought to do a vegetable broth or something similar.

I just couldn't get past pork roast for lunch on a hot day. None of the teams seemed very creative last night.

Stonehome Wine Bar (in Brooklyn) does a pork belly salad that would have been perfect for Team Pork - it's basically giant chunks of bacon with blue cheese, pecans, and frisee in a really tart balsamic vinaigrette.

Mmmm. Now I want a pork belly salad.

[edit: Link [link] And naturally, that menu item is misspelled!]

Okay, that sounds delicious.

I think that they should have dumped her BECAUSE she didn't try so that Arianne would get the blame.

I don't think that she deliberately didn't try, I think that she thought "well, it's Ariane's dish, so it doesn't matter". Not that that isn't a shitty way to look at it, but I don't think that she was trying to sabotage Ariane.

I was surprised that no one turned to the grill. It's SUMMER, grilled meat is the way to go. Especially with the lamb. A very simple grilled lamb with an olive oil, rosemary, and garlic rub would have been fabulous.

I think that they are afraid to do salads as a main course because so many people have gotten sent home with salads. OTOH, Ariane won a challenge with a salad (though judged by the Today palattes).

I was surprised that no one turned to the grill. It's SUMMER, grilled meat is the way to go. Especially with the lamb. A very simple grilled lamb with an olive oil, rosemary, and garlic rub would have been fabulous.

That surprised me too. Was it Team Lamb who brought up the grill and then immediately rejected it?