| “ | YEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAW! | ” |
Michael "Mike" Hill was a contestant on Season 3 of MasterChef. He ranked in 11th place.
Personality[]
Nicknamed "Cowboy Mike" by the judges and his competitors, Mike was proud of his cowboy nature, as well as his energetic personality and great sense of humor, which made him one of the fan favorites of the season. He was a nice guy who was always honest with himself and the judges, and cooked with his heart every time. In the kitchen, he was usually in the middle of the pack, but did produce some outstanding dishes, which made him a strong cook in the competition. He developed close friendships with Scott and Tanya, and had enough respect for Christine to consider her the winner of the competition.
Season 3[]
Episode 1[]
Mike did not appear in this episode.
Episode 2[]
Mike appeared in this episode in part of a group of cowboys that had auditioned with him. Mike said that he was doing this competition in memory of his sister, that was killed in a car accident a few months prior, and so he could give back to his family after said tragedy. When he began the audition, he was infamously seen riding into the judging room on a horse, whom he named Mickey. The judges asked if he was kidding them, as it was a MasterChef first, and Graham prayed that he wasn't about to serve the horse.
He presented his Pan Seared Venison with Creamed Potato and Haricot Verts. Mike claimed he was self-taught, and never had a cooking lesson in his life. He said he cooked mostly for his friends who said they loved his cooking. Upon tasting, the judges gave their criticisms. Graham said that he could fit the dish, just plated differently, in a European-based restaurant, and gave him a yes. Joe was then skeptical on his ability to go far in the competition, but then gave him a yes because he delt he was a nice guy, and wanted to see what he could do. Gordon then gave him a yes, which meant three yeses for a white apron.
Episode 3[]
Mike was one of the 12 chefs that gained immediate entry into the MasterChef kitchen.
Episode 4[]
Mike was not seen much during the Mystery Box or the Risotto Elimination Test.
Episode 5[]
Mike was on the winning team of the Military Team Challenge, and thus was exempt from the Pressure Test.
Episode 6[]
Mike was not seen much during the Mystery Box challenge.
During the Crab Elimination Test, Mike was assigned the fresh crab by Ryan. He made a crab bisque out of it. Gordon felt that he made the crab taste too much like a canned crab, but not much other comment was given.
He was in the bottom 4 of the challenge along with Frank, Tali, and Helene. However, he was saved along with Frank because Tali and Helene did much worse in the challenge.
Episode 7[]
Mike was on the winning team of the Hotel Team Team Challenge, and thus was exempt from the Pressure Test.
Episode 8[]
Episode 9[]
Mike was on the second best team of the Food Truck Team Challenge, and because only the losing team faced the Pressure Test, thus he was exempt from the Pressure Test.
Episode 10[]
Episode 14[]
Episode 19[]
Episode 20[]
Competition History[]
| Week 4 | In/In |
|---|---|
| Week 5 | Win |
| Week 6 | In/Low |
| Week 7 | Win |
| Week 8 | In/In |
| Week 9 | In |
| Week 10 | High/Eliminated |
Post MasterChef[]
- After his appearance, Mike released his own range of spice rubs and has channel Game Table TV, a YouTube Channel focusing on hunting, food and also features his family.
Trivia[]
- At 40, he is the oldest contestant of the season.
- In addition, he is the youngest between all of the oldest contestants of MasterChef US.
Quotes[]
- (About Josh deciding to cook chicken tikka masala for his team) "I don't really know what we're cooking; some kind of chicken tikki takki or takki makki or tikki soup. Josh made the call; I'm glad, because I don't know what the hell the first ingredient to put in Indian food is."
- (After being eliminated) "To make it this far is a huge accomplishment for me. I lost my sister in September and I was doing this in her name. I'm very proud, I know she's proud, and I know my family at home is extremely proud. They're gonna welcome me with open arms; I know they'll be glad to see me."
Gallery[]
Season 3[]
External links[]
References[]
| MasterChef U.S. Season 3 |
|---|
| Judges |
| Contestants |
|
Stacey Amagrande • Monti Carlo • Michael Chen • Tali Clavijo • Felix Fang • Christine Hà • Mike Hill • Helene Leeds • Scott Little • Dave Mack • Josh Marks • David Martinez • Frank Mirando • Tanya Noble • Anna Rossi • Becky Reams • Samantha De Silva • Ryan Umane |