The cooks must prepare a T-bone steak dish; the challenge winner assigns a type of poultry to the other contestants.

The judges get some very special help from their sons, who stop by the MASTERCHEF kitchen to judge the next mystery box challenge. Then, the contestants face the daunting task of recreating one of the greatest dishes the judges ever tasted. Later, in a field challenge, the remaining five home cooks visit a ranch where they will each prepare one Southern-inspired dish as part of a special summer luncheon for local charity volunteers. After the first part of the competition, two home cooks will advance to the finals and the Top Four, while the bottom three contestants will face a pressure test that will end the competition for one home cook.