Each competitor must make a classic one-two flavor combo; Alton Brown determines the top and bottom chefs; the least successful joins the winner's chef of choice; revealing a simple secret ingredient that may ruffle feathers.

The finalist must run the three-round gauntlet against Iron Chefs Bobby Flay, Masaharu Morimoto and Michael Symon; the finalist is given the opportunity to choose which Iron Chef competes in each round.