BEEF WELLINGTON BUDGET BATTLE | Chef (£2.50) VS Normal (Unlimited Budget) | Sorted Food

[@benhollingshead898]

When Barry says “where are you shopping?” I can’t tell if it’s him being shocked at the price of the beef stock or just asking so he could go there after they’ve finished recording

[@15drasedrase]

Both? Definitely both lol

[@ethancampbell215]

This is probably the single best comment across the entirety of Sorted videos that perfectly articulates Barry Taylor as a person 😂😂 there’s a reason he’s been dubbed as Mr. Pretentious and a £12.50 beef stock immaculately describes him to the tee 😂😂

[@huddlespith]

I like the idea of this format moving into “can I buy my way out of a lack of skill” like Mike said. Amazed with Ebbers version!

[@fionaclaphamhoward5876]

I think that's also Mike selling himself short again though. There's a lot of technique in a Beef Wellington and he was onto it.

[@KungKokkos]

By that metric surely Mike won? He did produce the better dish, if it has to be comparatively better in relation to the cost, he really has no chance of winning at all. Ebbers would have to basically drop the plate in the dish water pre serving for that tl happen

[@itarry4]

You can only buy your way out of a total lack of skill if you spend a absolute fortune getting the food cooked and delivered by a chef or hire one. No amount of money will help unless you have a good basic knowledge and a fairly strong technical ability. If you can't even boil an egg no amount of stunning expensive ingredients will help you make a decent meal unless it's all stuff you don't need to cook.

[@piranajoe2]

I always love seeing how creative the Chefs are in their budgeting.

[@conormurphy4328]

and the normals going wild with whatever they can come up with

[@s980126i]

and also the creative ways that normals use their unlimted budget

[@KThyme]

I love the "That's what restaurants do," and Ben just humbly, but somewhat shamed-faced, admitting that's so in the background of the shot. Love the energy for this challenge. It felt more buoyant today!

[@The_Curious_Cat]

I think Ben turned to say probably the same thing but since Mike said it he just confirmed it with a repeated head nod.

[@imtonysopro]

I wouldn't be surprised if Ben was bipolar...

[@jak-jaydavis50]

Would love to see Ben with a unlimited budget making the ultimate meal

[@HeWhoSlayethCain]

The Unlimited Ebbrell.....the world is not ready.

[@carolines3953]

Yes! Would love to see this also. Maybe like a Michelin restaurant inspired full tasting menu or something. The Normals could be his sous in the kitchen.

[@mohammedsadat9152]

it'll be the holy risotto

[@SortedFood]

This would be good to see.

[@rollingmetal949]

@@HeWhoSlayethCain Unlimited Ebbrell sounds like Bennuendo😂

[@ForumCat]

"Have some of my sausage sauce". Said with a straight face. Well done Ben, master of the double entendre.

[@nicstroud]

I am 54 now, I come from a working class family and we did not have much money when I was growing up. My mother was fantastic at cooking delicious meals from basic ingredients. In all fairness processed food and ready meals were rare in the 70's anyway. This video reminded me of something my mother used to make called 'beef burger wellington.' Essentially it was mince beef with cheese in an egg glazed pastry, similar to a beef wellington but she used to make them individually as opposed to one long roll. My father, my sister and I loved them. ❤

[@patmaurer8541]

I appreciate that the guys are so budget conscious. Too often, cooking shows say, "Your specialty foods grocer will have this. It's about $27 per pound." no. I have a budget, a family, and as much as I enjoy cooking, I have other things to do. Thanks for showing ordinary people how to make extraordinary food!

[@SinisterMD]

One of the things I've wanted to make for a while. Love seeing the comradery between everyone. That's what makes this show so enjoyable. Great stuff lads.

[@SortedFood]

Glad you enjoy it 😀

[@SinisterMD]

Mike - "I didn't mess it up...and that was my sole aim for today." I have so many days like that Mike. :)

[@Ottoni174]

only thing i was disapointed is that with the unlimited budget he didn't got a wagyu filet mignon lol

[@magsimags]

i am incredibly impressed with mike. the lad just made a beef wellington all on his own (on camera) and did a fantastic job of it. he's come so far and learned so much. as have the other two. comparing this mike's skills are worlds away from mike's skills 10 years ago

[@wertyleigh]

I sometimes forget how long the lads have been doing sorted, and how much they have picked up over time. It's kind of a crazy time capsule of sorts if you go back and watch 🤣

[@rewrose2838]

@@wertyleigh Yeah these are not normals in any capacity I'd say.

[@jonirnmomba4130]

THANK YOU SORTED. Like many I am struggling with the price hike of life, but love to try new foods. I’ve always wanted to try making a beef Wellington but my budget wouldn’t allow it. This week my kids and I try our first (budget) Wellington.

[@SortedFood]

Let us know how you get on!

[@izuizabela6613]

I can also share good recipe for vegetarian version, with inside mate of beets, tofu and walnuts if you'd like :)

[@kmorrison7785]

@@izuizabela6613 oooo, yes please!

[@Mommamacnz]

@@izuizabela6613 This sounds an amazingly tasty meal as well. Would you share the recipe with me please?

[@cassandramuller7337]

So? How did it go?

[@taheera8849]

"Proves what you can do at both of the scale" sums up this entire series. Love seeing both a budget and a no-budget options, because I end up getting ideas from both!

[@anakreonsears6733]

@taheera8849 Upvoted your comment because they're as of October 2024 changing a bit of format.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Ben: “…sausage shape…” Jamie: “Imma destroy this man’s career.” Ben, taking note of this: “…beef fillet shape…”

[@cdlelondon]

Raw pasty on the bottom of the actual beef Wellington though

[@danm8004]

@MrAbletospeak not unless it's undercooked in Cornwall.

[@tsnap4]

I'm going to say it now: Ebbers pulling from his herb garden (but not veggies from the allotment) is totally valid. Any cost minded home chef should be growing their own herbs.

[@asphaltpilgrim]

Agree 100%

[@MultiKarmacharger]

I think it's better for people who don't have access to gardens or home growing equipment if he doesn't, but a list of what you could add if you home grew it would be quite nice.

[@CaliMeatWagon]

@@MultiKarmacharger You can grow most of your herbs in a pot in a windowsill. It doesn't require a garden or "home growing equipment".

[@melodyleong]

Mine die on me so often it's cheaper just buying them fresh as and when I need it...🤷🏻‍♀️

[@ironboy3245]

Yeah I agree, herbs are fair game

[@KatDJZ]

I'm so impressed with Ben's wellington. I never would have thought you could make one for that price!

[@SortedFood]

It's SO tasty too. Top job Ebbers 👏

[@MaZEEZaM]

I was impressed with how it turned out, when I saw mince I was like Urgh... and it essentially was a meatloaf but it certainly gave the tenderloin a run for its money.

[@Anna_TravelsByRail]

Mike responding to the price of his beef with “I haven’t even gotten started yet” is brilliant. Someone apparently went on a bit of a spending spree. 😉

[@christinesiang1813]

Especially with him saying, he for money to burn 🔥 😂 🤣

[@rosejustice]

I admit, I’m usually a diehard member of Team Mike in all these competitions. However today I was cheering for Ben so hard. It looks so good for a dinner for 4 for a tenner. Yes, Mike’s looked beautiful but the budget part just really pushed it in Ben’s favor. Nice job boys! ❤️

[@tamaraandersson2532]

Agreed!

[@alexandresobreiramartins9461]

Also, Ebers' was better shaped and his duxelle layer was far more evenly spaced. Construction-wise, it was far superior. And yeah, it's "easy" do make something great when you have insanely good ingredients. It's not like Mike just spread a ton of truffles and gold leaves on his dish, but quite honestly, Ebers creativity definitely gets the cake.

[@singerofsongss]

Mike going “that’s what restaurants do!” and Ben nodding in the background, thinking about weighing in, and going “yeah he’s got it” is so funny

[@MadamBonaparte]

Ben's reaction when Mike beats him to the explanation for the beef shins is priceless 😂

[@sandrakicklighter2735]

I love having the chef do recipes with a low budget. That is what we need and his trick of using the white bread was amazing!!!

[@jennifermclaurin217]

As the cook of my family I've always wanted to make a wellington, but my family has issues with rare/medium-rare meat. Ben's version looked amazingly cooked through and I know that my family won't throw a fit because "that meat isn't cooked" according to them! I can see myself pulling parts from both Ben and Mike's recipes to make a delectable wellington my family would actually eat! Thanks and I can't wait to try this out! 👌🏾👌🏾👏🏾👏🏾👍🏾👍🏾

[@John_Locke_108]

Have you considered Chicken Wellington? I made it once on a whim and it was really good.

[@jennifermclaurin217]

@@John_Locke_108 Subbing out the protein? 🤯🤯 That is a brilliant idea!! Thanks for the recommendation and I'll definitely have to try this version out!!

[@mydnyt]

@@jennifermclaurin217 did you ever try it out?

[@jennifermclaurin217]

@Amanda Manning I did, and my family absolutely loved it!! Since all the flavors in a traditional Wellington, mustard, crepes,mushroom duxelle, and prosciutto also work well with chicken, it was an easy and delicious swap out!! My family devoured it and said they're open to trying the original.....if I could cook the beef a bit closer to medium-well than medium-rare! I call that progress no matter how u look at it!!

[@chronicallynerdy4074]

@@jennifermclaurin217 Super happy to read this update. Wellington all the things!

[@katelynlanni9918]

As a gardener, I appreciate Bens add ins from his garden when he does. More folks should do it. It’s like an extension on your pantry. I’ll never not have a garden. Even if it’s just a herb pot on the back deck. You can tell he is passionate about it as well and I hope more people get inspired.

[@lyndacrossley9548]

Fresh herbs from the garden are great!

[@skilletborne]

I like that it's not even a rich person thing. If you have a window, you can grow a good few herb plants.

[@jayferguson9968]

To be fair,: It doesn't have to be eleven times better, just better *enough* to be worth the price. I'm not saying he hit it, just that you can't rilly expect equal ratios when multiplying prices.

[@chrisbaker91]

Like what is the sweet spot before there is diminishing returns. If you doubled the budget is it 2 x as good then triple 2.5x as good etc. Where is it worth splurging vs saving on the different steps

[@KeithM82]

I agree, I thought the whole premise of this show, was if you give someone an unlimited budget, can they beat a chef. Not, give someone an unlimited budget AND THEN beat the chef by by an amount equivalent to how much more you spent.

[@mohammedabdullah3005]

@@KeithM82 that’s exactly what I thought

[@kilianortmann9979]

@@chrisbaker91 I don't know for food, but I have found it for wine. It's when I am happy, that I have another bottle I can open. Too expensive and I regret the price, too cheap and I'd rather continue with beer.

[@HeatherWarner97]

@@KeithM82 yeah, you'd never hear Jamie say that when he went

[@eldoradocanyonro]

That bread trick WAS genius. Another fine example of cookery and tomfoolery. Well done, both of you! To create such excellent food with such few funds is extraordinary. To create a high class meal so well without the training and experience and restaurant background is impressive! Carry on!

[@tnm2684]

Dipping the toast points in the jus at the end was the best combination of Ben's and Mike's dishes.

[@ElleDeLunar]

I adore this. Each episode they give each chef/normal so much crap all throughout, but at the end so much love for their food. Both looked great, and I'm glad he nailed the $110 Welly!

[@carolines3953]

I love making Beef Wellington but it’s only been for special occasions (Christmas, birthdays etc). Will try Ben’s cheaper version. Really curious to see how it compares. 😋

[@ykl1277]

There must be a middle ground with like chuck roast so you can still have it medium rare

[@slipstream9619]

As much as I love these budget episodes, I would absolutely love watching these and then a middle of the road dish that takes the best of both to see what works and doesn't and where to save and where to overindulge.

[@martihurford]

To this American, Ben made an OTT Meat Loaf…which I can totally get behind and would make before making another Beef Wellington. Great job Ben.

[@bodyofhope]

Exactly what I was thinking!Ben's is the Sunday dinner. The true wellington would only be for a nice Christmas dinner or dinner party. 🇺🇸

[@AhmadUibai]

I love how the boys decided to judge this battle by comparing the taste against the price! This format clearly favours the normals with their unlimited budget, but by asking "was the dish X times as delicious?" with X being how much more expensive it was to the budget version it stops the normals from going overboard with the truffle, duck eggs, etc Hope future battles in this format follow this particular judging style!

[@gl4d10]

this is inspiring, been wanting to try making wellington for probably a decade now but, you've got to make it for an occasion and who wants to potential mess up the whole main cause it is the first time you've ever made such a complicated dish, i felt like 'yes! i could do that not for a christmas dinner' with ben's and then seeing how well mike's came out, i think this year might be the year, ty for the great video

[@2ndhendrix631]

Found your channel today from your coop with Tom Scott and damn, I love it! Your production value, the vibes between you guys are just top notch! Inspirational and so entertaining! Cheers

[@jamesyong4777]

Love the show~! even though i dont cook alot i still get some thoughts where i be like "i could roast this first"! One theme suggestion, maybe a cooking battle, where the participants compete to cook a big batch of food to last a week's worth of dinners, and they could progressively taste the refrigerated leftovers every day, and the one who has the best dish at the end of the week wins! (Could also be given a short time between every day before reheating to do a few adjustments to the leftover dish) Something like this could really be practical knowledge for the extremely busy people who wont have the energy to cook on weekdays.

[@strawberrry1997]

This is a really interesting idea!!

[@loved012one]

Brilliant idea! On weekends, I cook large batches of food that I freeze in meal-size portions. This creates a wide variety of frozen meals that I can quickly reheat on weekdays after a long day of work.

[@lexica510]

That's a fantastic idea!

[@evanflynn4680]

I love these budget battles. On one hand you get to see what can be done with the best ingredients, and at the same time you can see what can be done with a tiny budget. The best part of these battles is that you don't have to make something exactly like the low budget option for yourself, but you can take some of the creative techniques to make something just as good as you normally would make, but at a lower cost.

[@SlugmanSam]

It would be cool to see a follow up episode with a hybrid between the two or Ben cooking with the expensive ingredients

[@tiffanykleinsteuber1132]

I was soo happy to see another budget battle and please keep making more. I almost fell out of my couch when i heard how much mike spend on his beff wellington that is soo crazy but wow looks amazing. Awesome video!!!

[@Jelkin02]

What Ben did was incredible, but the question can't be was Mike's 11x better! The extra price is meant to serve as a handicap to create an even competition. Mike gets my win

[@malcolmlake2450]

Also a very strong argument that Ben’s isn’t a Wellington.

[@ethancampbell215]

I would say that’s the only fair way of judging the dishes. The normal will inevitably present a better dish because they have better quality ingredients, can access an unlimited supply of ingredients and have the ability to purchase herbs and seasonings to enhance their dish which isn’t an option for the chef. Comparing the difference between the cost per serving and making the judgment whether the normals dish matches the improvement in quality in comparison to the price difference. If a normal served a dish valued at £250 the dish certainly has to be better but if it isn’t 100x better than the chefs dish then Ebbers should win

[@bubbapuddles]

"Have some of my Sausage Sauce." 🤣 Love some good Ben-nuendos.

[@umboccioni]

I love you guys. This is without a doubt my favourite KZbin channel.

[@SortedFood]

Thanks so much, we're glad you enjoy the content.

[@highlysmiley2303]

Amazing episode!!... been watchin you guys from the states for a couple years now and just (chefs kiss) mwuah to the quality of the video, set-up, editing, shots, commentary, humor and most importantly the food. Just wanted to show some love, keep up the great work and dont let off the peddle anytime soon. :)

[@dataterminal]

6:13 "Can i make up for lack of ability by throwing money at the problem?" Yes. It's called ordering uber eats Beef wellington at Gordon Ramsay's 😂👍

[@SortedFood]

😂 excellent.

[@SheepdogSmokey]

@@SortedFood You know, they do make that kit, and it would be the same as going to the store, he just ordered all of his ingredients.....

[@DrMuttmen9]

@@SheepdogSmokey They made his kit

[@SheepdogSmokey]

@@DrMuttmen9 I know, that's what I was referring to, and you just know Ben would have tried to say it's invalid, and the boys would just argue "Mike bought all of the ingredients for a Wellington....."

[@liv-4423]

This has probably been said previously in another Budget Battle, but I think it would be completely fair for Ben to use portions of ingredients (e.g. flour, milk, eggs) calculated into his budget. That being said, the rule in place does mean he has to get super creative with the ingredients he buys! Either way, great video as always, more Budget Battles please!

[@chrisandrew2347]

The relationship between cost and quality isn't linear so to expect it to be 11 times better is unrealistic. But definitely amazing to see what can be done with great talent or unlimited budget.

[@aarontraas5636]

Exactly! Diminishing returns! Is a really well baked cookie you get for $4 at a bakery ever 20 times better than an Oreo? Nope! These guys frequently preach, rightly, to purchase the highest quality and best raised meat you can afford, which is often 3 or more times the cost of factory farmed meat. Is it 3 or more times better? No! That's not all there is to life.

[@dax0050]

@@aarontraas5636 Yes, a top-tier cookie is 20x better than an Oreo.

[@gamerbear84]

Judging it like that kinda ruined the video for me.

[@mr.thundercleese2253]

@@gamerbear84 Really? It's obvious the best ingredients available are going to taste better than ones 1/10 their price, what other metric would you suggest besides "how good it is under the restrictions given"? There is no existing "cost to flavor" scale -- linear, exponential, logarithmic, otherwise. Jeez. The fact that Ben's is even *comparable* to Mike's is in itself a win already

[@chrisandrew2347]

@@mr.thundercleese2253 I like these videos because it shows what skill can do and what good ingredients and indulgence can bring to a dish. I just find the judging aspect redundant.

[@abyeeve]

Love the format. Ben explaining his hacks is very educational

[@Alleroc]

Can I request an itemized version of Ben's shopping receipt? That's an insane amount of food for the cost it feels. Went to the grocery store here in Kansas, USA found the absolute cheapest of each ingredient used, total cost was 33.95 USD or $8.49 per portion. Even converting to GBP that's still almost triple the cost.

[@lorblauh]

Lots of UK stuff is really cheap. Like their cheeses are like half ours or something like that. Atomic Shrimp does a lot of on screen shopping and the prices are always pretty good. I think it has something to do with their tax subsidies or something.

[@wertyleigh]

-looks concerned in Kiwi- Yea, we too couldn't do it at that price. I mean, for a kg of mushrooms I think would have to be around $20 for white button? (Edit: $20 vs 20kg xD)

[@MenacingBird]

Also in the UK, you can buy much smaller portions because they sell things by the gram, not the oz.

[@Michael75579]

@@wertyleigh ASDA in the UK do 250g packs of white mushrooms for 50 pence or £2/kg. If you find somewhere selling larger packets of "misshapen" mushrooms you could probably do it even cheaper.

[@PazzyGamer]

I rewatched all the other budget battles yesterday, so glad this is back

[@mm-bv4zw]

I love how Mike gets high on having the bigger budget and pretentious ingredients 👌

[@SortedFood]

Wouldn't we all with an unlimited budget! 🤑

[@ishtara9470]

Barry's incredulous "Where're you shopping?!" makes me lmao

[@Drnaynay]

Ben absolutely nailed this one. So practical for people who are struggling financially, but still want something nice, filling, comforting - the works. And that he worked in a side dish also - incredible!!!

[@deadtotheworld22]

In terms of format, it's a really good approach by limiting the chef's budget and seeing all the tricks and hacks that Ben applies to make up for the deficit, but I do also find that the unlimited budget aspect does unbalance things a bit in terms of the competition. Partly, it's because the normals end up throwing expensive ingredients at the problem in the hope that something sticks, but also because at the end of the day, the judgement seems to usually come down to 'the expensive Normal dish is significantly more luxurious and probably a bit better because it's using the 'proper' ingredients, but not X times better in line with the price'. Without wishing to be a Sorted hipster, I do think it was better when the normal also had a bit of a limited budget to work with and thus had to make their own strategic decisions as to where to splurge their money and where to be a bit more economical, as was the case with the Jamie vs James Full English challenge. It also means that both sides can also provide useful information about how to prepare the dish on different budgets, specifically helping to know where, if you've got a bit more of a budget, it's worth spending a bit more money (so, presumably the beef fillet) and where the difference between budget and premium isn't massive in the grand scheme of the dish. I do accept that there's perhaps a bit more of an overlap with the Pick the Premium videos, and I may be the minority here, but I do occassionally come away from these ones wincing a bit at how much has been thrown at the luxury dish just seemingly for the sake of driving up the price.

[@mr.thundercleese2253]

See, I think the extremes are what make them so interesting to watch. It's like cooking the same dish in two different universes. The true hacks and advice come in on where Ben has to make choices and compromises to stay competitive against top-tier ingredients

[@deadtotheworld22]

​@@mr.thundercleese2253 I take the point, but I would say that you could still get 90-95% of premium/luxury approaches with a fairly generous Normal budget of say 5-6 times Ben has, but also give the Normals enough limitations that they have to be a bit tactical with some of their suggestions or potentially push themselves out of their comfort zones with some more expensive ingredients and techniques.

[@tanja9364]

I love how your ‘well loved’ saucepan appears from time to time - I have one exactly the same (literally I had a double take the first time I saw it), didn’t realise it couldn’t go in the dishwasher until it was too late and I had ruined the outside! Nice to see you couldn’t throw yours away either. 😄

[@KevCampbell]

Love these challenges, because they're so relevant to the decisions we make at home about where to spend our food budget. This was a stand-out of the genre!

[@jamespurs]

I've watched this a few times and cooked it myself a couple times (mixing this recipe and Ramsey's) and I'm just so proud of Mike. It was cooked so well! You can throw all the expensive elements into it but you need to cook it perfectly and he did.

[@TehJojoBeans]

I'm a simple man. I see a new sorted vid, and I click. 😊

[@SortedFood]

We like that kind of simplicity in life 👌

[@jknaubie3462]

I just love that Barry and Jamie keep taking Ben's toast and dipping it in Mike's jus and look around like they're being sneaky!

[@rebellion2054]

This was brilliant. Although I would love to bathe in that posh jus, Ebbers seriously gave a masterclass in budget decadence there. Inspiring, thank you.

[@paulbyre8887]

I had to rewind and turn on closed captions at 9:54 because i thought Mike said beef s#!t. I was relieved when it showed beef shin. Sounds like i need to go to the doctor and have my hearing checked again. In my defense i do suffer from hearing loss and tinnitus from my time in the military. Keep up the good work chefs!

[@quincyweiler6871]

I would love to see a follow up video on how Ben would use the same upscale ingredients, just to see how a chef would beef up the recipe

[@Setharious-or6iw]

Thank you for the birthday upload! Just the thing I needed when my friends canceled on me. Love the content! Keep it up!

[@ArielK1987]

Bring back Berry's Deli please. His cheekniess was awesome.

[@SortedFood]

We do need to bring that back TBF 😂

[@Shelsight]

I miss that too. Just 5 seconds of the jaunty hat and his, ‘welcome to Barry’s deli’ makes me laugh way more than it should. Bring it back :)

[@kouathalla9040]

12:55 "You're so uncouth, the lot of you." I'll be using this in my daily life. Thanks, Ebbers!

[@teagenthetiefling5296]

Ben is a fucking wizard at this point

[@Silver_Ws_t]

One of the things I love here, is the hacks when it comes to things like flour, eggs, or rice… excluding when they just use a packet of rice. Essentially something someone would normally have allot of but due to the restraints you have to get creative with another option, showing the diversity of things a common place item like white bread might. Heck things like that are also neat for someone who might not be confident in making a crepe instead having another option.

[@jerilynhuish2938]

I'd love to see a series where you test chef "myths". Does searing the meat ACTUALLY add flavor and hold in moisture? Do room temperature eggs/milk/etc actually make a difference in baked goods (as opposed to just adding cold eggs into the batter). Make the same thing two ways and have a blind tasting to see if there's really a difference.

[@Dnc1ngQueen]

In the meantime, you should check out "myth munchers" on Mythical Kitchen! They do this concept!

[@uweschroeder]

I agree - Ben nailed it. Particularly these days being able to make something from low cost ingredients is an important skill. I've had my share of very, very expensive dinners in my life but to be honest, the ones that stick to memory the most are the ones worth remembering and it's usually not the food but the people you're with and the setting you're in. Of course the food has to be good, but it doesn't have to be caviar and fillet when a good but simple sausage over an open fire on the beach is so much more memorable.

[@Deladus]

These budget battles always amaze me with the cost of the cheap one. I feel like at my local grocers Ebber's $10 meal would still cost me at least twice as much.

[@helensernett9477]

10 British pounds can go a bit further than 10 US dollars. But one really does have to make sure one is shopping at the market with absolute best value. I wish they would share where and when they purchased for the budget version and the bugetless versions.

[@fionaclaphamhoward5876]

I'm sitting here in New Zealand marvelling at how far they get 10 quid to stretch! No way I could get all those ingredients for the equivalent in Kiwi dollars 😭😭😭

[@melodyleong]

Same. 4 herby sausages of that size here would probably cost ard 10 pounds...

[@Onepinkflamingo]

I've been watching you gentlemen for years. This Christmas, I'm going to attempt your beef wellington (not budgetless but definitely not 2.50 per. It's pretty intimidating for me, so wish me luck. Happy Holidays to all.🦃🎄

[@suzloua]

Always bugs me when Ben has to make silly choices in these budget challenges - like, if these are meant to be realistic money saving ideas (something we can all do with right now with the cost of living hike), then it’s silly that Ben has to buy expensive smaller amounts of, say, packet rice, because he can’t afford a whole bag of rice which is much cheaper per gram, and is what someone on a budget would realistically do instead. In this one, he’s saying he can’t afford flour, but anyone actually cooking this would buy the flour and keep it for future meals. It would be better if he was buying, say, two tbsp of flour at 2p each or whatever because that’s how much it is to take that much out of the bigger bag.

[@mortexia]

Welcome to the world of the poor, where everything is more expensive per gram. More seriously though the stricter rules is probably because youtube promotes more silly and not normal things so it's probably a contributing factor

[@philwill0123]

Never make the assumption that people have everything in cupboards.

[@alexsis1778]

@@philwill0123Obviously it depends on what exactly you cook. If you never cook rice you're not going to be buying a 25 lb bag of rice. But at the same time many ingredients like rice and flour will last years if properly stored. I also think its safe to say the majority of people who would be willing to attempt to make their own beef wellington are probably going to cook frequently enough that assuming they have some flour is probably a safe bet.

[@chrisbeatty743]

@@alexsis1778 but if you think about it, if you’re truly on a budget, it would be better to save up and buy a 25 lbs bag of rice. That is 13.99 at my local Walmart. 25lbs of uncooked rice makes about 60-75 lbs of cooked rice. That’s roughly 25 cents for a 1 lbs meal that you can put thinks like soy sauce on for an extremely filling and cheap meal. Combine that with a little bit of chicken and some home grown veggies and you have a meal for about $1

[@mortexia]

@@chrisbeatty743 kind of. While on one hand good budgeting means taking value deals like what you suggest, on the other the people who need budget meals are people who live at or below the poverty line. Poverty meaning that the 10$ might be all you have at the time. The assumption behind a good 13.99 value buy is that you need more then 13.99$ on that shoppping day in your wallet in order to make the purchase

[@mushu-the-cat]

ben really nailed it! but i like mikes quote “just throw money at the problem”

[@kathleenstrahm4291]

Whoever’s doing the marketing on the pass it on promo, amazing job. I remember loving the last one but this clip was perfection. 👏

[@ronrod992]

Thanks!

[@SortedFood]

No problem! Thank you!

[@MrTruthTrain]

Love these videos! It's a bit silly to give the home cooks an unlimited budget if they are going to be penalized for using it in a cook off though. Both dishes looked lovely but I think Mike wins this one for pulling off a very tough dish and making the tastier of the two final products.

[@FBItheboss]

i dont think mike was penalized for using expensive ingredients. It was just the matter of, does it taste that much better than it costs

[@trayvixk4642]

I especially like this challenge because gathering all the ingredients of beef wellington is usually expensive and Ben making a more budget-friendly version is super handy. It lets an intermediate-level home cook have fun and keep experimenting.

[@LAJS1996]

Good to see a budget battle back love to see what Ben can always do within that price point

[@MrDodgerdodson]

These are the best - I've loved every single one of this series, and hope you do a bunch more

[@kaldogorath]

I always want to see the best medium on this videos. What's worth it from Mike's to add to Ben's to make it affordable but amazing?

[@fionaclaphamhoward5876]

I'm with you on this! Like I'm thinking, make my own parfait because it's relatively easy and chicken livers are cheap - but splurge on good beef fillet and all-butter pastry. Homemade chicken egg crepes would also be perfectly acceptable...

[@farjananitu6944]

Oh my god.... i love these budget battels. I hope to see more soon!!

[@e21big]

the moment I saw duck egg in pastry, I already knew something would go wrong lol Also I guess the key to this challenge is to just not spend too much on your dish, even though you have unlimited budget, loads of expensive stuffs are at the obvious point of diminishing return - and it's not seasoned in a way to be used as ingredient with other dishes. Making something like the pate yourself is a lot cheaper and allow much greater control over your dish.

[@VixeyTeh]

Yes, and if like Mike you are aware of your limitations of skill then getting a premade pate that you know already tastes good is both convenient and compensates.

[@aurikene]

brilliant episode, as always, BUT the pass it on live ad in the end.... 😂😂😂

[@BioYuGi]

The difference in color balance between the shot at 8:09 and 8:13 is staggering. The mustard looks green in the first camera.

[@shinimegami42]

I honestly thought it was some sort of fancy wasabi-mustard, it was that sort of green!

[@Robespierre-lI]

​@@shinimegami42Simple lighting issue. It's strange that the editor didn't catch it though.

[@sjmiz1760]

Jamie casually dipping the toast into Mike's jus is just... very normal. And a good idea.

[@twofiftysix97]

I really don't get the winning criteria. Isn't the challenge beating a chef with his techniques as a normal with unlimited budget, not beating a chef proportional to the money spent?

[@KrisAdamsTV]

Seems rude to tell Mike that price is no object, and then at the end judge it based on the price he paid for the ingredients 😂

[@Gloomfall]

When you allow one dish to be on an unlimited budget, you shouldn't be factoring in cost into the decision on who is going to win. Otherwise, it sets a bad standard requiring you to be in this case 11 times better than the competing dish and undermines the theme of the battle. All in all though, I think both Mike and Ben did a great job here and I wanted to eat both of these!

[@Alphax36]

This tbh. It felt unfair making that point

[@kroen]

I agree. Sure, if all it takes for a dish to win is to be tastier (rather than X times tastier) then it's unfair for the chef with limited budget, but that "unfairness" is the entire point of the contest.

[@janmcclure6239]

I disagree with not factoring in the cost in some way. Because with unlimited ingredients, etc. the more expensive one should always win. In fact, up to today, I believe they all did. And I almost didn't want to watch. Maybe there is some other way to factor it in.

[@DesmondSunflower]

Law of diminishing returns. Each extra pound spent will have progressively less and less effect on the overall flavour.

[@kroen]

@@janmcclure6239 Maybe the budget shouldn't be unlimited. Maybe it should only be twice to 5 times at the absolute maximum. x11 is insane.

[@avocatobobble]

seriously, you can learn a lot from sides here, incredible episode!!

[@iconix89]

Really well done, Ben! Have to admit though, Mike's had me drooling haha

[@Getpojke]

Nice. Thought Ben knocked it out of the park & well done to Mike for making such a nice one...was his bottom soggy? My favourite is lamb wellington. The flavour of the lamb saddle & loins rolled together beats beef fillet every time. As i don't like smooth mustard I mix a little wholegrain mustard in with some redcurrant jelly or rowan jelly. Parma ham, lamb fat pancakes & a duxelle of fresh & dried foraged & bought mushrooms, anchovies with homemade lambs liver paté to finish construction of the main event. Finished on the plate with a lamb demi-glace or gravy. Served with herby Pommes Parisienne, roast carrots & parsnips with wedges of glazed roasted beetroot. Heaven.

[@darriendastar3941]

I make Beef Wellington from time to time, so I know what I'm doing. I'm in absolute awe of what Ebbers did there. The imagination and creativity that went into that dish is something very, very, very special.

[@christenfields4327]

I really enjoy the content that Sorted puts out. Love the guys!

[@samyuk7265]

I honestly expecting mike going to use wagyu beef for his beef wellington.

[@SortedFood]

WOW! Now that would be expensive 😂

[@fab-ian]

10:19 - the reaction to the "where are you gonna put those carrots?" 😭

[@AnAmericanInDenmark]

The American in me, after hearing that Ben's concoction was just a giant sausage roll, thought: "Wow, fancy way to make a meatloaf!" Excellent job men, you never fail to impress!

[@Raina111111]

I like that Mike said 'I want to see if throwing money at the problem works' like it was an actual experiment. I learned something from tackling the budget with that mindset.

[@ShadowLenahan]

I love seeing how Ben's mind works with these battles but they might wanna give him some slack with the "is this really a" given the price point he has to work with

[@Shadowreaper5]

Ben does it again! Can't wait for this ingenuity in the pass it on

[@carpediem5232]

That being 110 pounds and at least 4 to 5 portions even the expensive version will probably cost you less than a (just) decent Beef wellington in a restaurant.

[@HyperactiveNeuron]

Whatever you do pleeeeeeeeease don't stop what you're doing! This channel is brilliant. Thank the Lord for KZbin. If you guys we're on cable I would be sad or would I because I wouldn't know about you in the States 🤷🏼‍♂️ Just so you know we love you all here in the US. Love you guys 🍻🥃

[@angelkisses5933]

Here's an idea for a new series after Xmas why don't each normal make their fave meal an have Ebbers either on a budget or give him the unlimited and have him make it ultimate an if he can make it any better? X

[@Abhothra]

Mad props to whoever made that short for the 3 course PIO Challenge.

[@invaderzimismyfav]

We've seen Ben do this bread hack a few times. Can we see a video on 10 unbelievable ways to use white bread?

[@Amocoru]

Ben absolutely nailed it today. Excellent job.