MasterChef Season 13 winner, Grant Gillon, celebrates a love of cooking, interview

Proving that the Midwest is best in the Tastes of America, MasterChef Season 13 winner, Grant Gillon, presented an impeccable three course meal that highlighted seasonal, well-executed dishes. Blending technique and restraint, Grant earned the title. More importantly, his food has many people longing for the time when they will be able to enjoy a taste of his recipes for themselves.

Winning MasterChef can catapult chefs into a different realm. While they might have started as a home cook or a social media personality, the experience and exposure on the FOX show gives these chefs an opportunity to become a sought-after culinary talent.

Looking back at Grant’s meal it was a love letter to both Iowa and his Italian heritage. From the egg yolk ravioli to the pork tenderloin, the dishes were elevated but not stuffy. More importantly, he used one or two elements to showcase a little unexpected flavor. For example, the beer braised fennel might be a dish that will be featured on many menus.

Representing the Midwest, Grant understood that there is a preconception about the food from the region. But, he wanted to show those elements and more.

When asked, he commented, “my love of cooking comes from using local ingredients and celebrating each and every item. Meat and potatoes might be a staple, but we have so many beautiful ingredients that can be elevated in many ways. I cook to make each and every protein and vegetable shine.”

That approach to cooking and food is a concept that anyone and everyone can apply. While Grant has a close connection to local farmers at his home in Iowa, anyone can create that relationship. He believes that once people appreciate the seasonality of local ingredients, they will be inspired to cook more. That connection between the food and the cook will keep everyone in the kitchen.

Looking at his finale meal, which earned him the MasterChef 13 winner title, Grant blended his Italian heritage with a nod to Iowa. It was not just corn on the plate, but the connection to the farm with an emphasis on technique and creativity was clear. His beer braised fennel was a prime example.

When asked about his finale meal, Grant shared, “Midwest Italian might not be a common combination, but it is not going to clash. There was a lot of conceptualizing. I was pegged as the pasta guy, but I knew that I needed to make a pasta in the finale. If I was going to do pasta, the cohesive menu needed to be Italian.”

“Putting my heritage and my Iowa roots made the pork loin a good choice. Although it might seem easy, cooking a pork loin to a perfect medium rare is just as difficult as cooking a stake or a rack of lamb. I wanted to take something that was simple and show how beautiful it can be.”

Speaking to his dessert, Grant commented, “I wanted to bring together my love of chocolate, coffee and my Italian heritage. It was a riff on a classic dessert and gave a nod to my family and Iowa.”

One aspect that was subtle in his finale meal was Grant’s connection to the beer industry. As the sales director at Kinship Brewery, he knows a lot about beer, and he knew that it needed to be part of that three-course meal. From the fennel to the stout cake, it all made sense and stayed true to who he is.

As seen on the MasterChef Season 13 finale, the judges praised all three of his dishes. While there was room for improvement, the dishes were memorable, and the judges happily went back for more. Most importantly, each dish had an element that surprised them. That little nuance might have secured Grant’s win.

Still, his finale meal was not without risk. Plating Italian influence cuisine to Joe Bastianich took confidence. Grant commented, “Joe knows what I can do and I didn’t want to let him down. It was a little intimidating, but I knew that if I could impress him, it would go a long way to win the title.”

Even though the three-course meal was the cumulation of MasterChef Season 13, Grant believes that he showed a lot of resolve throughout the season. He mentioned that he could have crumbled after that fish challenge, but he came back in the next challenge with determination. Every time someone tried to knock him down, he came back fighting. Even Gordon Ramsay commented during the season that Grant wanted to earn the judges respect and praise till the very end.

Since he completed many challenges, Grant reflected on some of his highs and lows. One dish that was not predominately featured, but was his favorite, was the Apple Cappelletti from the apple challenge. Grant described the dish as “little stuffed pasta with sweet potatoes and golden delicious apples. There were some pickled Granny Smith apples and a beautiful broth and some microgreens. I was really proud of that dish.” Also, Grant said that he was very proud of his MRE challenge dish.

The dish that he would like to take a second pass at is the fish challenge. Thinking how he would change it, Grant said that he would probably “cook it whole, take the head off and butterfly it. I had never seen a whole mackerel.”

Now that he has been crowned MasterChef Season 13 winner, Grant Gillon is looking ahead to what is next. From his Instagram channel where he cooks with his son Grady to potentially opening a farm to table restaurant in his hometown, a flavorful future is bright for Grant. It seems like foodies might be booking a trip to Iowa after this MasterChef season.

Want to watch MasterChef Season 13 again? Previous seasons can be streamed on Hulu. Also, do you think you could be the next MasterChef; the Gordon Ramsay and FOX show has open casting calls for an upcoming season.