Gordon Ramsay gives high praise to Alabama cook who saves the day: ‘Thank goodness for Bryson’

Bryson McGlynn wasn’t wearing a cape, but in a very real way, he saved the day on this week’s episode of “MasterChef Junior.”

The young grillmaster from Alabama was competing in a team challenge on Monday’s program, cooking for an elite group of athletes. Bryson, 12, has been an impressive contender on the FOX reality series thus far, winning the first challenge and earning “safe” status on the second one.

READ: Alabama boy aces ‘MasterChef Junior’ debut with steak dish: ‘It’s like the tower of power of meat’

The boy’s culinary skills and courage were tested, however, when he suffered an injury in the “MasterChef” kitchen and began to weep. A soothing medic and rousing pep talk from Gordon Ramsay helped Bryson to rally, and he emerged as a key player on his team, using his grilling prowess in a standout way.

If you didn’t watch this week’s episode — or simply want a refresher on the “MasterChef” action — here’s what happened.

Who he is: Bryson is an Auburn resident who goes by the nickname of “Cheese Curd.” He’s a sixth-grader at Fox Run School in Opelika and the son of Mike and Shannon McGlynn. Bryson’s also a young grillmaster and barbecue specialist who competes in grilling competitions with his father. (Mike, a Wisconsin native, earned the nickname “Cheese” when he moved to Alabama, and that prompted his son’s moniker.) Bryson hopes to be a chef one day and have his own food truck.

What’s at stake: The winner of “MasterChef Junior” receives a trophy, bragging rights and $100,000 prize. Ten contestants remained on the show this week, after eliminations on two previous episodes.

How it works: Four chefs act as judges on “MasterChef Junior” throughout the season, making decisions on who stays and who goes. Along with head honcho Ramsay, the judging panel includes Aarón Sánchez, Daphne Oz and Tilly Ramsay, Gordon Ramsay’s daughter. Weekly cooking challenges and eliminations trim the list of contestants until a single cook remains.

This week’s challenge: Theme for the episode was “Globetrotters.” The junior cooks were divided into two five-member teams (the Red Team and the Blue Team) and asked to prepare hearty meals for members of the Harlem Globetrotters. As a twist, one meal had to be vegan, suiting the dietary restrictions of one Globetrotter. The kids had one hour to plan the meal — with a main protein, sauce, starch and two sides — grab ingredients from the “MasterChef” pantry and prepare a feast for nine people: five Globetrotters and four judges.

Bryson’s reaction: “Oh, my goodness, I’m so excited. But it’s going to be really hard to serve these Harlem Globetrotters. They have huge appetites, because they are absolute monsters.”

What Bryson cooked: As a member of the Red Team, he helped to prepare steak dinners with mushroom gray, mashed potatoes, asparagus and coleslaw. The vegan meal was a cauliflower steak with a tomato sauce and side of asparagus. Bryson’s team captain, Lydia Ledon, told him to focus on the cauliflower steak and Bryson aced it, despite some initial hesitation.

Team player: ”I’m like, what in the world, I’m not a vegan person. I do a whole bunch of barbecue in grill competitions,” Bryson said. “There’s a lot at stake with team challenges, because if you don’t do your part right, it’s going to mess up the whole entire (meal). But Lydia’s my team captain, so I have to follow what she says.”

Ouch: With an inexperienced leader giving orders, the Red Team dissolved into chaos. Steaks stayed raw; potatoes weren’t cooked; time was zipping away. At Ramsay’s command, Bryson jumped in to oversee the New York strip steaks. But the boy was handling hot, heavy pans and his teammates weren’t helping him. Bryson got a burn on his hand, wincing at the blister that appeared on his fingers. Ramsay hustled over and called for a medic. The imposing chef then gave Bryson some marching orders as the boy began to cry.

What Ramsay said: “You OK? Do you want to stay in? OK, look at me. You’ve got this. I know you’re one of the tough kids in here, OK, and you cook these steaks and you take them all the way to that finish line. Both hands on there. C’mon, let’s go. Good boy! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.”

What Bryson said: “I burned my hand and it hurts really, really bad, but I can’t think about my hand right now. I have to push through and help my team out.”

Challenge winner: Both teams succeeded in preparing substantial meals for the Globetrotters, but the Blue Team’s fried chicken plate was declared the winner. As a result, all five cooks on that team were safe from elimination. The Red Team was the loser, which meant at least one cook from the team would be sent home.

How Bryson fared: He was among the contestants declared safe this week, although he was on the losing team. The judges noticed that Bryson’s grilling skills were formidable, and they appreciated the way he stepped in to oversee the steaks in a pinch. Also, it was clear they were impressed by his ability to take a deep breath and carry on, even when injured. “Thank goodness for Bryson, by the way,” Ramsay said. “He’s burned his finger, and he’s still in the mix of it. What a hero, honestly.”

Eliminated: Lydia Ledon, 9, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Kristell Jean, 10, of Austin, Texas, were sent home. The double elimination was something of a shocker, but the judges decided two cooks were not up to par during the challenge.

Still in the competition: Along with Bryson, the eight remaining contestants are Alfred Eggermont, 11, of Binford, North Dakota; Asher Niles, 8, of Yakima, Washington; Jordyn Joyner, 8, of Greensboro, North Carolina; Lilo Tsai, 9, of Ann Arbor, Michigan; Michael Seegobin, 11, of New Smyrna, Florida: Miles Platt, 10, of College Station, Texas; and Remy Powell, 10, of Hollywood, Florida.

Next up: On the March 25 episode, the contestants take a road trip to Magic Castle, a performance venue, restaurant and private club in Hollywood. “The top eight young chefs journey outside the ‘MasterChef Junior’ kitchen and head to the famous Magic Castle to celebrate its 60th anniversary,” an episode synopsis says. “They split into teams to perform magic on the grill and feed the magicians and staff of the Academy of Magical Arts.”

If you watch: “MasterChef Junior” airs on Mondays at 7 p.m. CT on FOX, and streams the following day on Hulu.