Gordon Ramsay’s Temper Erupts Over Burned Steaks in Alabama Cook's Disaster: ‘That’s Gross!’

Fans of “MasterChef” know that emotions run high during team challenges on the FOX reality series, especially when contestants are tasked with feeding large groups of people.

This week’s episode was no exception. Eighteen home cooks, including two from Alabama, struggled to prepare meals for 101 professional soccer players and executives from the Los Angeles Football Club at BMO Stadium in California.

TV viewers were likely on the edge of their seats as the Season 14 contestants split into two teams, the Red Team and Blue Team, for the “LAFC Field Challenge.” Gordon Ramsay, the show’s fiery head honcho, is known for his intense reactions during major dinner services. It’s almost guaranteed that he’ll express his displeasure by flinging or, in this case, kicking food when the cooks present a dish that’s not up to par.

This Wednesday, the offending item was steak, specifically a batch of charred filet mignons. An Alabama contestant felt the full force of Ramsay’s wrath.

If you missed this week’s episode or need a recap, here’s what went down.

Repping Alabama: Chris Musgrove from Mobile and Hallie Clark from Berry (a small town in Fayette County) are among the contestants this season. Musgrove, 45, is a real estate investor at Making Dreams Reality and the owner-operator of Valor Home Improvements. Clark, 24, is a cornhole player in the American Cornhole Organization, competing in tournaments nationwide.

How it Works: Three chefs act as judges on “MasterChef” throughout the season, deciding who stays and who goes. Alongside Ramsay, the judging panel features Aaron Sanchez and Joe Bastianich. Weekly cooking challenges and eliminations whittle down the contestants until a single cook remains.

Good to Know: The theme for Season 14 is “Generations.” The home cooks are divided into four teams based on their ages: Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. Musgrove is on the Gen X team; Clark is on the Gen Z team.

What’s at Stake: The winner earns a $250,000 prize, bragging rights, and the “MasterChef” title. Twenty contestants were chosen via cooking auditions at the start of the season. On the most recent episode, 18 remained.

Teaming Up: Gen X and Gen Z joined forces for the challenge, putting Clark and Musgrove on the nine-member Blue Team. The Millennials and Baby Boomers united for the Red Team. Both teams were tasked with preparing restaurant-quality meals featuring a protein, a starch, a vegetable, and a sauce.

What the Blue Team Cooked: Filet mignon on a bed of creamy herb polenta, with red wine sauce, Brussels sprouts, and pancetta. The team worked in a makeshift kitchen at the stadium, and the meal proved challenging to prepare correctly. Adam Hart, a Gen Z cook, initially managed the steaks, but Musgrove stepped in when Hart became overwhelmed.

Musgrove’s Perspective: “Gen Z is really laid-back, but now is not the time to be easy-going and relaxed. We’ve got to get the steaks in the pan now. Back home, I cook steak at least once a week, so I’m ready to get my hands dirty and get cooking.”

Big Trouble: Undercooked steaks were a problem from the start, prompting Ramsay to issue a severe warning, calling it a “massive problem.” (Medium rare is the “MasterChef” standard.) Despite Musgrove and Hart’s best efforts, the challenge got the better of them, resulting in red and bloody steaks.

Judges’ Concerns: “Here’s my concern for the Blue Team. Chris has probably the most important job, along with Adam, to nail those steaks,” Sanchez said. “The Achilles heel of the Blue Team is Chris’ and Adam’s ability to cook 101 12-ounce filets, and how much pressure is relying on those two guys,” Bastianich said. Ramsay pointed to Musgrove as the more experienced cook, relying on him to get the team back on track. “Chris, I need you to be a leader here,” Ramsay said. “I need you to own it.”

Flying Filet: A crisis erupted mid-episode when the Blue Team presented Ramsay with some burned steaks. “We’ve got charcoal filet mignons,” the chef said in disgust. “That’s what we’re serving LAFC. Would you eat that?” Ramsay proceeded to kick one of the offending steaks like a soccer ball, grimacing as it flew through the air. “That’s gross! Get a grip, all of you,” the chef said.

Double Trouble: Two undercooked steaks were returned by dissatisfied diners, prompting Ramsay to boil over again. “Blue Team! It’s not even remotely near!” the chef yelled. “We’re destroying ourselves! It all comes down to the bloody meat! I don’t understand why.”

Hallie Helps: Ramsay then enlisted Clark to pitch in at the meat station. “Hallie, can you cook filet mignon?” he shouted. “Let’s go!” Clark had been preparing vegetables in the background for most of the episode. When Ramsay called her to the forefront, she moved quickly to assist her teammates. “Gordon asked if I can do a steak. I’m from the South. I can cook a steak,” Clark said. “But at this point, we’re on fire. The place is burning. We’re going to try our best to save it and get back into a good system.”

Time’s Up: The Blue Team never solved its problems during the dinner service and ended the challenge on a low note. Twelve steak dinners never made it to the tables, which is a cardinal sin on “MasterChef.” A few people complained about the polenta, but the steaks were the glaring issue.

Red Team's Performance: The Millennials and Boomers had their own issues, but their halibut dish was popular, and the majority of dinner guests voted for it as the winner. This meant one cook on the Blue Team would be going home.

Judges’ Deliberation: “So many people didn’t get fed. It all boils down to the steaks,” Bastianich said. “That’s what hindered the whole progression of the meal,” Sanchez added. “The whole performance on that meat station was an embarrassment,” Ramsay said.

Elimination: Musgrove was the weakest link, according to the judges, and they told him to turn in his apron. “Ultimately tonight, the steaks were your responsibility,” Ramsay said. “If you step up and you’re going to run the meat station, make sure you’ve got the right team beside you to nail it.”

Final Words: “It’s tough being eliminated,” Musgrove said. “I feel like a lot went wrong with the steaks. I should have let my intuition guide me more. The reality is, it comes down on me. Through this competition, I’ve fought hard. I’ve learned a lot, and it’ll be amazing to show my family what I can do.”

Next Up: On the July 24 episode, the top 17 contestants will be tasked with making stellar birthday cakes. Although Musgrove is gone, Clark is still in the running, representing Alabama on the Gen Z team.

If You Watch: “MasterChef: Generations” airs on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. CT on FOX and streams the following day on Hulu. Episodes are filmed in advance.