c/chefs

5

roberts.leo•12h ago

Saw a line cook in Chicago use a fish spatula for eggs and it changed everything

Watched a guy at this diner near Wrigley last week flip over-easy eggs with a fish spatula in one smooth motion, no tearing the yolk, and after trying it myself for 3 days I dont think I'm ever going back to a normal turner - has anyone else made that switch?

3

corap21•20h ago

Hit 100 covers on a Tuesday night and it finally clicked

I've been doing saute for about 3 years now and last Tuesday we hit exactly 100 covers by 8pm. It wasn't even a holiday or anything special, just a random night in March. But something about that number made me realize I've been moving wrong this whole time. I was zigzagging across the station instead of setting up my pans in a line from left to right. That one change saved me about 15 steps per ticket. Has anyone else had a random shift where a small habit change made that big of a difference?

9

the_paul•21h ago

I was dead wrong about using a mandoline without a cut glove

For years I thought cut gloves were just extra BS for home cooks who couldn't handle a blade. Then last Tuesday I was slicing potatoes for a gratin at the restaurant and my hand slipped. 4 stitches and a ruined service later, I finally get it. Am I the only one who thought they were overkill until it was too late?

11

annajenkins•2d ago

I used to laugh at people who weighed their ingredients... now I'm the one with a scale on the counter

For years I thought it was nonsense. Just extra dishes and wasted time. I mean I've been cooking professionally for 12 years, I can eyeball a tablespoon of salt no problem. Then my pastry chef quit last March and I had to cover the dessert station for 3 weeks. First batch of brioche came out like a brick. Second batch was too wet. Third try I finally grabbed the scale and followed the recipe exactly. Night and day difference. The crumb was perfect, the rise was consistent. Now I weigh almost everything for pastry and even some savory stuff like doughs and batters. Still refuse to weigh my damn garlic cloves though. That's where I draw the line. Anyone else come around to weighing things after swearing it off for years?

12

the_susan•5d ago

Had a line cook tell me mise en place is overrated and I laughed at first

I was working a Friday dinner rush near Portland last week and my new guy kept skipping his prep. He said he works better on the fly and mise en place just slows him down. I was ready to write him up but then I watched him handle a 50-cover walk-in without breaking a sweat. He never missed a ticket and his station was cleaner than mine at the end. Am I wrong for letting him keep doing it his way or is there a line somewhere?

22

max223•6d ago

I think the 20 minute rest for steaks is overblown

I had a customer send back a ribeye last Saturday because it was barely warm in the middle, even though I let it rest for a full 20 minutes like everyone preaches. The thing sat on a cutting board near the pass and lost all its heat while the crust got rubbery. I started experimenting and found that a 6 to 8 minute rest under a loose tent of foil keeps the temp up and the juices locked in fine. I work at a busy spot in Austin and we crank out 80 steaks a night on a good Saturday, so waiting that extra 12 minutes kills the flow. Nobody has been able to show me a blind taste test where the longer rest wins. Has anyone else shortened their rest time and gotten better results?

18

susan_adams•7d ago

Am I the only one who thought sous vide was just for fancy restaurants?

Overheard a line cook at a diner say he uses a $40 immersion circulator to make perfect cheap steaks at home, and I tried it last weekend on a chuck roast. Never going back to guessing doneness on a pan again - anyone else convert to this for weeknight dinners?

3

max223•8d ago

The new cooks keep over-reducing sauces and calling it 'concentrated flavor'

I noticed about six months ago at the place I work in Denver, a lot of the younger line cooks started reducing their demi-glace until it was basically syrup. They'd show me a pan with barely a cup left from a gallon and say it's more intense. But they lost all the body and it just tastes burnt and sticky. Anybody else seeing this trend where people confuse reduction with just cooking the water out?

17

kaigibson•8d ago

Walked into a new bistro in Portland and saw them slicing herbs with a dull knife on purpose

I was visiting Portland last month and stopped into this place called Terra, which just opened. The chef was prepping basil and I noticed the knife was way duller than it should be. He told me it was intentional, that dull blades crush herbs and release more oils for flavor. I always thought a sharp knife was the only way to go for clean cuts and presentation. But he showed me the basil after and it did smell way stronger than what I get at home. I'm torn because my training says sharp is always better, but the results were right there. Has anyone else come across this technique or am I just old school?

15

foster.tessa•10d ago

My fish guy's 2 minute tip changed how I prep scallops

I was at the Pike Place Fish Market last month and one of the cutters there told me I've been removing the foot wrong on dry scallops. He said to just pinch and twist instead of cutting it off, and it saves the meat from getting bruised. Ever since I tried it my sear has come out way cleaner and I'm not wasting any meat. Anyone else get a random tip from a vendor that totally shifted their technique?

1

susan_adams•10d ago

Dropped into a tiny diner in rural Montana and watched the line cook work a flat top like it was a piano

He had 8 orders up at once, flipping eggs with one hand and slapping down hash browns with the other, no tickets posted, no yelling, just this quiet rhythm that made me wish I had his kind of focus - has anyone else seen a cook that made you rethink your whole station setup?

5

patricia262•10d ago

That line cook who taught me to trust my nose over the timer

I had this cook, Maria, working saute station about two years back at a place in Portland. She kept pulling my chicken off the fire before the timer went off, insisting it smelled done. I argued for a solid week until I finally tasted one of her pieces side by side with mine, and hers was way juicier. Now I teach all my new hires to pay attention to the smell of cooked protein, it's a game changer for timing. Has anyone else learned a weird trick from a coworker that just stuck?

2

grant478•11d ago

Just tried resting my beef cheeks for 45 minutes instead of 15

Finished a braise yesterday at my station in Austin and figured I'd let them hang out way longer than normal, and the difference in texture was night and day - does anyone else have a specific rest time that works best for tougher cuts?

5

juliarodriguez•11d ago

Finally cracked the code on my stubborn hollandaise after a breakfast shift in Portland

Was at a brunch spot in Portland last month and kept splitting my hollandaise no matter what. Turns out my butter was too cold going in, I started warming it to room temp first and it came out silky every time since. Anyone else struggle with emulsion temps or just me?

26

davidkim•11d ago

TIL that letting steaks sit uncovered in the fridge for 24 hours really does make a better crust

I always thought dry brining was just extra work for no real difference. But last month I tested it side by side with two ribeyes from the same pack. One went straight from fridge to pan, the other sat on a wire rack in the fridge for a day. The dry brined one had a sear that was noticeably crunchier and more even. The other one steamed a bit before browning. Has anyone else found this makes a big difference or is it just me?

11

aaronsullivan•11d ago

Overheard a line cook say something so dumb it made me rethink my whole mise

I was at this spot in Cleveland last week grabbing a late bite, and I heard one of the line cooks tell the new guy, 'You don't need to taste the sauce if you just follow the recipe.' I almost choked on my water. Like, buddy, recipes are just suggestions until your tongue confirms it's not garbage, right? Has anyone else run into cooks who refuse to taste things?

6

patricia262•11d ago

Spent 4 hours trying to fix a broken mandoline - it was just the blade lock pin

Last Saturday I was prepping for a big catering order and my mandoline just stopped slicing clean. I spent 4 whole hours taking it apart, cleaning it, testing different veggies, even swapping out the blade. I was about to drive 30 miles to buy a new one. Turns out the little plastic lock pin that holds the blade carriage in place was just slightly loose. I pushed it back in with my thumb and it worked perfect again. Felt like a real dummy standing there in my kitchen. Has anyone else fought with a simple tool for way too long before figuring out the obvious fix?

21

pat_moore•12d ago

Rant: My brand new induction burner died mid-service last Friday night

It just shut off with a flashing error code during the dinner rush and I had to finish 40 covers on a single gas burner, has anyone else had the newer models just fail without warning like that?

10

ivan774•12d ago

Vent: An old line cook told me to stop over-seasoning my steaks...

I worked a Friday dinner rush last month at this busy spot near downtown Austin... got yelled at by this crusty line cook named Ray. He said my steaks were drowning in rub and I was killing the beef flavor. First I was ticked off, he's like 60 years old and I been doing it my way for 3 years. But I tried his way the next shift - just salt and pepper, nothing else. The difference was wild, you could actually taste the meat instead of just spice. Now I only use a light hand on the seasoning for good cuts, and save the heavy stuff for cheaper meats. Anyone else get a tip from an old timer that totally flipped your cooking around?

14

shane_hayes•12d ago

Had to choose between a $15k POS system or sticking with my paper ticket rails from 2003

I picked the paper rails because my Saturday night rush is 200 covers and the new system would have slowed me down, but now I'm having trouble finding anyone under 30 who can read my handwriting - has anyone else dealt with this trade-off?

1

elliotm57•15d ago

The immersion blender I ignored for years finally won me over

I used to think immersion blenders were just a gimmick for people who didn't want to clean a real blender. But last winter at a busy brunch service, our main blender died fifteen minutes before service. I grabbed the old stick blender from the back, and within 30 seconds I had a batch of tomato soup smooth as silk right in the pot. Now I use it for everything from hollandaise to pureeing squash, and I feel dumb for avoiding it so long. Anybody else have a piece of gear they resisted until they finally caved?

28

aaron740•16d ago

Used to think kosher salt was just a fancy name for salt...

I ran out at home and grabbed regular table salt for a dry brine on a pork shoulder last weekend. The thing came out way too salty and I realized the crystal size actually matters a LOT more than I thought. Any of you guys keep both types around for different things?

9

patricia262•16d ago

PSA: I used to chop onions with a dull chef's knife (why did I do that to myself for 5 years?)

Last Saturday I finally caved and bought a proper sharpener at a shop in Austin, and now I can chop through an onion in about 10 seconds without crying, has anyone else dealt with the stubborn habit of using a dull blade forever?

8

sean854•1mo ago

Went to a farm-to-table spot in Portland and watched them microwave a steak

Paid $80 for a dry-aged ribeye at some trendy place last night, and I saw the line cook nuke it for 30 seconds before plating. Has anyone else noticed more kitchens cutting corners like this, or am I just unlucky?

4

evaw18•1mo ago

Just hit 500 side gig cleanings and I'm honestly shocked

I started my own house cleaning thing about 2 years ago and I never really kept count until last week. I was going through my old calendar and realized I've done over 500 individual cleanings. That's crazy to me because I remember barely scraping by the first 3 months. Most of my regulars are in the south part of town near the river, but I drive all over now. What surprised me most is how many people actually stick with you and tip extra around the holidays. Has anyone else tracked their numbers and had it hit them different than expected?