I was in the CD store and chatting with the owner who could not believe that I was a chef until he saw the scars on my arms. I have now reconciled with myself that as long as I am a chef, I will never have nice nails or hands. Perhaps this is also a suggestion to hand cream manufacturers to use chefs as their ultimate litmus test, rather than using animals.
Tips on Char-Grilling Steaks:
Always oil the meat before cooking, to maintain its moisture.
Let the meat rest to allow the muscles to relax so that the juices are retained within the meat. As long as you do not cut it, it will retain its heat for a few minutes.
Have you ever eaten out and appreciated the perfection of your ordered meal? How the meat is cooked just the way you asked; how the vegetables and mash are also nice and hot? And how everyone gets his or her food at the same time? Commercial cooking is almost like a well-coordinated orchestra. Usually the sous chef conducts the entire operation. The order comes in for seared salmon with Asian vegetables, medium rare grilled eye fillet and a side of truffled mash. The sous chef starts searing the meat and as the meat is three minutes away from ready, calls out for the mash to be heated. Two minutes away - the vegetables are dropped in the boiling water and the chef calls out for the fish to be cooked. One minute away – the meat and fish are left to rest, while everything else is assembled on the plates by the sous chef. Now imagine trying to handle orders from ten tables with about six persons per table.
Total grilling times for a 450g rump, sirloin, entrecote, porterhouse or T-bone beef steak
Rare: 6-8 minutes
Medium: 10-12 minutes
Well done: 12-14 minutes
Total time will vary depending on the type of pan, heat, quality an thickness of the meat.
Within 3 days of stepping into the industry, I was promoted to Breakfast Chef and now after approximately 3 weeks, I have taken the responsibilities of the Sous Chef (although I am not allowed to formally have the title because I’m not a qualified chef). I can finally call myself The Grill Bitch and have apprentices cook my meals. The power trip becomes me.
