There’s an old saying in kitchens “you are only as good as your last steak”, & it is very true, this meaning that tomorrow night is another night & perfection or making sure everything goes according to plan happens again with no mistakes.
Being able to cook, control & manage a busy kitchen isn’t as easy as it sounds & if one chef on the line makes an error or something is sent back, it could mean a whole restaurant not getting the food that they expected which the chefs in the kitchen have put out underachieved food.
Saying all this, becoming a professional chef does take time, & being taught by choosing excellent establishments to work in is a key to learning a skill set that you can travel with & keep adding to the experience you already know.
Just like a mum that cooks every day for the family, she starts getting better and better and the family look forward to the days she’s cooking the particular meal that she’s making weekly. It’s a bit like changing a tyre the more you do it the more you get better at it.
In my experience learning from excellent chefs in my first 4 years of cooking in New Zealand was vital, not only did it give experience & techniques but when I left New Zealand to work in Australia I found that I had the confidence to stand up & cook on a section without too much difficulty remembering everything I had been taught from years earlier.
The confidence in cooking is a big one for me knowing how to cook is one thing but just completing the job without upsetting the rest of the kitchen running’s is a vital part of a chefs ability. Don’t get me wrong I would always ask if not sure of something or a particular way that they make a food item, but generally the basses of your training from collage & knowledge with your experience counts for a lot when cooking within the hospitality industry.
I mentioned choosing the right place to cook in, meaning cuisine minded places, & not necessary ones with so called awards hung outside there establishments. This give’s young chefs a good base & grounding to work from knowing the chefs will teach you what you need to know with cooking techniques, knowledge & experience.
I remember working in an establishment years ago & a young commi chef was getting picked on & screamed at any chance the head chef got. I felt sorry for him for he wasn’t able to do the job & got no confidence in his cooking for he was nervous coming to work before he even started his daily job.
As a chef I always loved the learning process & why we did it that particular way, it had to be answered & have reason for doing it this particular skill, but never the less as time went on picking my places I worked in & taking knowledge & recipes with me always made be progress in the food industry.
Try this recipe and yet again quite good for the BBQ.
Ground Beef Kebabs
Recipe
- 1 lb. Ground beef
- 1 egg shopping list
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped onion
- 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- Dash cayenne pepper
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water
- Wooden skewers
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing until well blended and smooth.
- Cover and chill 2 hours.
- Soak skewers for 10 minutes in cold water.
- Dip hands in cold water. Form portions of meat mixture into long rolls about 6 inches long.
- Thread onto skewers, pressing meat to even surface.
- Place skewers on grill 3 inches from heat.
- Grill 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how well you like your meat done.
- Turn skewers frequently for even browning.
- Use a spicy or hot dipping sauce along with some cooked rice or cous cous.
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