When it's done....it's Done!

For my first post, I am going to discuss what I consider one of the most valuable lessons learned as a professional cook. What I Know Now........is regardless of what you are cooking and how you are cooking it, at some point it is cooked to the correct temperature. That is the time to either plate or in some cases rest the item being prepared.                      

It is a simple matter of  Heat and Time, that's it! I have learned in the professional restaurant kitchen there is only one temperature setting for cooking, HIGH, as in the hotter, the better. Whether it's the cook tops or the ovens, everything during service is at maximum heat all the time. As a matter of fact, sauté  pans waiting to be used for your next dish are sitting empty on burners reaching blistering hot temps, before any food is even put in them. I have personally negotiated with oven service engineers during service, to boost the power of the ovens at my station. To say the least, and despite what Emeril may say, Medium does not exist in the restaurant kitchen. Hotter means faster and that is what line cooking is all about, speed. It is a given that the food will be perfectly cooked to the correct temp, every time, even when cooking multiple dishes simultaneously.

So how does one achieve this level of cooking skill, repetition. By cooking the same dishes over and over, using the same technique. To be more specific, one can easily cook the same dish 20 times a shift, 5 days a week for at least 3 months (seasonal menu), or for years. To put this in perspective, that would mean the same salmon, lamb chop, pasta, calamari, chicken, etc.....dish, 100 times in just one week. That is not to say that all dishes are perfect every time. "Who forgot the fish in the oven" comes to mind followed by "Your killing my restaurant".

My point is; one can significantly improve the quality of their food by simply cooking it to the proper temp. It's a simple timing issue, and to be redundant, Heat and Time, Heat and Time. Nothing else really matters if a dish is over or under cooked. On rare occasions when this happens on the line, and if you are cooking at a quality restaurant, despite quickly becoming the scorn of the Chef and fellow cooks, one simply starts over. Of course at many restaurants, they let it go and hope for the best. We have all, unfortunately, been at the receiving end of this unpleasant experience.

A digital thermometer is a great inexpensive tool. One with a long wire probe is invaluable for roasting. Start to compare the temps on your thermometer to the the resistance you you feel when poking the protein with your finger. Rare is compared to the feel of pressing your cheek, the tip of your nose is medium rare, chin is medium, and your forehead = well. However, I have rarely seen a thermometer of any type in a restaurant kitchen, let alone one being used. That would be seen as an admission of a lack of ones skills, in the macho world of line cooking.

Time is also a measure, but can be unreliable due to changes in the strength of your heat source, internal temperature of your protein before cooking, exact size of what your cooking, type of  pan you are cooking in and the material it is constructed.                     
  
So when you get ready to prepare your next meal, start hot and remember When it's Done... it's Done.