BBQ Prep

Grilled pork sausage coils

This morning began a bit frustrating for me. I was told to come in for 9:00 to work with one of the chefs preparing for a barbeque function that would happen this weekend. I was early, as usual, but 9:00 came and passed and the chef still was not in. I went up to chat with the two cooks working the breakfast shift in the other kitchen, but they did not need any help and I began to feel in the way. So I went back downstairs and prepped the dessert station, as is normally my job in the bar. It was not my job today, but I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to start on anything without being instructed to do so, and there were no tasks I knew of that needed doing. So I made sure the pastry section was well set-up for the day, including filling some ramekins with apple filling for the apple crumble dessert.

Grilled beef burgers

Finally, the chef appeared around 10:30, but had some office work to do, and wasn’t with me until nearly 11:00, so I could have slept in and come in at my usual time. He put me straight to work, implying we had a lot to do in little time, which wasn’t my fault – I was there two hours ago! He did give me a lunch break though, where there was fish and chips for a change, along with salad and tomato penne casserole. I sealed meats for the barbeque. Sealing is the term used here for par-cooking meats here, sort of like searing to get a crust on both sides, then wrapping them to finish cooking later. I grilled pork sausage coils and beef burgers upstairs, where it was quiet and I enjoyed the simple task of grilling I had become used to in culinary school. Then I cut up quite a few racks of ribs and packaged them and finished packaging the meats for the barbecue. When I finished that, I noticed there was a large produce order that had come in that everyone was sort of ignoring even though it was in the way, so I put that away properly. Then I did some simple tasks such as help prep for staff supper (burgers with all the condiments and fries), cleaning, preparing prawns, and putting away a frozen order. Overall, it was a less hectic and slower day, and I finished up around 6:30p.m.