Short Order Cookery

[Music] the professional short order cook must be a ver little man he must be able to prepare a wide variety of foods while using a limited amount of equipment such as the steam table the broiler the deep fat fryer the range and facilities for salads and sandwiches but the most important piece of equipment and the Heart of the short order operation is the griddle the fast food cook must be an expert griddleman able to prepare all the food items people have learn to expect from this amazingly versatile piece of equipment few other workers in the food service industry are called upon to handle such a diversity of foods under pressure as the man at the griddle the first rule of fast food cookery is know your griddle the thickness of The Griddle and its composition are important elements in its use and maintenance governing such factors as how long it takes to heat up and how well it recovers its temperature when frozen items are [Music] prepared all griddles contain multiple temperature controls to permit the cook to heat various sections of the gridle to different temperatures the most common approach is to have a section for items which require lower temperatures a section for intermediate temperatures and a hot section for most meat items as a general rule fatty foods and thin items are cooked at high temperatures thicker pieces of meat require low temperatures so the inside will finish before the surface is overdone follow the principle of low heat cook at the lowest temperature temperature you can within the limits of time and efficiency in addition to sectioning for temperature control many cooks maintain a separate section for items with strong pervasive taste such as onions bacon or sausage the front section may be used for this purpose since many griddles drain to the front fats from these items drip harmlessly into the grain griddle temperature is an important factor in keeping items from sticking to the griddle surface even with the best commercial shortenings if the griddle is too hot or too cool for the item being cooked sticking can result it pays to use a griddle thermometer periodically as a double check against the thermostat on your equipment just to be safe the most common cause of sticking is burned in food particles the professional scrapes the surface clean after each item he cooks he does so habitually and automatically knowing it's the only way to keep the griddle free of particle buildup he also refrains from using too much shortening he uses a minimum amount for the job and carefully scrapes off the excess when an item is removed Nicks and scratches like these caus by the sharp edge of the spatula can also cause sticking problems never clean the spatula by striking it against the griddle surface protect your griddle by cleaning the spatula the professional way with a towel remember also that salt can cause sticking excessively salty items may break down the shortening and leave the bare griddle surface exposed many sticking problems can be prevented if the griddle is carefully cleaned and properly prepared each day at least once a day in normal operations The Griddle must be scraped thoroughly down to the bare metal with a soft griddle brick this scraping movement should always follow the direction of the grain to prevent gouging or scratching the surface when finished wipe off the residue with a clean towel when you are ready to prepare the surface again apply a good grade of commercial shortening and spread it evenly over the entire griddle surface use a towel to wipe off the excess and spread the shortening until a firm slick surface has been obtained Mastery of The Griddle is only one aspect of the art of fast food cookery during busy rush hours the fast food cook must function under extreme pressure he is continually receiving orders from a number of weight and must time his own activities on The Griddle so that all the items for each order come up at the same time timing teamwork and coordination are the keys to a successful fast food operation to see how timing teamwork and coordination apply let's follow this typical order steak sandwich pancakes with egg and bacon grilled cheese sandwich and a fresh fruit salad the griddleman alerts his supporting cook who will prepare the salad french fries and garnishments needed while the first cook will prepare the items to be grilled the steak must be put on first because it requires the longest cooking time the french fries are started plates are garnished in advance the bacon is started and the steak turned the Turning of the steak is the signal for the pancakes next come the bread slices for the grilled cheese sandwich the cheese is added then the tomato slices the egg is placed in the pan now with the Turning of the bacon all items are properly started on the griddle so they will all finish at exactly the same time the last touches are put on the fruit salad the toast for the steak sandwich is started and the french fries lifted out to drain a final flip of the pancakes then the tomato slices are turned lightly griddled on the other side and added to the cheese sandwich the egg is almost done and the time has come timing teamwork and coordination have enabled our Cooks to prepare a variety of items requiring very different cooking times temperatures and equipments and finish them together in an actual situation the cooks would be working on several orders like this at the same time however our sample order does demonstrate that the fast food cook must be able to organize his own work and coordinate his efforts with others for maximum efficiency all four orders are now ready for the waitress to pick them up and serve all of the people at her table at the same time because the fast food cook frequently performs in the public eye his appearance and manner are extremely important for the successful operation he should always be clean and well groomed with a fresh uniform at the start of each shift yes the fast food cook has to be a man of many talents under constant pressure to work at top speed he must produce what the customer wants with eye appeal and appetizing taste the successful fast food cook has a right to be proud of the skills he possesses and of the very special position he holds in the modern world of professional Food Service [Music]