That line cook who taught me to trust my nose over the timer

I had this cook, Maria, working saute station about two years back at a place in Portland. She kept pulling my chicken off the fire before the timer went off, insisting it smelled done. I argued for a solid week until I finally tasted one of her pieces side by side with mine, and hers was way juicier. Now I teach all my new hires to pay attention to the smell of cooked protein, it's a game changer for timing. Has anyone else learned a weird trick from a coworker that just stuck?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessica70710d ago

Oh man, that whole "trust your nose over the timer" thing is wild. I mean, I'm a dental hygienist so I'm all about timers (you know, for brushing and flossing) but honestly? I totally get it. There's this one chef who told me that a properly cooked steak smells like a warm, buttery hug, and now I can't un-smell that. My husband thinks I'm crazy when I sniff at his grill (he's not wrong, I probably am). But hey, if it works, it works.

pat_moore10d ago

That warm buttery hug description is perfect, I'm definitely gonna start using that one. Got any other food smells you've learned to trust like that?

sagecooper10d ago

jessica707 that "warm buttery hug" thing really stuck with me too. I read somewhere that smell is actually the biggest part of taste and your brain links certain scents to doneness way faster than a timer can. So your husband might think you're nuts but your nose is probably right every time.