A line cook can work at any number of restaurant workstations.
Every member of a kitchen crew--from dishwasher to the head chef--has an important role in the preparing, cooking and plating of restaurant meals. The line cook holds a space in the middle of the kitchen hierarchy and generally takes directions from the sous-chef while giving direction to the prep cooks. This job requires a calm presence and an ability to adjust in the midst of chaos in order to get through the shift.
Duties
The primary duty of the line cook is cooking food to order, quickly and correctly, for hours on end. When the order tickets come in, it is the line cook who flops the steak on the grill, drops the pasta into the water or sautés the vegetables. Line cooks prepare for their shift by setting up their stations with the foods they need, filling condiment and oil containers and ensuring all herbs, seasonings and garnishes are in place. Line cooks must be well versed in all methods of cooking, such as sautéing, broiling, frying and grilling, and remain consistent in cooking and seasoning methods, as well as portion control throughout the entire service.
Stations
Often, especially in high-volume restaurants, line cook duties are broken up into stations. This allows for consistency and greater attention to detail throughout the night. Common stations include the grill, oven, deep fryer, broiler, sauté and pasta stations. All cooks must work extremely well together when several stations are in play to ensure that the components of one plate of food, often prepared by three to four different cooks, are completed at the same time. Some line cooks specialize in preparing proteins like meat and fish while others excel at working six sauté pans at once. Line cooks also can specialize in the breakfast, lunch or dinner menu.
Safety Requirements
Line cooks must prepare food according to health and safety requirements and have thorough knowledge of safe food handling techniques. Proper use of tools and knowledge include using a meat thermometer and knowing the safe minimum cooking temperatures for all prepared foods. Line cooks must work safely in a hot, crowded, and often slippery and dangerous environment. They must maintain clean and sanitized workstations, particularly if working with raw foods, and comply with all restaurant safety policies.
Support Work
During a lull in the service, line cooks keep busy by cleaning and restocking their stations and contributing to any prep work that needs to be completed. They also check in with the sous-chef or head chef regarding any issues that have arisen during service, such as the number of dinner specials at their particular station left to be served.
Salary
A line cook's wages can depend on the length of time employed at a particular restaurant, what part of the country they live in and skill level. Many line cooks move up the ranks from a prep cook position and see a rise in pay along with their promotion. Some cooks come into their position straight from a culinary academy, making the wage standard for that location. Line cooks with one to four years of experience earned median salaries ranging from $16,290 to $29,384 annually, PayScale.com reported in May 2010.
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