Sous chef duties?

[TimC]

My bro-in-law is opening his own restaurant in downtown Richmond. Our company is going out of business on 9/15 and I will be unemployed. I'm waffling over whether to get back into accounting...kinda burnt out. He was casually wondering if I could help out with the POS system and do the accounting for him until I found something. I have severance for 9 months so I've got plenty of time. He knows I've always shown an interest in cooking, but have zero experience outside of a sammich shop job over the summer in 1984. He hasn't hired a full-time chef yet and mentioned I could be a prep/sous chef if I wanted to help out and make it a family business somewhat. It's going to be mainly a steakhouse.

 

I know nothing about it. I figure it can't be that bad. Probably cutting up veggies (he's opening next to the Farmer's Market downtown) and doing salads and stuff. Is this something one needs a ton of experience?

[Bier Meister]

Depending on the restaurant, the sous is usually 2nd or 3rd in command. The duties vary, and based on the products used the responsibilities and required skill sets vary as well. What you would need to do will depend on the expected standard levels of the restaurant

 

 

 

Edit: if your dumbass would have gotten to vegas, we could have talked about this inperson over some drinks!

Edited September 8, 2011 by Bier Meister

[Kid Cid]

I thought very hard about going the whole culinary route after losing my gig a couple of years back. Perhaps the best thing I ever read on the topic was from Anthony Bourdain who simply said (and I paraphrase), anything currently wrong with your body is only going to be exaggerated by working in a kitchen.

[Rovers]

From what I know, it's (in most establishments) not an exciting position. It can be very repetitive and thusly boring work. The pay isn't great. The hours suck. It's not like you are creating dishes and recipes. You prep or you cook. You do both at the direction of someone else. Exactly the way they want it done, and you have to be fast. A busy kitchen is hectic. Just my impressions based on what some in the biz have told me, other than shelling shrimp and washing dishes in high school, I don't have direct experience.

[Bier Meister]

From what I know, it's (in most establishments) not an exciting position. It can be very repetitive and thusly boring work. The pay isn't great. The hours suck. It's not like you are creating dishes and recipes. You prep or you cook. You do both at the direction of someone else. Exactly the way they want it done, and you have to be fast. A busy kitchen is hectic. Just my impressions based on what some in the biz have told me, other than shelling shrimp and washing dishes in high school, I don't have direct experience.

 

 

like i said... depends on the establishment, but better restaurants give their sous more free reign. what you described is not the norm that i have seen, but it can work that way.

[matt770]

From what I know, it's (in most establishments) not an exciting position. It can be very repetitive and thusly boring work. The pay isn't great. The hours suck. It's not like you are creating dishes and recipes. You prep or you cook. You do both at the direction of someone else. Exactly the way they want it done, and you have to be fast. A busy kitchen is hectic. Just my impressions based on what some in the biz have told me, other than shelling shrimp and washing dishes in high school, I don't have direct experience.

I worked at a Mexican place for two weeks when I was in HS and really wasn't cut out for it. The description above is spot-on. I'm no stranger to hard work but in that environment you don't get a second to catch your breath.

[Bier Meister]

I worked at a Mexican place for two weeks when I was in HS and really wasn't cut out for it. The description above is spot-on. I'm no stranger to hard work but in that environment you don't get a second to catch your breath.

 

 

for a prep cook or sous chef?

[Hugh B Tool]

for a prep cook or sous chef?

 

Exactly my question. Hugh difference between prep and sous. Prep is usually the same in every kitchen I've worked in. Sous on the otherhand, changes a bit from each establishment, but must have the skills and abilities the Head Chef has and be able to perform these right the first time and fast. If they do this well, they will see the HC less than expected(which is good), if they don't they usually won't like their next meeting with the HC. As a Sous, you also usually hire/fire the employees below you in the kitchen, with the HC giving the final okay, so to speak. Good HC's will let their Sous get creative and usually will listen to suggestions etc as they know an excellant Sous will keep them looking good and the kitchen/line running smoothly, thus making a profit. Believe me, this relationship has to be sympatico to work well in the long run.

 

Anthony's book does have some very valid points, but he certainly likes to stretch the truth a bit. Hard work. long hours, usually low pay(comparatively), but if you have chops and don't mind a labor of love type of job, go for it. I, myself got out of it because I didn't like the heat(literally) and love working outdoors more. Though I do go in and help out at a couple of friends smaller bistros(average 150/200 tops per day) when asked. Keeps me sharp and still learning the craft of which I love.

 

ETA- At some smaller places (menu/volume) one, good accomplished Chef can do it all, but that really takes a special person to not fail miserably. Though I have seen it work incredibly well this way.

[whomper]

for a prep cook or sous chef?

 

 

He was a fluffer

[SteelBunz]

Then you have the "political" side of the coin. I can almost guarantee you the chef he hires won't be all that pleased to have a sous chef with no experience and who is also related to the owner. It will seem to him/her that you are just there to learn from their expertise so that you can take over chef duties in a year.

[bpwallace49]

Then you have the "political" side of the coin. I can almost guarantee you the chef he hires won't be all that pleased to have a sous chef that is a Cowboys fan

 

All too true bunz . . . all too true.

[detlef]

For starters, I agree with everything Bier says. It completely depends on where you are. In a big place, the sous chef may as well be the chef, unless the place is big enough to have an Exec Chef, Chef du Cuisine, and then a number of sous. Then they're basically like lead line cooks who are in charge of doing some, but not all, of the ordering.

 

Most places I've worked have been smaller and the sous worked the 2nd station on the line next to the chef and ran the kitchen on his day(s) off. They usually get thrown a bone in terms of having one night a week where they get to run specials and what not. They may or may not do the ordering.

 

Now, my opinion, if you want it. Think verrrrry, long and hard about doing this. Cooking is a young man's game. By the time you're 40, if you're not mostly managing, writing menus, and generally staying off the line on busy nights, you're going to wish you were. Unless, you're running a really, really small and fancy place, I suppose. As long as I've been in the business, older guys have decided to leave their desk jobs and chase their dreams in the kitchen. The look on their face after the first few weekend nights, when they got their ass kicked by both the customers and the other line-cooks half their age says it all. It is rarely a pretty sight.

 

It's rough enough for me when I have to go back there these days, and I actually know what I'm doing. I couldn't imagine starting down this career at my age (or even a few years younger).

[Bier Meister]

one example:

 

my previous employer (hotel) had 3 restaurants (1 fine dining, 1 casual, and a swiss). we had an exec that ran the whole show but there were 3 sous...one for each of the restaurants and actually acted as chefs. they all ordered with me, prepped, menu design, freedom to run specials and cooking on the line with the only difference being the one at the fine dining did little to no line cooking. he primarily did more complex prep (butchery, charcuterie, stocks, demis, bisques, terrines, etc) due to the expense of the products and minimized errors and waste.

 

 

when i was a sous at an italian restaurant i was the only sous and ordered, prepped more complex items (made the short ribs, home made pastas, cooked on the line, expo'd...was checking quality on everything). i was the acting chef.

 

 

completely agree with det about age. i will not be cooking professionally again unless i can open my own restaurant. i am 42 and i hurt! i was fine until i was about 35/36. also having a child had an impact on this.... working from 12-12, i simply did not see her....... at all.

[jr49erfan1]

Not related to the OP's question, sorry.

 

My son, who is 15, has aspirations of getting into a career in the culinary arts. We're alway watching Food Network, and even though I tell him its very demanding work, he's fairly set on heading in that direction once he graduates.

 

How would you recommend for someone to get into the industry. Any particular training/schools/programs you would recommend or AVOID? Or would one be better off learning on the job, and if so, with little to no experience, where should he look to start? Thanks,

 

Jason

Edited October 8, 2011 by jr49erfan1

[Bier Meister]

i believe that a combination of work experience with the foundation of a culinary school would be helpful for him. it would be very beneficial for him to master the basics. by "just working" you may only learn 1 restaurant's way of doing things, and may possibly pick up bad habits along the way. I've known excellent chefs who have not attended (det for one), and terrible ones who have gone to prestigious schools (as an apprentice i taught a cia grad how to make bearnaise). desire, practice, variation, innovation.