Saturday, October 16, 2010

Block 5: Week 4 - Breakdown

The four-day week went by pretty fast. Breakdown station is basically like the first week of this Block again, but instead of chef demonstrating, we are actually doing the butchering. Tuesday and Wednesday we worked on the front and hind quarters of the beef. I did the shoulder and the flank. Thursday we butchered the whole veal - I worked on the loin. Friday we cut a pig into the primal cuts, and then we each deboned a pork loin and Frenched some chops. W also bought a whole lamb, so we helped him break it down into the cuts he wanted.

I had a great month. I'm pretty sad to be leaving my group.

At the hotel, I was actually working across the street at the Marriott. Most of the other students working at the hotel have worked at the Marriott and have told me that it is so much better, so I was really looking forward to it. The kitchen is definitely a lot nicer and newer, the team is a lot younger and more energetic, and things just seem a lot more organized. They also gave me a lot of responsibility without a lot of instruction. I peeled 900 asparagus, which was painful, but then I prepped a cauliflower puree and actually got to make a bacon risotto. It was a lot of fun.

Thanksgiving weekend at work was pretty busy, especially Sunday brunch. Saturday and Monday were actually nice and quiet for brunch, but I worked the hockey games both nights. 40 hours of work in one weekend is a bit insane.

A was in Ottawa again this week, but I didn't have much to do after school, so I had some fun evenings out - got stood up from a movie, but went out afterwards, had a yummy burger at Raglan's, and had a few martinis on Friday with people in Block 10.

Next week - Block 6 - lunch in the cafeteria.

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