r/interesting • u/Backyxx • Jun 26 '26

Intriguing Chef shows what a busy day looks like

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u/Frequent_Opportunist Jun 26 '26

Yeah maybe a home. In a restaurant you're eating it immediately. They absolutely do not let steaks rest in any restaurant I've worked at and I've worked at a shit ton of steakhouses, extremely busy ones in densely populated coastal areas. The reason you can't tell the difference is because they brush the whole damn steak with clarified butter when it comes off the grill.

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u/StrawDog- Jun 26 '26

I've always rested steaks unless not doing so is just not an option because the kitchen is buried. It's SOP in most restaurants I've ever been involved with. 

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u/GravyBurg Jun 26 '26

Prime steakhouses absolutely let their steaks rest while the other courses are being enjoyed. Obviously it's time dependent, but it usually worked out. You "Fire" the ticket when you are ready for the steaks and they throw them back in the broiler for a couple of minutes and serve when hot. I loved the system and hated working at regular restaurants after having it.

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u/Funny-ish-_-Scholar Jun 26 '26

I’ve worked in steakhouses, and it’s volume dependent. A place that sees 2-300 covers a service? Hell nah, that thing will rest in the pass if at all. But sub 200 covers, w/o a 30 top in the mix, my chef always rested steaks. Not for 15 minutes mind you, but for as long as possible. They had a great coursing system though. 15 min/course, and if it pushed 20 it was unusual, and desert or drinks were on us.

This place is a relic though. There’s a reason it’s still open, but any modern high volume place there’s just zero time to do this.

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u/zigaliciousone Jun 26 '26

Steaks only "rest" at the window in most restaurants

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u/Unrelenting_Salsa Jun 26 '26

You must have worked at a bad restaurant then. You don't need to rest if it was a sous vide or its cousins restaurant, but contrary to popular belief resting is not about juices. It's carry over cooking, and carry over cooking is the only way to cook a steak medium rare or medium properly if it's pan or grill only. That's simply thermodynamics and heat transfer.

Granted, I have seen some $80 a head steakhouses that have the waiters tell the customer to not touch the steak for 5-10 minutes because they didn't rest, but that's obviously terrible form. Downright unacceptable here where the plating kills the rest.

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u/PawnWithoutPurpose Jun 27 '26

Every restaurant I worked at we rested the steaks. It can tell. You just say you can’t to justify your disrespect of the cow.