Grill Cooks are chefs that prepare all types of grilled foods. They have specialized culinary training and they work with a wide selection of foods such as meats, seafood and vegetables.
Their particular functions depend on the type of restaurant they work for. Some of them prepare breakfast foods, fry foods, roast vegetables, grill meats, and do short-order cooking.
Nature of Work
Grill Cooks are required by the US Department of Health to practice safe food handling when performing their duties. They are responsible for preparing he food to be grilled, as well as peel and chop vegetables, clean fish or poultry, trim meat, and make meat patties. They assemble, measure and mix all the required ingredients for the dishes they have to prepare. Depending on the preferences of customers, they grill meat as rare, medium or well done. Grill cooks may also have to do the plating and presentation of the grilled food in the manner prescribed by the restaurant. They may also have to grill large pieces of meat which they have to carve as well and serve to customers. Aside from grilling foods, grill chefs may also need to bake, fry or microwave the dishes they prepare. Grill cooks may also be made responsible for making sure that all necessary ingredients are in stock and stored properly. They keep an inventory of all essential items. If they happen to work in a large restaurant, they may have to manage a team composed of prep and line cooks.
Qualifications
Those who want to be grill cooks do not need to have a high school diploma or GED, but if they are planning to continue and make a career out of it, they must have a high school diploma. They can learn through on the job training but they need to take courses on advanced cooking in a cooking school. Training usually begins with basic workplace safety and sanitation, progressing to food handling, food preparation and cooking techniques and procedures.