Sous chef at my last gig in Austin bet me a six pack I'd burn the garlic butter

When I started at this spot on East 6th about 8 months ago, the sous there watched me melt butter for a shrimp dish and said the pan was too hot. I didn't believe him, so he bet me a six pack the garlic would scorch. Two minutes later I had brown flecks floating in there and had to start over. He showed me to pull the pan off the flame once the foam settles, and that trick has saved me probably 15 batches since. Funny thing is the guy was kind of a jerk about everything else, so I almost didn't listen. Any of you ever get good advice from someone you didn't want to take it from?

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shane_ross9d ago

Why would you even listen to a guy like that though? If someone is a jerk about everything else, that says something about how they treat people, and I would not trust their advice to be anything but a setup. For all you know he set that pan up to burn so he could win the bet and look smart. You said it yourself, you almost did not listen, and maybe that was the right gut feeling all along. A six pack bet is not teaching, it is a game, and he got to feel like the big man at your expense. Good tips can come from anywhere, sure, but I would rather learn the slow way than owe a smug win to some guy who treats everyone like dirt.

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