A line cook taught me more about seasoning than any class I took

Back in 2019 I was working a Friday night rush at a place in Portland. This older line cook named Sal grabbed my spoon right out of my hand while I was adjusting salt on a stock. He tasted it, shook his head, and added a pinch of sugar instead. Said salt only wakes up flavors but sugar smooths out the sharp edges. I argued with him for a minute but he just walked off. I tried his trick the next day on a tomato sauce and it made a real difference. Has anyone else had a coworker give you a tip that flipped how you do something basic?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenixb3421d ago

Sal took your spoon right out of your hand mid-shift? That is wild. I worked at a place in Denver for three years and the head cook there would just stare at you if you messed up a seasoning but never actually showed you anything. Glad Sal cared enough to actually demonstrate the sugar trick though because salt really is just for waking things up while sugar makes it all come together. That tomato sauce tip is solid I use it on almost anything with tomatoes now even my chili gets a pinch of brown sugar. Honestly wish more cooks would step in like that instead of letting you figure it out alone.

danielkim20d ago

And honestly, a good cook who steps in like that is worth their weight in gold. I had a similar thing happen with a baker who grabbed my whisk mid-batter and showed me to sift flour first then fold it instead of just dumping it in. That little tip changed my whole bread game. If you ever get a chance to work with someone like Sal again, just soak it all in and take notes (mental or physical, whatever works). But also don't be afraid to pass that sugar trick forward, it's one of those things that makes people's eyes light up when they taste the difference.

bettyroberts21d ago

Knew a guy who worked at a BBQ joint in Austin and his coworker taught him to add a little cocoa powder to his rub. @phoenixb34, sounds like Sal and that guy would've gotten along - both believed in sneaking in something unexpected to round out the flavor.