Frat Salisbury Steak

[Wart]

Early Monday evening, between 6 and 8pm, a 'team' prepares their Salisbury Steak for the Tuesday night dinner.

The 'steak' is actually a 2/1 hamburger or ground steak, frozen, which is pan seared then placed in (non commercial) roaster pans. The searing takes the meat to an undetermined level of doneness. There is a gravy made from the meat drippings whis is then poured over the meat in the roaster pans. The roaster pans are then covered with foil and set on a stainless steel cart. The cart and pans are then placed in the walk in cooler overnight.

The next day around noon C (Club employee) places the pans in the roasters and set to cook at an unknown level for 4 to 5 hours at which point the serving starts.

Additional information: At 10:15am an ugly little creature, A Wart so to speak, entered the walk in cooler with a K-Type Thermocouple probe (passes high and low calibration) and measured the temperature of the 'food' in one pan. One measurement was taken at the pans core. Another measurement was taken by pushing the probe through the core to the pans surface.

The thermo probe indicated a core temperature of 50 degrees Fahrenheit while the surface temperature was indicated as 48 degrees F.

Comments? But first:

Please indicate your level of experience/ qualifications/ if your a food service professional as in dishwasher to executive chef to manager. No, you don't need to hold a title or position to know what I have presented in these threads is ..... just plane WRONG.

I'm interested in everyones opinion but, you know folks, some opines count more than others. Nothing personal, I know MY opinion does not count as much as others on multitudes of subjects.

So,

In the Fish thread I mentioned a meeting between myself and the administrator. I pushed it just about as far as I could. I was looking to obtain 'authority' which didn't quite go over very well.

I pointed out the bio hazard (Salisbury) in his walk in and why it's dangerous. I think he now understands that cooking may kill the bugs but it does little for inerting the bug poop.

I could go on about this meeting, it lasted over two hours. Most of it was very tense.

I believe the Admin does not understand the urgency of the need for change but he DOES understand the need for massive changes. Problem is institutional inertia. That and, much as I despise having to accept it, changes have to be made incrementally following certain procedures and protocols.

Why do I have to accept it? Before anyone gets outraged or says I should quit keep in mind, if I quit there will be no one at this lodge with an idea of what needs done and the situation would continue.

 

[GB]

as much as I despise having to accept it, changes have to be made incrementally following certain procedures and protocols.

I am really not sure why you feel you have to accept this. As has been mentioned many many times, go to the board of health. They will make sure that changes are implemented immediately.

Why do I have to accept it? Before anyone gets outraged or says I should quit keep in mind, if I quit there will be no one at this lodge with an idea of what needs done and the situation would continue.

What good is having someone there who knows what needs to be done if those things are not getting done anyway? You do not need to quit, but you can go to the board of health.

 

[TATTRAT]

I am an Executive Chef, and work at the law firm of Arnold And Porter in Washington D.C. I know that proper food handling techniques, I am serve safe certified, HACCP Certified, and a certificate holding food service manager for VA, and HI.

If I were to get a LAW FIRM ILL, geee.......just think...

It doesn't matter where you are, if you work with food, you have a responsibility to yourself AND the patrons, to do things right and SAFE. There should be no issue, if I see an employee doing something wrong, I stop them correct them and explain why I am doing it that way. If they have a problem with doing it, no prob for me, I have a stack of applications of people who want to work.

These "stories" you have been sharing are scary. I would not want my name associated with any part of that place for fear of something going wrong....and it sounds like it is only a matter of time.

The lack of any respect for the danger zone, though in this case slight, is one of those things that is just fundamentally incorrect in a kitchen, and can end up doing some real damage. If these people have NO desire to do the right thing, and serve what they want the way they want, I can only imagine that something like ohhhhhhhhh...washing hands after going to the bathroom or smoking, or PERIOD might elude them as well, and could lead to growing some real nasty things in the danger zone held food.

There needs to be a "Come To Jesus Meeting" and things need to be pointed out.

Get a copy of your local health guidelines, get a copy of a food handlers guide, point out, in black and white, what is wrong.

Print this out

How Temperatures Affect Food

 

[Wart]

Tatt,

I think you may have misread the times I posted, by my guesstimation this 'stuff' has spent a minimum of 12 hours in the DZ.

Thanks for the link.

{edit} They probably didn't cook the meat past searing as they think it's getting cooked today. Such as it is{/edit}

 

[pdswife]

can you get a job somewhere else??

 

[Uncle Bob]

Wart.... My experiences and qualifications are too numerous to mention...

My Comment is: "You are Preaching to the Choir" (That means you are talking to the wrong people)

Here is who you need to be talking to...

Ohio Department of Health
614-466-1390
Ask for Jean or Larry
They will be happy to talk to you......

They close at 5:00 and times-a-wastin so..Get it done!!

 

[auntdot]

I am getting confused.

This is the third post about dangerous ways one place treats food.

I know so much less about the issue than many here - but it sounds like the procedures the kitchen you are in are putting folks at risk.

Sounds like you have three options. One, go to the admins. Sounds like you did that without a salubrious result.

Two, go to the Board of Health. It will probably cost you your job, and that may be tough for you. Whistle blowers often have a tough row to hoe.

Three, live with what you consider an unacceptable situation. And from what I gather from what has been said, the third choice could put you in a very bad sitiutation, including legally and morally.

You are between a rock and some hard places. Sorry.

But it does not look like the decisions are going to get any easier.

Just my take on things, I may have ignored an option.

 

[suziquzie]

I understand (hope) you are fighting for the greater good of the rest of the club.

I was 2 days away from this myself where I work now, luckily for the people of the town I work in, our shop was bought by new owners that care about the people they serve and thier health. "Nothing's happened yet" is not acceptable.

Call the HD and go. They will not change. I repeat. They will not change.

Health Dept means nothing to these people, HD will warn them 6 times, they will do nothing. Until they kill someone.

 

[jennyema]

The health department can shut them down in an instant. That might get their attention.

 

[stassie]

So, Wart - what is your plan of action from here? As has been aptly stated by many, the general opinion seems to be that you should take this to a higher level. Do you intend to do so?

 

[mozart]

Done!

Sorry Wart, but I for one am done offering suggestions that you obviously have no inclination to take.

The simplest thing to have done a long time ago is call the health department. They will usually protect your identity if you make it known that that is your desire.

Instead, you seem to be content with posting new horror stories here. There is no need to post anymore threads about poor practices. We don't need to know how long the cream pies sit out or how they thaw their chicken breasts, or the fact that they don't use sanitizer in the third compartment of the 3-compartment sink. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT DOES!!!

I am beginning to question your motive for these posts.

In any event, you are surely fiddling while Rome burns, and you might be the one burned in the end.

Good Luck.

 

[AllenOK]

I have been working in the food service industry since I was 16. I'm now 35. I currently hold a City/County Foodhandler Permit, which allows me to work in a restaurant in my county.

I know that not all states require Foodhandler Permits for restaurant workers. When I lived and worked in Michigan, whenever I mentioned "Foodhandler Permits", they all looked at me like deer caught in the headlights. Within a week of starting at a steakhouse right after I moved there, a Health Department inspector showed up, did an inspection, and started asking me a bunch of questions about food storage, sanitation, etc. He couldn't stump me. I explained that I had just moved into the area, and where I lived, we were required to get permits to work in restaurants.

Does the Health Department require that where you live? If so, do the folks who work in that kitchen have Foodhandler Permits? Does anyone have Management certifications through the local Health Department?

You mentioned that the Salisbury steak was being put into non-commercial roasters. What size are these pans? I ask, because I'm wondering how the food is served. Are you using a commercial steam table that uses Hotel Pans? If so, the Salisbury steaks can be seared, layed out into the pan, sauced, wrapped, vented, and place on a rack to cool. They can then be reheated in the oven the day of service, held in a hot box until needed, and then placed straight into a steam-well on the steam table.

Foods that are cooked, then cooled to be reheated later, need to be spread out into small quantities so that they cool down quicker. Slicing roast, and laying it out in a 2" hotel pan (rather shallow), wrapped, and vented (holes poked through the wrap, or a corner left off, so steam can escape), will allow the food to cool quickly, which you indicated is NOT cooling quickly.

 

[Wart]

I don't have much time, I have to review for, ironically, my ServSafe test tonight.

Most of you don't understand exactly the situation. But then I didn't exactly enplane it.

Food Prep in this Club is not a daily occurrence. I have called the Health Department on other matters and they have said they will get someone out within three days. Three days. I may be wrong here but I think they will not dispatch a cruiser to spot inspect at 3 pm. I just can't see it happening. There is no HACCP paperwork, no flow chart, at this time there is nothing for the inspector to analyze and compare the situation to.

By the time the inspector got there there would be no smoking gun. You know the story of the little boy who cried wolf? The story plays out the same if there IS a wolf but the wolf disappears before the villagers show up. Think about it.

Thursdays food is frozen burgers and deep fried foods. No problem there.

The next dinner is Friday. It's non-fish. I will be assisting in the preparation so things will be done somewhat safely.

I'm going to the health department Thursday to either get or find out how I obtain a copy of their regs. I suspect their regs will be the same as the State or Federal codes, Regs, etc. I will then dump them on the boss and note it in my notebook.

While at the health department I will inquire how to set up the club for an inspection when I know a hazardous situation will exist.

Fish fries are over for the season otherwise the setup would be Friday at 2 pm.

In the meeting the boss did not make a friend. Actually quite the opposite happened. But I ended the meeting letting the boss think I have become .... submissive.

After the boss didn't make a friend of me I got permission to make suggestions and take notes on what I see that needs changed then bring these situations to the Admins attention. I'm sure he will enjoy my compiling and printing my notes so he has a copy and they are easy to read and understand.

You folks who work with documentation know what this means.

Now I have to study.

 

[Wart]

Sorry

Instead, you seem to be content with posting new horror stories here.

Not hardly.

 

[jennyema]

Don't go to the health department to get their regs. Your boss could care less. That won't accomplish anything.

Go to the health department and ask to see the person in charge. Present him or her with written documentation and photos of the dangerous situation. Basically what you have told us plus pictures of unsanitary practices, the mold and other public health concerns.

Demand they take some action immediately.

If the situation is as aggregious as you describe, with food sitting out, black mold and weeping roof, they will have more than a good reason to do something about it. And fast.

Send the photos and documentation to the mayor's office, too.

 

[GrillingFool]

Media fix everything, I tell ya.

 

[kitchenelf]

Media fix everything, I tell ya.

That is true but that's not his intention. He wants to fix the problem from within the organization. These organizations do wonderful things and he doesn't want to put the organization in a bad light - ONLY the kitchen.

 

[jennyema]

He's obviosly getting nowhere with the organization, though.

 

[buckytom]

elfie, i certainly don't think better lighting would fix the problem...

 

[kitchenelf]

elfie, i certainly don't think better lighting would fix the problem...

You are so bad!


jennyema - the Mayor is not a bad idea - especially if the Mayor is a member and eats there!

Wart - new idea - are there any city officials who are members? Go to them!!!!