the 3 second rule - Page 2

Quote:

Originally Posted by landmcatering 

Just bring it back up to 180 and nothing's going to live through that, plus we cater out of our house and when we have an event we make sure the dogs go outside.
 

DOGS!! Are you kidding? 

It is well known that these practises take place and people like you give catering a bad name. I am not in the habit of badmouthing others in the trade but you spoil it for the rest of us. It is only a matter of time before you have a food safety issue and believe me you will. 

Success in catering is built on trust and reputation, I wonder who your clients are and how your food is recieved. 3 seconds, 5 seconds or 180 degrees aint gonna get rid of dog hairs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrairieChef 

You take the $6 chunk of meat, record it's weight and toss it.

At the end of the month, it becomes a "wastage" expense and is accounted for as such.

 

Exactly, and how much food hits the floor anyway? If you are that clumsy you should not be handling expensive product.

OK, maybe I'm slow (I KNOW I'm old, so don't go there!), but I've always though the "three second rule" was for how fast an "offender" got out the door!

Three seconds or less doesn't give the CHEF time to find a pot/kettle/pan to throw!

I find this topic very interesting, considering the majority of meat (chicken, beef, pork) that we buy as a country of American citizens come from overused overworked "farms" where the animals live in far worse conditions than the floors of our professional kitchens. They live, sleep and eat in an atmosphere that is clouded, literally, in their own poo. And all of us choose to eat them for better or worse. Who cares about e. coli or mad cow as long as the fda and usda say they are approved. Unless you are going and buying directly from the farmer, you are probably eating something off of the floor.

This is not not saying that I would plate something after it hit the tile, but please, get over yourselves. The kitchen floor is the LEAST of your worries....

I have to emphasize that I personally wouldn't plate something after it hit the floor. Maybe I'm way off base, but I don't think it's the worst thing in the world.

Professionally speaking, I wouldn't have it or even speak of it seriously in my kitchen. But all in all, i'm sure we've all eaten things far worse.

This is why I cook at home.

Dirty cooks.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by halmstad 

I find this topic very interesting, considering the majority of meat (chicken, beef, pork) that we buy as a country of American citizens come from overused overworked "farms" where the animals live in far worse conditions than the floors of our professional kitchens. They live, sleep and eat in an atmosphere that is clouded, literally, in their own poo. And all of us choose to eat them for better or worse. Who cares about e. coli or mad cow as long as the fda and usda say they are approved. Unless you are going and buying directly from the farmer, you are probably eating something off of the floor.

This is not not saying that I would plate something after it hit the tile, but please, get over yourselves. The kitchen floor is the LEAST of your worries....

Have you been in or watched america's processing plants latley? They are the cleanest in the world. Granted it is not a place I would want to have lunch but, their floors are cleaned probably more often than yours. They are video monitored 24hours a day by  the USDA.

Sounds like you have been watching the wrong TV channels. A lot of the stuff you see on TV is staged to improve their ratings. If you want to see something horrible go overseas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by halmstad 

I find this topic very interesting, considering the majority of meat (chicken, beef, pork) that we buy as a country of American citizens come from overused overworked "farms" where the animals live in far worse conditions than the floors of our professional kitchens. They live, sleep and eat in an atmosphere that is clouded, literally, in their own poo. And all of us choose to eat them for better or worse. Who cares about e. coli or mad cow as long as the fda and usda say they are approved. Unless you are going and buying directly from the farmer, you are probably eating something off of the floor.

This is not not saying that I would plate something after it hit the tile, but please, get over yourselves. The kitchen floor is the LEAST of your worries....

So what?  If you are a professional then you hold up your end of the bargain.  Invoking the three second rule just tells me you don't care about your customers.  If you like your customers otherwise you will care what you serve them.

To all of those who argue for the 3 second rule, I strongly suggest you work in an open kitchen for a few weeks.

If you cater out of your home, please don't tell anyone about it.  Several ex-employees of mine were doing this and bragged about it, I called the health inspector on them and they weren't bragging anymore.  They also knew why my prices were different from theirs afterwards.....

If I ever came up with the excuse that I served floor spiced food because there wasn't enough of the item, I'd have been fired for not keeping par-levels and not ordering in a "proper manner".

To all of those of us who've been in the business long enough, we know what kind of damage one single hair in food can do.

To all of those who own pets, pet hair stays in the house for months after the animal is gone, and I have had pet hair in my kitchen at work, most likely brought in unwittingly  from employees.

I can't believe this is up for discussion even.  Way to go.  Some of you forget that people who dine in restaurants read also this forum.

Acturally, Kuan, I feel the opposite. It's precisely because restaurant users read this that it's good, as it shows how infrequently such abuses take place.

What we have is, basically, one "professional" who sees nothing wrong with the practice, and a whole bunch of others not only denigrating the idea, but taking him to task for such behavior.

I'd say that sends the right message.

I worked under a chef a few years ago and he shared a story with me about Alfredo Sauce.  He was just starting out in the business and he was making Alfredo Sauce for dinner service.  He put the pot on the floor (not sure why the pot of sauce was on the floor.. I think maybe to put it into inserts for the steam table?) turned to get something and on his way back around put his boot into the sauce.  He was young and cocky at the time and put the pot back on the stove,  brought up the temperature and served it anyway.   I must have looked horrified (he was making Alfredo Sauce at the time he was telling me this story) because right away he said that he'd never ever do that today and if any of his staff did that he'd rip them a new one.

I would like to waste these kilo bytes to thank all the chefs, writers and diners on here that are against serving on the floor.

                                                            Thank you for you professionalism

Leeniek, I'm not sure why that guy had the Alfredo on the floor, but believe it or not they used to teach us to do that. If you were straining stock from one pot to the other, they'd tell you to put the one with the strainer on the floor as it was easier to control the pouring and not as hard on your back as working on a table would be. Doubt they'd teach anyone that now, but it was odd how your story reminded me of it. I'd forgotten all about how we used to do that.

I remember waaaay back when, when the dinosaurs roamed, we used to sprinkle sawdust on the floor.  Kind of made sense too, all spills and crud were soaked up, and at the end of the shift, the sawdust was swept up, thrown out, and new sawdust sprinkled down.

Needless to say, the "3 second rule" was never mentioned......

Good question for my Employment App, "What do you think of the 3 second rule when working in a restaurant kitchen" if they answer it wrong, its a quick BYE BYE...............Chef BillyB

Good one, Bill! 

Greyeagle, I can see how pouring something for straining would be easier with the pot on the floor and maybe that was why that chef had the sauce down there.  I do all of my pouring in the sink(not in the dishpit but in the kitchen).  If I miss my target at first or there is splashing cleanup is fast and easy. 

Back when Pump and I were wandering around with the dinosaurs, (when espanol was still a mother sauce) the dish pit sinks were the only ones you had. There was no such thing as a prep or hand sink. The two or (if you were in a really modern kithen) three section dish sink was it. We never used saw dust, but I still throw salt on the floor when the crew strings too much grease on it. Gives you traction so you don't fall. They used to complain about their knees hurting (these are college guys who snowboard, etc.) and I tell them if they'd keep the oil in the fryer instead of on the floor, they wouldn't have that problem. Meanwhile, hand me the salt.

Cat litter is good on floor near fryer. Dustless typr

Quote:

Originally Posted by greyeaglem 

Back when Pump and I were wandering around with the dinosaurs, (when espanol was still a mother sauce) the dish pit sinks were the only ones you had. There was no such thing as a prep or hand sink. The two or (if you were in a really modern kithen) three section dish sink was it. We never used saw dust, but I still throw salt on the floor when the crew strings too much grease on it. Gives you traction so you don't fall. They used to complain about their knees hurting (these are college guys who snowboard, etc.) and I tell them if they'd keep the oil in the fryer instead of on the floor, they wouldn't have that problem. Meanwhile, hand me the salt.

yes I  use salt too .....and we did't have "Caution Wet Floor" signs either. The irony is I have tripped over those f%#&*ing

"safety" signs and never anything else in the kitchen!  

Hey! Dont bash all of Canada! I am very strict about food hitting the floor, the way I look at it, if they are dropping that much meat on the floor that it affects your cost, then maybe the way that they are transporting it from station to station needs to be looked at, or maybe they need to be fired... because clearly they dont belong in a kitchen if they are constantly dropping food... Just my opinion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kuan 

I can't believe this is up for discussion even.  Way to go.  Some of you forget that people who dine in restaurants read also this forum.

Kuan,

You are so right !  Hard to believe its up for debate.....sad, just sad.

I do not in any way condone this practice. And I don't want anyone here to think that I think it's ok. I was just writing to write an argument. If I ever saw someone do that in my kitchen, they would be out on the spot. I like to stir the pot as it were...

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrairieChef 

At home? Do what you will. At work? F**k no.

Enough said.

I agree with the "F**k No!" stance.  If one of my staff questions me on it, I bring him into the mens bathroom, step in the puddle under the urinal, go back to the line, step on the floor, place a peice of scrap meat in the spot, then ask them to eat it.  They get the point and don't ask again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Theages 

I agree with the "F**k No!" stance.  If one of my staff questions me on it, I bring him into the mens bathroom, step in the puddle under the urinal, go back to the line, step on the floor, place a peice of scrap meat in the spot, then ask them to eat it.  They get the point and don't ask again.

That's hilarious!  Nice technique.  8^)

Lively little discussion. Just read my post, perhaps I should wait till i'm sober before I post things. LOL  Oh well.  Any way folks, I am out of this thread, and am moving on to another hot topic.  Have fun,and behave.

By the way, I don't "Practice" this, and Canada doesn't "practice" this.

I apologize to anyone I may have offended.  I am a strict professional, and I do believe in sanitary practices.  'nuff said.

Love to all :) Peace out, and try not to be too stressed out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by greyeaglem 

Leeniek, I'm not sure why that guy had the Alfredo on the floor, but believe it or not they used to teach us to do that. If you were straining stock from one pot to the other, they'd tell you to put the one with the strainer on the floor as it was easier to control the pouring and not as hard on your back as working on a table would be. Doubt they'd teach anyone that now, but it was odd how your story reminded me of it. I'd forgotten all about how we used to do that.

The kitchen I started in used to do chowder and bisque and they did alot of pouring and mixing at floor level. They always put the pot on a bread tray or sheet pan to keep it off the floor, and cardboard under it to catch the spill. Of course, they were making five gallon pots of chowder base, so there is really no way they could have done it any other way, but they kept it off the actual floor. Being that I have never taken a sanitation class (yet), can someone verify whether that is actually a legit sanitary practice?

A side note, one of the places i work had a quality insurance inspection on monday.... BoH had two infractions, one was not keeping cold temps (there were prepped onions not in a cooler) and the other was one person not washing his hands between changing his gloves. FoH had 6... haha 2.63 doesn't buy good help nowadays.

Our local food code, and I think the national standard states that any food needs to be at least 6 inches off of the floor. But I would guess that most chefs/cooks, at some point in their career, have transfered food into a pot on the floor. I think that a bread pan or sheet tray would be fairly acceptable as long as you weren't being inspected that day:)

Transfering/straining liquids into a pot onto the floor is one thing--the pot goes onto the stove.

Sheet pans,on the other hand go onto countertops, fridge racks, tray trolleys etc, where they can contaminate.

Don't believe me?  Sprinkle a little cocoa powder on the countertop, place a sheetpan or two on the mess, and be prepared to clean up cooca powder in every concievable area for the next two weeks..........