Tough Bull Beef and a Two-Burner Grill

Shank and chuck come from working muscles and contain a lot of collagen and little intramuscular fat. Grilling them quickly drives off moisture and tightens the muscle fibres, so they become tough and stringy. They need moist heat and time: braise or stew in stock at 85–95°C for two to three hours, or boil until tender and finish in a tomato-based sauce. At that temperature collagen unwinds and converts to gelatin, which lubricates the fibres and gives a spoon-tender result. Acidic ingredients such as tomato, lime or a little wine speed the conversion, and a small amount of raw pawpaw or ginger can be used as an enzyme tenderiser, but it must be controlled or the surface becomes mushy. Cutting across the grain shortens the fibres and improves chew.

The loin has little connective tissue and is naturally tender, so it should be cooked fast and served pink or medium. Keep the loin for 30–40 skewers for the top table or as a premium item, and use the braised shank and chuck as the main buffet dish. Cooking the whole delivery as skewers would waste the shank and produce complaints. Braising can be done on Thursday, chilled overnight and reheated in batches, which also reduces the load on the two working burners.

Greasy fish and soggy chips point to oil temperature that is too low, caused by overloading the basket and by dark, degraded oil. When cold fish or a full basket enters the oil, the temperature drops; the surface does not seal quickly, steam escapes slowly and oil soaks into the food. Old oil has a lower smoke point and foams, so it clings to the surface. Wet fish or icy chips add water, which further drops the temperature, and draining on a flat plate traps steam and softens the crust.

Rules: preheat to 175–180°C and check with a thermometer, not by eye. Fill the basket no more than half full and cook in small batches; allow the oil to return to temperature between batches. Dry the fish, coat it evenly and let excess batter drain before it enters the oil. Drain finished items on a rack, not kitchen paper on a plate, and keep hot in a single layer. Skim crumbs every 30 minutes, filter the oil at the end of service, and change it when it is dark, smoking, foaming or smells stale - four days of heavy use is already too long. For chips, blanch at 160°C and finish at 180°C for a crisp shell.

Grey, soft vegetables have been cooked too long and held hot. Chlorophyll breaks down under prolonged heat and acid, and pectin softens the cell walls, so the vegetable collapses. The fix is to cook briefly in small batches, stop the cooking quickly, and finish close to service.

Bring a pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil on one burner. Blanch each vegetable separately for one to three minutes, depending on size, until just tender but still firm. Lift immediately into iced water for the same length of time to halt the cooking, then drain thoroughly and refrigerate in shallow trays. This preserves colour and texture. Just before service, reheat in a hot pan with a little oil for one to two minutes; do not boil again and do not hold on a steam table for more than 20 minutes. Cook carrots, green beans and cabbage separately because they need different times, and avoid adding vinegar or lemon to green vegetables during cooking. With two burners, blanch everything off-peak in the afternoon, then use one burner for the braised beef and one for rice, and finish vegetables in a pan on the beef burner in batches as the buffet is replenished.