THE TEXAS STEAKOUT MAGAZINE
MEET YOUR CHEF
Stuart Ross – Texas Steakhouse Chef Stuart Ross has been with us at the Texas Steakout since we opened our doors. He has created our most memorable dishes and flavours which has enticed Limerick patrons to return to celebrate their life successes and celebrations with us. He has a passion for food, kebabs and always adding a little twist to a recipe. We sat down with Stuart to grill him about food.
What is your earliest memory of cooking? “My earlier memory of cooking would have been a summer job that I had in Ted’s restaurant when I was about 14. My father knew the accountant in there, so he got me a summer job, keep me off the street for the summer, and I was on the pot wash in there for the summer. One of the chefs was out sick and I was asked to fill in, in his place so the head chef asked me if I was interested in being a chef and it took off from there. The rest is history. “
Favourite Cuisine to cook? “All kinds really. I suppose I like cooking Italian, the wife loves Italian food.” Do you ever order a sneaky take away? “Sure, we all have the odd kebab after a few beers although we shouldn’t. Chefs are the worst - great for cooking, terrible for eating.”
If you weren’t a chef, what profession might you find yourself in? “Not sure, I probably would have got How long are you working in the into something else creative where I Texas Steakhouse? could work with my hands.” A long time. (Laughs) From around ’89 or ‘90 so you can do the math.” What do you make of reality shows about kitchens? What’s the best piece of advice you “TV is saturated with them really at have ever recieved about cooking this stage. Some of it is staged, I mean, “Get the simple things right and the they might have been different in the rest will happen from there.” olden days but kitchens today are very professional places. I still watch those What’s your favourite thing about shows for ideas and that though. I like being a chef? the Iron Chef. “ “Every day is different; you won’t get bored.” Which celebrity chefs cooking do you like most? What is the strangest thing you “Heston Blumenthal. He’s a chef’s chef.” have ever tasted? “Strangest? Hmmm...Chef’s taste Finally, have you a kitchen tip for everything. I had shark once, that isn’t all our readers? on menu’s in Limerick.” “Never follow a recipe to the letter. Always leave a little room to put in a What is your favourite dish to eat? little extra and a little less of something.” “At the moment, a good surf and turf. The one from our kitchen is exceptional”
16
