Line Cook jobs in Lakewood, NJ

Cook duties and responsibilities

Cooks are responsible for delivering food that is not only delicious and cooked to the specifications of the customer but that is safe and fresh as well. They often have the following responsibilities:

Ensure ingredients and final products are fresh

Follow recipes, including measuring, weighing and mixing ingredients

Bake, grill, steam and boil meats, vegetables, fish, poultry and other foods

Present, garnish and arrange final dishes

Occasionally serve food

Maintain a clean and safe work area, including handling utensils, equipment and dishes

Handle and store ingredients and food

Maintain food safety and sanitation standards

Clean and sanitize work areas, equipment and utensils

Execute opening and closing procedures

Set up workstations with required ingredients and equipment

Check the quality and freshness of ingredients

Monitor station inventory levels

Accommodate guests’ special requests

Operate kitchen equipment such as broilers, ovens, grills and fryers

Cooks must exercise the following qualities and skills:

Knowledge of safety procedures, including safe temperatures at which ingredients must be kept and to which food must be prepared to avoid foodborne illness

Ability to work as part of a team, collaborating on complex dishes

Interpersonal skills to interact with a variety of other people, such as waitstaff, dishwashers, management and sometimes customers

Calm demeanor to work in a high-stress, fast-paced environment

Accountability for the dishes they prepare measuring up to the expectations of management and customers alike

Comprehension and organization to follow direct orders and recipes and to correctly prepare dishes to the standards of the restaurant

Manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination to handle tools, such as knife techniques for chopping, slicing, cutting and dicing

Ability to stand in one place for hours at a time, handle extreme heat and work shifts

Line Cook skills and qualifications

A qualified Line Cook needs a strong set of skills that ensure teamwork and organization in the kitchen. Candidates should have the following qualifications:

Completion of vocational school or a two-year associate degree

At least one year of cooking experience

Excellent kitchen administration knowledge and ability to work as part of a team

Strong organization and active listening skills

The ability to work on your feet for most of the day and lift 30 pounds at a time

Exceptional time management skills