120 Pounds of Meat a Shift: Chef Brian on Feeding Guests at Miriam’s Kitchen
This is a summary from a recent discussion about protein as part of the menu offerings from Chef Brian at Miriam’s Kitchen:
“Every day, for one shift alone, we go through about 120 pounds of meat. That’s what it takes to put a real, hearty meal in front of our guests (recently spiking to 270 guests), and as we head into soup and stew season, that need only grows.
On produce, we’re in good shape, and that’s thanks to partners like KPC Buddhist Relief, who show up at our door with fresh, beautiful vegetables. When I open our walk-in, most of what I see is produce. That’s a blessing, and it gives our chefs so much to work with.”
“Protein is a different story. Giant, Harris Teeter, and Safeway help us, and things usually pick up around the holidays. But in these months, it’s ‘you get what you get,’ and it’s never enough for the week. So we buy the rest.”
Another partnership that’s helping is So What Else. Through Buddhist Relief’s initial connection with their food rescue team, Chef Brian has been getting calls when protein becomes available. “We just received 100 pounds of ground beef from them, and it went straight into a meatball sauce for our guests. Their donations come when they come, but when So What Else calls, we always show up.”
”Our team is creative. We build each week’s menu around what comes in the door. Next week it’s steak quesadillas. Chicken, beef, pretty much anything goes. We have the refrigeration and freezer space. What we need is more protein to fill it.
If you’re a grocer, distributor, restaurant, or neighbor who can help, we’d love to hear from you.”
