After getting fired two weeks in a row (see my sign-spinning and theater employee tryouts), I'm going to be honest, I needed a win.
So, I turned to one of Downtown's finest dining establishments, run by Tucson food royalty, for redemption.
The job: A kitchen position at Charro Steak & Del Rey, a high-end steak and seafood restaurant, owned by the Flores family of El Charro fame, at 188 E. Broadway.
The task: Preparing bone-in ribeyes and a tomahawk steak that would make Fred Flintstone salivate with Charro Steak's current kitchen boss, Gary Hickey.
We wasted no time getting our aprons on and our hands washed. In the hifalutin world of steaks and seafood, the ribeye waits for no man.
My first objective was to chop that sucker into 20-ounce portions.
I didn't hold back!
"Ooh, that's a lot of meat," I exclaimed, demonstrating my slicing skills.
When we were done with that, it was time to trim the fat.
"You sure you haven't done this before?" Gary asked.
Definitely something a potential new employee likes to hear during an interview.
"I do like to cook," I replied.
Once that was done, we said bye to the ribeye and moved on to the tomahawk steak.
It was a lot of meat. We seasoned it and got it on the grill. I was momentarily taken aback by the flames that emerged.
Game face, Heidi!
I settled down and continued to move this giant piece of meat around on the grill.
"It's heavy," I complained. But I soldiered on.
We let that cook for a minute, then a flip!
Chef Gary asked how I liked my steak.
"You're going to hate me," I said. I am a medium well...more well."
He gave a look.
"I'm fired immediately," I joked.
Next came the tortillas on the grill. Then the peppers.
It looked so good, but the heat was getting to me.
"I'm going to faint," I said, dramatically. "I don't know if it is the heat or the hunger, but it is getting to me."
Once the steak was ready, I sliced and plated.
There was one last thing to do....set it on fire. On purpose!
As we sat there, eating tacos made from the night's bounty, I asked the question that would make or break the visit.
"Are you hiring or firing Heidi?" I asked.
"Maybe with a little bit of training, but you are definitely hired," Gary said.
I knew what was at steak (get it?), and I persevered. Catch me slinging meats on your next date night.
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Heidi Alagha is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. Heidi spent 5 years as the morning anchor in Waco where she was named the best anchor team by the Texas Associated Press. Share your story ideas and important issues with Heidi by emailing heidi.alagha@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
