Jaime Gutierrez Executive Chef of III Forks

-Born in Montreal, Canada, to a Cuban father and an American mother, Executive Chef Jaime Gutierrez moved to Victoria, TX as a child, where his doctor-father was interning.  He spent time growing up in Coastal waters (Texas Gulf and Dominican Republic) spear fishing. This exposure to seafood, and watching his grandmother cook was the foundation of his culinary interest.

Jaime attended Texas Tech University, where he completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising and Marketing in 1986. He worked as a butcher in a family owned smokehouse for the first two years of his college life. After graduation and several years in the advertising world, Jaime moved to New York City, to work with an uncle in the wholesale produce industry.  In 1994, he followed his true passion and enrolled in the California Culinary Academy; and 18 months later---graduated second in his class.

Jaime’s first official culinary position was at Café Beaujolais in Mendicino.  There he strengthened his aptitude for traditional Mexican, Asian, and French cuisine.  With his next stop Napa, Jamie landed at Rutherford Grill, where he was both line and prep cook and then shortly after, recruited by Patrizio’s in Dallas.

After two years of applying his skills and experience, Jaime was introduced to Cool River Café.  With exceptional skill in recipe development and menu strategy, Jaime was co-developer of the initial menu and recipes (and many more to follow) that would open the first restaurant in Las Colinas.  He later assisted in opening their Denver restaurant, and then took a position as Executive Chef for the Austin location where he worked for five years. 

Jamie is currently the Executive Chef for III Forks in Austin, and was part of the opening team in 2006. He has established himself as an accomplished chef, well known in Austin for offering diners a creative menu, nightly specials and absolutely some of the best steaks in town.


Steak Grilling Procedures

1. A great cut of meat only needs salt and black pepper.  The flavor of the steak will stand on it own.
2. When you are ready to grill your steaks make sure you have a very hot fire.  This will cause the fire to sear the out side of steak.  Searing the steak is caramelizing (the browning of the meat) out side of the meat.  This is where you will develop that great flavor that a well cook steak has.
3. A well-marbled cut of meat will have more flavors than a lean cut.  Treat yourself.
4. Place the steak on the grill cold if you want a rare, mid rare or medium steak.  The outside of the steak will be nicely seared when the inside gets to the correct temperature.
5. If you like your steaks mid well or well done, let the steak come to room temperature before grilling.  This will let the steak cook quicker allowing the inside temperature to be mid well or well done and not burn the outside of the steak.  Remember you are using a very hot fire.
6. If you must have a lean cut, (and want it mid rare or medium) brush the outside of the steak with olive oil before grilling (butter taste good but will cause the fire to flame up more than oil) This will facilitate the caramelizing of the out side of the steak.
7. If you want lean mid well or well done steak still pick a well-marbled cut.  This might not sound right, but the longer cooking time will cook out most of the fat.  The end result is a lean (mid well or well-done) steak that is not dried out and flavorless.