Justin Herl Sous chef, Momocho

 
Justin Herl spent his childhood in Colorado but moved to Ohio as a teenager. He enrolled in the Culinary Arts program at Lorain County Joint Vocational School. His training, completed in 2000, led to a job with Cameron Mitchell Restaurants in Louisville Kentucky. After a year down south, Herl returned to Cleveland and worked first at Lopez in Cleveland Heights, where he met his current boss Eric Williams, and later for Michael Symon at Lolita.

He enjoys his current position as sous chef at Momocho the innovative Mexican eatery in Ohio City. The 27 year old Herl cooked up a storm during the Fabulous Food Show Sous Chef Competition, earning himself a spot in the final heat. Come see him go up against Jack Ahern of Pier W on Friday, November 14 at 6:30 PM. The title cook-off is hosted by Iron Chef Michael Symon.

Fabulous Food Show: When did you know you wanted to cook professionally?
Justin Herl: I’ve wanted to be a cook since I was 10 years old. I got the idea from watching Graham Kerr on TV at my grandma’s house.

FFS: What is it that got you "hooked" on this crazy profession?
JH: Definitely not the hours! I think it’s seeing people’s satisfaction and getting feedback from servers about how much the guests like what I make for them.

FFS: Of all the things you're doing now, what's your favorite part of the job, the moment when you're glad you do what you do?
JH: I like the opportunity to be creative with food and the kitchen staff has a lot of freedom here to try whatever we want. I enjoy every stop of the process of coming up with new dishes from the prep to the cooking and taste testing.

FFS: Have you got one bit of advice for home cooks?
JH: Don’t be afraid to play with ingredients you’ve never used or to experiment with new things.

FFS: 5 great ingredients home cooks should keep on hand?
JH: Good sea salt; fresh citrus juice; fresh herbs; harissa, an incredible spice combination that I just discovered about six months; butter.

FFS: 3 kitchen tools/gadgets/accessories every home cook should have?
JH: A good sharp knife; a heavy duty blender because it’s more versatile than a food processor; and a set of high quality cookware- it should be heavy bottomed, never non-stick, and able to go from stovetop to oven.

FFS: It's your day off. What's your idea of the perfect meal to have at home?
JH: Anything I don’t have to cook. My wife and son and I will usually go out to eat or bring something in. Pizza is my favorite.