Local chef competes in Longhorn Steakhouse competition

CHILLICOTHE— Sizzling grills, flames and new orders coming in every minute is not a calm way to start any workday, but Chef Jerry Clark at Longhorn Steakhouse has become accustomed to the chaos and has learned how to manage it all.

Ribs and burgers weren't always how Clark started his day as he has had to work his way up to his current place in life.

Clark's mornings once started in a prison cell. He was a felon and an addict. Luckily, he was able to change his life around. While in prison he joined a group called Oasis that spent the majority of the day reflecting inwards and finding ways to be better people through classes and therapy. This was a voluntary group that Clark said he joined because he knew he wanted to turn his life around, not only for himself but for his daughter.

With the goal of creating a better life Clark, while in a halfway house, was able to get a job and eventually move out into a house in Chillicothe. He was also able to quickly regain custody of his daughter, Abby, who he calls his hero. Clark is inspired by the strength of his daughter and her desire to help others.

Now five years sober Clark and his daughter spend their time together having fun. He hopes that he can show her that even though people make bad decisions they can change with hard work. He said he is a prime example of this.

"I was the worst of the worst and I pulled myself out of it," said Clark. "People make mistakes but it is about how you rebound from them."

Part of pulling himself out and creating a better life is having a job. Clark said the Longhorn Steakhouse in Chillicothe gave him a chance that helped him turn his life around. As a chef, he was given the opportunity to prove himself as a hard worker, something he has done time and time again. Being alone in the kitchen with orders rolling in for various foods can be hectic and while Clark said juggling everything can still be mentally taxing he quickly learned how to do it since it was either learn or get out.

Kitchen manager Brandon Harris said Clark is one of the top employees at the restaurant and that he is the "backbone of the kitchen."

Not only is the restaurant a place to work, Clark said the restaurant and the people who work there are also family. Having no family in the area Clark and his daughter have grown close to his coworkers. He said they are all one big dysfunctional family who may fight but at the end of the day enjoy each other.

"It's a family," Clark said of the Longhorn corporation. "I've been to six other stores to cook and when you walk through the doors your family."

As part of the longhorn family Clark was able to compete in the 2023 Longhorn Steak Master Series. This contest consists of a written test and a skills test that challenges an employee's knowledge of the restaurant as a whole as well as the different recipes.

While cooking chefs get 20 minutes to cook four meals and sides, which Clark said is not a huge challenge, for him the challenge comes from the people surrounding the grill watching his every move. With how much you have to know and with so many eyes on you the event can be nerve-racking. Clark said while he likes to pretend he isn't nervous sometimes in the pit of his stomach he starts to get anxious. Despite this, he said he is confident about going to the semi-finals in Chicago as confidence is key.

He said he knows how to cook various recipes and has been studying for the written portion trying to be prepared for any question that may be asked. While Clark wants to win and move on to the final round of the Steak Master Series, he said he is already proud of what he has accomplished so far at work and in his personal life.

Shelby Reeves is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. You can email her at SReeves@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @Shelby_Reeves_