Robert Irvine, chef for nearly 25 years, always thought cooking was his calling. Now, he says, he has a higher calling: humanitarian work.

“I’ve always been a giver — I do 70 or 80 charities a year – but the last three years, it’s been my goal to help veterans and the Wounded Warriors and kids with cancer. Those are my three charities I do a lot with,” he said by phone on a recent day, recounting visits last month with wounded veterans at Bethesda and Walter Reed hospitals, as well as a Wounded Warrior benefit dinner with actor and advocate Gary Sinise for 4,300 veterans and their caregivers in San Diego. “I think that’s what I’m meant to do. I think that’s my calling.”

But he’s a successful chef, too. His show “Restaurant: Impossible” – think “Extreme Makeover” for restaurants with two days and a $10,000 budget – on the Food Network is in its sixth season, and Robert Irvine Live, an interactive show, is appearing at venues from Connecticut to Montana.

Irvine’s life is fast-pasted and hectic, but wonderful.

The muscular chef called from Phoenix, Ariz., to talk about his appearance at the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival, which runs from Friday through Tuesday. Irvine helps launch the festival on Friday with an event titled “Food Truck: Impossible,” a golf tournament and gastro-truck competition to be held at The Breakers West golf course.

“I think food trucks are an interesting craze and there’s a lot of good food out there,” he said. “As long as they all keep safe and sanitized, I’m all for it. I’m all for more restaurants that practice food safety and produce good products. Otherwise you’re no good to anybody. But it’s got to be policed and the standards held just as restaurants have.”

Irvine says after more than 60 shows and years more of cooking experience, he can tell in five minutes how good a job management is doing. Food trucks are no different, he says.

“I think you look to see if it’s organized and clean. How are the staff? Do they greet you? Are their uniforms dirty? If their uniforms are dirty, you know they’re not taking care of business. Organization is just like cleanliness: It’s next to Godliness. Do the right things: keep your product cold, or hot, and make sure you present yourself like any chef. A chef wouldn’t go out in a restaurant with tomato sauce all over his clothes. I think it’s just common sense stuff.”

The English-born Irvine got his training as a chef in the Royal Navy. He joined when he was just 15, with his parents’ blessing. “My parents thought it was an amazing opportunity. I had been leaving my home for many, many years as a sea cadet, being away and self-sufficient, so they were used to it.” Those military manners never change, it seems. On his show, Irvine barks orders like the best drill sergeant, but he also shows a softer side, a big brother ready to shoulder some of the burden.

“The military teaches you to get the job done, period. And, trust me, I do. I’m tough on my team, but they’ll tell you they’ve become better time managers, better managers of resources, and learned how to think out of the box. I’ve always been a good manager, a good leader, but I think I’ve learned to be more compassionate…

“You can’t confuse stern with being rough. When R.I. goes into a restaurant, in eight out of ten cases, poverty has hit the place. The families are breaking up; there are arguments; there’s no love left because they’re worried about where the money is coming from and it’s pretty much the same, not just at the restaurant, but at home too.”

Irvine says when poverty flies in, love flies out the window.

“A restaurant can fail, but nothing should come between families. It’s okay to go bankrupt. You’re not the only ones in the world to go through it, but nothing is worth taking your life. I’ve had that on the show where somebody took their life over a debt of a restaurant and left two daughters behind… So I’m compassionate when they call me. That’s my first fix. If I can fix the family and make it all good there, everything else seems easy to me.”

Tough love can make good TV, but Irvine says he’s in it for the families involved in the failing restaurants he showcases.

“It’s not about television for me. I would throw cameras out. It’s about helping people, and it’s the greatest feeling ever. The good Lord gave us all a skill and you’re supposed to use it to help others and that’s what the show does. It’s real people with real problems and we give them real solutions.”

The relationships Irvine builds don’t end when the trucks and trailers pull away. Irvine says he stays in contact with almost all the restaurants that have been profiled on the show. Out of 54 shows, Irvine says, 48 of the restaurants are “doing gang-busters. We’ve got a great record: we’ve saved families, we’ve saved relationships and we’ve saved businesses.”

On a few occasions, Irvine felt such a strong connection with the owners, his emotions bubbled over.

“I’m not ashamed of that,” Irvine said of the tears he shed. “I would never have thought I would be so involved and captivated and engrossed. It’s not about a TV show. You get to know these people, and we all go through things and make mistakes. I’m very spiritual, and I believe God has a plan for all of us… I love what I do. I love my life. I’m very content in who I am.”

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MEATBALLS ‘IMPOSSIBLE’

Robert Irvine shared this recipe from his “Restaurant: Impossible” episode on Pastori’s pizzeria in Ellington, CT.

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons oregano, minced

2 tablespoons parsley, minced

2 tablespoons tomato sauce*

1 whole egg

1/3 pound ground beef

1/3 pound ground pork

1/3 pound ground veal

Grape seed oil, for searing

In a bowl, blend the garlic, salt, oregano, parsley, tomato sauce and egg, mixing well with a whisk. Next, by hand, add the ground beef, pork and veal, mixing well, ensuring not to over-mix. After mixing, portion the meatballs to desired size, 1 1/2 to 2 ounces, then allow to rest in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes. This will allow the meatballs to bind.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Over medium-high heat, add enough grape seed oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet. Sear the meatballs until browned, 2 to 3 minutes each side. After searing, finish the meatballs in the oven until cooked through. This time will vary according to the size of the meatballs.

* You can find Irvine’s tomato sauce recipe at www.FoodNetwork.com