Holding a knife correctly is very important in cooking, as it can help you cook better and safer. Using knives correctly can make your cooking faster and more efficient. When you use a good knife, you can keep your wounds neat and reduce food waste. This really helps, especially if you want the food to look and taste great.
Let's take a closer look!
The importance of proper knife handling in cooking
Mastering the skill of holding a chef's knife is an important aspect of good cooking. It improves the accuracy and efficiency of food preparation and ensures safety.
Increase productivity and accuracy in food preparation:
Improving cutting skills can reduce food waste and make precise, even cuts. By using precise cutting methods, you can make the most of the material and ensure that every piece and every cut contributes to the finished product. Increased efficiency allows for faster cooking and smoother kitchen operations.
Kitchen safety:
Developing adequate cutting skills can reduce the likelihood of food preparation mistakes. Understanding proper handling and grip methods is crucial to controlling and reducing skidding and cuts. Using safe kitchen techniques, such as grippers and stable cutting surfaces, will help keep you and others safe.
Cook faster:
When you have mastered the operation of the kitchen knife, you can quickly cut and slice vegetables. This can help you finish cooking faster, especially if you need to make large amounts of food.
Presentation Session:
Carefully cut ingredients can improve the appearance of a dish. When the ingredients are the same size and shape, they are cooked evenly and end up looking more visually appealing.
Basic grip method
You've been using a knife for years and it doesn't seem necessary to deal with it effectively, but it's important to get a better grip and control over your knife.
How to hold a chef's knife properly for sufficient grip and maximum efficiency requires the following three basic principles:
1. Choose a grip
There are two different ways to hold a knife. The ideal knife handling technique is the one that feels most natural to you, while both have their own advantages.
It's like shaking someone's hand, holding the knife in your hand. This is the most powerful and intuitive way to hold a knife.
Use your thumb and forefinger to pinch the blade slightly higher on the mat. Then, wrap the remaining fingers around the handle. Professionals use this grip because it provides more control and accuracy when slicing and dicing vegetables.
2. Create stability
Shaking, sliding, or rolling fruits and vegetables on a cutting board can make handling more difficult and increase the risk of accidents. So they need to lie flat on the chopping board. If a flat side is not available, you can make a flat side by cutting a thin round vegetable. You can cut foods such as Chinese cabbage or winter melon in half or quarters.
3. Learn claw techniques
When you start cooking, an important thing is to protect your fingers when using a kitchen knife. At first, you may feel strange, but you will get used to it.
The operation method is as follows:
Fold four fingers under the middle finger of the other hand, forming a claw like shape. Grasp the food tightly with your claws, support the side with your thumb and little finger, while keeping all fingers stable. Ensure that the distance between the fingertip and the knife is greater than the distance between the finger joint and the knife.
Get perfect grip
Improving the operational skills of a kitchen knife requires time and practice. However, regular and specialized practice can improve your knife skills and build muscle memory. Start with simple tasks and gradually improve your skills to more complex cuts.
Choose the appropriate knife size
The correct size for a chef's knife is the size that feels comfortable to hold. Many people prefer knives around 8 inches, but some prefer longer knives. Test different tools to find the most suitable tool for your hand type.
However, you can also perform a forearm test to determine the length of the knife.
Here are some guidelines for selecting the optimal tool size:
- Extend your hand so that your upper arm is level with the ground, and place your forearm flat on a surface such as a table.
- Place the knife in your hand, with the tip on your elbow and the tip on your wrist.
- Place your arms on the table, with your elbows at the same height as your shoulders. Finally, place the knife on your arm, with one end touching your elbow and the other end touching your wrist.
If your arm is as long as the blade, then this knife is very suitable for you. If the knife is longer than your forearm, it is too large and difficult to control. A knife shorter than the forearm is too short and may encounter difficulties when cutting vegetables.
Food cutting technology Log:
Cutting vegetables is an important skill for chefs. This may seem easy, but there is a correct approach.
When cutting vegetables, place them on the cutting board. Cut horizontally with a sharp knife to make the fragments smaller.
After doing this a few times, cut off the vegetables. Once again, reduce fragmentation during the cutting process.
Finally, move the knife back and forth to cut the vegetables into small pieces. Through practice, you will be able to quickly cut vegetables.
Transcriptor:
Tool machining in cutting is a technique used to manufacture small square blocks of the same size. The operation method is as follows:
Firstly, cutting food into slender strips is called shredding.
After cutting, cut horizontally into small squares, just like small squares.
This method is commonly used for vegetables (such as carrots and potatoes) and fruits (such as apples).
Roll the dice correctly:
Grasp the food with one hand.
When cutting up and down, guide the knife with the other hand.
Cutting vegetables is the process of cutting them into small pieces.
That's it:
Peel the vegetables and cut them into small pieces. Then, use a sharp professional chef's knife to cut them smaller. Afterwards, you can put these small pieces into sauces, soups, or other dishes.
Guevarajulian:
Chopping is a method of cutting vegetables into slender strips. Usually done with celery, carrots, and other hard vegetables. Firstly, cut the vegetables into small pieces, and then use a knife to cut them into long strips.
Safety measures:
Stable cutting surface: To avoid slipping and accidents, please use a cutting plate with a stable and safe surface.
Correct body posture: Stand with feet shoulder width apart and maintain a balanced position when cutting the ball to improve control and stability.
Safe storage: Store the tool in a tool holder or tool roll to protect yourself and the blade from accidental injury.
conclusion
Learning to use a kitchen knife correctly is crucial for becoming a skilled chef. It can help you work better, cut accurately, and maintain safety during the cooking process. When you master the cutting tool well, your incision will be even, you will waste less food, and accidents will occur less.