Hello, food adventurers and welcome to the third instalment of the All the Things Culinary series.
Today we’re talking knife hacks or what I like to refer to as knifage (knife usage) tips for the kitchen…
Knives are an important kitchen accessory that can aid all the food preparation. Allowing you to cut up all the vegetables into more manageable pieces. As well as portioning out your proteins and slicing and dicing your way through a recipe. Set yourself up for success with a knife of good quality and learn how to maintain it!
Not going to lie, but all the different types of knives used to confuse me and sometimes still do. There are so many options and I’m not the most decisive person at the best of times. So, you can imagine the struggle when faced with too many decisions. All of those choices… So many different varieties, brands, colours, shapes and sizes. Therefore, not only making it challenging to know what’s what but also what they can be used for. Hopefully today we shall clear up some of those questions. As you’ve invested in this knife, it’s well worth learning how to make the most of it.
Here are a few general rules to follow for better knife use with added tips and tricks… bring on all the hacks!
1. Utilise the spine of the knife…
The back of the blade also known as a knife’s spine has a functionality that is often overlooked. How does one make use of this part which is so-called forgotten about?
When transferring ingredients from the chopping board to a pot, bowl or otherwise, prevent yourself from dulling your blade’s edge. Use the spine instead! All you have to do is turn it over to its back and scrape away.
This ensures less wear and tear. As well as making sure that you don’t accidentally scrape up bits of the board with you. It’s a use you never knew you had, which makes it so much better with the built-in functionality! This way, you preserve both your chopping boards and your newly sharpened knives. Not to mention, the spine’s flat edge ensures you get all the bits of food, without leaving anything behind. Less wastage within one swift motion of your knife. It’s a win-win situation.
Don’t forget to utilise the spine of a knife to its full capabilities and spare the condition of your knife!
2. Use rocking and rolling motions as opposed to just up and down
Ever wondered how all the chefs seem to cut so fascinatingly fast and fluently? One is of course with great practice and experience. The other is how they are controlling the knife. If we were to put this in more technical terms, we would be referring to knife-handling skills and techniques. Overall, it comes down to the way they move the knife.
Using a rocking motion whilst cutting rather than up and down is generally more effective for certain tasks. This includes things such as capsicum and chillis, with their tougher skins. At first, It’s not something one can notice, as it is done rather quickly.
Upon closer inspection, the rolling back and forth in between creates fluidity. This creates the whole I know what I’m doing vibe.
If we were to look it at as almost a freeze-frame capture of the action situation… one has to slice down into the food and then pull up, in somewhat of a circular rolling formation. Meaning that the knife pierces into the food to create the initial incision. Then it is brought down with gentle force (as we are using a sharp knife) to slice into the item. At this point, it will come into contact with the chopping board. The knife pushes through the slice at the heel. It is then brought upwards to continue to process and proceed with the next cut. Therefore, the knife is rocking back and forth and you are essentially rolling your hand in circular motions.
Remember to rock and roll for better, faster cutting.
3. Find the Chef’s knife fit for you. It’s not one size fits all.
Sometimes when you know you know. And this is one of those things. I never knew that I had the option to select sizing. That is until one day, I was facing a wall of what seemed like all the knives. It was at that point I understood that chef knives are not one for all. This does make complete sense to me now, I just never knew that I had the option! Know that there are options, plenty of them.
Chef knives vary in length and a matter of centimetres does make quite a difference. There are also different handles such as plastic or wood, various colours and so on. It all depends on what’s comfortable for you. The handle has to fit in your hand comfortably and you should be able to move it around with ease. Physically holding it in your hand and getting a feel for it is the only real way to know. It’s not one of those, one size-fits all types of situations. So, don’t be afraid to try it out, hold it in your hand and see if it’s the one for you.
If you require a knife, Victorinox is a good standard for those who are just starting. I have experienced these myself and can say that they have served me well. Worth a look, if you are in the market for some affordable knives (not sponsored, I just enjoy their knives).
Overall, when it comes to chef knives know that you have a choice. Feel free to make that choice and exercise your rights to the best kitchen accessory.
4. Give the knife a good pinch
The best way to get control of your knife is to primarily pinch it between your thumb and index finger.
This will give you better control over the direction and angle of your cuts. The rest of your fingers are the ones that hold the handle of the knife. It’s kind of a bit weird considering one would think that the fingers are meant to hold the handle. Essentially that’s what it looks like it’s made for, but it’s not quite so.
It does take a bit of getting used to. But once you do so, you will find it is a whole lot easier and there is no turning back. The amount of control and what feels like freedom is liberating. It works particularly well for detailed work such as superfine slices but also for general dicing. So try placing your thumb on one side and your index finger on the other. Then, with your other fingers curled around the handle accordingly you’re all set to go.
You will be able to notice that the weight of the knife in your hand is better distributed. This makes for a safer cut as you should be using less pressure (which as we have mentioned in our previous post, prevents accidents). Accordingly, a tighter grip for full control can also be achieved with this method.
So, rather than tethering your fingers to maintain their posture at the handle of the knife, set them free! Give yourself more control by making use of your thumb and index finger.
5. Use the right knife for the right purpose.
This is where all the knives of different types and varieties come into play. It’s time to put your knife knowledge into effect. If anything, making sure to use the knife for its intended purpose is a basic requirement.
Your baseline and fallback is your chef knife but there are also a whole bunch of other knives.
RELATED: A roundup of useful kitchen resources to upgrade your cooking skills
Also, check out Masterclass memberships. To learn from the best in the food industry!
Types of Knives…
As mentioned previously, a chef knife is used for general cutting purposes, fruit and vegetables mainly.
A bread knife is for slicing through bread, rather conveniently labelled.
It has a serrated edge to get through the bread’s crusty layer and creates a clean cut. If you lack a carving knife, this can also be used to carve proteins.
Filleting knives are flexible and delicate enough to aid you in deboning and filleting a fish.
They are rather slender and long in appearance. Effectively the main portion focussed on is the tip and front part of the knife. This does most of the work separating the edible from the inedible. Also great for taking off the skin if required.
Boning knives are great for separating meat from the bone.
They are sturdy and somewhat stubby with an interestingly narrow but shaped appearance. Again with this type of knife, most of the focus is on using the tip and top of the knife. It allows you to rotate and maneuver the knife around bones to separate the meat. Generally great to create a clean bone finish if used well.
Paring knives and beak knives are some of my favourites, as they are small and rather versatile.
Such knives are perfect for those small jobs with all the detailing i.e.: delicate precision work. I like to think of paring knives as the tiny version of a chef’s knife. They work best for tasks such as removing the skins of mushrooms or segmenting citrus.
Meanwhile, a beak knife has all the benefits of a curved tip.
Just as the name suggests, a beak knife is shaped well, like a beak. It has a similar sizing to a paring knife. This makes it great for things such as removing the cores of the tomatoes and strawberries or the pineapple rivets.
Now it’s your turn to use your knife knowledge! Prepare the right tools, namely the right knife for the right job.
6. Keep them sharp.
One of the major factors in ensuring the quality and condition of your knife is its sharpness. A sharpening tool will do wonders if you’re able to use it right. Consistency is something you also need to keep in mind. Constant angle, constant conditioning. There are mainly two types of sharpening tools that are worth paying attention to. These are honing steels and also sharpening stones. While they sound rather similar, they do effectively have different functions. So, just be aware that they are not the same type of thing!
Honing steels are generally used for regular maintenance of the blade.
It helps define the blade’s edge and gives you fine edging.
They are generally handheld, in the form of a rod. Honing steels can be used every day (chef’s daily usage) or every other day to once a week (more home usage). This, of course, is dependent on several factors such as how often it is used, how old the knife is and so on.
Consequently, honing steels is your almost everyday go-to. In comparison, they are used more frequently than sharpening stones.
On the other hand, sharpening stones are used less frequently.
Depending on how often you use a particular knife, usage can range from a few weeks to a month.
They are more abrasive than honing steels so will grind down your blade to create the foundations for the edging. Therefore, be careful not to use it too frequently, it’s a balance game.
In terms of sequence, a sharpening stone is used first. The process is then finished off with honing steel which polishes the edge. However, this is only done if the honing steel is no longer effective when tried first.
Also, another important tip is to wipe your knife after these processes to ensure the metal is removed before use. Nobody needs metal all up in their food.
So, keep your knife sharp to access its full potential, with a honing rod often and a sharpening stone occasionally.
In Conclusion…
Knives are an important part of your preparation routine. As such it’s important to have a good quality one to aid you through it all and prevent harm. Remember to keep them sharp, understand the types and make use of all the parts of the knife.
Thanks again for reading this article, hopefully, you’re all fired up and inspired to put these knifage hacks into action.
If you missed parts one and two of the All Things Culinary series don’t forget to check them out! And look out for the next in the series…
If you’re ready to upgrade your culinary skills, Masterclass memberships are a great way to do so! Read my first impression of them here!
Until then, stay curious!
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