Certified Choppa
The Focus
Level: Beginner
Objective: For the class to be knowledgeable and able to effectively practice proper knife work
Reading Time: 10 Minutes
Chapter 1 | Knife Anatomy
Chopping your own produce is the number 1 way to save some cash when it comes to groceries… When you buy produce already chopped, you are not only paying for the fruit or veg, but also the packaging AND the labor of having someone cut it.
When I first started doing any type of professional culinary work, the number one thing I would focus on is my knife skills. Nothing is more apparent than someone who is uncomfortable with a knife in their hand, and with no formal culinary training, I became determined to NOT be that person. I still have a ways to go, but over the years I can feel and see a drastic difference in my ability to effectively break down meats and produce, and with some luck, you will too.
History Lesson
Knives are not a new or revolutionary phenomenon. I’ve always found it funny how every ancient civilization had their own special versions of sharp, pointy objects: The Japanese had the Katana, Egyptians had their patented Khopesh, and the Vikings had their brilliantly named Viking Sword. It would seem that these are all different objects used to achieve the same thing, right? But what if I told you that each weapon was tailored specifically to their army’s fighting style? With their soldiers’ strengths being enhanced, and weaknesses being hidden away like.. Donald Trump’s tax returns. Kitchen knives are no different. They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and materials. Each serving the needs of its handler in a different way.
Luckily, kitchen knives as we know it are now pretty standard. So whether you’re looking to purchase one or just want to know your way around cutlery, there are a few factors to consider. Let’s break them down here:
Different Types of Knives
Materials
Almost all quality kitchen knives are made from or made to mimic three versions of treated steel, and their differences essentially boil down to weight distribution. First is European or German steel, which feels heavy, and is so sturdy it almost seems industrial. Japanese steel is also strong, but curiously light and feathery. Then of course, there’s ‘Merican steel! It’s somewhat of a median between the other two, and is probably what you have in your kitchen. The most important thing is to choose the material that feels most comfortable in YOUR hands.
Shapes/Uses
Have you ever seen those knife block sets that come with like, 15 different tools!? Yeah.. don’t buy those. Here’s the 3 most important knives you will need for your beginning culinary pursuits:
Chef’s Knife - This will be your best friend. Your ride or die. Your uno amigo! What I’m trying to say is that this knife is ALL-PURPOSE, and that a quality chef’s knife will make life in the kitchen 10x easier! You don’t have to break the bank for this either, in fact you don’t even have to buy a new one at all. Just get the one you have sharpened at your local kitchen supply store. Remember, a sharper knife is a safer knife. Now, typically the more money you spend, the better quality knife you will get. But we’re home cooking here, not filleting Chilean sea bass. Modern chef’s knives are also pretty standard in shape, however you may run across the Japanese influenced version named Santoku, which is equally as good. Experiment with a few different kinds to see what you find most comfortable.
Paring Knife - The only mighty mouse you’ll want in your kitchen is a good paring knife. Mostly used for peeling and coring, this little guy does all the small tasks and dirty work that the big guys just can’t get done.
Serrated Knife - Aka the bread knife, serrated knives are knives with “teeth” as their blade. They are great for slicing any type of bread -- so much so that this is almost their sole purpose. The serrated edge creates less pressure on the exterior crust, meaning you can easily saw clean slices without crushing the delicate bread inside. Serrated knives are also good for slicing tomatoes.
Knife Accessories - A set of kitchen shears is great to have too, as well as a honing steel. We’ll talk about those another time.
Knife Care
Taking care of your knives is pretty simple. First, the number 1 thing you DO NOT want to do is put your knife in the dishwasher! This corrodes and dulls your knife quicker than anything else in the universe. To clean a knife simply use soap, hot water, and a sponge or kitchen towel. Grip the handle firmly and wipe away the grime with the blade facing away from your palm, starting at the base of the knife, and moving to the tip. You’ll also want to dry and store them immediately to keep everyone in the kitchen safe from unsheltered knives. You also never want to leave a dirty knife in the sink -- it can cut someone trying to do the dishes. And that’s not cool bro..
Once they’re clean, you’ll need somewhere to put them! In a perfect world you could buy a magnetic strip to hang on your wall and mount your knives; however, that’s not always an option. I prefer to purchase the plastic covers or wrap the blades of my knives in a few kitchen towels and store them in the drawer. If you must, an empty knife block is also a fine and convenient storage unit, but can be expensive for something that is sort of damaging to your knives.
Check for Understanding
So there you have it! A complete rundown of the tools and knowledge you will need to succeed. But good tools alone do not make a good cook. Up next are 5 knife cuts that will take you and the homies to a higher echelon of home cooking. Think you can make the cut? Well then, read ahead:
Chapter 2 | The 5 Knife Cuts You Will Need to Know
First things first, what does having good knife skills even mean? Standardly, it means that you can cut whatever is in front of you:
Properly: resulting in little waste of the edible parts of food
Evenly: your food should be cut with precision, resulting in the pieces being the same size to ensure even cooking
Quickly: Self-explanatory
The Rough Chop - Now, when we talk about a rough chop take everything that is stated above, and chuck it out the window! This knife cut is executed by taking an ingredient, like an onion for example, and breaking it down into smaller bits. Uniformity of size or shape is not prioritized here. You’ll typically see a rough chop being utilized when the final ingredient will either end up in a blender, or ultimately cooked down beyond recognition (like in a soup).
2. The Thin Slice - Thinly slicing is the first precise cut you’ll want to practice. It’s typically executed by creating a flat surface on your produce (most likely by cutting in half) then running your knife parallel to the longest portion of the fruit or vegetable. The term thin is also relative here. Most recipes will give you a visual as to how thin (or thick) your slice should be. But as a general rule I aim for anywhere between ¼-inch an 1/8-inch.
Watch this clip for an example of how to thinly slice an onion and a carrot:
3. The Jullienne - At their core, julienning and thinly slicing are very similar. Julienne is however, a more definite term, whereas thinly slice is a more general one. To help you better understand, Julienning is a possible step AFTER you thinly slice something. This largely depends on the shape of the fruit or vegetable. For a propper julienne, you will want your end result to resemble a box of matchsticks; uniform in size, width, and length. You won’t see this technique on final dishes all that often, but when done well and used appropriately it’s pretty beautiful.
Watch this clip for an example of how to julienne a carrot:
4. The Dice - Perhaps the most popular type of knife cut, dicing is often mistaken for rough chopping; and just like the previous comparison, dicing and rough chopping are similar. However, to “dice” something is to make it specifically into the shape of small cubes (like the dice on a board game!) Another fun fact is that you cannot dice something without first julienning it! See how this is all starting to add up? There are 3 different types of dices you will want to know:
Medium Dice - ½-inch cubes
Small Dice - ¼-inch cubes
Brunoise - Pronounced /bro͞onˈwäz/, these are ⅛-inch cubes
The beauty of food is that it is irregular in shape. Some foods are flat, some are round, and some have layers! So there is no 1 way to dice every vegetable. It’s an endless challenge that you should embrace. The main objective is to cut the small pieces as identically as possible, so that when things hit the heat, each little piece cooks at the same rate as the other.
Watch this clip for an example of how to dice a carrot, mango, and avocado:
5. The Chiffonade - The chiffonade is a sexy little devil. You will most often see leafy herbs receive this type of treatment for a beautiful garnish. It is executed by stacking several leaves, rolling them together into a cigar, and thinly slicing them to create little ribbons of flavor. Make sure you save this task for last though, because cut herbs will quickly wilt and become brown.
Check for Understanding
I once was in the grocery store and saw onions being sold for 69¢ each. Nice right? I walk to the refrigerated produce and with my own two eyeballs saw 1 onion, pre-chopped, being sold for $3.00!! In plastic... I bullsh*t you not... My friends, do not be a part of this charade. It’s bad for our planet, and bad for my sanity. I could explain further how this skill is valuable, but with that example, I think you all understand.
Chapter 3 | Recipe of the Week
To practice your brand new knife skills y’all have a tasty assignment! My Caribbean Salmon Power Bowl is the bomb.com, and is the perfect meal to make on a weeknight where time may be scarce. Check out the recipe here:
Hope you’ve enjoyed peeps! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them down below and I’ll be glad to get back to you.
Class dismissed!