Just like when you are selecting your cookware, with knives quality is way more important than quantity. Most kitchens can get by with a collection of four basic knives:
1) Chef’s knife – Includes 8-10 inch blade. The top of the knife is flat and the cutting edge has a deeper curve to it. This curve makes it ideal to handle the gentle rocking that is called for when chopping large quantities of food. More recently, chef’s knives are being made with fanned edges and grooves to prevent sticking. The chef’s knife is the workhorse of your knife collection and you will find yourself using it most of the time.
2) Boning Knife – smaller than a Chef’s knife, only 5-8 inches, the blade is usually thinner and a little more flexible. This is perfect for cutting tenderloins out of larger pieces of meat or peeling the skin off of fish.
3) Paring knife – This is the small knife in our collection and should be used for detail work and other small jobs. It can come in a curved or flat blade depending on personal preference and is usually about 4 inches long.
4) Serrated knife – And finally, the fourth knife to round out our collection is a serated knife or bread knife. This knife is also ideal for cutting things with soft skins like tomatoes or fruit like watermelon.
General Knife Tips
Other important things to remember when working with knives:
· Your knife should be very sharp. More people get cut by a dull knife than a sharp knife. It is just as important as having the right knife for the job.
· You can use a soapstone or a commercial knife sharpener at home, or if you’re intimidate by that, most cities have professional knife sharpeners that will either come to your house or you can travel to them.
· Depending on how rough you are on your knives, you may have to have them sharpened as often as every three months.
· Learn how to use a knife properly. Try to make the least amount of strokes as possible to cut something. When you’re cutting vegetables, for example, cut it into 1/8 to 1/4 inch strips, then turn on its side and cut again to cube. Check out the video on our website that shows you exactly how.
· Keep separate knives, whenever possible, for meat and produce. The easiest way to get sick from food is to cross-contaminate raw meat with other products. If you are unable to keep separate tools, then be sure to wash between meat and everything else or if not practical then cut all your cooked stuffed and produce first and then use the knife to cut your meat.
· When choosing a cutting board, remember that more traditional, wooden cutting boards are much more porous and they can absorb germs much easier. That’s why a lot of people use plastic cutting boards and other kitchen accessories. Either way, make sure you wash it thoroughly between uses, especially when you go from meat to veggies.
Tags: Kitchen Tips, Knife skills, Recipes
