Know Your Knives ProStart Chapter 5

Parts of a knife

Paring Used to trim and pare veggies and fruits. Small knife with a sharp blade, only 2-4 inches long.

Tourne (tour-NAY) Similar to a paring knife, curved blade for cutting the curved surfaces of veggies

Boning Knife 6-inch knife used by butchers to separate the raw meat from the bone. Blade is thin and flexible.

Chef’s (French) Knife All purpose knife for chopping, slicing, and mincing all types of foods. Blade is normally 8 to 14 inches long and tapers to a point at the tip.

Serrated Slicer Long, thin serrated blade used to slice breads and cakes.

Utility Knife All purpose knife used for cutting fruits, veggies, and some meats. Blade ranges from 6 to 8 inches long.

Fillet Knife Has a long, thin, flexible blade for cutting fish fillets. Short knife only about 6” long.

Cleaver Heavy, rectangular knife used to chop all kinds of food, from veggies to meat. Used to cut thru bones.

Butcher (Scimitar) Knife (SIM-ah-tahr) Used to fabricate raw meat. Has a long curved blade. 6-14 inches

Santoku General purpose kitchen knife with a 5-7” blade.

Slicer Used for slicing cooked meats. Blade can be as long as 14 inches

Cheese Knife Thinly shaped utensil used to cut thru hard or soft-textured cheese.

Clam Knife Short, blunt point knife used to shuck, or open, clams. Unlike an oyster knife, it has a very sharp edge.

Oyster Knife Short, stubby knife with a pointed tip for shucking oysters.

Deli Knife Used to cut thick sandwiches. Has a serrated blade which allows the knife to easily release. Most common size is 8 inches

Lettuce Knife Plastic, serrated knife designed to cut lettuce without causing the edges of the lettuce to turn brown.

Steak Knife Curved knife for cutting beef steaks from the loin

Vegetable Peeler Not technically a knife, but has sharp edges for peeling potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables.

Knife Care Honing  regular care required to keep knives in their best shape Chefs keep their knives sharp by using a sharpening stone and a steel Sharpening Stone  used to grind and hone the edges of steel tools and implements

Steel Steel  a long metal rod that is lightly grooved and magnetized. It removes the microscopic burrs that are created as a knife is used. These burrs create drag, dulling the slicing ability of the knife. Steel also helps to return the blade to the convex shape that exists on a sharp knife. The shape is flattened as the knife is used.

Steels Ceramic Steel  slender ceramic rod embedded in a wooden handle Used on metal and ceramic knives Diamond Steel  slender metal rods that are impregnated with diamond dust. Should not be used on ceramic knives Honing Steel  looks like a short sword with a round blade that helps remove broken pieces and realign the remaining ground edges.

Knife Grips

Knife Grips

The Guiding Hand Guiding hand is the hand NOT holding the knife.

The Claw Grip

Describe the following cut: Batonnet: 2 x 1/4 x 1/4

Describe the following cut: Brunoise: 1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8

Describe the following cut: Dice: ¼ x ¼ x ¼ or ½ x ½ x ½

Describe the following cut: Julienne: 2 x 1/8 x 1/8

Describe the following cut: Mince: Very small pieces – rocking motion

Describe the following cut: Diagonal: Cut on a 45 degree angle, ¼” thick

Describe the following cut: Chiffonade: Roll leaf such as basil or spinach and thinly cut into strips.

Knife Skills Video http://www.goprostart.com/videos/ NPI-Knife Skills Walkthru

Guidelines for knives: Keep knives sharpened – cuts more evenly with less force, it’s safer Use a knife only for it’s intended purpose Keep the handle clean and dry Never leave knives soaking under water Never talk or point with a knife Never distract others who are using knives If a knife is dropped, jump back and let it fall Store knifes in knife kits, racks or sheaths Never hand someone a knife, put it on the counter and let them pick it up