Knife Skills

Parts of a Knife

Parts of a Knife Blade: Cutting surface of the knife Forged of high-carbon steel or stainless steel Divided into 6 parts: Tip/Point: Used for fine work, peeling, paring, trimming, and/or to score Cutting edge: Slicing, carving, making precision cuts Heel: Cutting tasks that require force Bolster: Where the blade and handle come together Spine: Non-cutting edge of the blade Flat Side: Used to crush garlic Parts of a Knife

Parts of a Knife Handle: Part that you hold Can be made of wood, metal, or composite material; some are cushioned for extended use Divided into 4 parts: Tang: Continuation of the blade into the handle; Can be full or partial. Scales: Parts that make up the handle Rivets: Metal pins used to connect the scales to the tang; Should lie flush with the scales Butt: End of the handle Parts of a Knife

Basic Knives Chef’s Knife Also known as a French knife All-purpose knife 8-to 12-inch triangular blade Should be well- balanced

Basic Knives Paring Knife 2nd most frequently used 2-to4-inch blade Mainly used for peeling & trimming Must be dependably sharp

Basic Knives Boning Knife Usually about 6 inches long Thinner than chef’s knife Used to trim raw meat from bone Some have upward curve; others are straight

Basic Knives Slicer Long, thin blade mainly used for slicing cooked meats Tip can be pointed or rounded; Blade can be flexible or rigid Serrated edge is for slicing breads or pastries Slicer (Santoku) Serrated Slicer

Basic Knives Cleaver Knife with a large, heavy rectangular blade Used for chopping or cutting through bones

Basic Knives Butcher Knife Also known as a Scimitar Has a rigid blade that curves upward in a 25-degree angle at the tip Used for cutting through raw meat Available with 6-to 14-inch blade

Basic Knives Utility Narrow, pointed knife 6 to 8 inches long Mainly used for peeling & slicing fruits & vegetables

Knife Skills Grip Gives maximum control & speed Most frequently used is grasping the blade with the thumb & forefinger

Knife Skills Guiding Hand The hand that controls the item being cut Proper positioning will do 3 things: Hold the item being cut Guide the knife Protect the hand from cuts

Care of Knives Cleaning & Sanitizing Need to washed in hot, soapy water Let thoroughly air-dry after washing and rinsing Wipe with a sanitizing solution after every use

Care of Knives Storing Easiest to use is a slotted holder Knife kit Usually made from wood Slots for each individual knife Knife kit Can be vinyl case or cloth Cases are easier to clean & sanitize Drawers Can be custom-built Individual slot hold knives in place

Safety Cut with blade away from body Use appropriate knife for task Use a SHARP knife Carry knife with tip downward, with blade facing behind Never try to catch a falling knife

Safe Knife Handling Practices Never touch knife blade Use a knife only for its intended purpose Place a damp cloth under cutting board to prevent slipping Stop cutting & place knife down on a flat, secure surface if an interruption occurs Never leave knives soaking under water To pass a knife, place on sanitized surface and allow the other to pick it up Concentrate on what you are doing!

Trueing a Knife Trueing: Perfecting the edge; smoothing it out; doesn’t sharpen Also called honing Steps: Place against steel at a 20-degree angle Draw blade along entire length of the steel Repeat several times on both sides of the blade Trueing Steel

Sharpening a Knife Puts an edge on a dull knife Uses a whetstone Puts an edge on a dull knife Can use either mineral oil or water to moisten whetstone

Place the heel of blade against whetstone at a 20-degree angle At that angle, press down away from you as if slicing a piece of the stone The entire blade should come in contact with the stone during each sweep Repeat until sharp Sharpening a Knife