Knife & Vegetable Cuts PDF

Chef’s Knife Knives, Parts of a Knife The chef’s knife is the cook’s most important and versatile cutting tool....

Chef’s Knife Knives, Parts of a Knife The chef’s knife is the cook’s most important and versatile cutting tool. The knife is more precise than any cutting machine. Unless you are cutting large quantity, the knife can even be faster. Vegetable Cuts To get the best use of your knife, you must learn to keep it sharp and to handle it properly. Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Sytingco Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Sytingco 1 2 Parts of a Kitchen Knife Knife Components: The Blade The blade of a professional knife is a single piece of metal that has been cut, stamped, or forged into shape. Most professional knife blades are made from high-carbon stainless steel, an alloy of iron, carbon, chromium, and other types of premium metals. The metal combines the best features of stainless steel and carbon steel, resulting in a blade that can be easily sharpened but is resistant to rust and discoloration. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Sytingco Sytingco 3 4 Knife Components: Tang Knife Components: Handle The tang is the portion of the blade that The knife handle can be made from extends into the knife’s handle. A full tang hardwoods, such as walnut or rosewood, that runs through the entire length of the or other materials, such as plastic or vinyl. knife handle provides strength and durability When choosing a knife, consider the feel to the knife. and fit of the handle. For this reason, knives meant for heavy use, Knives are held for long periods of time, such as French knives and cleavers, should so the handle must fit comfortably in the have a full tang. hand. Paring knives, utility knives, or other knives A handle that is either too small or too used for lighter work may have a partial tang. large can be uncomfortable to hold. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Sytingco Sytingco 5 6 Knife Components: Rivets & Bolster Types of Kitchen Knives Metal rivets hold the tang in the handle. Rivets should lie smooth and flat against the handle to prevent rubbing and irritation against the hand. They should also be flush with the surface so that there are no crevices in which dirt or microorganisms can collect. The “shank”, or “bolster”, is the metal point on the knife where the blade and handle meet. Although not all knives have a bolster, those that do are very strong and durable. The bolster also helps block food particles from entering the space between the tang and the knife handle. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Sytingco Sytingco 7 8 Knife Skills Knife Skills: Grip Using a knife properly is one of A good grip provides control over the knife, the culinary professional’s most increases cutting efficiency, minimizes hand fatigue, and lessens the chance of an accident. important tasks. The size of the knife, the task at hand, and personal Good technique not only comfort determine how best to grip the knife. improves the appearance of No matter which gripping style is used, avoid placing the index finger on the top of the blade. food items but also speeds Grip the knife by placing four fingers on the bottom preparation times and reduces of the handle and the thumb against the other side fatigue. of the handle. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Sytingco Sytingco 9 10 Knife Skills: Grip Knife Skills: Control Grip the knife by placing three Control Knife movement must be controlled in order to make safe, even cuts. fingers on the bottom of the Guide the knife with one hand while holding the food firmly in place with the handle, the index finger flat other hand. against the blade on one side, Allow the sharp edge of the blade to do the work, rather than forcing the and the thumb on the opposite blade through the food. side. A sharp knife provides the surest cuts and is the safest to use. Although this grip may be Smooth, even strokes work best. uncomfortable for some, it offers To make slices of equal width, adjust the index finger while working, moving maximum control and stability. the thumb and fingertips down the length of the food. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Sytingco Sytingco 11 12 Knife Safety & Care Knife Safety & Care Always use the appropriate knife for the cutting task. Never use Never let the knife blade or its handle hang over the edge of a a knife for a task for which it was not designed to do, like; cutting board or work table. opening cans and prying open lids are not tasks meant for Someone might be injured by bumping into the knife, or the knife knives. might fall and be damaged. Always use a sharp knife. Dull knives require more force, creating When carrying a knife, hold it by the handle with the point of the a situation in which the knife might slip and cause an injury. blade pointed straight down. Always use a cutting board with a knife. Marble and metal Never try to catch a falling knife. Step away from the knife, and let surfaces dull the blade and may cause damage to the knife. it fall. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Sytingco Sytingco 13 14 Knife Safety & Care Sharpening Knives Use a sharpening stone, or whetstone, to sharpen To hand a knife to someone else, lay the knife down on the work surface, and let knives. The stone can be dry or wet with water or the other person pick it up from the work surface. mineral oil. As the edge of the blade is passed over the Do not leave a knife in a water filled sink. Someone could reach into the sink whetstone, the grit in the stone sharpens the cutting edge. without seeing the knife and get cut. A whetstone can be made of either silicon carbide or Always wash, rinse, sanitize, and air-dry knives before putting them away. They stone and may have up to three sides, which range from pose a risk to the person loading and unloading the dishwasher, and the blades coarse to fine grain. could be dented or damaged through contact with other utensils. Also, wooden Begin by sharpening against the coarsest stone and end handles cannot stand the intense heat and prolonged exposure to water. with the finest stone, taking only about 10 strokes Dry the blade by carefully wiping from its dull side. against the coarsest stone before moving on to the next. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Sytingco Sytingco 15 16 Knife Safety & Care Knife Storage Trueing or honing; a steel is used to keep the Storing knives properly will protect both the knives and the people knife blade straight and to smooth out any who work around them. A slotted knife holder or a magnetized bar irregularities. hung on the wall are two convenient storage solutions. Trueing does not sharpen the blade, but it does A custom-built drawer with a slot for each knife is another storage help maintain the edge between sharpening. option. Sanitizing Knives: wash, rinse, and sanitize A knife kit is a safe, convenient, and portable storage unit. knives after every cutting task to avoid cross- contamination and to destroy harmful Individual slots hold knives safely in the kit. microorganisms. Vinyl cases are easy to clean and sanitize. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Sytingco Sytingco 17 18 Vegetable Cuts Q&A ANY QUESTIONS? Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Sytingco Sytingco 19 20 ` Prepared by Chef Aldrich Oliver P. Sytingco 21