Before I learned how to cook, I learned how to use a knife. Why? There is no such thing as good cooking without good knife skills. Technique matters, and in the kitchen, technique will determine (just about always) whether your food shines or your dream of a good meal falls to pieces.
There’s also the emotional and psychological rationale: Acquiring a good degree of finesse with a knife will nourish your confidence, and confident cooks are better cooks. Here are a few chef’s knife techniques that are the most important.
Oh wait: Before we get into it, how you hold a knife is crucial. A white-knuckle death grip is never smart. It produces hand tension, which will make you tense. A slip-out-of-your-hand grip isn’t a good idea either. Go for something in between. And don’t hold just the handle—slide your hand up a bit, positioning a thumb on the side of the blade.
Knife Skill #1: Slicing
There are three ways to slice. One is the rocking motion, where the tip of the knife NEVER leaves the cutting board. The other is the push technique: The knife hovers over the food, and you use the entire blade to push through. And the third is the dragging motion, where the blade tip is on the board, and you are dragging the blade back through the food. (Think of someone grabbing your arm and yanking it backwards.)
A bell pepper is a perfect food to practice with. Since it is not too hard or too soft, all three methods can be used.
When to use it: When you want thin strips to eat either raw or cooked. Look to our Asian Chicken Salad or our Pancit Bihon.
Knife Skill #2: Cutting Carrots Into Half-Moons
For many, carrots present a host of worries. They are hard, and they tend to roll around your board. First, slice a carrot vertically in half: The carrot should be positioned north-south on the board. Place your knife tip on the board above the north end of the carrot. Then, using your thumb and index finger of your non-knife hand, pinch the carrot in the middle. Push the knife straight down.
You can now slice the carrot into half moons. The rocking motion is the safest and most effective method.
When to use it: Any recipe where carrots are included or featured, and you want something visually appealing. Try stews and soups that call for diced carrots or circles, such as Pork Kaldereta Sa Gata or Homemade Vegetable Soup.
Knife Skill #3: Dicing Onions
Another one that bedevils cooks. After you have peeled your onion, slice a small strip from the north and south sides. This will give you a flat surface, which will stabilize the onion. Next, cut the onion from north to south to get two halves. Lay one half flat, then use your knife to slice a horizontal line (or lines; up to you). But do not cut through the root. Then, using a motion similar to dragging, cut a few lines from north to south, keeping the root intact. Turn the onion 90 degrees, then slice through using the rocking or push method.
When to use it: About every recipe where you need to saute onions, and that means in a LOT of recipes. As opposed to sliced onions, dicing them will make them melt away/become less noticeable in a sauce, soup, or stew. Tortang Talong, Gising-Gising and Arroz Valenciana are among an infinite number.
This article was originally published in Delish US.
Frequently Asked Questions
Good cooking is impossible without good knife skills. Proper technique determines whether food is cooked evenly and looks professional. Psychologically, mastering a knife builds a cook’s confidence, and a confident cook is naturally a better cook.
You should avoid a “death grip” or a grip that is too loose. Instead, slide your hand up the handle so your thumb and index finger can grip the base of the blade (the bolster) for better control and precision.
The Rocking Motion: The tip of the knife never leaves the cutting board while the blade moves up and down.
The Push Technique: The knife hovers over the food, and you use the entire blade to push forward and through.
The Dragging Motion: The blade tip stays on the board while you pull the blade backward through the food.
To stabilize a carrot, first slice it in half vertically. Position the carrot “north-south” on the board, pinch it in the middle with your non-knife hand, and push the knife straight down. Once you have a flat surface, you can safely use the rocking motion to cut half-moons.
The key is keeping the root intact. First, slice a small strip off the top and bottom to create flat surfaces. Cut the onion in half from north to south. Lay the flat side down, make horizontal and vertical cuts toward the root (but not through it), then turn the onion 90 degrees and slice across to create perfect cubes.
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