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Post by Paws on Feb 1, 2005 3:33:25 GMT 12.75
Chef's Knife: Hold the knife handle comfortably in one hand. Cut through the food with a rocking, somewhat circular and forward motion against the cutting board. With the other hand, hold the food in position with fingertips turned under and away from the food to prevent you from cutting your fingers. Remember to keep knives sharpened as a dull knife is more likely to cut you than a sharp knife. Recommend a couple different sizes. A small 6 or 7 inch for fruit and vegetables and a 10 inch for processing heavier vegetables and meats. www.foodnetwork.com/food/ck_dm_knife_skills/article/0,1904,FOOD_19001_1726558,00.html Cleaver: The Chinese all purpose knife. May be used for virtually every function required of a knife. Like the Chef's knife, these come in a variety of sizes and the heavier the job, the heavier the tool must be. Therefore severalsizes and weights are recommended if cleavers are to be used. chinesefood.about.com/library/weekly/aa101801a.htm?terms=chinese%20cleaversTechnique demonstration: forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=25958How do you guys sharpen your knives? Do you use stones, steels, grinding wheels, or something else?
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Post by OLKoot on Feb 1, 2005 4:55:51 GMT 12.75
I explained a technique I saw while watching the Martha Stewart show.She had a famouse Japanese chef on and he explained that he used a wet stone....holding the knife at an angle and brought the blade back and forth 50 times, then turning it over and doing the same only 10 times...from this he was able to create a razor sharpeness ........ I tried it,it works
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Post by Paws on Feb 1, 2005 5:10:51 GMT 12.75
Steven how do you hold the food and cleaver when using it?
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Post by OLKoot on Feb 1, 2005 12:36:42 GMT 12.75
The food I usually use that tucked under finger method as you described and the cleaver sort of a semi handle and blade.....my thumb,pointer and index finger rest on either side of the blade while the rest of my palm and two fingers,holds the handle in sort of a rocking and slicing motion.....It gives me more control...sort of like moving your hands up a baseball bat a couple of inches for more control...power is not necessary like all tools if they are handled correctly....you let the blade do what it was supposed to do, kinda naturally.......
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Post by Paws on Feb 1, 2005 12:55:49 GMT 12.75
That sounds awfully close to textbook Steve! The main point you brought out is that you do hold the spine of the blade as well as the hande or just rest your hand on the handle. Did you realize that the cleaver, Chinese style is used to tenderize with the spine, and the handle is often used as a pestle? Pretty cool huh?? How is that for a multi-use tool?? ;D Now where do you guys store your knives?
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Post by Two Tales on Feb 2, 2005 6:30:48 GMT 12.75
Most of my knives are in a block..the rest are in a drawer the edges (and my hands) protected by a nylon/teflon sheth (edge protector on the Chinese Chef's Knife...all cutting edges down...
To sharpen my knives I use a stone (actually a couple of them) and to true the edge I use a couple of steels..which depends on the condition of the edge...they are trued before and after each use....here is a tip for ya'll...while automatic dishwashers are nice for cleaning and sterilizing you should NEVER use it to wash your knives...
We spoke of Ceramic knives a bit ago..these things are fantastic for nearly all of your cutting or chopping chores..however any heavy work should be done with steel...they will chip crack or break if used incorrectly...and these are nearly impossable to re-dress to th edge it started with...they take a special "steel" to true the edge also...as the are generally harder that nearly anything in your house besides that big stone your wife wears ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Post by Paws on Feb 2, 2005 8:23:47 GMT 12.75
Two Tales when my first wife asked for a big stone I had a concrete driveway put in! ;D That's a good way to store your blades. Mine are very similarly done. Actually I have two blocks and three knife drawers with everything sheathed at least in cardboard. Two sets in their own vinyl cases as well. Point is to keep the blades from hurting themselves or anyone else just as you mentioned. Back to sharpening for just a minute. Those of you who do your own, what angle do you set your blades at? Why? Those who have their knives done by others, who does them and what kind of a job are they doing? ;D
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Post by OLKoot on Feb 2, 2005 15:25:30 GMT 12.75
Never got to maticulous about storing my (I MEAN MY WIFES>>>LOL) knives....she has her own methods....some with cardboard one set with a block and the others just placed in a drawer.....While sharpening I try to attain at least a fifteen degree angle BTW, I still have my old Boy Scout Stone in its original case,which I bought in 1955, and still use it.........
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Post by Paws on Feb 2, 2005 17:46:27 GMT 12.75
Fifteen or sixteen degrees is frequently recommended for a general purpose kitchen knife. How would this differ for a heavy cleaver and a fillet knife?
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Post by Two Tales on Feb 4, 2005 16:49:32 GMT 12.75
I believe it depends on the use...I actually like my chefs and slicers and some of my general cutters set at 22 degrees inclusive (11/side) my heavy work knives are cutting at 15 to 20 degree/side..and cleavers to get through the really stuff like tendons grizzel and cartladge I put 15 on one side and 30 on the other...this also works to seperate joints...
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Post by Paws on Feb 5, 2005 3:30:17 GMT 12.75
I like that double sharpened idea for your disjointing blades. The joints do splay at differing angles and you are using a unique wedge! Excellent! Of course everyone realized that a knife is in essence a "third class machine" right? Yep a wedge! And as with all wedges it is used to separate things or split mass. Question: Consider the chore of cutting bone, would you think a sharpened edge of 16 degrees, 22 degrees or 27 degrees would be more appropriate and why?
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Post by Paws on Feb 8, 2005 6:05:57 GMT 12.75
Come on now guys and gals let's get us aan answer in here. (I'm humming the theme to Jeopardy as we speak!) Also, somebody tell me some more about the Japanese Chef's knife. You know, the one that everybody on Food Network is using. A couple of you mentioned it. Elaborate please. Compare and constrast it with the French Chef's knife and the Chinese Cleaver if you would please.
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Post by OLKoot on Feb 8, 2005 10:30:29 GMT 12.75
Speaking of cutting bone...I wouldnt use a chefs knife or a boning knife....the blade would be ruined or splintered due to the angle and sharpness...therefore a cleaver of heavy blade would be my choice, with a more blunt edge and using it like a maul to drive thru the bone ie to splitting wood.......
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Post by Paws on Feb 8, 2005 10:57:09 GMT 12.75
Excellent! Although a properly sharpened Samuri Damascus blade will slice cleanly through a leg bone, it doesn't help the blade at all! The heavier the workload and the thicker the cut the greater the angle of the blade should be or as said above; "More blunt!" The example of a splitting maul is an excellent one because in the same manner the splitting/cutting agent is not in motion when the cut is made; rather the blade is properly positioned and then the implement maul/cleaver is struck to drive it through the object. What do you strike the back of a "Very Heavy" Chef's knife, cleaver, etc with? I often use my bare hand or more accurately "the heel" of my bare hand. I also have a mechanics rubber mallot that works really well. You may also have seen a rather elongated mallot that resembles a rolling pin on steroids. This is wooden and made specifically for this purpose. Never, use a metal implement for this. Remember when you are doing your knife sharpening to pay attention to the angle that you are cutting into the blade. The best way to keep from making ans error is to do your very best to replicate or use the angle that already exists. You might want to "remind" your butcher of this if you have your knives sharpened in a butcher shop! Now let's look a little more closely at specialty knives. How do you cut the cheese?
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Post by OLKoot on Feb 8, 2005 11:31:04 GMT 12.75
HOW LOUD!!!..... Just kidding, I figured you'd expect an answer like that....but again...this is cooking 101!!! Cheese is another thing, too thick a blade will smash thru the cheese like your mashing potatos,so therefore a thin bladed knife would do better....of course there are the gadgets to assist cutting cheese. sort of like a mandolin blade only of thin wire...yet another gadget is like a peeler and you draw the blade back on the cheese for the cut......and of course you have the graters that finelly chop the cheese....I mean real cheese not like that Velveeta crap unless your making fondue....
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Post by Two Tales on Feb 9, 2005 0:08:33 GMT 12.75
My favorite cheese cutter is two forks and a length of waxed dental floss...cutting wedges it's the chef's or the Chen knife...thin wire or a piece of mono fishing work just as well...but the floss is always handy...
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Post by Paws on Feb 9, 2005 1:06:10 GMT 12.75
Steve are you talking about the cheese cutter with the adjustable tension piano wire and the cheese plane? ;D I guess the dental floss would be particularly handy for large blocks or wheels of cheese too! In addition to all of these , I also have a very thin knife with most of the blade removed by filling it full of holes as well as a very thin pie shaped cutter with sharpened scalloped edges. All work exceptionally well and cut quickly and cleanly. You will notice that knives designed for cutting cheese all have one thing in common; a very small contact surface. This is because the texture of the cheese creates enormous drag through friction when cutting due to the density and texture of the cheese. Reduced surface equals reduced contact and reduced dag. Of course for grating cheese nothing is greater than a grater! For crumbeling though I have found that the best cheese knife is the freezer! An accidental discovery I assure you made when I bought a bunch of cheese on sale and stored it in the freezer. After thawing it will not cooperate for slicing, grating, or cutting wedges; but, it will make the very best "crumbles" you could hope for! What other foods can you name that lend a particular challenge for cutlery?
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Post by OLKoot on Feb 9, 2005 3:57:15 GMT 12.75
Slicing a good cheese cake, ice cream bomb, cutting that bone, finally chopping garlic, even slicing a tomato,plus a number of other items I cant think of right now...each one would have its own cutlery because of the texture and content of the food to be sliced....whether to dip a knife in hot water before each cut or just plain slicing of a soft textured item......
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Post by Paws on Feb 9, 2005 4:12:31 GMT 12.75
Slicing a good cheese cake, ice cream bomb, cutting that bone, finally chopping garlic, even slicing a tomato,plus a number of other items I cant think of right now...each one would have its own cutlery because of the texture and content of the food to be sliced....whether to dip a knife in hot water before each cut or just plain slicing of a soft textured item...... Aha! One at a time!! To slice the old cheese cake use a thin bladed meet slicing knife dipped in hot water. Dry it then cut down through the cake at 12 and 6 oclock pressing straiaght down then pull the knife through the cak to you. Repeat this until the cake is cut into 8 equal slices. Pretty much the same with the ice cream. The bone can be done with a heavy blade using it as a splitting mall, a pair of kitchen scissors if it is small enough or of course with a butcher's saw which is basically a stainless steel hack saw. To finely chop garlic lay the side of a heavy knife over the clove and give it a good hard whack with your hand or a rubber malet then remove the peel and finely dice it with a Chef's knife or cleaver. Slicing a tomato requires a very sharp knife or one with a serrated edge to produce good uniform slices. The real secret is in the edge of the blade rather than the blade. All of my knives will thinly slice tomato! Excellent comments!! How about hard boiled eggs or bread?
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Post by OLKoot on Feb 9, 2005 8:51:36 GMT 12.75
Theres a good little devise for slicing hard boiled eggs....again looks like a square containing a holder for the egg,with wires crossing it...the egg is placed on the base and the wires pulled down thru the egg.......for all types of breads I would use a serrated edged knife.....
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