Basic chef knife skills

Being a chef is a profession that requires talent. Not everyone can become a good chef after learning. Of course, chefs also need to practice their basic skills, which are various knife skills. They need to cut the raw materials needed for cooking into slices, segments, strips or some very beautiful shapes according to the needs of the production. These basic skills need to be practiced continuously.

1. Dice

Used for stir-frying diced fish, making fish soup, making salad, and mixing food. Commonly used ingredients: bread, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, lean meat, etc.

Cutting method:

①First, cut the bread into 1 cm square strips.

②Cut the strips into 1 cm cubes; cubes that are too large will make it difficult for the fire to penetrate.

2. Pattern

Used for stir-frying kidney, making eight-treasure dish, etc. Commonly used ingredients: squid, poultry and livestock offal such as chicken gizzards, pork kidneys, shellfish, etc.

Cutting method:

① Make a lengthwise cut in the squid.

② Then cut into the incision at a right angle to the incision. After cooking, the pattern will be more obvious.

3. Cut oblique slices

Used for stir-frying. Commonly used ingredients: white cabbage, winter bamboo shoots, bamboo shoots, fish, etc.

Knife skills examples: ① First cut off the leaves. ② Slice the white part along the leaf axis obliquely into pieces with uniform thickness. This way the fire can penetrate deeply and the food can be cooked in a short time.

4. Cut into pieces

Used for frying chicken and making chicken soup. Commonly used ingredients: meat such as chicken, pork chops, etc.

Cutting method:

① Lay the chicken flat and cut the chicken vertically. The cut should be at right angles to the fibers of the meat. This way, the chicken will be more tender and easier to absorb the flavor.

② If it is chicken thigh, cut it into three pieces.

5. Shred

Used for making cucumbers mixed with vinegar, stir-fried shredded pork, etc. Commonly used ingredients: cucumber, radish, beef, etc.

Cutting method:

① Cut the radish diagonally into thin slices.

② Move the slices slightly to the side, overlap them, and cut them into thin strips (if cutting meat, cut along the meat grain to avoid the strips breaking during cooking).

6. Elephant Eye

Used for celery mixed with vinegar and soy sauce, fried lentils, etc. Commonly used ingredients: celery, ham, etc.

Cutting method:

①Cut the celery into appropriate width.

② Cut the ham diagonally into 5 mm thick slices. The important thing is to cut the pieces into even sizes. The shape resembles an elephant's eye, hence the name.

7. Minced

Hot sauce for frying yellow croaker and mixing with tofu, as well as fragrant vegetables for seasoning. Commonly used ingredients: ginger, coriander, dried shrimp, garlic and fermented black beans, etc.

Cutting method:

①First peel and cut into thin slices, then cut into shreds.

②Cut ① into small pieces again.

8. Make a ball

Used for stir-frying radishes, boiling vegetables, etc. Common materials: radish, watermelon, etc.

Cutting method:

① Use a steel pick or a round spoon to press firmly into the radish.

② Turn the digging spoon to easily scrape out the ideal spherical material.

9. Pelletizing

Used for general stir-fry, fried rice, etc. Commonly used ingredients: onions, garlic, celery, leeks and radishes, etc.

Cutting method:

① Chop the green onion leaves into small pieces. The roots of green onions tend to fall apart, so leave them there first and then cut them into bamboo brush shapes.

② Use a bamboo brush of varying thickness to cut into rice grains. It is best to cut in bundles as this is easier to cut.

10. Rabbit ears

Used for steaming chicken and making sweet and sour pork. Commonly used ingredients: bamboo shoots, potatoes, radishes, etc.

Cutting:

① Cut the bamboo shoots into triangles while turning them.

②The length is about 5 cm.

11. Cut into strips

Used for stir-fried pork with radish, pickled kimchi, etc. Commonly used ingredients: radish, bamboo shoots, cabbage, etc.

Cutting method:

①Cut the radish into 4-5 cm long pieces, and then cut into thin slices about 5 mm thick.

(2) Cut the slices into strips, following the fibers and making them uniform in thickness and length.

12. Cut into sections

Used for making sweet and sour pork, stir-fried celery, etc. Commonly used ingredients: onions, celery, asparagus, etc.

Cutting method:

①Cut the celery into sections, making the cuts perpendicular to the fibers.

②Cut into small pieces of 1 to 3 cm long.

13. Malta

Used for stir-frying. Commonly used ingredients: mushrooms, celery, radish, etc.

Cutting method:

①Cut the mushrooms into triangles while turning them.

②The length should be about 2 cm and the size should be uniform. Horse ears are slightly smaller than rabbit ears.

14. Cut flowers

Used to accompany various dishes. Commonly used ingredients: cucumber, radish, etc.

Cutting method:

①Cut the cucumber into 6 cm long pieces and cut into two slices lengthwise.

②Cut the melon flesh with the skin, with the skin facing up, and be careful not to cut it.

③Bend the cucumber slices inwards for each additional piece.

15. Slice

Used for stir-fried pork with mustard tuber. Commonly used ingredients: pork, beef, pepper, onion, etc.

Cutting method:

①Cut the beef into 4-5 cm wide pieces.

② Cut the meat into thin slices 4-5 cm long and 2 cm wide, making sure the thickness is even.

16. Cross Cut

Used for stir-fried squid and chicken nuggets. Commonly used ingredients: chicken, squid, scallops, etc.

Cutting method:

① First, make diagonal cuts on the chicken with equal spacing between them.

② Cut diagonally into oblique grids and then cut into appropriate pieces.