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Meat cutting


cutter

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Can some one help me understand what you are suppose to do when you cut any meat i have seen video LIKE americas test kitchen" how not to mangle your meat "they say never saw with knife but pull. But read and seen other videos where they say or show to use a sawing back and forth with knife. What is the right way? 

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I mean, it depends on what you're cutting and what the purpose is. Are you cutting up a raw chuck roast to make stew? Or breaking down a subprimal cut into individual portions? Or are you carving a cooked rib roast for presentation on the plate? Or slicing a ham? How thick is what you're cutting? Etc...

 

If you're trying to produce the smoothest surface on a cooked piece of meat, it is best to use a large knife and pull in a single stroke. Sawing back and forth will produce visible lines on the meat which can make it look "mangled." Sometimes that matters. Sometimes it doesn't. Using a back-and-forth method can also make it difficult to produce cuts of uniform thickness (depending on what you're cutting) since you're making a bunch of strokes rapidly. That's not always the case, but it can be. When I'm carving something cooked, or breaking down a large cut into steaks/chops/whatever, I try to slice in as few motions as possible. Depending on thickness, this can be either a single stroke pulling only backwards (with a very long knife) or a "push forward, pull back" 1-2 slice on thicker items.

 

This isn't my video, but it nicely shows the "1-2" slice that I use on bigger items. Forgive the drum and bass soundtrack; it was the first video I found that showed the technique:
 

 

Edited by btbyrd (log)
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The vid btybrd posted nails it.  A short push cut to establish the cut then a long draw.  The push at the end to ensure a clean cut through.  Knife looked to be a 300 Suji,  it might have been longer.  I like to make that cut with a Cimitar but a suji will do.

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The basic principle is that you'll make a rough cut if you change directions while cutting. What you can't see in that video is that he's (probably) letting up on the pressure when he changes directions. The result is a cut that looks as clean as if it had been done in a single draw.

 

The 1-2 cut is fast and efficient, but you'd get the same result if you had to do it in more strokes, as long as you're not actively cutting at the moment you change direction. Sometimes if I have a knife that's too short for the task, I'll cut a big piece of meat with multiple drawing strokes. When I push the knife forward to begin the next stroke, I'll remove pressure so there's not cutting on the forward push. It's slower than what you see in the video, but still gives a clean cut. 

 

I worry about this more with cooked proteins that are about to be served. If it's a steak that hasn't been cooked yet, small imperfections will rarely show in the final dish. This is even more the case with a stew or a braise. 

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Notes from the underbelly

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I was reluctant to post here because meat cutting is a very broad subject. It really depends on what you are wanting to accomplish. 

I cut meat for a restaurant for a number of years. The meat cutting I did consisted of trimming and portioning boneless strip loins, trimming and breaking down top butts and cutting them into steaks and peeling, stripping and portioning beef tenderloins. We also handled prepping  prime ribs for the oven. It really all depends on where you want to enter this whole process to answer your question. 

I believe this video of a top butt being broken down and portioned, illustrates the huge variety of skills and techniques in the process. Let me add that we broke top butts down in quite a different way, but the techniques are the same.

HC

 

Edited by HungryChris (log)
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There is only one type of cooking which requires specific cutting methods, knives and extensive training and practice - Sushi making.

 

Otherwise, you do what you want using whatever knife you are comfortable with.

 

dcarch

 

 

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i have to ask  is there anytime when cutting meat where you dont use full blade and pull back,Instead use only tip of blade and pull back when cutting meat?  Seen  clip of cutting  raw ahi for sushi at shutterstock. com. where they used tip of knife to pull back and cut meat. When do you apply tip cutting vs full blade cutting on things? Is it for soft meat.....maybe ahi  is soft? I think i just answered my question.

Edited by cutter (log)
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16 hours ago, dcarch said:

There is only one type of cooking which requires specific cutting methods, knives and extensive training and practice - Sushi making.

 

Otherwise, you do what you want using whatever knife you are comfortable with.

 

 

Sushi is just one of many kinds of food where the quality of the product is affected by the quality of the cutting. Herbs are another. Cooked proteins. Fruits. Vegetables that will be served raw. Arguably, raw meat that's going to be cooked doesn't put much demand on cutting technique. But good technique will still make you more efficient, and the job more enjoyable.

Notes from the underbelly

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I think you're overthinking things.

 

Don't use Shutterstock as a source of information. It's a stock image / video site... it's not meant to be instructional, and nobody checks the content to make sure the techniques they use are "correct."

 

Also, in the future, if you're going to reference a video or whatever in a post, please provide a link to whatever it is you're talking about. If you're going to mention an ATK video or a shutterstock clip or a Marcus Burics instructional video, link to the video. 

 

Yes, ahi is soft. Honestly...

 

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