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Knife technique

post #1 of 44
3/2/08 at 4:29pm
Thread Starter 
Is there a website where some competent chef or whatever demonstrates good knife techniques?
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post #2 of 44
3/2/08 at 4:38pm
I am going to get flamed for this, but I believe that the only way to learn proper knife technique is in a professional kitchen. I can't think of one person I have met who has not worked in one who uses a knife correctly. I am sure they exist, but I sure haven't met them, and that includes many well known cooking teachers. Assuming that this is not what you want to do, you could do very well by buying La Technique and Le Methode by Jacques Pepin and simply copying what he does. you will need to do it a lot. The difference between this adn the above is that there won't be a person to show you what you are doing wrong as inevitably things will go wrong trying to follow pictures.
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post #3 of 44
3/2/08 at 4:47pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by iammatt View Post
I am going to get flamed for this, but I believe that the only way to learn proper knife technique is in a professional kitchen. I can't think of one person I have met who has not worked in one who uses a knife correctly. I am sure they exist, but I sure haven't met them, and that includes many well known cooking teachers.

Assuming that this is not what you want to do, you could do very well by buying La Technique and Le Methode by Jacques Pepin and simply copying what he does. you will need to do it a lot. The difference between this adn the above is that there won't be a person to show you what you are doing wrong as inevitably things will go wrong trying to follow pictures.

Yea I know, and that makes sense. However, that is not possible, because that isn't where my life is headed. I would take a course at a culinary school, but currently I'm living in the back of beyond.

Is there any web resource where I can see what the guy is doing? I won't win any awards, but I just want to know how to debone and execute a few different kind of cuts efficiently and safely. I think playing the violin requires techniques which are at least as easy as having the techniques necessary to be a competent sous-chef, provided you get enough practice.
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post #4 of 44
3/2/08 at 4:57pm
This isn't horrible. The main thing is that good knife skills make you safe, accurate and fast. You just need to buy a lot of cheap vegetables. I would like to see more curve in her left fingers so that they are less exposed to the knife. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/ck_dm_knife_skills As far as deboning and stuff like that (fileting, carving, skinning fish etc), you will need a good book as the words are as important as the pictures. James Peterson's Essentials of Cooking is pretty good and user friendly.
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post #5 of 44
3/2/08 at 5:00pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by iammatt View Post
This isn't horrible. The main thing is that good knife skills make you safe, accurate and fast. You just need to buy a lot of cheap vegetables. I would like to see more curve in her left fingers so that they are less exposed to the knife.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/ck_dm_knife_skills

As far as deboning and stuff like that (fileting, carving, skinning fish etc), you will need a good book as the words are as important as the pictures. James Peterson's Essentials of Cooking is pretty good and user friendly.

I'll get it on amazon, thanks.

My fingers are precisely why I need to learn good technique. I just bought that Ken Onion knife which felt great in my hand, but it's also extremely sharp and I probably wouldn't even feel a severed finger until a second after.
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post #6 of 44
3/2/08 at 5:12pm
This is the most important thing for protection. Sorry for the terrible diagram. 99% of people do it the wrong way.

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post #7 of 44
3/2/08 at 5:16pm
I went to a hands on carving class at a local kitchenware store taught by a chef.
Learned techniques for vegetables, how to debone, and techniques for different cuts of meat.
I've seen knife technique classes available at Sur La Table.

Don't know your locale or what you have access to.
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post #8 of 44
3/2/08 at 5:45pm
There may be some good videos on Youtube that will demonstrate. Essential to good knife technique is finding a good knife to use. Ditch the one you bought in college at Walmart and go to a cooking store and find one that's comfortable and good. If it's too expensive there, Ebay one and enjoy.
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post #9 of 44
3/2/08 at 8:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by iammatt View Post

Assuming that this is not what you want to do, you could do very well by buying La Technique and Le Methode by Jacques Pepin and simply copying what he does. you will need to do it a lot. The difference between this adn the above is that there won't be a person to show you what you are doing wrong as inevitably things will go wrong trying to follow pictures.

Now conveniently available in one book "Jacques Pepin's Complete Techniques".
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post #10 of 44
3/2/08 at 8:17pm
I have "Knife Skills Illustrated" by Peter Hertzmann and that's really all you need. There are a few useful youtube videos too
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post #11 of 44
3/2/08 at 8:36pm
I picked this book up in Paris years ago. I think it is the best I have seen. Unfortunately, Amazon has no more. http://www.amazon.com/tours-main-cui...4500913&sr=8-1
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post #12 of 44
3/2/08 at 9:49pm
Rouxbe (www.rouxbe.com) is starting a cooking school sometime soon... Their video recipes are excellent, both from an instructional perspective and from a resulting-deliciousness perspective. I believe they will be covering knife skills.
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post #13 of 44
3/2/08 at 10:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Spencer Young View Post
Rouxbe (www.rouxbe.com) is starting a cooking school sometime soon... Their video recipes are excellent, both from an instructional perspective and from a resulting-deliciousness perspective. I believe they will be covering knife skills.

Great site! Thanks.
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post #14 of 44
3/2/08 at 10:33pm
I recommend a class with a professional followed by lots of practice on crates of cheap vegetables (carrots, potatoes, and other root vegetables) taking them down progressively to traditional French cuts, batonnet, julienne, dice, brunoise, etc. Also, practice your onion dicing technique on grocery bagfuls of onions. My teacher told me this will approximate your first day working as the low guy in a professional kitchen.

Essential for safety that you keep the fingers of your vegetable holding hand curved as Matt has illustrated.
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post #15 of 44
3/3/08 at 12:21am
getting very good also comes with working in a kitchen for hours per day, for weeks and months, i.e. having a career in cooking. If you only cook for 2, on friday night, for 20 years, you will never get KNYFE SKYLLZ
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