Knife Knowledge

What are knife skills? Knife care and maintenance

Knowledge of knife material, contraction and how to use them effectively.

The purpose each knife

Solid working knowledge of the various cuts

Learning Objectives Knife Care &

Maintenance Knife Components Knife Sharpening Honing on a Steel

The key to the proper and efficient use of any knife is making sure that it is sharp. A knife with a sharp blade always works better and more safely because it cuts easily.

Select the right knife for the intended job. Always use a cutting board or proper cutting surface when

chopping, slicing, or mincing. Never cut on metal, glass, or porcelain.

Knife Care & Maintenance

10 rules for etiquette and safety1. Always hold knife by its handle

2. Never attempt and catch falling knife

3. Use your own knife, do not borrow

4. Pass knife handle first or lay it down

5. Do not allow the edge to hang over the cutting board

6. Do not use a knife as an opener or for anything other them its intended purpose

7. Do not leave knife in loose area or they are hidden (pot sink)

8. Cary the knife point down, edge out and away from you

9. Never store or use above waist level

10. Always cut away from your body

A. Knife tip - The tip of the knife is used for handling small items.

B. Knife cutting edge - The most frequently used part of a chef's knife is the center of the cutting edge. It serves well on firm or soft items, with small chops and long strokes for tiny or large types of cut.

C. Knife back or spine - It should be smooth it so it can be gripped between thumb and forefinger for controlled cutting and chopping.

D. Knife heel - The last few inches of the blade are known as the heel. It is used mostly for heavy cutting tasks, or when maximum leverage is needed. It is most efficient for making quick, coarse cuts, and for jobs which require strength or pressure.

Knife Components

E. Knife bolster - The bolster is between the blade and handle. The bolster and the full tang (metal extending into the handle) give the knife better balance. They are standard features of a classic forged chef's knife. On most cutlery, the bolster extends all the way to the bottom of the blade.

F. Knife tang - The tang is the metal that extends into the handle. In good knives, it extends all the way to the butt. It gives the knife durability, weight, and balance. The metal usually extends from the knife back (top) to the knife front for handles attached by rivets.

G. Knife butt - The back end of the knife. For most good knives with handles attached by rivets, the metal of the tang proceeds all the way to the butt and can be seen wedged between the handle pieces.

Sharpness is not just a function of creating a super-thin edge that will readily sever free-hanging nose hairs; it’s also a function of shape and intended purpose.

You could grind your chef’s knife to razor thinness, but the edge would crumble the first time you hit a bone or tried to hammer your way through a winter squash. Your knife would be sharp but useless. Similarly, a razor sharp but wedge-thick edge is great on a splitting axe but not much good for carpaccio.

Knife Sharpening

So the real question is not “how sharp should my knife be,” but rather “how do I get maximum performance from my knife under a given set of conditions.” A sharp knife can be defined as one that has a keen edge that can hold up in repeated usage while producing the results we’re looking for in the kitchen.

You sharpen the blade by passing its edge over the stone to form a “burr”. The burr, or wire edge, is a rough, almost microscopic, raised lip of metal that forms when one edge meets the other. The object is to grind one side until it meets the other and pushes up a small curl of metal.

1. Place the whetstone in water deep enough to cover soak 10-20 minutes until no bubbles emerge from the stones.

2. With tip pointing away from you, a right-handed person should start to sharpen on the right side of blade. A left handed person should start to sharpen on the left side of the blade.

3. Hold the knife tightly. Draw the edge backward and forward at an angle of 10-20 degrees.

4. Repeat the same process for the other side of the blade. This side needs less work and when the burrs are gone, you are finished. The powder that forms on the stone is essential to the sharpening process and should not be rinsed away.

5. After sharpening, the knives should be finished on a steel and then washed in water and dried completely with a soft towel.

How to sharpen your knife with wetstone ?

NOTE: Opinion is split about whether a knife blade should be run over a stone from heel to tip or tip to heel. Most chefs do agree that consistency in the direction and angle of the stroke is important

A steel should be used both immediately after sharpening the blade with a stone and also between sharpening to keep the

edges in alignment.

Hold the sharpening steel vertically firmly in your hand. Hold the knife firmly by the handle. The tip of the blade should point upward. Move the blade from the back wide part of knife) to the point. Hold the knife between an angle of 10 and 20 degrees with a slight pressure over the steel.

Sharpening Steel

NOTE: The key is to Move the arm but not the wrist.

Cleaning, Sanitizing and Storing Never leave your knife on or in the pot sink

Do not clean in dishwasher

Clean knives in hot soapy water, rinse, dry then sanitize

To store, use clean sleeves, knife case, an in- wall or table – mounted rack

Cutting Surfaces Never cut on steel, ceramic or hard stone surfaces, such as granite

or marble

Always use chopping board , such as composite or wooden boards

Boards must be cleaned and sanitized much the same way as knife

Boards mush be air-dried and stored separately with air circulation between them

Remove all trim as it accumulates

Keep board free waste

Never place anything on the boards but the food you are cutting

Wash and sanitize between jobs to prevent cross-contamination

Types of KnifeCHEF’S KNIFE OR FRENCH KNIFE(multi purpose knife)

UTILITY KNIFE(smaller version of chef knife)

PARING KNIFE or SMALL KNIFE BONING KNIFE

FILLETING KNIFE SLICER or CARVING KNIFE

CLEAVER or CHINESE KNIFE

SCIMITAR or BUTCHER KNIFE