How to Cut With a Chef’s Knife

Used for chopping, slicing and dicing, the chef’s knife is a kitchen workhorse. When you know how to wield one, this kitchen tool hero can replace other gadgets that can be costly or take up valuable cabinet space. In this episode of In the Kitchen, NC State Extension Nutrition Specialist Carolyn Dunn shows us a simple technique for using a chef’s knife.

The first knife skill to master is safety. A few key points will go a long way in keeping your fingers safe and your veggies expertly prepped:

• Never try to catch a falling knife.
• Use a sturdy, non-slip cutting board.
• Set the knife down with the sharp edge facing away from the hand you will pick it up with.

To get the most precision out of your chef’s knife, grip the handle close to the blade using a pinch grip. Use a claw grip to protect your fingertips on the hand you’ll use to hold the food. Center your body on the cutting surface, and use smooth a down and through motion to make your cuts. You don’t even need to lift the knife off the board to get the perfect slice.

Practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to hone this chef’s knife cutting technique before ramping up the speed. Before long you’ll be slicing and dicing like a pro.

This segment of Homegrown In the Kitchen was filmed in the Dinah E. Gore Teaching and Research Kitchens at NC State University. The state-of-the-art kitchen complex was designed to enhance and extend our work in teaching, research and Extension.