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By Martin Yan
Cutting up food into uniform pieces is one of the most
important skills to master in Chinese cooking. And
once you learn to use an all-purpose Chinese chef's
knife, it's easier than you think. If Yan can cut, so can
you!
I like to tell my viewers and students that the Chinese
chef's knife is the original Chinese food processor. It
can slice, mince, chop, crush, tenderize, and scoop up
food - and you can even use the end of the handle to
grind spices. Complement it with a smaller paring
knife for finer cutting and making garnishes, and you'll
be ready for just about anything.
--from Martin Yan's Feast, The Best of Yan Can
Cook, by Martin Yan, published by Bay Books, 1998.
Shop Till You Chop:
Buying a Chinese Chef's Knife
Although the lightweight, all-purpose Chinese chef's
knife is sometimes called a cleaver and looks like a
Western meat cleaver, it's a different tool altogether
(and thus should never be used for hacking bones -
for that you'll need a heavier one). A good Chinese
chef's knife is well balanced, well constructed, and has
a fine blade that holds an edge. Always remember
that a sharp knife is a safer knife.
Traditional carbon steel Chinese chef's knives are
available in Asian hardware stores. They are easy to
sharpen, but they rust and will discolor acidic foods
like onions and lemons. Ordinary inexpensive
stainless steel, on the other hand, can dull quickly and
is hard to sharpen. For years, I couldn't find a good,
functional all-purpose Chinese kitchen knife. That's
why I consulted many professional colleagues and
Chinese chefs, and eventually we designed a
high-carbon stainless steel blade, Martin Yan's
Ultimate Chef's Knife, which I use on the Yan Can
cook show. High-carbon stainless steel won't discolor
food and keeps a fine, sharp edge.
In some high-quality chef's knifes, the end of the
blade, called the tang (no relation to the Chinese
dynasty of the same name!), extends all the way to
the end of the handle and is held in place by three
rivets. You can also find traditional knives with
cylindrical wooden handles (which tend to loosen and
crack over time). Test the balance of the knife and the
comfort of the handle as you hold it. It should feel
substantial, yet not so heavy that you have to be a
bodybuilder to lift it.
Getting a Grip
Hold the knife in your
writing hand (the Chinese call this the "chopstick
hand"). Move your hand all the way up the handle so
that your thumb is on one side of the blade and your
index finger on the other side. Curling your index
finger slightly, grasp the blade firmly between your
thumb and index finger. This may feel a bit strange at
first, but once you get used to it, you'll find that
grasping the blade in this way gives you much more
control than simply wrapping all your fingers around
the handle.
Use your free hand to hold the food in place, curling
your fingertips under. Use the flat side of the blade
alongside the first knuckles of your free hand, and as
you slice or chop, slide your free hand along to guide
the blade and keep it vertical. To avoid cutting
yourself, never uncurl the fingers of your free hand,
and never raise the blade higher than the first knuckle.
Like I always say, "The idea is to move your fingers,
not remove them!" Try not to wiggle the blade while
cutting. Use a firm downward and slightly forward
motion
Wok On!
Here's my number one tip for keeping your wok happy
and perfectly seasoned. Use it! Don't banish it to that
extra storage area behind the basement door. Hang it
in your kitchen, where you'll reach for it all the time to
cook all kinds of food - not just Chinese or Asian
dishes.
Short Cuts: Knife Technique Made Simple
Slicing
Holding the food and the
Chinese chef knife firmly,
cut straight down, using the
knuckles of your free hand
as a guide.
Julienne and shredding
Dicing
Line sticks up perpendicular
to the blade, and slice
straight down across them,
creating cubes.
Mincing
Roll-Cutting
This technique is used for long vegetables, like
carrots or zucchini. It makes attractive chunks and
exposes more of the surface area of the vegetable.
Hold the blade perpendicular to the board and cut
straight down on the diagonal. Then roll the vegetable
a quarter-turn, and cut straight down again at the
same diagonal angle. Continue rolling and cutting in
this way all along the length of the vegetable.
Parallel Cutting
Crushing
To crush ginger or garlic,
place it near the edge of
the cutting board, lay the
knife blade flat over it
with the blade facing
away from you, and with
the heel of your free hand, give the side of the blade a
good whack, being careful to avoid the edge of the
blade.
Tenderizing
Use the blunt edge of the Chinese chef's knife to
tenderize meat by pounding it in a crisscross pattern.
It's even more fun to get out your aggressions by
turning the blade on its side and slapping the surface
of the meat.
Care and Cleaning: Staying on the Cutting Edge
Wash your chef's knife after each use in warm, soapy
water and dry it well. To preserve its handle, never
soak a chef's knife in water, and never put it in the
dishwater. Store your knife in its own protected place
(I use a magnetic knife rack),. not in a drawer where
its edge might be dulled by knocking against other
tools. To maintain a sharp edge, I recommend using a
traditional knife sharpening steel .
Hold the steel firmly, placing its tip on a cutting board.
Position the knife at a 20-degree angle to the steel
with the blade facing down and the handle of the knife
just below the handle of the steel.
Push the blade downward along the steel, pulling it
toward you as you go, until you reach the steel's tip.
Move the blade back up and place its other side
against the steel: repeat the sharpening action,
moving the blade from the steel handle to its tip.
Repeat six to eight times on each side of the blade.
The Cutting Board
The cutting is your
knife's partner and
best friend. Whether
you prefer one made
of wood or plastic,
the key is to use a
board that's big enough
to hold what you're chopping so things don't go flying
all over the place. To keep the board from sliding
around, fold a damp kitchen towel in half and lay it
under the board. Avoid cutting on hard surfaces such
as marble - this is bad for your knife.
We have a built-in butcher block surface at home, but I
still like to place a smaller wood or plastic board over
it to preserve its surface. These smaller boards are
also easier to store and clean. That's especially
important when you've been cutting meat, poultry, or
fish. Some people like to reserve a separate board
just for that purpose to avoid cross-contamination of
other foods.
No matter what you're chopping, it's a good idea to
scrub your cutting board with soap and hot water after
each use and to clean it occasionally with a mild
solution of bleach or baking soda and water. Vinegar
or lemon juice can also be used to clean and
deodorize a cutting board.-- by Chef Martin Yan
Cutting up food into uniform pieces is one of the most
important skills to master in Chinese cooking. And
once you learn to use an all-purpose Chinese chef's
knife, it's easier than you think. If Yan can cut, so can
you!
I like to tell my viewers and students that the Chinese
chef's knife is the original Chinese food processor. It
can slice, mince, chop, crush, tenderize, and scoop up
food - and you can even use the end of the handle to
grind spices. Complement it with a smaller paring
knife for finer cutting and making garnishes, and you'll
be ready for just about anything.
--from Martin Yan's Feast, The Best of Yan Can
Cook, by Martin Yan, published by Bay Books, 1998.
Shop Till You Chop:
Buying a Chinese Chef's Knife
Although the lightweight, all-purpose Chinese chef's
knife is sometimes called a cleaver and looks like a
Western meat cleaver, it's a different tool altogether
(and thus should never be used for hacking bones -
for that you'll need a heavier one). A good Chinese
chef's knife is well balanced, well constructed, and has
a fine blade that holds an edge. Always remember
that a sharp knife is a safer knife.
Traditional carbon steel Chinese chef's knives are
available in Asian hardware stores. They are easy to
sharpen, but they rust and will discolor acidic foods
like onions and lemons. Ordinary inexpensive
stainless steel, on the other hand, can dull quickly and
is hard to sharpen. For years, I couldn't find a good,
functional all-purpose Chinese kitchen knife. That's
why I consulted many professional colleagues and
Chinese chefs, and eventually we designed a
high-carbon stainless steel blade, Martin Yan's
Ultimate Chef's Knife, which I use on the Yan Can
cook show. High-carbon stainless steel won't discolor
food and keeps a fine, sharp edge.
In some high-quality chef's knifes, the end of the
blade, called the tang (no relation to the Chinese
dynasty of the same name!), extends all the way to
the end of the handle and is held in place by three
rivets. You can also find traditional knives with
cylindrical wooden handles (which tend to loosen and
crack over time). Test the balance of the knife and the
comfort of the handle as you hold it. It should feel
substantial, yet not so heavy that you have to be a
bodybuilder to lift it.
Getting a Grip
Hold the knife in your
writing hand (the Chinese call this the "chopstick
hand"). Move your hand all the way up the handle so
that your thumb is on one side of the blade and your
index finger on the other side. Curling your index
finger slightly, grasp the blade firmly between your
thumb and index finger. This may feel a bit strange at
first, but once you get used to it, you'll find that
grasping the blade in this way gives you much more
control than simply wrapping all your fingers around
the handle.
Use your free hand to hold the food in place, curling
your fingertips under. Use the flat side of the blade
alongside the first knuckles of your free hand, and as
you slice or chop, slide your free hand along to guide
the blade and keep it vertical. To avoid cutting
yourself, never uncurl the fingers of your free hand,
and never raise the blade higher than the first knuckle.
Like I always say, "The idea is to move your fingers,
not remove them!" Try not to wiggle the blade while
cutting. Use a firm downward and slightly forward
motion
Wok On!
Here's my number one tip for keeping your wok happy
and perfectly seasoned. Use it! Don't banish it to that
extra storage area behind the basement door. Hang it
in your kitchen, where you'll reach for it all the time to
cook all kinds of food - not just Chinese or Asian
dishes.
Short Cuts: Knife Technique Made Simple
Slicing
Holding the food and the
Chinese chef knife firmly,
cut straight down, using the
knuckles of your free hand
as a guide.
Julienne and shredding
Dicing
Line sticks up perpendicular
to the blade, and slice
straight down across them,
creating cubes.
Mincing
Roll-Cutting
This technique is used for long vegetables, like
carrots or zucchini. It makes attractive chunks and
exposes more of the surface area of the vegetable.
Hold the blade perpendicular to the board and cut
straight down on the diagonal. Then roll the vegetable
a quarter-turn, and cut straight down again at the
same diagonal angle. Continue rolling and cutting in
this way all along the length of the vegetable.
Parallel Cutting
Crushing
To crush ginger or garlic,
place it near the edge of
the cutting board, lay the
knife blade flat over it
with the blade facing
away from you, and with
the heel of your free hand, give the side of the blade a
good whack, being careful to avoid the edge of the
blade.
Tenderizing
Use the blunt edge of the Chinese chef's knife to
tenderize meat by pounding it in a crisscross pattern.
It's even more fun to get out your aggressions by
turning the blade on its side and slapping the surface
of the meat.
Care and Cleaning: Staying on the Cutting Edge
Wash your chef's knife after each use in warm, soapy
water and dry it well. To preserve its handle, never
soak a chef's knife in water, and never put it in the
dishwater. Store your knife in its own protected place
(I use a magnetic knife rack),. not in a drawer where
its edge might be dulled by knocking against other
tools. To maintain a sharp edge, I recommend using a
traditional knife sharpening steel .
Hold the steel firmly, placing its tip on a cutting board.
Position the knife at a 20-degree angle to the steel
with the blade facing down and the handle of the knife
just below the handle of the steel.
Push the blade downward along the steel, pulling it
toward you as you go, until you reach the steel's tip.
Move the blade back up and place its other side
against the steel: repeat the sharpening action,
moving the blade from the steel handle to its tip.
Repeat six to eight times on each side of the blade.
The Cutting Board
The cutting is your
knife's partner and
best friend. Whether
you prefer one made
of wood or plastic,
the key is to use a
board that's big enough
to hold what you're chopping so things don't go flying
all over the place. To keep the board from sliding
around, fold a damp kitchen towel in half and lay it
under the board. Avoid cutting on hard surfaces such
as marble - this is bad for your knife.
We have a built-in butcher block surface at home, but I
still like to place a smaller wood or plastic board over
it to preserve its surface. These smaller boards are
also easier to store and clean. That's especially
important when you've been cutting meat, poultry, or
fish. Some people like to reserve a separate board
just for that purpose to avoid cross-contamination of
other foods.
No matter what you're chopping, it's a good idea to
scrub your cutting board with soap and hot water after
each use and to clean it occasionally with a mild
solution of bleach or baking soda and water. Vinegar
or lemon juice can also be used to clean and
deodorize a cutting board.-- by Chef Martin Yan
Cutting
It Up
It Up
Stack a few slices, and use
the slicing technique, cutting
straight down through the
stack to create sticks. For
matchstick julienne, start with
1/8-inch slices, and cut them
into 1/8-inch sticks. To shred
food into fine slivers, begin by
cutting paper-thin slices, then
cut across them in the same
way to create thin strip.
the slicing technique, cutting
straight down through the
stack to create sticks. For
matchstick julienne, start with
1/8-inch slices, and cut them
into 1/8-inch sticks. To shred
food into fine slivers, begin by
cutting paper-thin slices, then
cut across them in the same
way to create thin strip.
| Start by cutting the ingredient into thin strips, then dice the strips. Hold the knife handle in one hand and, with the other, hold down the tip of the blunt edge of the blade. Using the tip as a pivot, raise and lower the blade in a chopping motion, |
moving it from side to side to mince everything evenly.
Scoop up minced ingredients occasionally, flip them
over, and keep chopping to ensure even mincing.
Scoop up minced ingredients occasionally, flip them
over, and keep chopping to ensure even mincing.
| Used to cut broad, thin slices of meat or vegetables. Lay the food close to the edge of the board with the fingers of your free hand flat on top of it. Angle the Chinese chef's knife so that it's almost parallel to the board, slanting slightly downward. Move it slowly and carefully back and forth to slice the food, paying close attention to avoid cutting your fingers. |
