HEY GUYS, WELCOME BACK TO “COOK, YOU BASTARDS!”
THE RANGERS HAD A HOMECOMING IN HARLEM LATE
LAST NIGHT!
AT LEAST I ASSUME THEY DID, BECAUSE I GOT
A MESSAGE FROM A GUY NAMED MAGIC RAT 999.
AND HE SAID: “ANY TIPS ON BASIC KNIFE SKILLS
YOU CAN SHARE?”
WELL, YES, RAT, I DON’T KNOW IF YOU’RE
PLANNING TO GO OVER THE JERSEY STATE LINE
BUT I’VE GOT A COUPLE OF KNIFE SKILLS I
CAN SHARE WITH YOU.
GLAD TO.
THE FIRST ONE IS: BUY A KNIFE THAT YOU LIKE.
YOU CAN SPEND 20 BUCKS ON A CHEAP ONE, OR
YOU CAN SPEND ABOUT 100 BUCKS ON SOMETHING
HALFWAY DECENT – LIKE THIS ONE, THAT I’VE
HAD FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT IT’S GOT A FULL TANG, RIGHT?
THE BLADE GOES ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE HANDLE.
IT’S HEAVY.
NOW, THAT’S KIND OF A MATTER OF PERSONAL
PREFERENCE – JAPANESE KNIVES TEND TO BE
MORE FLEXIBLE – BUT THIS ONE’S PRETTY
HEAVY: KIND OF DOES THE WORK FOR ME. AND IT’S
GOING TO LAST ME FOREVER, YOU KNOW?
SO SPEND A LITTLE MONEY, GET SOMETHING THAT
FEELS BALANCED, RIGHT?
AGAIN, I HATE HAVING A FLEXIBLE BLADE.
I’M HAPPY TO WORK WITH A CRAPPY RANGE OR
CRAPPY POTS BUT A GOOD KNIFE IS MY NUMBER-ONE
MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF KITCHEN EQUIPMENT.
SO SAVE YOUR PENNIES IF YOU DON’T HAVE ONE
ALREADY, AND GET ONE THAT YOU LIKE.
SO.
ACTUAL TIPS.
WELL, KEEP IT SHARP.
THAT’S NUMBER ONE.
I’M SURE YOU’VE HEARD THAT CUTTING WITH
A DULL KNIFE IS MORE DANGEROUS THAN WITH A
SHARP KNIFE AND IT’S TRUE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE
TO PUT A LOT MORE ELBOW GREASE INTO IT WITH
A DULL KNIFE AND YOU HAVE MORE OF A CHANCE
OF LOSING CONTROL.
SO KEEP IT SHARP.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO SHARPEN A
KNIFE.
I DON’T KNOW HOW.
I GET MINE PROFESSIONALLY SHARPENED MAYBE
ONCE A YEAR.
AND THEN WHEN YOU USE IT, PERIODICALLY, HONE
IT SO YOU GET – WE CALL THIS A SHARPENING
STEEL BUT IT’S NOT REALLY FOR SHARPENING,
IT’S FOR HONING.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A KNIFE – NICE SHARP
KNIFE BLADE, AS YOU USE IT THE EDGE OF THAT
BLADE KIND OF STARTS TO ROLL OVER AND THE
KNIFE ISN’T SO SHARP ANYMORE.
SO WE HAVE A HONING STEEL TO HONE IT BETWEEN
SHARPENINGS.
YOU CAN DO THIS EVERY TIME YOU USE A KNIFE,
YOU CAN DO THIS ONCE A WEEK.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE RELIGIOUS
ABOUT IT BUT THIS WILL KEEP THE SHARP EDGE
GOING FOR A LOT FURTHER BETWEEN SHARPENINGS.
TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ON THIS.
ONE THOUGHT IS: GO LIKE YOU’RE SLICING A
LITTLE PIECE OF THE HONING STEEL OFF.
FINE.
I DON’T; I GO THE OTHER WAY.
I GO OUT. AND JUST A FEW STROKES AND IT GETS
YOUR BLADE BACK WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.
SO: WHEN YOU’RE CUTTING, GRIP, FIRST OF
ALL.
THIS IS HOW A LOT OF HOME COOKS WILL HOLD
THEIR KNIVES.
THE CONTROL IS NOT VERY GOOD, THE KNIFE CAN
SPIN.
SO WHAT I SUGGEST TO YOU – AND IT TAKES
A WHILE TO GET USED TO THIS, BUT TRY IT – IS
GRIP IT LIKE THIS.
PUT ONE FINGER KIND OF ON THE FAR SIDE OF
THE BOLSTER ON THE BLADE LIKE THAT.
YOU CAN SEE MY THUMB’S ON THE OTHER SIDE.
IT GIVES ME MUCH BETTER CONTROL OF THE BLADE
AND THE HANDLE KIND OF STICKS OUT LIKE THIS
AND IT EVEN GIVES ME A LITTLE LEVERAGE ON
THE HANDLE TOO.
SO PRACTICE THIS KIND OF A GRIP.
IT GIVES YOU MUCH BETTER CONTROL.
AND THEN WHEN YOU’RE SLICING, CURL YOUR
FINGERS.
I THINK I MENTIONED THIS IN ANOTHER EPISODE,
BUT REST THE BLADE OF THE KNIFE AGAINST YOUR
FINGERS, AND THAT WAY YOU BACK YOUR FINGERS
UP TO CONTROL HOW BIG YOUR SLICES ARE AND
YOU ALSO DON’T CHOP THE ENDS OF YOUR HANDS
OFF.
THAT’S WHY I DON’T EAT CHOPPED TOMATOES
AT SALAD BARS, MAGIC RAT, BECAUSE I’VE SEEN
THAT HAPPEN A COUPLE OF TIMES.
UM, AND THAT’S – I MEAN – THOSE ARE
THE BASIC KNIFE SKILLS I WOULD RECOMMEND.
AS A BONUS SORT OF TIP, NOT NECESSARILY A
KNIFE SKILL, BUT YOU KNOW, A CUTTING BOARD
CAN BE KIND OF SLIPPERY, AND THAT’S DANGEROUS
WHEN YOU’RE DEALING WITH A NICE, SHARP KNIFE,
WHICH IS WHAT YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE.
SO GET A TEA TOWEL OR YOUR KITCHEN TOWEL,
GET IT DAMP – NOT SOAKING WET, BUT JUST
DAMP – PUT IT DOWN, PUT YOUR CUTTING BOARD
ON TOP OF THERE, AND THAT’LL HOLD IT IN
PLACE WHILE YOU’RE DOING THE BUSINESS.
AND MY VERY LAST TIP – MAY NOT APPLY TO
YOU, MAGIC RAT, BUT IT DOES TO ME – IS:
I USUALLY DON’T START DRINKING UNTIL THE
KNIFE WORK IS OVER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT’S AN IMPORTANT PART OF
THE COOKING PROCESS, SO…
NOW THAT I’M DONE I THINK I’LL REWARD
MYSELF WITH A LITTLE TOT.
SO MAGIC RAT, I HOPE THAT HELPED.
I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND, HEY: IF YOU GUYS HAVE GOT ANY MORE QUESTIONS
PLEASE SEND THEM MY WAY.
I’M GLAD TO HELP.
CHEERS.
MM.
THANK YOU, CAPTAIN DAVE.
HEY, IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME HERE PLEASE
SUBSCRIBE SO I CAN BRING YOU NEW RECIPES,
NEW TIPS AND NEW KITCHEN TOOLS EVERY WEEK.
MY STUFF'S ALWAYS EASY, IT'S ALWAYS DELICIOUS
AND IT'S GOING TO MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE A ROCK
STAR IN THE KITCHEN.
THANKS A LOT.
