Lesson Description & Goals

The old saying ‘you are what you eat’ is not quite accurate. If you want to be in control of what you eat, then, more accurately, ‘you are what you cook’ and if you are not cutting, this means you are not cooking. It’s that simple.

All too often people choose not to cook because the slicing and dicing of ingredients is too much of a challenge and; therefore, considered a chore. People who know how to handle a knife effectively and with confidence naturally cook more and, in turn, people who cook more generally lead healthier lifestyles. For this reason, knowing how to handle a knife is perhaps one of the most important life-skills.

In this lesson, you will learn how to cut using a chef’s knife. You will learn how to grip a chef’s knife, how to position your guide hand and the mechanics of the rolling technique. Most new cooks feel intimidated by a sharp blade, so we will demonstrate a safe and effective way for you to practice this skill before you even pick up your knife. Once you are comfortable, we will show you how to practice cutting with your chef’s knife. We will also show you various ways to position your knife and hands based on the ingredient you are cutting. And finally, we will show you how to hone your knife in order to keep it nice and sharp.

We cannot over-emphasize the importance of this lesson which will, in a very short time, put you on the most effective path to good cooking. It is an exhilarating feeling once you learn how to properly handle a chef’s knife and once you do, you will be able to easily and confidently move on to more challenging techniques to create a variety of delicious dishes.

• Properly grip a chef’s knife
• Perform the rolling technique safely
• Describe the up-and-down chopping technique
• Define the pivot chopping technique
• Learn how to keep you knife sharp through honing

Lesson Topic Videos

• Introduction to Handling a Chef's Knife (1:51)
• The Knife Grip (0:41)
• The Rolling Technique (1:45)
• Positioning Your Guide Hand (1:59)
• Practice Using a Bench Scraper (1:21)
• Cutting with a Chef's Knife (1:46)
• Other Methods of Using the Knife (2:29)
• How to Hone Your Knife (2:44)

Lesson Prerequisites

IMPORTANT NOTE:
We wanted you to be aware that there are one or more identified prerequisites to this lesson. Whether you choose to purchase a prerequisite lesson or lessons is up to you, but this lesson will likely include references to prerequisite lessons.

• Selecting a Kitchen Knife Set

All Lessons in the Knives, Knife Cuts and Knife Sharpening Section

• Selecting a Kitchen Knife Set
• Handling a Chef's Knife
• How to Cut Using a Chef's Knife
• Knife Sharpening with a Whetstone