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.
Dicing:
Line sticks up perpendicular to the
blade, and slice straight down across them,
creating cubes.
Julienne and Shredding:
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.
Mincing:
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.
Parallel Cutting:
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.
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.
Slicing:
Holding the food and the Chinese
chef knife firmly, cut straight down, using the
knuckles of your free hand as a guide.
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.
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