Improve Your Knife Skills… Improve Your Body.
So you want to burn fat, build muscle or a combination of the two.
Well, I’m sure you know this isn’t going to happen unless you get your diet right.
No matter how hard you workout, how many miles you run, or how much weight you lift…
don’t get your diet down pat and your weight will bob up and down like a ship at sea.
The best way to control your diet is to do your own cooking.
I know this can sound intimidating and time consuming. But knowing a few tricks, having a few good recipes, and having the right tools will make things a whole lot easier.
That means getting your perfect body has just gotten easier.
Trust me.
One year for my birthday the Mrs. sent me to a knife skills class. Not something I would have done on my own, but I’m glad I got to go. I learned a ton…
- how to hold a knife
- how to dice
- Brunoise
- do a Paysanne cut
- and a bunch of other cool stuff
I found out I was holding my knife wrong and standing at the cutting board wrong. The first grip below was me before class.
How To Hold Your Knife
How To Slice & Dice Like A Chef
You would think all the fancy cutting techniques was the biggest take away from the night.
But it wasn’t.
Either was learning how to cut onions without tears.
The most valuable takeaway was the knife.
As part of the class I got an 8” Classic Wusthof Chef’s knife. This thing has changed my life.
Before that the best set of knives I had came from an infomercial… The Miracle Blade.
So that night was my first time using a high end knife. And I could never go back. Nothing beats a sharp knife in the kitchen.
A sharp knife is a safe knife. It slides through everything. On top of that, food prep is easier and more enjoyable.
How To Pick The Right Knife
With all the different brands and types of knives out there, picking the right one isn’t easy.
All that is necessary. There are only a couple of knives you’ll need and you can get them at a great price.
The Victorinox 47521 10-Inch Chef’s Knife is a good place to start.
It gets sharp and stays sharp. And that’s all you’re really looking for when it comes to choosing a great knife. Chefs call this, holding an edge.
What gives a knife its ability to hold an edge is the steel. Practically any knife you buy will be sharp when it’s new. The issue is keeping it sharp.
A cheap knife will dull quickly. The steel just isn’t able to hold an edge.
The only other consideration when selecting a knife is how it feels. That’s entirely a personal choice.
Out of all the varieties 90% of your cutting will be done by one knife…
a 10″ chef’s knife.
I recommend the Victorinox 47521 10-Inch Chef’s Knife.
Knife #2
The only other knife you may want to consider is a paring knife.
This tiny thing comes in handy when doing fine cuts like…
- pealing
- trimming fat
- seeding
Not much to look for here. And you don’t need to spend a ton. You can pick up this gem for under $10…
Other Options
The video below has a lot more tips and buying options. If you have the money and want a fancy set, Alton will set you straight. He’ll talk about the how to select and use the right knife for the job.
Interesting to watch, but The 2 knives mentioned above will fulfill all your slicing and dicing needs.
How To Keep Your Knives Sharp
The whole idea behind a good knife is keeping it sharp.
To do that you’ll need a sharpening steel.
Cutting and chopping bang up the fine edge of the blade making it dull so the sharpening steel is something you’ll use on a regular basis. That doesn’t mean you have to buy the best of the best. I believe all sharpening steels are about equal. No need to break the bank here. You can pick up on Amazon for $10 and it will serve you well.
Keeping An Edge On Your Knife
A sharpening steel does two things to keep your knife sharp
- it smooths out the rough edge
- it helps straighten that edge after you’ve been cutting, slicing or chopping for a while
Because it’s only removing imperfections you’ll need to put a new edge on your knife every 6 months to a year, depending on how often you use it.
When the time comes to sharpen it, you have two choices:
[A] take it somewhere to have it done.[B] grab a knife sharpener.
At less than 10 for a bargain Knife Sharpener it’s a no brainier to do it yourself. Having a professional sharpen just one knife one time will run about the same price as the knife sharpener. So save yourself the time, money, and trouble. Grab a Knife Sharpener.
Cutting Surface
The last necessity is a cutting board.
Again. You can go fancy. Or keep it simple. However. You don’t want to go too cheap. A bad board will ruin your knives. So it’s worth it to spend a few dollars.
While it isn’t pretty, a decent plastic board will do. At 25 bucks it’s a good idea to get 2…
[1] One for meat.[2] Another for vegetables.
That’s about it for knife skills. You’re ready to get in the kitchen and get cooking and build the body you deserve.
I guarantee a good knife will change your life. If you hate cooking a good knife will make all the difference.
Happy choppin’ and stay strong,
Coach Jason
The Athlete’s Physique
What you’ll need to improve your knife skills to make cooking easy and more enjoyable:
[+] Budget Priced Chef’s Knife [+] High Priced Chef’s Knife [+] 4-Inch Paring Knife [+] Cutting and Carving Board [+] Bargain Knife Sharpener [+] Standard Sharpening Steel