• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
knifepal

Knifepal

  • Home
  • Cutlery & Kitchen Knife
  • Japanese Knives
  • Mercer Knives
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Cutlery & Kitchen Knife / Why do We Need Different Knife Cuts? 3 Basic Knife Cuts You Should Know

Why do We Need Different Knife Cuts? 3 Basic Knife Cuts You Should Know

September 19, 2022 by Editor

Designing and presenting food in its best possible way is an art, and it needs a lot of science and vision to master. Hence, using various types of knife cuts and angles is a skill you should hone in time. 

We often come across ads showcasing multiple knife cuts. Yet, why do we need so many different knife cuts?

The answer depends on the type of knife you’re using and the dish you’re preparing. Also, there’s the task of creating proper decor.

For example, it’s best to use even cuts if you use veggies to fill up half of the plate. On the other hand, some foods have intense flavors, meaning you’ll need to finely chop them up before serving.

If you’re cooking a bigger chunk of meat, placing several incisions before putting it in the oven is important.

Table of Contents

  • 3 Basic Knife Cuts Every Cook Should Know
    • The Strips (Or Julienne)
    • How to Do It?
    • Why Use Julienne?
    • The Chopping
    • How to Do It?
    • Tips and Tricks
    • Why Use This Method? 
    • The Mincing
    • How to Do It?
    • Why Use This Method?
  • Final Thoughts

3 Basic Knife Cuts Every Cook Should Know

Now, the next step is understanding which knife cuts are useful? Also, what are the best methods to prepare the most common meals?

In general, there are three essential techniques you should try to master as soon as possible.

The Strips (Or Julienne)

julienne knife cut

The Julienne is a knife cut you should use when working with fruits or vegetables. As such, it’s one of the basic knife movements all chefs learn fast.

How to Do It?

The first step is to get a stable and flat surface. You can use a cutting board or kitchen shelf for this. 

Now, you need to peel the fruit of the vegetable. At that point, pay attention to proper cleaning and trimming.

After this, start cutting your fruit or vegetable into pieces of even length. Aim to create thin slices with each stroke. To that end, make fast movements across the length of the vegetable. 

Next, place the cuts together and press on them with your hand. Make sure to hold each piece to save you some time.

Then, start making vertical chops and move from left to right. Repeat the process for each of the slices. Soon, you’ll create finer chops of fruit or veggies. 

Related Read: Which Knife is Best for Cutting Vegetables? Our Top 5 Picks

Why Use Julienne?

Opt for this method before marinating the vegetables, as Julienning will ensure no flavor overpowers the rest of the ingredients.

Moreover, it is the easiest way to cut veggies fast. As far as fruits are concerned, this is a great way to make various fruit trifles and salads. Plus, it’s excellent for the presentation, too.

The Chopping

chopping vegetables

Chopping is another technique for cutting fruits, vegetables, cheese, meat, and other common ingredients. Use this method when the even size of the chunks is not too important.

In other words, chopping creates a plethora of shapes and forms in a short time.  Hence, you don’t need to maintain much control when chopping, aside from protecting your fingers.

How to Do It?

As with any other cutting technique, you must prepare a chopping cutting board. Also, make sure to thoroughly clean and peel the veggies beforehand.

Also, before chopping meat, remember to clean it with clean water first. 

Now, start dicing your food into as small pieces as possible. Make sure you are firmly holding the food; otherwise, you can earn an injury.

Keep chopping to achieve small cubes that you can proceed to mix as per the recipe. So, this is the fastest knife technique and won’t lead to fatigue. 

Related Read: Which Sabatier Knife is the Best for Cutting Meat?

Tips and Tricks

Here is a trick: aim for uniform and evenly chopped pieces. Cut your fruit or vegetable into thin slices before taking each slice and chopping it into small squares. 

In this way, you can create symmetrical ingredients in the end. Then, you can use them to apply some finishing touches to your meal. 

Why Use This Method? 

Slicing or julienning takes more concentration and time. However, chopping is the easiest and fastest way to cut your food.

When you are low on time and need to prepare multiple dishes, it’s best to chop down everything. Plus, smaller pieces of food cook much more quickly, though not all recipes allow for this shortcut.

The Mincing

mincing knife cutting technique

Mincing is another knife cutting technique very similar to chopping. However, there lies a significant difference between these methods.

With chopping, you’ll preserve the food’s color and texture. However, mincing will turn the item into a paste, allowing you to easily enrich its taste by adding herbs and flavorings.

How to Do It?

Place the ingredient you are going to mince on your cutting board. Start cutting it into smaller and smaller bits.

Unlike chopping, mincing the food will require you to repeat this process until you create a uniform mass.

In general, you can use most chef’s knives for this job. Also, some meats, fruit, or vegetables might stick to your knife’s blade and drop off on your cutting board during mincing. Hence, collect them with your palm and continue to mince.

Why Use This Method?

Mincing is often applied to foods such as garlic and onion due to their strong flavors. In that way, chefs can mask their presence while altering the taste of the meal to a certain degree.

Also, making burgers will require you to finely mince the meat before you can continue with the recipe. Aside from that, you’ll probably have to mince peppers, onion, herbs, etc. 

Similarly, various dishes require creating balls of food with your palm, meaning you’ll have to mince the food first. Then, you can fry them in oil and combine them with a piquant sauce.

Final Thoughts

In this guide, we’ve presented the three most common cutting techniques that will aid you in your kitchen tasks. However, the culinary world is home to a wide range of approaches when it comes to preparing food.

Yet, not all methods are beginner-friendly like the one we’ve discussed. Also, using these methods is often enough for most types of dishes. 

So, if you are learning to cook from scratch, start by learning to perform these three basic cuts. In time, work on your skills and expand your knowledge.

Related posts

  • Can You Use an Electric Knife to Carve a Turkey?
  • Why Shouldn’t I Put my Chef Knives in The Dishwasher? 5 Reasons to Know
  • How to Choose a Boning Knife? The Ultimate Buying Guide
  • Which Sabatier Knife is the Best for Cutting Meat? Our Top 5 Picks
  • What Makes Kitchen Knives Go Dull So Fast? 5 Things to Know
  • Where Can I Buy Knives Online? 5 Best Online Stores
  • What’s the Best Knife for Cutting Charcuterie? The 5 Best Choice
  • What Kind of Cutting Board is Best for Meat? Our Top 5 Picks
  • What Should I Look for in a Good Carving Knife? The Ultimate Buying Guide
  • Chinese Cleaver vs Chef’s Knife: What’s the Difference?

Filed Under: Cutlery & Kitchen Knife

Primary Sidebar

Latest Posts

Best Spring Assisted Tactical Pocket Knife

Best Sog Folding Pocket Knife

Best Tanto Blade Pocket Knife

Best Ka-bar Pocket Knife

Best Small Wooden Handle Pocket Knife

Best Marlin Spike Pocket Knife

Best Rescue Pocket Knife

Best M390 Steel Folding Knives Under $150

Best Fishing Pocket Knives

Best Leatherman Pocket Knife

Best Full Tang Pocket Knife

Best Forged Pocket Knife

Best Swiss Army Pocket Knife

Best Automatic Pocket Knives

Best Mid Range Pocket Knife

Best Pocket Knife For Construction Worker

Best Victorinox Pocket Knives

Best Hunting Pocket Knife

Best Foldable Pocket Knife

Best Multi Blade Pocket Knife

Footer

Browse By Category

  • Boning knife
  • Bread Knife
  • Carving Knife
  • Chef Knife
  • Chicago Cutlery
  • Cutlery & Kitchen Knife
  • Dalstrong Knives
  • hunting knives
  • Japanese Knives
  • Kitchen Knife
  • Knife Brands
  • Mercer Knives
  • Misc
  • Paring Knife
  • Pocket Knife
  • Reviews
  • Shun Knives
  • Steak Knife
  • Utility Knife
knifepal

Knifepal is a collection of buying guides and user guides about various different products.

Learn More →
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure

Knifepal.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Copyright © 2023 · Knifepal