If you are a professional chef or just love cooking meat, then you know how vital a boning knife is.
Boning knives are usually small, sharp, sturdy, and not more than five to eight inches long. They are specially designed to make removing meat from bones a breeze.
If you want to remove meat from fish or animal bones, a boning knife can help you get the proper results with smooth surfaces.
However, you’ll need a good boning knife if you hope to filet and trim meat the right way. This article details everything you need to know about how to choose a boning knife.
What Can You Do With a Boning Knife?
A boning knife is one of the best kitchen tools for making precise cuts through tough meat parts like fat, muscle, ligaments, and sinew. With a boning knife, you can quickly separate skins and bones from meat and fish.
Plus, you can use this knife to cut through frozen dough and prepare fruit with thick cores or rinds. With that said, a boning knife isn’t suitable for general chopping or cutting through solid bone.
The Anatomy of a Boning Knife
The blade is undoubtedly the most critical part of a boning knife. Therefore, if you are searching for a new boning knife, be sure to pay close attention to the features of the blade.
Moreover, consider the type of task you’ll use the knife for. Let’s examine the various parts of a boning knife:
- Point: This is the top part of the knife where the edge links with the spine. It’s the part you use for piercing.
- Tip: Next, we have the tip, which lies next to the point. The tip is the top part of the boning knife that you use to make precise cuts.
- Edge: The blade’s edge, which runs from the heel to the point, is its sharpest section. This is the part you use for cutting.
- Spine: The spine lies opposite the edge and runs from the top of the knife.
- Heel: The area nearest to the handle is the knife’s heel.
- Tang: The tang, which extends into the handle, is the part of the knife that attaches the blade to the handle.
How to Choose a Boning Knife
Before searching for a boning knife, ask yourself what task you’ll be using it for and the type of meat you’ll trim. Here are a few tips on how to choose a boning knife:
Knife Type
Once you know what type of task or meat you’ll be handling, the first factor to consider is the knife type. Boning knives come in two main variations; flexible and stiff boning knives.
Flexible boning knives are usually smaller and thinner than stiff boning knives. Plus, they are more suitable for cutting chicken meat and fish.
On the other hand, stiff boning knives are similar to pocket knives and are more suitable for cutting tough meat.
Plus, stiff boning knives are usually straight and have little flexibility. Again, be careful about what task you use your boning knife for.
For example, you risk breaking or bending the knife by using a flexible boning knife rather than a stiff one to cut tough meat. Likewise, you may not like the results if you use a stiff knife to debone fish.
Blade Material
The blade material is the next factor when choosing a boning knife. Most boning knives are made of high carbon steel and stainless steel.
However, the stainless steel material tends to be more durable, lightweight, and superior in quality. As a result, go for boning knives with stainless steel material.
Blade Design
Boning knives are made with either a straight or curved blade. Curved boning knives have their tips facing upwards and are easier to work with.
Plus, they are an excellent choice for those who want to easily debone meat without damaging any critical parts.
With a curved boning knife, you can easily make clean cuts through animal flesh and complete delicate tasks like filing a quail. Additionally, using curved boning knives makes it easier to maneuver around small spaces.
On the other hand, straight boning knives are usually narrow and more suitable for handling large chunks of meat.
They are suitable for cutting beef, fish, and poultry. Plus, the straight blade helps you make finer cuts and sculpt.
A straight boning knife is an excellent tool for high-speed cuts in the hands of a skilled user. On a different note, your boning knife blade can also be thin or broad.
Thin-bladed boning knives are ideal for cutting at smaller angles. Thinner blades cut through the flesh with less resistance and cause less damage to delicate meat parts.
On the other hand, broad-bladed boning knives are your best bet for cutting thick pieces of meat into portions.
Handle Design
The handles of boning knives are made of different materials, including plastic, wood, synthetic, and polypropylene.
Regardless of the type of material, a good boning knife should have a comfortable handle with a good grip. Boning knives with synthetic handles tend to last longer and grip better than those with other materials.
On the other hand, polypropylene handles are best for people who need a more enhanced grip. Furthermore, wooden handles are easily affected by rot and are usually slippery when wet.
Blade Size
The blades of most boning knives are usually around three to six inches long. However, you may find some boning knives with a size that ranges from seven to nine inches. Note that the smaller the blade, the more flexible your knife will be.
Boning knives with blades ranging from three to six inches are ideal for cutting delicate meat.
On the other hand, larger blade sizes are standard amongst professional butchers. Plus, they are more suitable for cutting large meats.
On a different note, the knife’s weight largely depends on the handle and blade. Go for boning knives that are lightweight since they are easier to maneuver and are an excellent choice for beginners.
Before making any purchases, check whether the blade’s size will be manageable for you.
Sharpness
The last but not the least factor to consider when choosing a boning knife is the sharpness of the blade.
Checking customer reviews and feedback can help you quickly determine whether or not the knife has a sharp blade.
Also, note that some boning knives lose their sharpness after the first month of use. However, you can prevent this by sharpening the knife regularly.
Stiff vs. Flexible Boning Blades
Both stiff and flexible boning knives have different uses. So, how do you determine the right option to go for?
The type of task at hand will determine the appropriate response. Stiff boning knives usually have a large, straight blade ranging from seven to nine inches.
Also, they are more suitable for making thick cuts of pork, beef, and saltwater. Stiff blades are what you go for when you want to separate bone from tough meat and remove connective tissues and fat.
On the other hand, flexible boning knives tend to have curved and smaller blades, ranging from three to six inches.
Flexible boning blades are what you go for when you need to handle delicate tasks like deboning and removing meat from poultry and fish.
What Causes Blade Rusting?
The number one enemy of knife blades is rust. One of the main factors that can damage your knife blade is moisture.
Rusting happens when the iron is exposed to oxygen and water for a prolonged period. Your blades will slowly start to corrode during this process.
Therefore, ensure you don’t expose your blade to moisture. Although stainless steel boning knives are less likely to suffer water damage, they aren’t immune to it. Note that even moisture from the air can cause your blades to rust.
Another factor that causes rusting is salt. Salt doesn’t necessarily cause your blades to rust; it only speeds up the process.
This is because salt is an electrolyte that speeds up the rate at which iron loses electrons. This reaction results in rust build-up at an alarming rate.
How to Maintain a Boning Knife
Taking care of your boning knife is just as important as learning to choose a good one. Finding the ideal boning knife is the first step; the next is understanding how to care for it. Here are tips on how to maintain your boning knife:
Cleaning
Firstly, clean and dry your knife immediately after use. Ensure you don’t leave the knife dirty with meat, vegetables, and other particles.
Wash your knives with simple soap and clean water. Never use a dishwasher to clean your boning knife, even if the brand advertises it as “dishwasher friendly.”
The detergents, temperature, and humidity of your dishwasher can all damage your precious boning knives. Lastly, ensure you don’t apply harsh chemicals that may damage your blade.
Storage
The next step in taking care of your boning knives is to store them properly. You won’t have to worry about rust if your knives are properly stored. Ensure your blades are completely dry before putting them away.
Additionally, store your knives in an environment with low salinity and humidity. Also, cover the blade and avoid storing it loosely with other kitchen tools.
You can use a drawer insert, a wall-mounted magnetic strip, or a countertop knife block to store your boning knife.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does “boning” mean?
Boning is simply the removal of bones from the flesh of animals. This includes beef, pork, chicken, fish, and others.
A boning knife is usually the most suitable tool for this task, as it allows you to make precise and delicate cuts without damaging the meat.
There are a variety of recipes that call for the use of boned meat. Therefore, most people carry out this task before the meat is prepped for cooking.
How to keep your boning knife sharp?
Note that the blade of your boning knife will become dull with continuous use. However, you can prevent this by honing and sharpening your knife regularly.
Honing is the process of maintaining the sharp edges of your blade. Plus, honing helps keep your blade’s edge in perfect shape.
You can hone your blade using a honing steel, sharpener, or whetstone. We recommend honing your blade after each use to maintain its original look. In addition to honing, you need to sharpen your blade. Sharpening involves grinding the blade’s edge into a sharper edge.
You should sharpen your blade at least twice a year if you’re an average cook. But, if you think your knife has gone dull, you can sharpen it.
What is the difference between a filet knife and a boning knife?
Boning knives and filet knives can both be used to remove bones from meat. However, if you take a closer look at the blades of both knives, you’ll discover that a filet knife is more suitable for fish.
Filet knives are usually thinner and more flexible than boning knives. Plus, filet knives are easier to handle and maneuver. On the other hand, boning knives are best for removing bones from beef, chicken, pork, and others.
Should a boning knife be flexible?
No, your boning knife shouldn’t be flexible. Your choice of knife largely depends on the task you’ll handle.
If the job requires cutting through a large chunk of meat, you are better off with a stiff knife. However, if you want to skin a fish or make delicate cuts, then a flexible boning knife is what you need.
Conclusion
It can be pretty tricky to choose a boning knife if you don’t know what to look for. A boning knife can help you quickly remove bones from meat.
However, not all boning knives are suitable for specific boning tasks. In this article, we’ve provided you with tips on how to choose a boning knife.
When choosing a boning knife, ensure you consider the knife’s blade type, size, material, and sharpness. Now, all you have to do is research and find the right boning knife for your task.
