Hope you find this one useful. And if you're in the market for a versatile kitchen knife, might I humbly recommend my new 8" Chef's Knife. It's available now at this link: www.brianlagerstrom.com/shop (only shipping to the US atm. sorry!)
Just ordered Bman....Can't wait. SIde note. I have cooked a lot of your recipies over the past year and gotta say my family loves everything i make from your channel. "Except the vegan nachos" that was a step in the wrong direction. Keep making content....
You should add a form to your site where people outside of the US can leave an email/country to get notified of when you are expanding your shipping. And, come to Canada next.
I just ordered my Brian Lagerstrom Home Goods 8" Chef's Knife and even before it has arrived I feel like I am a better cook. It is improving my cooking even without being here yet. People say they've never seen prettier cuts and Frenchier juliennes. Plus, it has improved my self-confidence. Women like me more, and my boss at work gave me a promotion because I was doing my job better. Truly there is nothing the Brian Lagerstrom Home Goods 8" Chef's Knife can't do. Thank you, Chef Brian!
My dad (boomer, avid home cook) likes to fight me on how to chop vegetables at his house. I cut many like how you show. He LOVES your channel and I cannot wait for him to see this video and eat his words 😝😝 Edit: Dad if you're reading this, I purchased the knife for you
Brian, I never cut onions like you show; the structure of the onion itself obviates the need for that dodgy horizontal slicing towards your holding hand. It's just not necessary. Also, if you insist on still cutting your onions that way I suggest you do the dodgy horizontal cut first so that the onion is firm and won't randomly bust through the loose slits you'd make if you cut vertically first. But, why do that at all? The onion is already divided in the same ways as the horizontal cutting then does again, but at some risk.
Just cut finely all the way through, then twist the onion slightly to slide the pieces, and then cut the other way..hard to explain, but easy to show, sorry..you cut the whole thing at once, no cutting towards your hand. The other important thing is like Julia Child said “always remove one more layer than you think.” Right below the paper layer, there’s always a layer that thins out on one side, and those pieces are leathery and never cook properly. If you’re worried about waste or not having enough onion, just buy an extra onion.
yes! I'm just a home cook but my whole body twisted when he did that and I had to turn off and don't want to learn another thing from him. Please do the tricky cut when the union is stable! But I don't agree that the horizontal cuts are useless, if that's what you mean. They are not important, but also not useless if you want more uniform pieces. The pieces at the edges will be from the side "walls" of the ring, so they will be parallel to the vertical cuts and therefore long, while the pieces in the top center will be perpendicular to the vertical cuts and therefore more square. So, to get the side pieces to also be square, you need one or two horizontal cuts.
@@chtsv I get you. It's a fine dining thing I suppose. When I don't do the horizontal cuts (which I never do) I'm not troubled by the odd piece being different to the rest, but then I haven't got a kitchen tyrant in whites standing over me with a meat mallet.
Brian, I swear that I am thrilled! I cannot believe I'm watching this. Another cook who understands this truth. Knife control is blade leverage. Have the leverage, have control. Cut yourself, blame yourself, not the knife. That is how you hold a knife. 35 years ago I worked for and learned from a 70-year-old Italian who never called himself a chef, but my God he made amazing food. He owned a locally famous restaurant that was beloved in Stuart, Florida. Everything was about organization And preparation not amount of effort or complication once you're cooking. Preparation and patience for what needs patience. He had massive impatience problems for everything else😂 . Do not mess with his marinara, it knows when it's done. I have tried to share the secret of this is how you hold a knife ever since Joe taught me. This is how you make precise cuts, paper thin slices If wanted and you never hurt yourself. (After the first time) And that teaches your left hand claw technique. Thank you for having this opinion in this day and age because you are absolutely correct Brian. Not even my family will listen to me that this is how you hold a knife when you prep food because it gives you complete control of the blade.
Happened on this video rather accidentally and I love watching these types of videos. I've been doing this for over 40 years so it's not like I need them but I always feel like there are not enough of these videos out there. I see so many of my friends that are competent home cooks, awkwardly cutting and chopping and dicing, slowly and always with some trepidation, as if their knife will ambush them with a sneak attack. I've tried showing some how to hold the knife and use it properly, only to be told most times, I've always done it this way and it works for me. After 5 minutes slowly cutting away, they have only one of 4 stalks of celery chopped. Many people shy away from cooking at home simply because of poor knife skills and the inordinate amount of time it takes them to prep. Oblique cut! I love it! And I was formulating what I'd say, and YOU said it! I love it for any rustic cooking, farmhouse pot au feu, ragouts, braised whole rabbit with onions, carrots and a white wine, mustard final steam/deglaze. I heard of the takeout lid cherry tomato slicing trick years ago but I still find myself laboriously slicing them one at a time and I've got plenty of those quart sized container lids around my kitchens. BTW you got your cardinal points wrong on the onion, the root end is the bottom, and the stalk end is the top LOL.
My knife skills suck and I’m a pasty chef. I cannot cut straight lines to save my life. I’ve only been doing this for a year but, do you have any suggests on how I can get better? Thank you
I'm a chef with over 20 years of experience and I already know all the information in this video but here I am watching just bc Brian is entertaining. Love this stuff
My mother taught me how to properly chop vegetables mostly using a cleaver. In Chinese to say a knife is sharp is to say it is quick. This is a great video. Perhaps another on various ways to cut meat/fish. Thank you!
Bought the knife basically as soon as it dropped! Got it last week, been using it nonstop! I love it! You're the man, bri! Love everything you're doing, and if you ever drop a pan set or anything else, will definitely be buying it!
Bell peppers I find with a sharp knife I can slice each "lobe" of the pepper off while avoiding the ribs with a slightly curved cut. Carving through pepper is quite easy with a sharp knife so I find this saves time & increases safety vs the 2nd rib slicing step. I'm pretty experienced with this cut now, so I get even more of the pepper than with any combination of straight cuts. Do end up with slightly curved strips after slicing, but I've never found that to be a problem. Sautés just fine. Very good video overall, quick & to the point. I like that oblique cut for quick chunking. Gotta start using that.
I started doing my bell peppers differently recently. I cut the stem and base off, so I'm left with a "pepper tube" with the core intact; then make a cut right next to where the pithe wall connects and position my knife parallel to the inside of the pepper, and cut the pithe and core out in one long rotating motion. This leaves one large piece and arguably less waste.
Ya, his way is bullshit, and the way you describe is the far superior way. There are just so many terrible pieces of advice in his video. He's a sweet guy, but this is definitely not the channel for learning knife techniques.
Love your channel Brian, also enjoy Lauren’s cameos. Thank you. I understand and appreciate your drive for perfection, but to be honest, as a home cook I would love to see more Brian off the cuff. We know how talented you are. Show us your mistakes and failures. I think it helps motivate those of us who love to cook but might be intimidated or afraid of failure. Thanks again, keep up the great work.
Just the video I need. My knife skills suck but I'm a decent cook. Your knife is on the way to me YAY! I've made a ton of your recipes and they have all been delicious. I'm a better cook because of you. Thank you.
Thank you so much for showing how to chop with precision…super helpful. I’ve recommended you to everyone who likes to cook. I also use your sourdough method for the last 4 years and it works to perfection every time. Blessings and keep the videos coming 😊
3:33 this cutting motion to complete the cross hatch is not really necessary, the onion is already layered in that way so by just doing the first slices against the onion rings you can achieve the same purpose
He's doing a dice, not a chop. Leaving out the horizontal slices makes the pieces too inconsistently-sized to be considered a dice. This is sort of like the difference between quarter-sawn and plain-sawn lumber: growth layers are sliced differently based on their position.
Wow…this was SO helpful. It showed me far better (and safer) ways to cut food and I also loved hearing WHY food is cut that way. For example: dicing a shallot gives you the flavor when you don’t want that texture. Genius! Thanks….i feel inspired.
Very appreciated and essential video. There is one very super basic thing which even seems to be too obvious, a lot of people get wrong. A knife has to be used with a motion along its length while pushing down (a.k.a. slicing) and not just pushing down. I have seen ample people pushing the knife towards the cutting board, not getting anywhere and complaining about the sharpness of their tool.
Love the educational value of this video. One thing you mentioned, but didn't really emphasize as much as I'd hoped is the manta, "A sharp knife is a safe knife". Having a freshly sharpened knife is not only extremely satisfying to use, but is so much safer simply because of the minimal exertion required to operate. All about the safety ❤️
Going from the early days with Julia Child/Graham Kerr, I've managed to collect all of these techniques for my food prep toolbox. Gotta say, though, I've gotten my worst cuts while dealing with onions. While I usually do the two methods you show, I also opt for the quartering method which, when done right, is only a little slower than the traditional method. I do, however cut peppers differently most of the time, using the Martin Yan method of just cutting the flesh from the side of the pepper while you roll it down the cutting board. You get a long strip of de-ribbed pepper all ready for slicing and dicing.
It took me about one or two years with my chef's knife to finally have it felt like an extension of my hand. I'm not kidding. It feels so comfortable to use it now. I love it. Although we had a rough start and there was quite some blood involved ;)
Thanks for this video and all the videos you’ve made! I’ve learned so much from them, coming into cooking later in life. Your videos show not just how to make the dish, but explain why you are doing things a certain way, which facilitates learning and applying that knowledge to other dishes. That’s what I love about your channel. Just ordered the knife and look forward to putting it to use with the techniques learned in this video. Thank you!!
Just received my knife in the mail today. Perfect timing as soon as I washed it, I put it to use cutting up a pork shoulder for making carnitas for a party tomorrow. Love the feel and sharpness of the blade.
Great vid. Appreciate the tips. The last one for peppers,: I find it's far easier and faster to julienne the sides normally and then remove the pieces with "ribby" white stuff.
Hi Brian. I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all you do for us out here. You have quite literally made me a super star on our mountain with all our neighbors and friends!! So ty for that. I also appreciate your honesty and candor in regards to the products you use and support. I have just now purchased one of your Chef knives, and I can't wait to get it and put it to good use!! If you create more knives? You can rest assured that I will be buying more! Thanks again and take care man.. mattman, Murphy NC.
Thanks for the information. I would love to buy your knife but I actually own an amazing 8" chef's knife already. I bought it at a secondhand shop years ago for just a few cents and I love it. I can't see myself in the kitchen without such a valuable tool.
Thank you, thank you, thank you Brian! I've been getting loads better and cutting vegetables and such, but struggled with onions with the root intact. I wasn't "pulling away" from the root like you suggested, but will do moving forward. Oh, and props on launching your new knife!
I've been weeknight dicing my onions since forever. Neven knew it was an actual technique, just figured it was the most efficient way to make use of the layers.
I don't recommend this, and I don't know why he calls it the "weeknight" dice, as if it is somehow quicker in any way. It's actually slower because you have to stop each time that you make a slice so that you can drag the knife out without shifting the pieces. It's much much slower than the proper dice.
Well done, thanks. If I had to (I have a bunch) get by on 2 knives it would be 8" chef and 3" paring, you can do it all with those two. I'd be buying your offered 8" if I didn't already have 2 in that size. Kenji has been teaching the horizontal cut onion technique at about 3:40 for years (maybe good schools have always taught it), good to see you reinforcing it as it really really gives a better product. 🙂
I feel like there are lots of good guides to knife skills... but could you maybe consider a guide to help people who don't have great hands (mine shake, but also as people get older, it's just harder to use knives properly). What are some good workarounds to get to similar results (mandolin, blender, grater, blender)? Is there a good way to get the skins off roma tomatoes or to cut peppers if your hands shake too much or aren't able to hold a knife? Is using the garlic press close enough to dicing garlic? Things like that.
There are a couple easy methods to skin a tomato: 1. Blanching: Score an “X” on the bottom of each tomato. Place the tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds. Transfer them to a bowl of ice water to cool. The skins should peel off easily with minimal effort. 2. Freezing: Place the tomatoes in the freezer until they are completely frozen. Once frozen, let them thaw at room temperature. The skins will loosen and can be easily peeled off. A Proctor Silex mini food processor can immensely help with dicing garlic, chopping chives, parsley, etc. This device would mince well but not slender cut peppers. There are a variety of devices that can help you, just spend some time in Amazon reviews.
When you make the onion cuts parallel to the cutting board, it’s safer to hold the HEEL of your hand on top of the onion, rather than your fingers. That way the blade edge is below all the parts of your hand.
Excellent lesson. Your technique shows you moving the blade forward slightly as you chop down in a slicing action. I may have missed it but you didn’t explain that the blade should slice, not chop straight down. I see a lot of home cooks (and youtube cooks) cutting straight down without slicing. It’s a knife not an axe.
This was a great video, Bryan. I am a beginning intermediate home chef I guess and I learned so much from this, plus it’s always so fun to watch you and Lauren do your things. Best of luck with your knife venture!!
Great video. Two observations: 1) When dicing onion, the horizontal cuts are totally unnecessary (and potentially dangerous). 2) if you slice the top of the bell pepper off, you can see where the membranes are and make your slices between them. Then you wont have to do the last (potentially dangerous) trimming step.
i took your advice when i started to cook more on that white handled knife that was affordable and its been perfect. great to see you have your own now and that it is also very affordable!
Thanks for the comprehensive knife skills tutorial! I've been cooking for quite a long time and use a number of the techniques shown, but I still learned some new tips. On a related note, I'm overdue to acquire a new chef's knife and would love to purchase yours. An idea if/when it might be available to ship to Canada?
Thanks for the tips. I just taught myself how to sharpen kitchen knives on a whetstone. Scallions on the bias forever ends chasing scallion rings across the counter, too. I wish you fair winds and following seas on the new endeavor. Long live the memory of Ron Popeil. You omitted halving the aluminum can. "So you don't forget, call before midnight, tonight."
Perhaps as a bonus video for your "short videos" section, a brief demo of how to use your knife to crush garlic + salt with your chef's knife using a pressing & dragging motion to smush said garlic into a paste. (Helpful trick to hand when cooking in kitchen where there's no microplane grater handy etc. and something like that is needed for a salad dressing etc.).
1) you still hold your fingers before the blade on the onion cross cut. 2) You should also turn the last bit of onion sooner when it becomes unstable. 3) How can you call the root part of the onion the north pole? 4. don´t cut inward towards your fingers, cut slightly outward, away from your fingers as you go down.
Great video! I've seen that knife grip before, but it always seemed more difficult than one of the incorrect ones. I will give it a try next time I need to do some chopping though! Pushing the onion forward is also an excellent tip that I some how never thought of.
Oh anxiously waiting for you to be able to ship that knife to the UK !! I was sprinting down to the description section just as you said it was US only lol. Working as a young kid in pub restaurants as a pot washer I did naturally pick up bunch of these techniques just helping about and it's nice to see you clearly and plainly teach and demonstrate them.
Hey Bri, I'm getting ready to buy my first whetstone set to replace my electric pull through sharpener, and will DEFINITELY be grabbing the new knife. What grits do you think I should go with? And do you have any tips for maintaining the correct angle through the entire motion across the stone? Something I'm worried about is not properly maintaining that consistent positioning, and mangling my edge. Also, I'm looking for a paring knife, santoku knife, and boning knife. Not sure if you plan on offering those, but in the meantime, what's a good budget friendly (i.e less than $200 for all 3, ideally) brand you can recommend?
Thank you for making this video! Everyone knows knife skills are crucial, but its difficult to find training on the topic for home cooks (until now!)...
Yo! We got the made-in 3-quart saucepan through your link and we love it. We never miss your stuff because we always watch your stuff. Keep going. I turned my sis-in-law onto your stuff. Hi Sarah!!!
Love your content and the new knife seems solid! About the "finger on top" grip - it really depends on the length of the knife and what you're cutting... sometimes it's the better method to slice sashimi for example...
This is so cool! Very kind of you to impart useful knowledge along with advertising. I can’t justify this purchase currently (I am lucky enough to already have a decent set of knives that function well). But I’m wishing you all the success with this new venture. I’ll keep it in mind for the holidays around the corner!
2:51 - Since the root end is at the bottom of the onion, and the tip is on the top, shouldn't the tip be the north pole? 5:09 - Don't use the knife as a scraper with the cutting edge down if you don't want to dull or damage the edge, use the spine of the knife.
Quick tip for an easy way to cut carrots in a julienne like style: do a bias cut at a very sharp angle so the slices form very long ovals, then take 3-4 slices and cut thin strips lengthwise. It's not a proper julienne, but good enough for home cooking if you don't have a julienne peeler, and less waste!
Thank you for your video, it is really great for the home cook. I would not exactly agree on the onion, however the pepper is just too prone for injury for the home cook. To cut the pepper slice off the top that will create a cup, then with your hand take out the core and all the white parts. You can now make stuffed pepper, or slice in half and then slice into thin strips. Your method, although efficient, just involves too much risk.
Hey Bri! Great tips, and it turns out I've been holding my knife wrong during all of my long home cooking knife work. 🤦♀ Note to self - try this method, I'm sure it'll feel weird to start with, but I shall persevere! ❤ to you and Lorn!
YAY! Was trying to learn knife skills and a lot of videos are meh. I enjoy your videos and they are pretty forward which is great. I appreciate it! Curious about mincing, how do you prevent all the pieces from flying all over the place (my issue). Also, if possible sometime in the future, can you also include using the knife to make garlic or similar into paste with the knife? I keep having trouble with this.
I made my girlfriend watch this, because every time she cooks I have to leave the room during veg prep... between her knife skills and my commentary on her knife skills, I have an ambulance ride is in my near future.
I do not agree to your onion cutting either. Why make 2 horizontal cuts? It does not help to make the onion finer. Apparently you do not know the anatomy of an onion. Your a chef?
Here's the deal, for an onion, I used to the vertical/horizontal crosshatch thing. Then I just started doing half moon slices, stacking them, and making radial cuts to get a dice. It works fine. Then Rick Bayless said he never could do the cross hatch and showed how he does it which was the same, make slices, stack them, then get your dice.
What is your opinion on the bell pepper approach cutting off the top and bottom, then laying the pepper on it's side and cutting down and "rolling out" the pepper separating out the core leaving you with the entire outside as one long piece?
Thank you for this! Very helpful. However, at 75, I’ll have trouble remembering all of your excellent tips! Also, I have several age-related hand problems. So, I will definitely Save this video for future reference. And, though I can’t afford it right now, that knife is very reasonably priced, so I’ll be considering purchasing soon. I have smallish and weakened hands. I also have several mediocre chef’s knives, none of which are 8”. There will be a learning curve for me once I get that sharp knife. I am a firm believer in the importance and safety of a good, sharp knife!
I found that with bell peppers I do the strips, then remove the pith from the 3 or 4 strips that have it. To me it feels much faster (safer too) than laying a section flat and fileting it before slicing into strips.
From the comments here, especially about the horizontal onion cut, it's obvious that you should have mentioned one really important thing that a lot of people need to hear - *keep your knife sharp*. Not kind of sharp... really sharp. No, the honing rod isn't sharpening it (it straightens the edge). At some point, you all just need to sharpen your knives. Dull knives are dangerous.
You beauty for actually telling people some real techniques - now you need to combine this with some mandoline techniques, the sorts that don't end up with you in the AE for slicing off the ends of fingers, because combined with knife skills that's about all you need.
Sheeesh I was not expecting this video to go all Fruit Ninja, lol! I bought two knives, one for me and one for my neighbor. A knife makes a good holiday gift. Congratulations on this Brian and Lauren!
I bought my first professional knife set. Japan steel etc... I noticed that i need much shorter blade than 8 inch... 21cm... I started to hold it not with my index but with middle finger from the grip and blade. With onion, I have stopped to use the vertical cut on onion. If you do the top cut with 3mm and keep the claw under 3mm when you chop it, and be mindful of the curvature of onion, it will make 3mm Brunoise. And I am still fresh in cutting... Sometimes my Index finger with claw grip just lags behind. And I peel my finger... All to bio and gloves to hand and start again... Julien is all about real sharpness of knife.. Still fingers lag behind :D All other cuts we call soup, Béchamel or Velouté stock. What we sieve.
Love the knife skills show! But it would be great to suggest what to do with the wasted portion of the veggies! Seems like a soup or broth could be made. specifically the peppers and zucchini, lots of end cuts as well could be used.
A new episode AND your chefs knife is available and on sale?? Those are nice birthday surprises, loved the house ad lol and def ordered the knife immediately. Thanks Bri!
My knife skills are slowly getting better. I'm going to try some of these tips. I would probably cook more if my knife skills were better. It's definitely my Achilles heal. The cherry tomato thing blew my mind.
Why scrape the sharp end of the knife over the board? I always lift the knife up a bit or turn it around and use the top side to get a big pile to the side, hoping that keep the knife sharper for longer.
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
Hope you find this one useful. And if you're in the market for a versatile kitchen knife, might I humbly recommend my new 8" Chef's Knife. It's available now at this link: www.brianlagerstrom.com/shop (only shipping to the US atm. sorry!)
👍
Great knife commercial Brian. I’ll be putting in my order next week. My cutco is getting the boot 😮.
Just ordered Bman....Can't wait. SIde note. I have cooked a lot of your recipies over the past year and gotta say my family loves everything i make from your channel. "Except the vegan nachos" that was a step in the wrong direction. Keep making content....
You should add a form to your site where people outside of the US can leave an email/country to get notified of when you are expanding your shipping. And, come to Canada next.
Dang, only $40? I honestly think you could have gone $60. Even though I don't need another knife in my life, I still bought one to support ya!
Can’t believe you had the budget to hire Lorn for the Ad
I just ordered my Brian Lagerstrom Home Goods 8" Chef's Knife and even before it has arrived I feel like I am a better cook. It is improving my cooking even without being here yet. People say they've never seen prettier cuts and Frenchier juliennes. Plus, it has improved my self-confidence. Women like me more, and my boss at work gave me a promotion because I was doing my job better. Truly there is nothing the Brian Lagerstrom Home Goods 8" Chef's Knife can't do. Thank you, Chef Brian!
😂😂😂 bruh
My dad (boomer, avid home cook) likes to fight me on how to chop vegetables at his house. I cut many like how you show. He LOVES your channel and I cannot wait for him to see this video and eat his words 😝😝
Edit: Dad if you're reading this, I purchased the knife for you
LOL you know your boomer dad won't admit he's wrong.
You guys are just going to be chopping vegetables right?
@@Jambobist weird
A few weeks ago i had to cut a few kg of vegetables and my mom offered to help. By the time she had diced a few carrots i had done 1.6kg of onions 😂😂
Boomer = ageism ...
On the website: "Due to international tax collection that, tbh, we don't understand, we're only able to ship to the USA at this time. " lol
Tbh, it's really not complicated. If you don't collect taxes people pay import taxes and crazy fees
OMG, I love the home commercial in the middle! Lorn's cameo is great!
Agree! Brian and Lauren are too good for Keller.
ahem... it's "Lorn" ;)
ahem… it’s KAmala!
@@jfychan Yes! I knew I had it wrong, but couldn't remember. Thanks!
Brian, I never cut onions like you show; the structure of the onion itself obviates the need for that dodgy horizontal slicing towards your holding hand. It's just not necessary. Also, if you insist on still cutting your onions that way I suggest you do the dodgy horizontal cut first so that the onion is firm and won't randomly bust through the loose slits you'd make if you cut vertically first. But, why do that at all? The onion is already divided in the same ways as the horizontal cutting then does again, but at some risk.
Yeah, onions come with built-in horizontal cuts, usually called layers :)
Just cut finely all the way through, then twist the onion slightly to slide the pieces, and then cut the other way..hard to explain, but easy to show, sorry..you cut the whole thing at once, no cutting towards your hand. The other important thing is like Julia Child said “always remove one more layer than you think.” Right below the paper layer, there’s always a layer that thins out on one side, and those pieces are leathery and never cook properly. If you’re worried about waste or not having enough onion, just buy an extra onion.
yes! I'm just a home cook but my whole body twisted when he did that and I had to turn off and don't want to learn another thing from him. Please do the tricky cut when the union is stable!
But I don't agree that the horizontal cuts are useless, if that's what you mean. They are not important, but also not useless if you want more uniform pieces. The pieces at the edges will be from the side "walls" of the ring, so they will be parallel to the vertical cuts and therefore long, while the pieces in the top center will be perpendicular to the vertical cuts and therefore more square. So, to get the side pieces to also be square, you need one or two horizontal cuts.
@@chtsv I get you. It's a fine dining thing I suppose. When I don't do the horizontal cuts (which I never do) I'm not troubled by the odd piece being different to the rest, but then I haven't got a kitchen tyrant in whites standing over me with a meat mallet.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're saying, but that sounds exactly like what he called "the weeknight dice" in the video.
I went to culinary school. I know everything he taught and more. I still watched like a new student 😊
Same, but it's always good to refresh on the basics. I've noticed myself making bad habits I only recognized on review
Brian, I swear that I am thrilled! I cannot believe I'm watching this. Another cook who understands this truth. Knife control is blade leverage. Have the leverage, have control. Cut yourself, blame yourself, not the knife.
That is how you hold a knife. 35 years ago I worked for and learned from a 70-year-old Italian who never called himself a chef, but my God he made amazing food. He owned a locally famous restaurant that was beloved in Stuart, Florida.
Everything was about organization And preparation not amount of effort or complication once you're cooking.
Preparation and patience for what needs patience. He had massive impatience problems for everything else😂 . Do not mess with his marinara, it knows when it's done.
I have tried to share the secret of this is how you hold a knife ever since Joe taught me. This is how you make precise cuts, paper thin slices If wanted and you never hurt yourself. (After the first time) And that teaches your left hand claw technique.
Thank you for having this opinion in this day and age because you are absolutely correct Brian.
Not even my family will listen to me that this is how you hold a knife when you prep food because it gives you complete control of the blade.
Happened on this video rather accidentally and I love watching these types of videos. I've been doing this for over 40 years so it's not like I need them but I always feel like there are not enough of these videos out there. I see so many of my friends that are competent home cooks, awkwardly cutting and chopping and dicing, slowly and always with some trepidation, as if their knife will ambush them with a sneak attack. I've tried showing some how to hold the knife and use it properly, only to be told most times, I've always done it this way and it works for me. After 5 minutes slowly cutting away, they have only one of 4 stalks of celery chopped. Many people shy away from cooking at home simply because of poor knife skills and the inordinate amount of time it takes them to prep. Oblique cut! I love it! And I was formulating what I'd say, and YOU said it! I love it for any rustic cooking, farmhouse pot au feu, ragouts, braised whole rabbit with onions, carrots and a white wine, mustard final steam/deglaze. I heard of the takeout lid cherry tomato slicing trick years ago but I still find myself laboriously slicing them one at a time and I've got plenty of those quart sized container lids around my kitchens. BTW you got your cardinal points wrong on the onion, the root end is the bottom, and the stalk end is the top LOL.
My knife skills suck and I’m a pasty chef. I cannot cut straight lines to save my life. I’ve only been doing this for a year but, do you have any suggests on how I can get better?
Thank you
I measure like three times and score as well before cutting and it’s still bad. Any advice would be truly helpful and appreciated
I'm a chef with over 20 years of experience and I already know all the information in this video but here I am watching just bc Brian is entertaining. Love this stuff
My mother taught me how to properly chop vegetables mostly using a cleaver. In Chinese to say a knife is sharp is to say it is quick. This is a great video. Perhaps another on various ways to cut meat/fish. Thank you!
Bought the knife basically as soon as it dropped! Got it last week, been using it nonstop! I love it! You're the man, bri! Love everything you're doing, and if you ever drop a pan set or anything else, will definitely be buying it!
Bell peppers I find with a sharp knife I can slice each "lobe" of the pepper off while avoiding the ribs with a slightly curved cut. Carving through pepper is quite easy with a sharp knife so I find this saves time & increases safety vs the 2nd rib slicing step. I'm pretty experienced with this cut now, so I get even more of the pepper than with any combination of straight cuts. Do end up with slightly curved strips after slicing, but I've never found that to be a problem. Sautés just fine.
Very good video overall, quick & to the point. I like that oblique cut for quick chunking. Gotta start using that.
I started doing my bell peppers differently recently. I cut the stem and base off, so I'm left with a "pepper tube" with the core intact; then make a cut right next to where the pithe wall connects and position my knife parallel to the inside of the pepper, and cut the pithe and core out in one long rotating motion. This leaves one large piece and arguably less waste.
And that is the only correct way to do it.
Ya, his way is bullshit, and the way you describe is the far superior way. There are just so many terrible pieces of advice in his video. He's a sweet guy, but this is definitely not the channel for learning knife techniques.
Love your channel Brian, also enjoy Lauren’s cameos. Thank you. I understand and appreciate your drive for perfection, but to be honest, as a home cook I would love to see more Brian off the cuff. We know how talented you are. Show us your mistakes and failures. I think it helps motivate those of us who love to cook but might be intimidated or afraid of failure. Thanks again, keep up the great work.
Just the video I need. My knife skills suck but I'm a decent cook. Your knife is on the way to me YAY! I've made a ton of your recipes and they have all been delicious. I'm a better cook because of you. Thank you.
Thank you so much for showing how to chop with precision…super helpful. I’ve recommended you to everyone who likes to cook. I also use your sourdough method for the last 4 years and it works to perfection every time. Blessings and keep the videos coming 😊
3:33 this cutting motion to complete the cross hatch is not really necessary, the onion is already layered in that way so by just doing the first slices against the onion rings you can achieve the same purpose
I was going to make this same comment. *read this in a Shrek voice* This cut is a waste of time because an onion has layers.
I saw someone skip that and my inside voice was like "that's not going to work ...OMG what black magic is this!!" Mind blown 😂
He's doing a dice, not a chop. Leaving out the horizontal slices makes the pieces too inconsistently-sized to be considered a dice. This is sort of like the difference between quarter-sawn and plain-sawn lumber: growth layers are sliced differently based on their position.
Loved the commercial. Your sense of humor is refreshing.
Wow…this was SO helpful. It showed me far better (and safer) ways to cut food and I also loved hearing WHY food is cut that way. For example: dicing a shallot gives you the flavor when you don’t want that texture. Genius! Thanks….i feel inspired.
Probably the most comprehensive techniques video on knife skills. Excellent. I only knew like half of these.
Very appreciated and essential video. There is one very super basic thing which even seems to be too obvious, a lot of people get wrong. A knife has to be used with a motion along its length while pushing down (a.k.a. slicing) and not just pushing down. I have seen ample people pushing the knife towards the cutting board, not getting anywhere and complaining about the sharpness of their tool.
Love the educational value of this video. One thing you mentioned, but didn't really emphasize as much as I'd hoped is the manta, "A sharp knife is a safe knife". Having a freshly sharpened knife is not only extremely satisfying to use, but is so much safer simply because of the minimal exertion required to operate. All about the safety ❤️
Going from the early days with Julia Child/Graham Kerr, I've managed to collect all of these techniques for my food prep toolbox. Gotta say, though, I've gotten my worst cuts while dealing with onions. While I usually do the two methods you show, I also opt for the quartering method which, when done right, is only a little slower than the traditional method. I do, however cut peppers differently most of the time, using the Martin Yan method of just cutting the flesh from the side of the pepper while you roll it down the cutting board. You get a long strip of de-ribbed pepper all ready for slicing and dicing.
This is getting added to the continually revisit bookmark folder. I particularly like that you just got to the point.
LMAO the infomercial vibe is magnificent!
It took me about one or two years with my chef's knife to finally have it felt like an extension of my hand. I'm not kidding. It feels so comfortable to use it now. I love it. Although we had a rough start and there was quite some blood involved ;)
Hey Bri…before you dice an onion…aren’t you actually cutting off the “North” Pole and leaving the South Pole (the root) intact?
Thanks for this video and all the videos you’ve made! I’ve learned so much from them, coming into cooking later in life. Your videos show not just how to make the dish, but explain why you are doing things a certain way, which facilitates learning and applying that knowledge to other dishes. That’s what I love about your channel. Just ordered the knife and look forward to putting it to use with the techniques learned in this video. Thank you!!
This may be one of the best tutorials on knife technique I've ever seen. Well done, sir.
Thank you for showing the cherry tomato cutting trick! I've always wondered how to slice them faster. 🥰
I don’t do that very often, but it seems like a great trick!
Just received my knife in the mail today. Perfect timing as soon as I washed it, I put it to use cutting up a pork shoulder for making carnitas for a party tomorrow. Love the feel and sharpness of the blade.
hey bri, when you move the product to the side you scrape the knife edge sideways ruining you edge by rolling it!
where is this knife made?
The fact your knife is $40 is mind boggling for even a midrange full-tang knife. Seems like a great spot for home cooks. Need to grab one for myself.
The more I learn about out this Dude the more I like him.
I use a $10 knife, no reason to waste money. Lol
Great vid. Appreciate the tips. The last one for peppers,: I find it's far easier and faster to julienne the sides normally and then remove the pieces with "ribby" white stuff.
Can confirm the knife is amazing! Cant believe the price on it... Thanks for the dope ad and knife
Hi Brian. I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all you do for us out here. You have quite literally made me a super star on our mountain with all our neighbors and friends!! So ty for that. I also appreciate your honesty and candor in regards to the products you use and support. I have just now purchased one of your Chef knives, and I can't wait to get it and put it to good use!! If you create more knives? You can rest assured that I will be buying more! Thanks again and take care man.. mattman, Murphy NC.
Thanks for the information. I would love to buy your knife but I actually own an amazing 8" chef's knife already. I bought it at a secondhand shop years ago for just a few cents and I love it. I can't see myself in the kitchen without such a valuable tool.
Just ordered the knife. Can't wait to put it to use! I slice cherry tomatoes all the time and never knew that trick. Life changing!
Thank you, thank you, thank you Brian! I've been getting loads better and cutting vegetables and such, but struggled with onions with the root intact. I wasn't "pulling away" from the root like you suggested, but will do moving forward. Oh, and props on launching your new knife!
I've been weeknight dicing my onions since forever. Neven knew it was an actual technique, just figured it was the most efficient way to make use of the layers.
I don't recommend this, and I don't know why he calls it the "weeknight" dice, as if it is somehow quicker in any way. It's actually slower because you have to stop each time that you make a slice so that you can drag the knife out without shifting the pieces. It's much much slower than the proper dice.
Well done, thanks. If I had to (I have a bunch) get by on 2 knives it would be 8" chef and 3" paring, you can do it all with those two. I'd be buying your offered 8" if I didn't already have 2 in that size. Kenji has been teaching the horizontal cut onion technique at about 3:40 for years (maybe good schools have always taught it), good to see you reinforcing it as it really really gives a better product. 🙂
Horizontal cuts in an onion are for the mentally challenged, no offence.
@@jotade2098 correct, only an idiot would not use them 😀
I feel like there are lots of good guides to knife skills... but could you maybe consider a guide to help people who don't have great hands (mine shake, but also as people get older, it's just harder to use knives properly). What are some good workarounds to get to similar results (mandolin, blender, grater, blender)? Is there a good way to get the skins off roma tomatoes or to cut peppers if your hands shake too much or aren't able to hold a knife? Is using the garlic press close enough to dicing garlic? Things like that.
There are a couple easy methods to skin a tomato:
1. Blanching:
Score an “X” on the bottom of each tomato.
Place the tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds.
Transfer them to a bowl of ice water to cool.
The skins should peel off easily with minimal effort.
2. Freezing:
Place the tomatoes in the freezer until they are completely frozen.
Once frozen, let them thaw at room temperature.
The skins will loosen and can be easily peeled off.
A Proctor Silex mini food processor can immensely help with dicing garlic, chopping chives, parsley, etc. This device would mince well but not slender cut peppers. There are a variety of devices that can help you, just spend some time in Amazon reviews.
Been using the knife for about a week and it's awesome! It's my new go-to knife for pretty much anything, thanks Bri!
When you make the onion cuts parallel to the cutting board, it’s safer to hold the HEEL of your hand on top of the onion, rather than your fingers. That way the blade edge is below all the parts of your hand.
I agree - just like you're butterflying or filetting a chicken breast. However, I find the horizontal onion cuts unnecessary.
@@sahlomonic Probably right. You can get finer dice that way, but who needs it?
I have a callous on my forefinger right where you’re holding the blade, happy to know I naturally found a good technique.
Excellent lesson. Your technique shows you moving the blade forward slightly as you chop down in a slicing action. I may have missed it but you didn’t explain that the blade should slice, not chop straight down. I see a lot of home cooks (and youtube cooks) cutting straight down without slicing. It’s a knife not an axe.
This was a great video, Bryan. I am a beginning intermediate home chef I guess and I learned so much from this, plus it’s always so fun to watch you and Lauren do your things. Best of luck with your knife venture!!
Great video. Two observations: 1) When dicing onion, the horizontal cuts are totally unnecessary (and potentially dangerous). 2) if you slice the top of the bell pepper off, you can see where the membranes are and make your slices between them. Then you wont have to do the last (potentially dangerous) trimming step.
The commercial was gold Bri, got my knife in the mail the other day and super pumped to use it soon 😎😎
Love this. I"m no pro but I love cooking. Nothing crazy, but I am definitely more in to it that all my friends. This is the kind of stuff I need.
Sick knife, Bri! Loved the commercial. Mount Rushmore, fireworks, Thomas Keller - perfect! 👌
been looking for a video like this forever and bri just casually uploads it lol
i took your advice when i started to cook more on that white handled knife that was affordable and its been perfect. great to see you have your own now and that it is also very affordable!
Thanks for the comprehensive knife skills tutorial! I've been cooking for quite a long time and use a number of the techniques shown, but I still learned some new tips.
On a related note, I'm overdue to acquire a new chef's knife and would love to purchase yours. An idea if/when it might be available to ship to Canada?
Thanks for the tips. I just taught myself how to sharpen kitchen knives on a whetstone.
Scallions on the bias forever ends chasing scallion rings across the counter, too.
I wish you fair winds and following seas on the new endeavor. Long live the memory of Ron Popeil. You omitted halving the aluminum can.
"So you don't forget, call before midnight, tonight."
This is so useful, and doesn't take too long tp cover all the different cutting techniques.
This basic chef skills format is awesome. Teach us your ways, Bri!
Knife looks dope, will be getting!
You guys are soooo crazy! Love the tips and the new commercial spot
HAHA! Your knife promo was a hoot. I just received mine the other day and have used it exclusively. Love it!
Perhaps as a bonus video for your "short videos" section, a brief demo of how to use your knife to crush garlic + salt with your chef's knife using a pressing & dragging motion to smush said garlic into a paste. (Helpful trick to hand when cooking in kitchen where there's no microplane grater handy etc. and something like that is needed for a salad dressing etc.).
1) you still hold your fingers before the blade on the onion cross cut. 2) You should also turn the last bit of onion sooner when it becomes unstable. 3) How can you call the root part of the onion the north pole? 4. don´t cut inward towards your fingers, cut slightly outward, away from your fingers as you go down.
Great video! I've seen that knife grip before, but it always seemed more difficult than one of the incorrect ones. I will give it a try next time I need to do some chopping though!
Pushing the onion forward is also an excellent tip that I some how never thought of.
You’re the goat
I was just thinking about honing my knife skill last night
Oh anxiously waiting for you to be able to ship that knife to the UK !! I was sprinting down to the description section just as you said it was US only lol. Working as a young kid in pub restaurants as a pot washer I did naturally pick up bunch of these techniques just helping about and it's nice to see you clearly and plainly teach and demonstrate them.
Hey Bri, I'm getting ready to buy my first whetstone set to replace my electric pull through sharpener, and will DEFINITELY be grabbing the new knife. What grits do you think I should go with? And do you have any tips for maintaining the correct angle through the entire motion across the stone? Something I'm worried about is not properly maintaining that consistent positioning, and mangling my edge.
Also, I'm looking for a paring knife, santoku knife, and boning knife. Not sure if you plan on offering those, but in the meantime, what's a good budget friendly (i.e less than $200 for all 3, ideally) brand you can recommend?
Bought the 🔪 the minute I got the email and LOVE IT. Perfect weight and balance. Go Bri!!
Thank you for making this video! Everyone knows knife skills are crucial, but its difficult to find training on the topic for home cooks (until now!)...
Yo! We got the made-in 3-quart saucepan through your link and we love it. We never miss your stuff because we always watch your stuff.
Keep going. I turned my sis-in-law onto your stuff. Hi Sarah!!!
Love your content and the new knife seems solid!
About the "finger on top" grip - it really depends on the length of the knife and what you're cutting... sometimes it's the better method to slice sashimi for example...
This is so cool! Very kind of you to impart useful knowledge along with advertising.
I can’t justify this purchase currently (I am lucky enough to already have a decent set of knives that function well). But I’m wishing you all the success with this new venture. I’ll keep it in mind for the holidays around the corner!
2:51 - Since the root end is at the bottom of the onion, and the tip is on the top, shouldn't the tip be the north pole? 5:09 - Don't use the knife as a scraper with the cutting edge down if you don't want to dull or damage the edge, use the spine of the knife.
Quick tip for an easy way to cut carrots in a julienne like style: do a bias cut at a very sharp angle so the slices form very long ovals, then take 3-4 slices and cut thin strips lengthwise. It's not a proper julienne, but good enough for home cooking if you don't have a julienne peeler, and less waste!
Yes, this is an excellent tip, thank you
Thank you for your video, it is really great for the home cook. I would not exactly agree on the onion, however the pepper is just too prone for injury for the home cook. To cut the pepper slice off the top that will create a cup, then with your hand take out the core and all the white parts. You can now make stuffed pepper, or slice in half and then slice into thin strips. Your method, although efficient, just involves too much risk.
Hey Bri! Great tips, and it turns out I've been holding my knife wrong during all of my long home cooking knife work. 🤦♀ Note to self - try this method, I'm sure it'll feel weird to start with, but I shall persevere! ❤ to you and Lorn!
YAY! Was trying to learn knife skills and a lot of videos are meh.
I enjoy your videos and they are pretty forward which is great. I appreciate it!
Curious about mincing, how do you prevent all the pieces from flying all over the place (my issue).
Also, if possible sometime in the future, can you also include using the knife to make garlic or similar into paste with the knife? I keep having trouble with this.
I made my girlfriend watch this, because every time she cooks I have to leave the room during veg prep... between her knife skills and my commentary on her knife skills, I have an ambulance ride is in my near future.
Chef Jean-Pierre does not approve of your onyo dicing technique
Butter makes it butter
But since he's having fun it's all good!
Chef Jean is correct look at his cuts here it didn’t do anything. I was taught this method and then learned it was not necessary.
I do not agree to your onion cutting either. Why make 2 horizontal cuts? It does not help to make the onion finer. Apparently you do not know the anatomy of an onion. Your a chef?
Here's the deal, for an onion, I used to the vertical/horizontal crosshatch thing. Then I just started doing half moon slices, stacking them, and making radial cuts to get a dice. It works fine. Then Rick Bayless said he never could do the cross hatch and showed how he does it which was the same, make slices, stack them, then get your dice.
How are you calling the top of the onion the south pole, and the root end the north pole ? 🤣
Livid !
(Great work, love your videos)
I've always used what you call the "weeknight dice". Cool to see someone like yourself recommending it.
The infomercial really sold it to me. Can't wait to try out this new knife!
Obliques are perfect for sausage when making gumbo.
Looking forward to handling your 8 incher Bri 😂
What is your opinion on the bell pepper approach cutting off the top and bottom, then laying the pepper on it's side and cutting down and "rolling out" the pepper separating out the core leaving you with the entire outside as one long piece?
Thank you for this! Very helpful. However, at 75, I’ll have trouble remembering all of your excellent tips! Also, I have several age-related hand problems. So, I will definitely Save this video for future reference. And, though I can’t afford it right now, that knife is very reasonably priced, so I’ll be considering purchasing soon. I have smallish and weakened hands. I also have several mediocre chef’s knives, none of which are 8”. There will be a learning curve for me once I get that sharp knife. I am a firm believer in the importance and safety of a good, sharp knife!
Brian's the best; just bought the knife as a gift for someone. Great commercial style.
Whoop whoop! Congrats on the knife reveal… can’t wait to get mine! love a good knife.
I found that with bell peppers I do the strips, then remove the pith from the 3 or 4 strips that have it. To me it feels much faster (safer too) than laying a section flat and fileting it before slicing into strips.
From the comments here, especially about the horizontal onion cut, it's obvious that you should have mentioned one really important thing that a lot of people need to hear - *keep your knife sharp*. Not kind of sharp... really sharp. No, the honing rod isn't sharpening it (it straightens the edge). At some point, you all just need to sharpen your knives. Dull knives are dangerous.
A sharp knife is a safe knife
You beauty for actually telling people some real techniques - now you need to combine this with some mandoline techniques, the sorts that don't end up with you in the AE for slicing off the ends of fingers, because combined with knife skills that's about all you need.
Sheeesh I was not expecting this video to go all Fruit Ninja, lol! I bought two knives, one for me and one for my neighbor. A knife makes a good holiday gift. Congratulations on this Brian and Lauren!
OMG. The cherry tomato tip is priceless!!!!
I bought my first professional knife set. Japan steel etc... I noticed that i need much shorter blade than 8 inch... 21cm... I started to hold it not with my index but with middle finger from the grip and blade. With onion, I have stopped to use the vertical cut on onion. If you do the top cut with 3mm and keep the claw under 3mm when you chop it, and be mindful of the curvature of onion, it will make 3mm Brunoise. And I am still fresh in cutting... Sometimes my Index finger with claw grip just lags behind. And I peel my finger... All to bio and gloves to hand and start again... Julien is all about real sharpness of knife.. Still fingers lag behind :D All other cuts we call soup, Béchamel or Velouté stock. What we sieve.
Thank you for the easy to follow advice. This info will save me serious time(And maybe a stitch or two)
Love the knife skills show! But it would be great to suggest what to do with the wasted portion of the veggies! Seems like a soup or broth could be made. specifically the peppers and zucchini, lots of end cuts as well could be used.
A new episode AND your chefs knife is available and on sale?? Those are nice birthday surprises, loved the house ad lol and def ordered the knife immediately. Thanks Bri!
My knife skills are slowly getting better. I'm going to try some of these tips. I would probably cook more if my knife skills were better. It's definitely my Achilles heal. The cherry tomato thing blew my mind.
Why scrape the sharp end of the knife over the board? I always lift the knife up a bit or turn it around and use the top side to get a big pile to the side, hoping that keep the knife sharper for longer.