Knife skills

Knife skills are how you hold the tool. Cutting is why even pieces matter (heat, gel, whey). The useful foundation is a safe grip and a controlled cut, not a curriculum of unsourced julienne widths.

Penn State Extension, from Eating Smart Moving More (North Carolina Extension): secure the board with rubber feet or a damp towel; hold the chef’s knife close to the blade; the other hand holds food with fingers curled under, little finger and thumb behind the other fingers; keep the tip on the board and use a rocking motion, pushing slightly forward — do not raise the tip off the board ¹. Recipes may say chopped, diced, or minced; those words are size classes, not licenses to guess millimeters.

MSU Extension: an 8-inch chef’s knife is a versatile default; paring knives suit small items. Pinch grip — thumb and index near the bolster, other fingers on the handle. Claw grip — fingertips tucked, knuckles guiding the blade. Rock chop — the blade stays on the board ². Named motions: slicing (full length, rocking pull), dicing (even cubes), chopping (less regular), julienne (thin matchsticks), mince (very small, often aromatics), chiffonade (rolled leaves, thin ribbons) ². Those are names; exact dimensions depend on the recipe and ingredient.

Board, wet hands, raw meat #

MSU: a damp towel or non-slip mat under the board; wash with hot soapy water; separate boards for raw meat when you can; wash hands 20 seconds; wet hands and slippery tools cause accidents ². That last is Sanitation and Food safety, not a knife brand.

Mise en place is cutting before the pan is hot. Kimchi and cheese still need a sharp edge: Kimchi, Curd. Dull blades crush. Crushing is a quality failure on the cutting page.