Using knives

Knives are an integral part of cooking and will be used daily by most BOH staff at some point or other. It is important to treat knives with respect as they can be dangerous if used incorrectly ensure that you have read up on all the health & safety advice before using any knives.

When using knives for the first time or if you are not too confident with knives it is important to take your time and work slowly and methodically at the beginning, concentrate on the job you are doing and don’t let yourself be distracted by anything else but the task in hand. Above all let the knife do the work you should not be forcing the knife to do anything and ensure your knife s sharp as a blunt knife is more dangerous than a sharp one as it has to be forced to do the work.

There are many shapes and sizes of knives available and many are designed for a specific job it is important for you to use the right knife both for your comfort and the job at hand.

Within The Chinese Buffet the main knife used for most tasks is the Chinese cleaver and although big and daunting at first this versatile knife once used to can perform most tasks needed from it, however there are different weights and sizes of this a heavy cleaver is used for chopping crispy duck / chicken and also used for chopping through bones such as spare ribs. The lighter version is used for all other tasks such as chopping vegetables and meat.

Below are a selection of the knives you can find within The Chinese Buffet:

 

Chinese Cleaver

Used for most jobs including veg and meat.

A heavy version of this is used for chopping crispy duck / chicken or for chopping through bones such as spare ribs

 

Sushi Knife

This long thin bladed Japanese knife is used for slicing sushi and for slicing up fish ready for sushi

 

Santoku sushi utility knife

This versatile knife is used to cut through sushi but can also be used for a variety of jobs such as preparing fresh fruit or salad preparations

 

Chefs Knife

This classic French chefs knife equivalent to the cleaver can be used for most jobs of cutting but fails with power and ease of use for the chopping of crispy/ duck etc of the heavy cleaver

 

Paring knife

This handy little knife can be used for a host of delicate work used mostly in dessert for chopping small fruits and cherries it can also be used for vegetable carving.

 

Peeler

The humble peeler can come in various designs but performs the same task, used to peel apples, potatoes or even create ribbons of veg for salad displays

 

Knife Sharpening steel

The sharpening steel is designed to be used to hone the blade and keep it sharp for longer periods, however knives will still need to be fully sharpened using a wet stone from time to time to regain their razor like sharpness as the blade wears down.

 

Knife wet stone

This is the wet stone used to grind the blade back to a razor edge after it become worn down with use, it has 2 sides 1 is rougher than the other this side is used first to wear down the steel to the perfect edge then it is honed and smoothed using the smoother side.

 

When chopping, slicing, dicing and peeling:

• Never use a knife until you have read the health and safety on knives section and have been trained physically to do so.

• Always chop on a chopping board in a delegated area on a safe solid surface.

• Keep your fingertips out of harm's way by curling your fingers under on the hand that's holding what you're cutting (think claw shape). This puts your knuckles, not your fingers, nearest the knife.

• Angle the blade away from you when slicing or peeling so the knife won't cut you if it slips.

• Always use a chopping board to cut on and secure the board underneath with a damp cloth to avoid it slipping

• If you get distracted or interrupted while using a knife, stop what you're doing until you can focus on the task at hand.

• When using a chefs knife the heel is used for chopping through heavy things such as bones whereas the middle is used in a rocking motion (think like a steam train wheels motion) to slice though vegetables starting with the tip on the chopping board then rolling through. The tip of the knife can be used when fine dicing herb for example when the tip is held between first finger and thumb down on the chopping board whilst the other hand rocks the handle up and down causing the top of the knife to chop through the item eg garlic with speed

• Always use the knife for the job and that you feel comfortable with, don’t rush take your time unit you get used to the knife and the task.

• Always ensure to use the correct coloured chopping board for the task you are performing.

• Always keep the chopping board clutter free and only place the item you are chopping on it at a time, don’t allow the board to become cluttered with lots of items or it can become dangerous

• Always clean down between chopping different items

• When using the cleaver to chop crispy duck / chicken keep your spare hand well out of the way of the blade and start slowly until you get used to the motion when you feel confident you can try the 2 cleaver action but again take care and ensure you only try to chop as much meat as you can comfortable handle and that will stay safely on the chopping board when being chopped.

 

Sharpening:

A blunt knife is more dangerous than a sharp one, ensure you keep your knives razor sharp with regular sharpening

• Only straight edged knives (NOT serrated edged knives) can be sharpened with a steel.

• Ensure the knife and steel are clean before sharpening to prevent the knife slipping.

• Stand on a clean, non-slip level surface where you will not be knocked or distracted

• Hold the steel either vertically with the point resting firmly on a non slip surface e.g. a chopping board, or horizontally.

• When using a steel horizontally hold the knife in your main hand and the steel in the other. You must keep your fingers behind the guard on the steel.

• Draw the knife along the steel keeping the same slant and the 45 degree angle. As you move the knife along the steel the portion of blade in contact with the steel should progress towards the point of the blade. Repeat a few times, pressing firmly but not hard. Repeat for the other face of the knife.

• After sharpening, always wash the knife to remove any filings that might be on the blade.

• When using a sharpening stone hold the knife so that the blade touches the wet stone at 10-15 degree angle then slide up and down away from your body in smooth steady strokes maintaining the same angle. You will know if you are retaining the same angle by the sound of the knife. Repeat this process for the other side and visually inspect the honed blade for equal sides and that there are no burs (do not run your finger along the now very sharp edge) ensure to keep the wet stone wet during sharpening by stopping and splashing on more water. You will note during sharpening that there will be a certain amount of dark wet residue created on the knife this is actually sharpening your knife so do not be alarmed. Once finished sharpening ensure to clean the knife thoroughly before use (see cleaning above)

 

Health & Safety Within TCB (knife safety)

In order to prevent Accidents within the workplace training, observation reporting and care must be taken by all staff of all levels in all areas. The following information is produced to form part of staff training with knives.

 

Golden rules:

• If you have to carry a knife, then carry it at some distance from the body with the point facing down and the sharp edge facing backwards. Never carry a knife with the point facing forwards and never carry knives on chopping boards (this is could be mistakenly done when carrying dirty boards and knives to the sink and is a dangerous short-cut).

 

• Knives on the table must be placed flat with the blade away from you and not projected over the edge of the table

 

• If you do knock a knife, then don't try to catch it as it falls because it could easily slice through your hand and sever a main artery. If you drop a knife, then move out of the way and allow it to fall.

 

• When using knives concentrate on the job at hand

 

• Keep knives sharp and use the correct knife for the correct purpose

 

• After use, always wipe the knife, blade away from the hand

 

• Keep knife handles clean and do not leave Knives in the sink

 

• Never misuse knives, after use, wash, rinse, dry and safely put away (do not use knives to substitute for other tools such as screwdrivers etc.)

 

• Ensure you've got a secure cutting surface. You can easily slip and cut yourself if the board moves suddenly. Placing a damp cloth under the board will give it a good grip. Heavy, solid boards are also less likely to move or wobble.

 

• Take care to keep your knife in sight and never allow it to get hidden under anything, especially food items. This can often occur when piles of vegetable trimmings accumulate or there’s a lot of clutter on the work surface (work in an organised and clean environment).

 

• Never use a damaged knife - it's dangerous and can harbour bacteria

 

• A blunt knife is more dangerous than a sharp one, ensure you keep your knives razor sharp with regular sharpening

• Again above all always concentrate with full attention when using knives

 

When chopping, slicing, dicing and peeling:

• Keep your fingertips out of harm's way by curling your fingers under on the hand that's holding what you're cutting (think claw shape). This puts your knuckles, not your fingers, nearest the knife.

• Angle the blade away from you when slicing or peeling so the knife won't cut you if it slips.

• Always use a chopping board to cut on and secure the board underneath with a damp cloth to avoid it slipping

• If you get distracted or interrupted while using a knife, stop what you're doing until you can focus on the task at hand.

 

Cleaning:

 Cleaning knives after each use can prevent the spread of bacteria, keep knives in good shape and prevent accidents caused by dirty or slippery knives. Always wipe or rinse food off of knives immediately after they're used.

• Lay the blade on a flat surface.

• Carefully wipe one side with a wet cloth, then the other.

• Wipe from the spine (back) of the blade

• Use soap and hot water to clean a knife after it has been used to cut poultry, meat or fish, and at the end of each day.

• Wash and dry knives by hand only.

• Wipe knives with sanitiser after cleaning

 

Sharpening:

A blunt knife is more dangerous than a sharp one, ensure you keep your knives razor sharp with regular sharpening

• Only straight edged knives (NOT serrated edged knives) can be sharpened with a steel.

• Ensure the knife and steel are clean before sharpening to prevent the knife slipping.

• Stand on a clean, non-slip level surface where you will not be knocked or distracted

• Hold the steel either vertically with the point resting firmly on a non slip surface e.g. a chopping board, or horizontally.

• When using a steel horizontally hold the knife in your main hand and the steel in the other. You must keep your fingers behind the guard on the steel.

• Draw the knife along the steel keeping the same slant and the 45 degree angle. As you move the knife along the steel the portion of blade in contact with the steel should progress towards the point of the blade. Repeat a few times, pressing firmly but not hard. Repeat for the other face of the knife.

• After sharpening, always wash the knife to remove any filings that might be on the blade.

• When using a sharpening stone hold the knife so that the blade touches the wet stone at 10-15 degree angle then slide up and down away from your body in smooth steady strokes maintaining the same angle. You will know if you are retaining the same angle by the sound of the knife. Repeat this process for the other side and visually inspect the honed blade for equal sides and that there are no burs (do not run your finger along the now very sharp edge) ensure to keep the wet stone wet during sharpening by stopping and splashing on more water. You will note during sharpening that there will be a certain amount of dark wet residue created on the knife this is actually sharpening your knife so do not be alarmed. Once finished sharpening ensure to clean the knife thoroughly before use (see cleaning above)

After sharpening your knives will be very sharp ensure to abide by all the care and safe practices mentioned above!

 

Storing knives:

• In a wooden knife box.

• On a wall-mounted magnet strip.

• In delegated box or rack

• Away from flames or extreme heat

• Separate away from other utensils