I have been watching a person called Bredam Mcdermott at craftsy on knife skills. He shows you how to do a high cut, low cut, and a pull and horizontal cut. That all works well for veg, but i am wanting to do chicken strips and then dice and i am not to sure which of the above cuts would work? I watch some videos on cutting meat and it looks like they all saw there meat. (even with a chef knife) Which i can see with a serrated knife, but using a chef knife that is very sharp why would you need to saw it?( I thought only saw with a dull knife.) How are you suppose to cut chicken for strips and dice?
Cutting chicken
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Roll_Bones
Master Chef
Raw chicken is soft and stretchy/pliable if that makes any sense.
You must pull the bladed across the meat to get it cut up. Just as you do with a tomato.
You cannot expect even the sharpest knife to work as its not intended to work.
Get out a sharp chefs knife and see why carrots and celery can be cut straight down without pulling the knife.
Then try to do the same with a tomato. In no time you will understand why.
Its not sawing. Its actually common sense.
You must pull the bladed across the meat to get it cut up. Just as you do with a tomato.
You cannot expect even the sharpest knife to work as its not intended to work.
Get out a sharp chefs knife and see why carrots and celery can be cut straight down without pulling the knife.
Then try to do the same with a tomato. In no time you will understand why.
Its not sawing. Its actually common sense.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Two different things here. How to use a knife and how to cut a chicken breast.
With ANY KNIFE it's correct to use a forward and back motion for slicing. You shouldn't just put the knife on the meat and push straight down. Cut with a sliding motion. Place the knife edge on the food and push down and forward at the same time. So if you start the slicing motion with the front of the knife on the food, you end the slice with the rear of the knife on the food.
It simply doesn't matter much how you cut up a chicken breast. Make long strips by slicing along the length then cut across the long strips to make cubes. Try for pieces that are roughly equal in size so they cook evenly but don't make yourself crazy to get it exact.
With ANY KNIFE it's correct to use a forward and back motion for slicing. You shouldn't just put the knife on the meat and push straight down. Cut with a sliding motion. Place the knife edge on the food and push down and forward at the same time. So if you start the slicing motion with the front of the knife on the food, you end the slice with the rear of the knife on the food.
It simply doesn't matter much how you cut up a chicken breast. Make long strips by slicing along the length then cut across the long strips to make cubes. Try for pieces that are roughly equal in size so they cook evenly but don't make yourself crazy to get it exact.
Dawgluver
Chef Extraordinaire
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cutting chicken
I find if the chicken breast is partially frozen, it makes it much easier to cut into strips and dice.
I find if the chicken breast is partially frozen, it makes it much easier to cut into strips and dice.
CraigC
Master Chef
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No clue what those different cuts are. I assume you are talking about strips cut from a boneless, skinless chicken breast. First, I flatten the breast with the heal of my hand or mallet to get it even. Then I cut it with a chef's knife. It takes one stroke to slice cleanly through. I tend to keep my knives sharp and take a steel to it after every use.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
This article has step-by-step directions and explanations for how to slice and dice a chicken breast: Knife Skills: How to Slice Chicken Breast for Stir-Fries | Serious Eats
It's meant to be used with stir fries, but the technique can be adapted for other dishes by slicing or dicing the meat as wide or narrow as you want.
It's meant to be used with stir fries, but the technique can be adapted for other dishes by slicing or dicing the meat as wide or narrow as you want.
serious eats looks like the pull cut .....knife comes to him. i was trying to figure out if it was pushing away or pulling towards him like a draw cut too. Some miss communication here..... i know not to put knife on meat and push down. i was asking which of the knife cuts from craftsy would work on chicken. Seeing serious eats i see it looks like the pull cut or draw. Some other videos watched did show it sawing not what we see at serious eats.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
Cutting up a chicken breast is awfully simple.
It doesn't matter much how you do it as long as it's sliced and not sawed.
It doesn't matter much how you do it as long as it's sliced and not sawed.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
I think that guy made up his own terms for cutting. I've never heard of any of those before - not even in culinary school.
It doesn't matter whether you push forward and down, or pull back and down - the result will be the same. Use whichever one feels more comfortable to you. The important thing is that you want to slice all the way through in one motion.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
I am not familiar with "Bredan McDermott ". Who is this person? Have to looked at any other videos beside this one person? Although I really hunted and hunted and I couldn't find one video regarding your problem.
Cooking Goddess
Chef Extraordinaire
Addie, it appears that "craftsy" is an online tutorial, and that Brendan McDermott is one of the video instructors.
Complete Knife Skills
Complete Knife Skills
Silversage
Head Chef
If you want to learn knife skills from a video, learn from the master himself. Jacques Pepin has a video on YouTube on knife skills.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Our member wants to learn the proper way to slice and dice chicken breasts. Unfortunately for our member, Mr. McDermott is only showing skills in vegetables and fruits.
Addie
Chef Extraordinaire
Andy,
I got what you said when slicing using a forward and backward motion. What i dont get is on the chicken piece you mention slicing as long strips,so here would not do the forward and backward motion? Is it because one is just to be used for slicing and the other used for making long strips only? Just making sure I am understanding this right? Read other places said to put back of knife on item and draw knife to you(your body)and the tip slices and then forward a little. Showed a picture of using this technique on a tomato and fruit.Is there a difference between forward and backward motion and this one with bringing back of knife towards you?
I got what you said when slicing using a forward and backward motion. What i dont get is on the chicken piece you mention slicing as long strips,so here would not do the forward and backward motion? Is it because one is just to be used for slicing and the other used for making long strips only? Just making sure I am understanding this right? Read other places said to put back of knife on item and draw knife to you(your body)and the tip slices and then forward a little. Showed a picture of using this technique on a tomato and fruit.Is there a difference between forward and backward motion and this one with bringing back of knife towards you?
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GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
Our member wants to learn the proper way to slice and dice chicken breasts. Unfortunately for our member, Mr. McDermott is only showing skills in vegetables and fruits.
Slicing and dicing chicken is no different from slicing and dicing fruits and vegetables.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
There is no difference. The end result will be the same. Use whichever is more comfortable for you. Watch this video and stop making it so complicated. It's not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nffGuGwCE3E
i cant find where i read or heard but, it was for soft veg. you use the pulling cut and hard veg the push cut . Has any one else heard this? Thats why I ask about back of knife on item pull towards you and other knife edge on item with forward and back motion. I have to say i am not making this complicated,just understanding what cut for what.Thanks for video! Also realize you use what is comfortable for you ,but has to be some guide lines.
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Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
It doesn't matter if you cut long strips first then cut across the strips to make cubes; or if you cut pieces across the breast then cut those pieces into cubes. Just stick with the forward and down or the backward and down motion Jacques Pepin described. It works for all foods that require cutting up.
GotGarlic
Chef Extraordinaire
No, I haven't heard that, and I went to culinary school for a couple of months (had to withdraw for medical reasons; the first class was knife skills). You only use the sharp edge. The back (top) of the knife won't cut anything.
Yes, you are, and you do this every time you post. You ask a question, you get the same answer from several people, and you continue to ask the same question. There are guidelines. Watch the video, listen and do what he does. Then watch more of his videos. You will learn a lot that way.
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