Showing posts with label Skills. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Skills. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen - PRE-ORDER TODAY

Well gents (and gals) . . .

That day has finally come!  My new book, A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen, Adventures in Cooking, Eating, and Living in the New South is now available for pre-order on Amazon! 

As you know, I've been quite busy putting this lifetime's work together over the past few years - I know, my posts have been slacking - sorry about that.  But that doesn't mean I haven't been busting my tail!

It's been an honor to partner with Southern Living to tell my tales - those of family, friends, tradition, history, and adventure.  My hope is that you will use this book as a template to open your home, set your kitchen table, and share great food with your own friends, family, and yes, strangers.

I believe we can all become better versions of ourselves by spending more time in the kitchen.  It's a place that fosters hospitality, generosity, humility, chivalry, intellectual curiosity, and autonomy.  Cooking a meal from scratch is just as manly as fine tuning a carburetor on a motorcycle.

So come along on the journey with me - from Louisiana to Tennessee to Texas to Florida to the Carolina's.  Together we shall cook, eat, drink, and live gloriously!

Head on over to Amazon and place your order now before the release rush on 4/28.  Follow me on Instagram @MattMooreMusic for behind the scenes on the release, and head on over to MattRMoore.com for more info on what I'm up to.

It's been an incredible journey since the release of my first book - I'm thankful to all of you for your support and encouragement.  Cheers to making this next one a bigger success - to good food and good gentleman!

Very best regards,

Matt R. Moore

CLICK HERE to check out the book trailer below, produced by Wet Paint.


 BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Today, in addition to being chivalrous, honest, and generous, a Southern gentleman is socially connected, well-traveled, and has an appetite for life. In this part-cookbook and part-guidebook, Matt Moore embraces a fresh perspective on what it means to cook, eat, and live as a true Southern Gentleman in the 21st century. Moore takes readers on an entertaining walk through the life of a Southern gentleman using recipes for 150 distinctly simple Southern dishes for every meal of the day, plus tales from family and some well-known friends. Gorgeous full-color photography graces this culinary update on authentic Southern cuisine. Featured recipes include everything from Seafood Gumbo and Gameday Venison Chili to desserts like Grilled Georgia Peach Crisp and favorite cocktails like The Brown Derby and NOLA Sazerac.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

The son of a cattleman and the grandson of a butcher, Matt Moore is, for all intents and purposes, the quintessential Southern gentleman. With the philosophy of "Work hard, play harder," this Nashville, Tennessee-based musician, husband, traveler, and entrepreneur cooks the way he lives--simply, honestly and with great gusto. This self-taught chef, who invites friends Luke Bryan, NFL standout Jon Stinchcomb, Dave Haywood of Lady Antebellum and more to join him at the stove, is the go to resource for reliable recipes created for the man's-man. His food-writing has garnered critical acclaim by publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, and the New York Times--who named Moore's first book, Have Her Over For Dinner: A Gentleman's Guide to Classic, Simple Meals, as one of the year's best cookbooks. With national television appearances on the likes of The Today Show, Fox & Friends, BetterTV, and WGN under his belt, Moore, with his camera-ready looks and Southern charm, is quickly and unquestionable becoming a favorite mainstay in the world of food personalities. 

Grilled Flank Steak + Coca Cola Marinade

Sitty's Fried Chicken
Pimento Mac & Cheese
Sweet Potato Cupcakes

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Low + Slow - St Louis Cut Smoked Ribs


Not gonna lie - I've been smoking everything lately.

Give me a cool, crisp fall weekend - a cooler full of beer - and pound after pound of delicious pork, and you'll find me in my backyard maintaining my smoker.

Truth be told, I've always been a big fan of the Big Green Egg smoker - but the trouble is that they are so darn expensive.  For young gents just starting out, throwing down $1800 bucks on an "accessory" grill just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Fortunately, I've found your solution - it can be purchased through our friends at Home Depot here.  Yes, that price is right - $329 for the whole kit and kaboodle.  Better yet, you can have it assembled and ready for your first rack of ribs in under an hour.

Why so cheap?  Brand/Name for firsts - this grill is made by Chargriller which doesn't have the notoriety of the BGE.  Second - it's not ceramic.  In fact, it's a porcelain grill, which is a much cheaper insulator.  The positive is that the porcelain is much lighter, and it has less of a tendancy to simply just "crack" - which is an issue with some ceramic grills.  That said - the porcelain does not retain the heat as well as the egg - that's the drawback here.  I'd say that it's about 80% as good . . . but remember, it's 1/5 of the cost.  You might spend a bit more time "maintaining" the smoker - but that's what cold beers are for.

If y'all want more info on this purchase - contact me in the comments - I can spell out all the techniques you'll need to make this a hit at your home.

Meanwhile, let's get back to ribs.  I've been literally smoking ribs every weekend this football season.  St Louis Cut is my preferred style - it's sorta like the T-bone of ribs - it features a lot of the tenderness of a Baby Back cut, with more flavor and meat.

I'm somewhat of a purist when it comes to making ribs . . . a bit of a heavily salted dry rub, and no, absolutely not, any sauce.  Shame on you for wanting to sauce ribs that have been perfectly smoked.

I'm detailing this recipe quite a bit more in my upcoming book - A Southern Gentleman's Kitchen.  But for now, here are the basics.

1 3 - 4 lb rack St. Louis Style Ribs - membrane removed
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1.  Coat entire rib rack in mustard.  Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl until combined.  Rub mixture all over the ribs, especially the meat portions (not the bone) until the mixture is thoroughly incorporated.

2.  Prepare smoker with soaked wood (apple, peach, hickory) for indirect grilling at 225 degrees F.  Smoke ribs for 3 1/2 - 4 hours (meat should retract from rib exterior roughly 1 inch, per the picture above).
3.  Remove ribs, tent with foil for 15 minutes.  Slice and serve.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Keep That Carcass: How to Turn Your Holiday Leftovers Into Delicious Stocks and Soups

Originally posted on The Art of Manliness, 12/21/13

I hate letting things go to waste - especially when it comes to time, money, and food. Hopefully, most of you share that same belief. After all, being wasteful is not a quality most gentlemen strive to achieve.

Fortunately my wife appreciates my frugalness with money and time. And the food part? Well, let’s just say that she feels I take things to the extreme. You see, in my kitchen, my freezer is filled with bones, scraps, stems, sticks, rinds, and other mysteries known only to yours truly.
Over the past few years, we’ve spent a lot of time here on AoM teaching you the fundamentals when it comes to cooking. From knife skills, to cast-iron cooking, to perfectly roasting a chicken - these are all skills a man needs to have in his culinary tackle box. So as I was casually perusing the grocery aisles the other day, I uncovered a culinary crime that I had to share with all you loyal readers.

Since it’s the holidays, folks were stocking up on all the essentials: turkeys, rib roasts, stuffing, vegetables, pie crusts, and especially cooking stock. After all, a bit of stock or broth is called for in almost every holiday recipe. Four cups of store-bought stock costs over $5 bucks in most places. Gentlemen, it shouldn’t be so.

Perhaps I’m partly to blame, as I’ve never detailed how easy it is to create your own stocks at home. And there’s no better time to learn than now. Christmas’ turkey carcass or leftover standing rib roast can turn into a luscious turkey or beef stock. The pork shoulder cooked on New Year’s Day can create a delicious stock for other soups and stews (and even chili!). Of course, all of that cold weather and hectic holiday travel calls for a comforting bowl of homemade chicken soup. Better yet, you don’t have to use it all right now - as these stocks keep well frozen for months in your freezer. Just pop ‘em out and thaw when needed. In this post, I’ll lay out how to make stock from four types of meat, and then give you a recipe with which to use that stock. Win-win!

So this year, I encourage you to keep ‘stock-ing’ through the holidays. Spend a bit of time to save what you typically discard and enjoy good eats and cost savings in the New Year!


Basic Chicken Stock

I like to pick up whole chickens when on sale at the market, often purchasing them for less than $1 per pound. Though most folks use the bones or carcasses when creating their stocks, I often just slowly braise the whole bird. I remove the cooked chicken for use in soups or stews, or turn it into a quick chicken salad for use throughout the week. Either way, this is a simple, foolproof way to perform double duty - cook a chicken while creating stock.
  • 1 4 lb. whole chicken
  • 3 carrots, cut in half
  • 3 ribs celery, cut in half
  • 1 onion, cut in half
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 whole peppercorns
  • 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
  • 8 cups water
Add all ingredients into a stockpot and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 2 hours, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Strain ingredients, discarding the vegetables and setting chicken aside. Allow the stock to completely cool and chill overnight in the fridge. Skim the fat off the surface, discard, and use stock immediately or freeze for later use.

Matt’s Avgolemono Soup

Lately I’ve been stealing a page out of your Greek grandmother’s cookbook with this lemony chicken and orzo soup. Though this dish is typically prepared without meat, you can throw in the reserved chicken if you want a heartier version. The key to making this dish silky smooth and perfect is tempering the egg appropriately. You want to slowly add the hot stock to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to create a smooth texture. Do it too fast, and your eggs will scramble - which won’t affect the flavor or ruin the dish - but your grandmother would be disappointed.
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups orzo pasta
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 1 pinch fresh nutmeg
Bring stock to a slow boil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven. Add orzo pasta and cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, lemon juice, and nutmeg. While constantly stirring, slowly stream in about 3 cups of broth into the egg mixture - tempering the eggs slowly to bring them up to the same temperature as the stock. Add mixture into the Dutch oven and serve soup immediately.

Turkey Stock

Over Thanksgiving, my dad proudly smoked the family turkey on his beloved Big Green Egg. Needless to say, that bird was delicious, and I didn’t want that flavor to end. So, I threw the carcass into a pot and created a rich turkey stock. The next day, I made a big ole pot of turkey and sausage gumbo (below) - feeding the family again on the cheap. Simple, easy, and delicious.
  • 1 leftover turkey carcass, broken into smaller pieces
  • 3 carrots, cut in half
  • 3 ribs celery, cut in half
  • 1 onion, cut in half
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 whole peppercorns
  • 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
  • 10 cups water
Add all ingredients into a stockpot and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 2 hours, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Strain ingredients, discarding the vegetables and carcass. Allow the stock to completely cool and chill overnight in the fridge. Skim the fat off the surface, discard, and use stock immediately or freeze for later use.

Turkey and Sausage Gumbo

Turkey leftovers get jazzed up in this hearty, Creole favorite. They key to making a great gumbo is all about the roux. Spend the time to slowly cook the roux as dark as you can stand it - without burning. That extra effort will yield rich, caramelized flavors that are sure to please the entire family - even if you are trying to kick out the in-laws!
  • 4 cups Andouille sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 4 cups fresh okra, washed with ends trimmed
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 onions, finely diced
  • 2 bell peppers, finely diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can petite diced tomatoes
  • 10 cups turkey stock, warmed
  • 4 cups leftover turkey meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 4 cups hot cooked rice
Preheat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add sausage and brown for 5-6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage to a plate; add okra and cook for another 6 minutes, or until slightly charred. Remove okra and combine oil and flour in the pot, reducing heat to low. Whisk oil and flour until combined, whisking constantly, until dark brown and caramel in color, 40-50 minutes. Add onions and peppers and sauté until tender, 10 minutes. Next add garlic, and sauté until just fragrant. Deglaze by adding tomatoes, followed by one cup of stock at a time, stirring to ensure everything is evenly incorporated. Bring mixture to a slow boil, adding sausage and okra back into the pot and simmering until tender, about 15 minutes. When okra is tender, add reserved turkey meat and heat through. Serve with hot cooked rice.


Rib Roast (Beef) Stock

Standing rib roast is a Christmas Day special, one which we’ve perfectly outlined before. The problem is that most folks tend to throw away that roasted rib bone - what a waste! This year, turn that leftover bone into a delicious stock for my hearty, beef + vegetable soup.
  • 2 lb. leftover roasted rib bone
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 3 carrots, cut in half
  • 3 ribs celery, cut in half
  • 1 onion, cut in half
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 5 whole peppercorns
  • 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
  • 8 cups water
Add rib bone into a preheated stockpot over medium heat. Sear the bone on all sides for a few minutes. Add wine, scraping up any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon. Next, add remaining ingredients into pot and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 3 hours, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Strain ingredients, discarding the vegetables and rib bone. Allow the stock to completely cool and chill overnight in the fridge. Skim the fat on the surface, discard, and use stock immediately or freeze for later use.

Beef + Vegetable Soup

This dish screams comfort cooking, not to mention the fact that it can cure any holiday hangover. I like to toss whatever fresh vegetables I have on hand into this dish - making it super filling and quite healthy too. Go easy on the carbs by omitting the potatoes.
  • 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 lbs. beef stew meat
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 3 ribs celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cans stewed tomatoes
  • 8 cups beef stock
  • 2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
  • 2 cups frozen lima beans, thawed
  • 2 Russet potatoes, diced
Preheat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; add oil. Brown the meat, working in batches if necessary, for a few minutes on all sides. Next, add onions, carrots, and celery and sauté until tender, 10 minutes. Add garlic, followed by the tomatoes to deglaze the pot, scraping up any of the browned bits in the pan using a wooden spoon. Add stock, followed by the remaining vegetables and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Pork Stock

It’s been rumored that pork is served on New Year’s Day to provide good fortune and abundance throughout the year. Truth be told, I eat pork as much as possible, often in smoked BBQ or bacon form! That being said, when its cold outside, I don’t always feel like breaking out the smoker, so I like to brown and slowly braise my pork shoulder in a Dutch oven. The meat turns out moist, perfectly stringy, and delicious when served piled atop cooked greens, rice, and black-eyed peas (a la New Year’s Day), or in my pork green chili (below). You can also use this broth as a base for making homemade pho - which seems to be all the rage these days.
  • 1 6 lb. pork shoulder
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 3 carrots, cut in half
  • 3 ribs celery, cut in half
  • 1 onion, cut in half
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 5 whole peppercorns
  • 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
  • 10 cups water
Add pork shoulder into a pre-heated stockpot over medium heat. Sear the shoulder on all sides, except the fat cap, for 5-6 minutes. Add wine, scraping up any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon. Next, add remaining ingredients into a stockpot and bring to a slow boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 4 hours, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Strain ingredients, discarding the vegetables and bone while reserving the pork meat for later use. Allow the stock to completely cool and chill overnight in the fridge. Skim the fat on the surface, discard, and use stock immediately or freeze for later use.


Pork Green Chili

I often get tired of tomato, beef, and bean-based chili, so I take a nod from one of Colorado’s most prideful, and fiercely debated dishes in the following recipe. Green or red chili, whatever side you stand on, I really don’t care; they are both delicious. This version is a bit sour and salty with the flavors of fresh lime and spice - a good bit of heat is also playing behind the scenes as well. Trust me, it’s a great dish and a nice change of pace when entertaining guests throughout the end of this year’s football season.
  • 1 lb. tomatillos, husks removed and cut in half
  • 2 onions, peeled and quartered
  • 2 jalapeno peppers, cut in half
  • 6 poblano peppers, cut in half with seeds removed
  • 8 cups pork stock
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 lbs. reserved braised pork, pulled into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, diced
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Arrange the tomatillos, onions, jalapenos, and poblano peppers onto a baking sheet, ensuring poblanos are skin side up, and roast uncovered until browned and charred, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, add stock, lime juice, and seasonings into a Dutch oven and warm over medium heat. Remove roasted vegetables from the oven and throw everything into the pot, except for the poblanos. Allow the poblanos to cool, remove the outer skin, and finely chop. Meanwhile, use an immersion blender to puree the roasted vegetables into the stock until rich and smooth. Add the chopped poblanos and pork meat into the pot and bring to a slow boil. Make a slurry with the flour and 1/4 cup water, pour into the pot (bring back to boil if needed), and reduce heat to low. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired, just prior to serving.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Farmers Market House Made Pickles


As previously mentioned, my wife and I just bought a new home in East Nashville.  Now that I'm fully settled in, I'm enjoying all of the conveniences, people, and places in this new part of town.  I'll argue the best restaurants in Nashville are on the East side - particularly one just steps from my home - Lockeland Table.

Anyways, the ONE major thing I do miss was the Nashville Farmers market, which was just a stone's throw from my old house in Germantown.  

Now that summer is bustling, there's literally a feast of fresh fruits and vegetables going on down at the NFM.  But to my dismay, driving to the market just doesn't feel the same.

So instead, after heavy encouragement from my buddy Oz - after a strong stint of bike riding in and around Williamsburg, I went out and purchased a 'cruising bike' for my market trips.  A little exercise, no gas, no pollution, and doing it all in style.  Yes, I've truly become 'that guy' - an Eastside staple.

Anyways, the market was full of beautiful kirby cucumbers so I thought this easy pickling recipe would be fun to share.

Keeps well for several weeks in the fridge.

Enjoy!

MM



House Made Pickles

 2 Cups White Distilled Vinegar
1 1/2 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Salt
10 Peppercorns
1 lb Kirby Cucumbers (small), cut into 1/2 inch slices
6 Cloves Garlic, smashed and peeled
1 Jalepeno, sliced thin
1 Tablespoon Dried or Fresh Dill Weed
1 Onion, sliced thin

Bring the first 5 ingredients to a boil, remove from heat.  Arrange remaining ingredients into a Mason jar, careful to layer so flavors are evenly distributed.  Pour the hot liquid over the ingredients, tighten lid, and refrigerate for at least 3 days prior to serving.  

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Fundamentals

Here's a link/text to the series I'm writing for The Art of Manliness.

1 Onion, diced
2 Tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 Jalapeno, finely diced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced

As someone who writes recipes for a living, it’s my job to make cooking easy and enjoyable for others. I suppose my “job satisfaction” comes when people tell me that a recipe of mine turned out to be one of their favorite meals. However, I’m not always so lucky.

Things that may seem clear to me can look like hieroglyphs to others.
For example, check out the list of ingredients at the top of the page. Hopefully, the ingredients themselves are recognizable to everyone. What may not be so clear is the actual state of the ingredients. What do I mean by diced, chopped, minced?
Honestly, it’s somewhat of a gray area.

You see, each writer, chef, cook, etc., has their own explanation of such terms. Some go as far as providing exact descriptions-“dice your tomatoes into ½ inch cubes .” I suppose that’s nice, but such rigid descriptions remind me of baking-not my forte.

I’d rather not pull out a Webster dictionary, so instead I’ve put together a simple picture to demonstrate the following state of ingredients in descending order based on size: Roughly Chopped, Julienned, Diced, Finely Diced, and Minced. Keep in mind that this is my definition. You or others may envision a fine dice to be finer, or a rough chop to be rougher . . . that’s okay. I come from the school of thought where recipes are meant more to be guidelines than scientific formulas. Again, that’s probably the reason why baking is not my strong suit.
















When working with peppers as pictured, always cut from the inside out-the waxy outer surface can cause the knife to slip.

Basic Skills

I’ve put together a few picture reels to assist you in some of the very basic knife skills.  Specifically, I’ve included photos on the best way to go about dicing an onion, mincing/pasting garlic, and finely chopping herbs.  I find that these are the skills that I use most in preparing meals.   

Dicing an Onion - by keeping the root end intact, this method will ensure that you can quickly dice an entire onion without creating a mess.  Keep in mind that the more narrow your incisions, the finer the dice.

Step 1:  Slice off the top of the onion, about ½ an inch into the surface. 
Step 2:  Rest the onion vertically, and slice in half through the root end, peel back outer layer. 
Step 3:  Make vertical incisions down to the root end. 
Step 4:  Make horizontal incisions down to the root end. 
Step 5:  Dice the onion accordingly and repeat with the remaining half.  


 




























































 


Mincing/Pasting Garlic - this method will allow you to quickly peel and mince garlic.  By smashing the entire clove, you also release the flavorful juices.  Adding kosher salt and making a paste comes in handy when adding garlic to a salad dressing or marinade.
Step 1:  Smash the entire clove, skin on, with the sharp end of the blade pointed away from your body.
Step 2:  Peel away skin, and run the knife through the garlic until it is finely and evenly chopped. 
Step 3:  Add a few pinches of kosher salt to work as an abrasive.
Step 4:  Use pressure and the flat side of your knife to work the ingredients back and forth on the board, until the mixture resembles the consistency of a paste.



 








 





































 




Chopping Fine Herbs - this process is actually defined as a “chiffonade”.  For herbs which bruise easily (basil, sage, etc), this method allows you to cleanly and delicately slice herbs without damaging their texture. 

Step 1:  Stack 6 -8 leaves on top of one another.
Step 2:  Carefully roll up the leaves starting from the root end up to the tip.
Step 3:  Use a knife to finely chop the herbs, resulting in long, thin strips.



 







 












 











 




Of course, these are just the fundamentals.  Master everything here, and we’ll move on to butchering wild game in the near future.

Keep those knives sharp!
MM 

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Tools for the Job

Please visit The Art of Manliness for an interesting new series that I've been writing on kitchen fundamentals.  Text/Pictures below.

Dog : Man :: Knife : Chef.

If you are having trouble understanding the analogy above, allow me.  A good knife is a chef’s best friend.  Whether used to delicately slice paper thin vegetables, to crush through bones and tendons, or simply to remind those around you to “get out of your kitchen,” knives are an essential kitchen tool-the most essential tool, I might argue.

Personally, I use one knife about 95% of the time: 
an 8-inch top quality chef’s knife.  Don’t let the high price tag scare you.  A well-crafted knife lasts for decades, and it’s worth the investment.  Because I tend to be a minimalist in the kitchen, I’m always looking for tools that can accomplish several different tasks in one.  I’d rather have one expensive knife that can complete 4 - 5 different tasks than invest in an individual tool for each job.  Besides, there’s less cleanup my way.

So, how do you choose a good knife?  Well, if the chef’s knife in your $60 wood block set is letting you down, there’s probably a good reason.

You get what you pay for.

In cooking, I always say that great meals start with using great ingredients.  That philosophy is also true for knives-it’s all about
material.  Top quality knives are forged using the highest quality of finely polished stainless steel.  Though other materials-including ceramic-have recently been introduced to the manufacturing process, stainless steel remains the preferred choice for most chefs.  The weight or feel of the knife should also reflect quality.  There should be no joints between the blade and the handle, i.e. seamless integration.  The handle should allow for a secure grip, while also being comfortable for use over time.  Regarding the surface, the overall appearance of the blade should be smooth and highly polished, serving as sign that the knife is resistant to rust and corrosion.   And finally, the cutting edge should retain its sharpness over time.  Of course, the last quality is the most subjective to both use and care.

Knives should always be kept as sharp as possible-more on this later.  Working with a dull knife causes one to use more pressure, which increases the risk of the blade slipping while cutting.  I prefer to always work on a wood or plastic cutting board.  These types of surfaces
give to the blade versus a glass or ceramic surface, which helps retain the edge.  Of course, you always want to cut away from your body.  Like most of my more expensive cookware, I prefer to hand wash and dry my knives instead of using the dishwasher.  This ensures that the knives are not damaged should they come in contact with other objects.  Lastly, always store knives in a knife block or secure tray when not in use.

Though my chef’s knife is my work horse, there are other types of knives and tools that I find particularly useful.  From left to right, they are as follows.
















Steel - a tool used to sharpen knives.
Serrated Utility Knife - used for slicing bread, meats, or other foods with a hard crust or outer skin.  Also great for cutting juicy or soft vegetables such as tomatoes.
Cleaver - used to de-bone or butcher larger cuts of meat where more weight and less precision is needed.
Chef’s Knife - the most used and versatile knife in the kitchen.  Used for slicing, dicing, chopping or de-boning smaller cuts of meat.
Filet Knife - a sharp and slim bladed knife for filleting fish or removing and trimming fat and silver skin from tenderloins.
Paring Knife - a small, versatile knife used to peel, cut, or clean fruits and vegetables.

Honing Kitchen Knives


Depending on the amount and type of use, I recommend having your blades professionally sharpened every 12 - 18 months.  Many of your local kitchen supply stores offer this service for $5 - $7 per knife to restore the original edge.  Of course, you can always invest in an electronic sharpener to keep at home.  Between uses, you can keep your blade sharp by using a sharpening steel.   Keep in mind that serrated knives should maintain their edge and should not be sharpened.

Step 1: Hold the steel and knife in opposing hands, firmly gripping the knife and holding the steel down, away from the body.
Step 2: Place the heel edge of the knife at a 20 degree angle from the steel.
Step 3: Pull the knife down the steel, from heel to tip, maintaining an angle of 20 degrees.
Step 4: Repeat this procedure 4 - 6 times, alternating between the left and right side of the blade.