Santoku Knife Use
Table of Contents
The santoku knife is a kitchen knife originating in Japan, and used for many of the same purposes as other general-purpose knives. Santoku means ‘three virtues’ which refers to the three cutting tasks it was originally designed for: slicing, dicing and mincing. This knife is popular among professional chefs because of its versatility.
Blade
The blade on a santoku knife is typically between 5-7 inches long, with the blade being slightly wider than other Japanese chef knives. The width allows for better chopping through meats because it distributes the force across more muscle fibers.
Design
The unique design of the santoku knife incorporates curves that are helpful when using this type of knife because there is less surface area for meat and vegetables to stick to.
Usage
The santoku knife is most commonly used with a pinch grip, which requires the index finger and thumb to grasp opposite sides of the blade, while using the knuckles as a guide. Sharpening this type of knife typically requires only a few swipes on each side.
Styles
While there are a number of different styles of knives, the santoku is a type of knife used by chefs to prepare meats and vegetables.
Blade Size
This family of knives typically have blades that range from five to seven inches in length, which is helpful for chopping through thick pieces of meat with ease. In addition, the blade also has curves on the side as well as a flat surface, which makes it easier to glide through meats and vegetables without having to apply as much force. This knife is also commonly used with a pinch grip, where the index finger and thumb of one hand grasp opposite sides of the blade while using the knuckles as a guide for sharpening.
Santoku Knife Information in detail:
- The blade of a santoku knife is usually between five and seven inches long, with the width making it easy to chop through meats without having to apply much force.
- Some common uses of this knife include mincing, dicing, slicing, chopping, cutting, and carving.
- The design of a santoku knife with curves on the side, as well as a flat surface, helps to prevent meats and vegetables from sticking to it while being cut.
- A pinch grip is required with this type of knife where the index finger and thumb grasp opposite sides of the blade as it is sharpened using the knuckles as a guide.
- A santoku knife is commonly used by chefs, both at home and in commercial kitchens, because of its versatility.
- This article provides more information on this style of knife including how to use it, where it comes from, who uses it, what kind of grip is needed, and how it is sharpened.
- In addition, the article provides more insight into what this knife is used for as well as where it originated from and who uses it.
- A santoku can be used as an all-purpose knife that can cut through any kind of meat just by using a few swipes on either side.
- It is also useful when mincing, dicing, slicing, chopping, cutting, and carving are all necessary to use in the kitchen.
- If you would like more information regarding these or other knives used by chefs read this article to learn about santoku knife usage.
Best for Vegetables and Chicken:
Santoku knives are versatile knives that can be used to cut vegetables, steaks, and chicken. If you’re looking for a single knife to do all your kitchen work with, then this is the right knife for you.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re chopping or slicing because santoku knives can handle both tasks very well since it has a hollow edge.
To cut items with this kind of knife, you should use the tip and heel of the blade as if you’re using a cleaver. However, since santoku knives are lighter than cleavers, it will be easier to slice and chop smaller ingredients compared to bigger ones.
Conclusion
A santoku knife is your go-to for everything in the kitchen, including mincing garlic. With its unique design and sharp blade, it can be used to chop onions or mince garlic in record time with minimal effort. Using a knife instead of a garlic press will leave no mushed bits to remove later, and allows you to get the original flavor of the garlic. It’s also easy to peel and slice multiple cloves at once.
A santoku knife can mince garlic in three quick steps:
- Slice off about one third of the peeled clove using a chopping action while pinching down with your non-knife hand on the knife blade just beneath the tip . This will expose the knife edge to the clove while ensuring that your fingers don’t get in the way of the blade.
- Lay flat on a cutting board and use a rocking action from the heel of your hand back toward your fingertips to mince.
- Finish by simply scraping garlic off the side of the blade with your knife hand while simultaneously pushing the excess off with your other hand. The garlic will be chopped into tiny bits that are all about the same size.
Make sure to use a santoku knife with a sharp blade for chopping garlic, otherwise you risk tearing it instead of mincing it. A dull blade will tear the cloves, making them stick together.
Hi, This is Sophia Ava, author of many books about Knives that uses many chefs in their shows, received my MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College is a famous Chef. Born in Oakland, California.As a expert chef i have written blogs and knives reviews that i tested by my own with the partnership of famous brands for their famous knives. With my well researched artilces and reviews about knives you can make your kitchen life easier.