a collection of half-truths and hyperbole

Class was back in the Danger Shop today, and it was once again set up with cooking stations. "Good morning," Hannibal said once they were both there. "Last week, we learned about cuts of meat, and we have already discussed the importance of a good knife."

He picked up one of his own knives. "But there are techniques to using them. It is more complicated and elegant than simply hitting things with them. The key is control of your tools, something that will come into play in a future class."

Hannibal playing with knives
Cutting Techniques

"This week, we'll cover mincing, dicing, chopping, slicing, and julienning, among other things. There are many different types of cuts. They can help add interest to food's appearance, and are also important to ensure everything cooks at the proper rate. If you have different sized pieces of the same type of food, you'll end up with some of it overdone and some of it underdone." Don't do that, kids.

He gestured for them to join him up front to watch. "We will start with proper technique, as I'd prefer neither of you lose a finger." He went over the different grips and cutting techniques, demonstrating them.

"When cutting meat, you should always cut against the grain. Cutting the wrong way is a common error that can ruin a good meal." He showed them a rare piece of steak. "Meat is muscle fibers. Muscles travel in a specific direction; like wood, they have a grain." He showed them the long side of the meat.

"Because they're designed for strength, pulling muscle with the grain - or chewing it - is very difficult." He sliced a bit with the grain and tugged on it to show them. "So, when you're slicing meat, you should always cut in the other direction." He did a bit of that. "This makes it much more tender." He pulled that piece apart fairly easily.

"You all have various vegetables and some meat at your stations. Today you'll be making a vegetable beef soup to practice different cuts. Pay attention to the size each vegetable should be, or they won't all finish at the same time. And please watch how you cut your meat."

He nodded for them to begin.