tips for slicing meat thin
Tara Danielle
lunchmeats. I have an electric knife, but cannot get beef or ham to slice
thin. (I request thin at the deli counter) In fact, I can't even get it as
thin as their regular or thick!
Without purchasing another appliance to crowd my kitchen, what can I do?
Tara Danielle
Vox Humana
"Tara Danielle" <tpr...@nimbus.temple.edu> wrote in message
news:9mlsmc$5j8$1...@cronkite.temple.edu...
Use a real knife. Make sure it is sharp.
Dimitri
"Tara Danielle" <tpr...@nimbus.temple.edu> wrote in message
news:9mlsmc$5j8$1...@cronkite.temple.edu...
1. Use a good slicing knife.
2. The colder the meat the easier it is to slice. A few (15) Minutes in
the freezer will help stiffen the meat. especially if the beef is rare.
3. Practice, practice, practice.
Dimitri
Michael Edelman
Use a non-electric knife with a solid blade and sharpen it.
-- mike
---------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Edelman m...@spamcop.net
http://www.foldingkayaks.org (nomadics)
http://www.findascope.com (choosing a telescope)
DJD
Delis cut their meat that thin by using a slicing machine. Getting very
thin slices by hand is an art and it takes practice. Even then you won't
be able to get as thin as a machine, especially chicken, turkey breasts
or to a lesser extent, beef. But ham, salami or 'loaf' meat can be
sliced pretty thin. You need a very well honed knife with a blade twice
as long (or longer) as the width of the meat you are cutting. You want
to avoid 'sawing' back and forth as you cut. Make long, smooth cuts
without stopping the blade. As Dimitri already noted, the cold, firm the
meat (but not frozen!) is easier to cut thin than warm.
I hope this helps,
Dan
PENMART01
>A smart poster just pointed out that I could save $ by making my
>lunchmeats.
Yes, you can save money and end up with better cold cuts
>I have an electric knife, but cannot get beef or ham to slice thin.
Slicing cold cuts and "making" cold cuts are two separate functions... I don't
see how you will save money by slicing cold cuts unless you make em yourself...
most any deli or butcher shop will slice cold cuts purchased there, for free.
(I request thin at the deli counter) In fact, I can't even get it as
>thin as their regular or thick!
>
>Without purchasing another appliance to crowd my kitchen, what can I do?
>Tara Danielle
Get rid of that electric knife, before you hurt yourself. If you intend to
slice cold cuts often I'd suggest purchasing an electric slicer. But for
occasional use and small quantities I'd suggest obtaining an 8" or 10" chefs
knife with a carbon steel blade, and steel it often while slicing. But I can't
see what slicing cold cuts you obtained elsewhere has do with saving money...
not unless that meat sorta somehow fell off the back of the provisions truck
and jumped into your car's trunk.
Sheldon
````````````
"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."
Paul M. Cook┊
assuming you are right handed is flat against the object being cut. Plus
they can take a very sharp edge.
Paul
"DJD" <Bit...@NoSpammers.com> wrote in message
news:3B8E18AD...@NoSpammers.com...
DJD
>
> I use a Chinese cleaver and it works very well as the inside of the blade,
> assuming you are right handed is flat against the object being cut. Plus
> they can take a very sharp edge.
>
> Paul
>
Do you mean a santoku? They are great knives, I love mine for chopping
veggies. But I have never tried it on meat, except for quick cubing
jobs. The blade on mine is 7 inches, I would have thought it a too short
for getting real thin slices off a ham or a turkey breast. When I want
thin sliced meat I use a 12 inch chefs knife.
Dan
Lee Daniel Crocker
You might try making a jury-rigged mandoline by taping a slicing knife onto
a flat, smooth cutting board with some paper spacers, then slide the meat
through the knife. Probably won't work unless the knife if very sharp and
very flat.
--
Lee Daniel Crocker <l...@piclab.com>
<http://www.piclab.com/lee/>
Trinker
A santoku and a Chinese cleaver look nothing alike.
This is a Chinese cleaver:
http://www.cutlery-store.com/chincleav8x3.html
(I haven't included a picture of a santoku, as clearly you already
know what one looks like!)
GaryO
Two things to add to the fine advice already given. First, a slicer
from a reputable knife manufacturer is designed to make slicing easier
and to allow thinner cuts. From there it is all in practice. Don't
cut too quickly, especially at first, as this tends to cause the thin
slices to tear. Second, there is a knife design by which hollow
ground ovals are ground into one side of a knife to facilitate thin
slicing. This design is said to reduce friction of knife against
paper thin meat slices, which alleviates tearing. Some like the
design, others find their favorite slicer to be a better tool.
GaryO
trac...@pacbell.net
DJD
> A santoku and a Chinese cleaver look nothing alike.
>
> This is a Chinese cleaver:
> http://www.cutlery-store.com/chincleav8x3.html
>
> (I haven't included a picture of a santoku, as clearly you already
> know what one looks like!)
Very clearly they are not the same thing! What is the blade like? The
website said 8" long, but is it more like a knife blade or a cleaver
blade? Since you use it to slice meat I'm guessing it has a knife-like
blade? It also looks like it has a completely straight edge, with no
curve at all, is that right? How do you like that?
Dan
Nancree
>From: "Vox Humana"
If you have time to partially freeze it, you can slice it much thinner.
hwc
thinly. Of the western knives, a long thin slicer is the best bet. It has a
relatively narrow blade that doesn't stick to the meat. I just got a 10 inch
Henckels flexible slicer that does OK. However, even with an extremely sharp
EdgePro edge, it isn't in the same league as a Japanese Yanagibe sashimi
knife. This is single bevel knife with a total angle of about 9 degrees. It
is unbelievable for doing thin slices of boneless meat, however, it's too
fragile for carving anything with a bone.
I don't think a Santuko does a particularly good job on meat. The blade is
too wide and too short.
Trinker
DJD wrote:
>
> Trinker wrote:
> > A santoku and a Chinese cleaver look nothing alike.
> >
> > This is a Chinese cleaver:
> > http://www.cutlery-store.com/chincleav8x3.html
> >
> > (I haven't included a picture of a santoku, as clearly you already
> > know what one looks like!)
>
> Very clearly they are not the same thing! What is the blade like? The
> website said 8" long, but is it more like a knife blade or a cleaver
> blade? Since you use it to slice meat I'm guessing it has a knife-like
> blade?
They have a sharp edge, if that's what you're asking. Chinese
cooks use them for everything from slicing vegetables to mincing
meat. They'd probably do a good job with slicing meat thinly.
> It also looks like it has a completely straight edge, with no
> curve at all, is that right? How do you like that?
Actually, I don't have one, as they scare the hell out of me
in a way that my 10" chef's knife never has. But my Chinese
friends swear by them.
Christopher Biggs
>
> > It also looks like it has a completely straight edge, with no
> > curve at all, is that right? How do you like that?
>
> Actually, I don't have one, as they scare the hell out of me
> in a way that my 10" chef's knife never has. But my Chinese
> friends swear by them.
I use a stainless steel Chinese cleaver (purchased from one of those
crowded, labyrinthine Chinese supermarkets in Chinatown) for around
three quarters of my food preparation tasks. Cost me the princely sum
of AU$9.00 if I recall correctly.
Love the thing, but its blade is too short for slicing hams or roasts
(ok for salami & cheese).
I'm in the market for a good slicing knife myself; what are the
properties of a good slicing blade (blade size, length, curvature,
etc...?)
--cjb
--
Christopher J Biggs \ ch...@stallion.oz.au \ Vice-Pope Torture & Indulgences
Stallion Technologies\ Brisbane, Australia \ Holy Church of Givashitology
nordfordfnrdfnodfnorfnordnordfordfnrdfnodfnorfnordnordfordfnrdfnodfnorfnordn
PENMART01
<wcol...@media1.net> writes:
>Very few people have knives that are sharp enough to really slice meat
>thinly. Of the western knives, a long thin slicer is the best bet. It has a
>relatively narrow blade that doesn't stick to the meat. I just got a 10 inch
>Henckels flexible slicer that does OK
More than any other factor, which knife to choose depends on the particular
meat's texture. For slicing soft and/or oily meats such as smoked salmon, liver
sausage or rare roast beef, even soft cheeses, your thin flexible blade works
well, but these items slice easily with any knife and require no great knife
skills. For more firm meats such as boiled deli ham, bolognas, mortadella,
spiced ham, olive loaf, cooked salamis, head cheese, etc. a stiffer broader
blade makes the job easier and safer (this catagory of textures is the most
difficult, and also encompasses the largest variety of cold cuts). For slicing
the firmest, driest meats such as hard salamis, pepperonis, roast turkey
breast, and even hard cheeses, the stiffest blade you can find is best (these
items require middle of the road knife skills)... most anyone can slice
pepperoni, with a paring knife, even with one that's not very sharp. All deli
meats are different, one size/type knife does not fit all, and anyone who
claims one knife is superiour for slicing all meats proves they've never hand
sliced deli meats except with their mouth/keyboard. If I had to choose but one
knife and one knife only it would be that with a blade having a configuration
most like that of a professional slicing machine blade, which in cross section
would be that of the center portion of a chefs knife. And a lot depends on
the individual, what they're comfortable with and most importantly, their
ability to wield cutlery... not all are equally dexterious. I would recommend
one experiment with different style knives and meats, pay strict attention to
the task at hand, do not permit distraction by others, and use extreme caution,
always... hand slicing deli meats is not easy, probably one of the most
difficult carving jobs one will ever encounter. To become proficient I suggest
practicing on slab bacon... because it's fairly flat, so it sits stable on your
board, it's not very wide top to bottom so your knife does not need to travel
very far (transversing deep cuts is more difficult), and it's texture is
variable, allows one to experience and achieve a 'feel'... very important to
develop the abilty to actually sense the various pressures transmitted to your
hand as a knife transverses the meat... if your'e *good* at it, after a while
you won't need to look, deli meat slicing will become as natural as brushing
your teeth... both require the exact same kind of repetitive motions. If
you've ever watched a little kid their first time with a toothbrush you'd swear
they were dyslexic - many adults have never become adept at brushing their
teeth either - tooth paste all over the place, all about the sink, on the
floor, dribbling down their chin, some can't even squeeze tooothpaste onto the
brush without making a major mess and wasting a quarter the tube... you can put
good money on these types never being able to slice bologna, heck, they's lucky
they can eat bologna without a bib and someone feeding them. Have the bacon
well chilled or even slightly frozen, very slightly frozen (never ever attempt
carving any solidly frozen meats). Also, bacon is forgiving, if your slices
aren't perfect it doesn't matter, they'll be fried, so fry the thicker slices a
bit longer... unless your name is Oscar Meyer no one will notice if their bacon
is crooked anyway, no one presents cooked bacon slices lined up arow on a
platter like OM does raw bacon in the package. A well honed chefs knife will
suffice for slicing most any meats, preferably one with a carbon steel blade,
not stainless, but if that's all ya got so be it, and steel often. If anyone
tries and feels uncomfortable, stop. Stop *before* you get hurt. Perhaps you
were a bit nervous and your hand became unsteady, try again in a couple days.
If after a few attempts you feel you just can't do this kind of slicing then
rethink your ability, not everyone can become expert with a knife, same as
everyone can't become an expert marksmen, musician, gymnast, etc. It's not
worth slashing your hand over bologna. Ask your local deli to slice it on their
machine or purchase an inexpensive electric meat slicer. You don't need a very
expensive machine for occasional cold cut slicing... and a slicer can be an
extremely dangerous machine too, a word to the wise. Above all be safe...
there's no shame in not being able to slice bologna by hand and make it appear
machine sliced, very few can no matter which knife... very few professional
butchers with many years meat cutting experience can slice cold cuts manually
and even fewer deli clerks can, it's an innate knack, you're either born with
the ablity or your not. Hint: It's easier to slice cold cuts like bologna on
the bias, 'bout 30°... eye-hand perception is better at judging (sight and
touch) ovals than rounds... round does not exist in nature, oval is the
default... perfectly round breasts ain't natural, and I can spot em a mile
away. ;) Have fun, remember crooked pepperoni slices have no calories. Don't
get hurt.
Sheryl Rosen
penm...@aol.como (PENMART01) wrote:
tara,
I missed the beginning of this, I think.
But I have the Cuisinart food Processor with the really big feeder tube.
And I have put chunks of meat (such as a big hunk of turkey breast cut
off the bone in one piece, or some leftover roast beef or london
broil---or even a chunk of canned ham) and chunks of cheese, too, into
the tube with the slicing blade in place, and obtained deli-thin slices.
They aren't BIG---they have to fit the feed tube, but they are certainly
thin, and it's a good way to use up bits of meat that otherwise I might
not use. Also,sometimes I can save $$$ on cheese for sandwiches if I
buy it at the warehouse club in 2lb bricks, and slice it this way for
sandwiches.
Don't know if you have a Cuisinart fp, but if you do, there's another
use for it!
--
Sheryl
~~Live like there's no tomorrow
~~Love like you've never been hurt
~~And Dance like there's nobody watching
LeeBat
>They have a sharp edge, if that's what you're asking. Chinese
>cooks use them for everything from slicing vegetables to mincing
>meat. They'd probably do a good job with slicing meat thinly.
I buy chickens in bulk (20-30 at a time) and use my Chinese cleaver to filet
them and then to chop the carcasses to fit into my stock pot.
Used to use a fileting knife. Tried the cleaver and found it faster and just as
efficient, plus I don't have to switch utensils when doing the carcass.
>Actually, I don't have one, as they scare the hell out of me
>in a way that my 10" chef's knife never has.
Knicked myself more than once while perfecting my fileting technique with the
cleaver.
LeeBat
counting his fingers ..... yep, still (mostly) there
Peter Aitken
news:v6Bj7.36993$mv1.7...@typhoon.ne.mediaone.net...
I don't believe that sharpness is the problem, but the inability of 99.9% of
people to keep the knive blade exactly parallel to the meat surface for the
entire cut. No matter how sharp you knife you will not be able to duplicate
the thin even slices made at the deli unless you have exceptional hand
control.
--
Peter Aitken
Remove the crap from my email address before using.
DJD
> I use a stainless steel Chinese cleaver (purchased from one of those
> crowded, labyrinthine Chinese supermarkets in Chinatown) for around
> three quarters of my food preparation tasks. Cost me the princely sum
> of AU$9.00 if I recall correctly.
Is the blade thick and heavy, like a European style cleaver (Henckels?)
or thinner, like a slicing knife blade?
>
> Love the thing, but its blade is too short for slicing hams or roasts
> (ok for salami & cheese).
Yeah, a long blade usually works better for most slicing jobs, the best
knife of course depends on what it is you are slicing.
>
> I'm in the market for a good slicing knife myself; what are the
> properties of a good slicing blade (blade size, length, curvature,
> etc...?)
IMO, a long, thin blade with a slight curve is the best compromise for
most slicing jobs. Keep it well honed and give it a touch of steel every
now and then if you are doing a lot of slicing. I have a Henckels 12"
chefs knife and a 10" carving knife, the 10" has a thinner blade and
works very well for things like turkey and london broils. The 12" works
better for hams and large roasts. The 12" would be better still if it
had a carving style blade, rather than a chefs style, but it still works
very well.
Dan
Ruddell
catm...@optonline.net says...
> tara,
> I missed the beginning of this, I think.
> But I have the Cuisinart food Processor with the really big feeder tube.
> And I have put chunks of meat (such as a big hunk of turkey breast cut
> off the bone in one piece, or some leftover roast beef or london
> broil---or even a chunk of canned ham) and chunks of cheese, too, into
> the tube with the slicing blade in place, and obtained deli-thin slices.
I have an old Sunbeam one that does the same. It's actually great for
leftover whatever as long as the meat's chilled as mentioned.
> They aren't BIG---they have to fit the feed tube, but they are certainly
> thin, and it's a good way to use up bits of meat that otherwise I might
> not use.
Yes, they come out in about 3" slices which are close to what the pre-
packged ones are anyway...not like cold cuts that fit sandwich bread
prefectomundo.
> Also,sometimes I can save $$$ on cheese for sandwiches if I
> buy it at the warehouse club in 2lb bricks, and slice it this way for
> sandwiches.
We just got a membership t one of those places and well...I haven't
really looked enough into it but suppose that there are some advantages
and will post any if I can. Funny thing (or strange really) that those
clubs are a tax deduction if you have a company (which we do) and I don't
understand why? They are retail not wholesale...
And yes Tara...get rid of the electric knife. As Sheldon says (and I
rarely agree with him) you'll hurt yourself. I still can't believe they
still make those damn things!
Buy a circular slicer (electric of course) or a top notch food processor.
Or, of course a high quality knife does the same thing and as
mentioned...practice practice practice ;-)
Dennis
--
Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it
every six months
--Oscar Wilde
hwc
"Peter Aitken" <pai...@CRAPnc.rr.com> wrote in message
news:TlMj7.211461$J37.53...@typhoon.southeast.rr.com...
> I don't believe that sharpness is the problem, but the inability of 99.9%
of
> people to keep the knive blade exactly parallel to the meat surface for
the
> entire cut. No matter how sharp you knife you will not be able to
duplicate
> the thin even slices made at the deli unless you have exceptional hand
> control.
>
I agree with that. It would be silly to try to duplicate a deli slicer with
a knife for luncheon meats. That's not going to happen. The only thing I've
come close on is something like a roll of pancetta and even then I can't
maintain the consistency from slice to slice.
However, most people don't have a knife sharp enough to even cleanly cut
something like thin slices from a cooked london broil or flank steak. That's
the kind of task that really takes an extremely sharp knife to do
effectively.
FMathies
>I don't think a Santuko does a particularly good job on meat. The blade is
>too wide and too short.
I Have a Santuko with the Kullenscliff edge. I use it for cutting meat and
veggies for stir-fry. I can get a really thin slice . The knife is
Wustof-Trident.
Florence
Christopher Biggs
> Christopher Biggs wrote:
> > I use a stainless steel Chinese cleaver (purchased from one of those
> > crowded, labyrinthine Chinese supermarkets in Chinatown) for around
> > three quarters of my food preparation tasks. Cost me the princely sum
> > of AU$9.00 if I recall correctly.
>
> Is the blade thick and heavy, like a European style cleaver (Henckels?)
> or thinner, like a slicing knife blade?
>
No thicker than a large kitchen knife, maybe 1.5mm, and with a long
taper.
>
> IMO, a long, thin blade with a slight curve is the best compromise for
> most slicing jobs. Keep it well honed and give it a touch of steel every
> now and then if you are doing a lot of slicing. I have a Henckels 12"
Thanks..
--cjb
--
Christopher Biggs -- ch...@stallion.oz.au -- Stallion Technologies Australia.
There's a bug in my mailer that mangles my sig but V guvax V'ir svkrq vg abj.
Uneqyl jbegu qrpbqvat, jnf vg? Rznvy zr "Fhowrpg: fraqctcxrl" sbe zl CTC xrl.
Christopher Biggs
> In article <v6Bj7.36993$mv1.7...@typhoon.ne.mediaone.net>, "hwc"
> <wcol...@media1.net> writes:
>
> >Very few people have knives that are sharp enough to really slice meat
> >thinly. Of the western knives, a long thin slicer is the best bet. It has a
> >relatively narrow blade that doesn't stick to the meat. I just got a 10 inch
> >Henckels flexible slicer that does OK
>
> More than any other factor, which knife to choose depends on the particular
> meat's texture. For slicing soft and/or oily meats such as smoked
> salmon, liver
Some good stuff in that post, and my thanks for it, but geez, take a
breath! :-)
The odd paragraph break only costs four bytes, you know.
Regards,
Chris.
Shaun Dunnick
> "Tara Danielle" <tpr...@nimbus.temple.edu> wrote in message news:<9mlsmc$5j8$1...@cronkite.temple.edu>...
> > Hi'A smart poster just pointed out that I could save $ by making my
> > lunchmeats. I have an electric knife, but cannot get beef or ham to slice
> > thin. (I request thin at the deli counter) In fact, I can't even get it as
> > thin as their regular or thick!
> >
> > Without purchasing another appliance to crowd my kitchen, what can I do?
> > Tara Danielle
Instead of doing it yourself, you might try buying the block from the meat section and walking it to the
deli counter. Most of the grocery stores in my area will do this for free.
Shaun
Ruddell
says...
> Instead of doing it yourself, you might try buying the block from the meat section and walking it to the
> deli counter. Most of the grocery stores in my area will do this for free.
Not sure if I read this wrong, but I think she's talking about cooking at
home and finding ways to slice leftovers to deli standards. I do it
often and it's a great way to use it and save a lot of money.
Of course, in the Summer we BBQ every day and there is nothing left over
but in the Winter...roasts galore provide all kinds of sliced meats for
sandwiches.
You are right though, most supermarkets will slice anything you ask at no
charge...