Why do instructions for carving a chicken disregard the back?

Question

Many instructions for carving a roast chicken don't mention doing anything with the meat on the back. For example, Mark Bittman in How to Cook Everything, describes how to cut the breast, leg, and wing from the bird, but doesn't say to do anything with the back (other than, presumably, to put it in stock). The back meat tastes perfectly fine to me, although it isn't a large pretty chunk like the other pieces.

Why aren't there instructions on how to carve it too? Should I serve up the back meat? Keep it for myself? Use it as a part of some other cooking?

Asked by Michael Hoffman

Answer

Back meat on poultry tends to be rubbery, inaccessible, and there is relatively little of it. The meat is almost like other dark meat but is found only in thin sheets. Also since, during tradition roasting the back meat is down in the pan, it tends to be less cooked than is pleasant for dark meat.

It isn't practical to try and carve it because it is a ton of effort for just a little bit of not-very-good meat.

After carving off the major cuts I will use my hands to pull off any useful scraps- including some of the larger pieces of back meat. I save these pieces for my standard poultry scraps applications: pie, soup, and enchiladas.

Whatever is left gives up it's goodness into the broth when the carcass is boiled and is then fed, with the spent carcass, back to the chickens.

Answered by Sobachatina

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How do I cut a blooming onion?

Question

A blooming onion is a deep fried onion which opens up during frying to resemble a flower.

Obviously, I start with a giant onion. How do I cut it?

Asked by txwikinger

Answer

• Slice off 1/2" of the top of the onion (opposite the root)
• Place onion root side up, and make slices all the way through, staying at least 1/2" away from the root
• Flip it over and spread apart the leaves

This is best described with images.

Alternatively, if you're willing to drop a few hundred dollars, you can buy a bloomin' onion cutter. This is what restaurants use. There are cheaper alternatives, but I can't vouch for their quality or ease of use.

Answered by hobodave

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What is a good way to cut potatoes into wedges?

Question

I have tried making potato wedges before but can't seem to find a good way of cutting them up. My pieces always seem to be of assorted sizes - so when they cook, the thinner ones burn and the thicker don't cook through.

Does anyone have a good method of chopping potatoes into wedges?

Answer

Clean your potatoes. Peel if desired.

Slice in half, lengthways.

Place flat sides down on your cutting board. Cut again in half, lengthways. This would be for very large wedges. For slightly smaller, cut in thirds, lengthways, on a 60 degree angle, from the outside of the potato to the centre line where it hits the cutting board.

For even smaller, slice in half again after the second half cut.

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Is it true about a dull knife being more likely to cut you?

Question

I've heard people argue that a dull knife is more likely to cut you than a sharp one. The argument is that you are more likely to cut yourself by applying too much pressure with the dull knife. When too much pressure is applied, you jeopardize your control over the knife and it puts you in a position to cut yourself.

Is this true?

Answer

To my experience, the cutting "trajectory" (not sure if that's the right vocab) of a dull knife is less consistent and less controllable than a sharpened one, and is more subject to be influenced by the texture of the material being cut, especially cutting something hard, thick and fiber-ish such as carrot or big melon.

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Is there any difference between chopped and crushed garlic in cooking?

Question

Often recipes say to chop garlic, but I usually cheat and just crush it as it's quicker. Is there any difference in doing this? Will it have much of an effect on the flavour of the dish?

Answer

I guess it depends upon the definition of "crushed" If by crushed, you mean using a garlic press, then there is quite a difference between chopped and crushed garlic. When you crush garlic, no need for a garlic press, the flat of a knife and a little salt is all that's needed, you release the essential oils, resulting in a stronger flavour. You can also purée the garlic.

It's also important to consider the type of recipe, in some recipes, such as a pasta sauce, chopped garlic is fine. In Asian cooking, especially Indian cuisine, it's common practice to use minced or puréed garlic. In roast dishes, using the whole cloves in the roasting tin with the meat, can produce an incredible sauce.

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How can I dice vegetables on a small cutting board?

Question

I have a fairly small cutting board - about 8.5" x 12.5" (22cm x 32cm), and I am finding it difficult to dice vegetables, especially the onions, without stuff going all over the place.

Is it my technique that's sloppy or should I just get a bigger cutting board?

Answer

If you can't get a bigger cutting board, here are a couple pointers to getting the most done CLEANLY in a small space (mostly tricks from my kitchen manager):

• Use a sharp knife. It's easier to control, and when you chop, pieces don't move as much. Hone it at least daily to keep the edge aligned.
• Organize your work on the board. If you're right-handed, keep raw ingredients on the left side, and finished, cut product on the other.
• Keep the spot you're using to cut clear. It may only be 4-6 square inches, but it should n't have anything to get in the way. I like to use the bottom middle for cutting and the corners to organize stuff in various stages of cutting.
• Remove trash (trimmings, ends, unusable vegetable scraps) from the board. Either keep a trashcan next to the counter, or use a bowl to collect garbage. This frees up space on your cutting board.
• You can use additional bowls to store uncut material, and finished results. This frees up more cutting board area.

All of these tips help, but I'll tell you what my chef told me: the bigger your cutting board, the more room you have to work, and the faster you can go. As your knife skills improve, you will be able to work in a smaller space without problems. But first, start off with plenty of room. As you you gain experience, your cuts become more precise, you organize your space, and work faster and cleaner.

With this advice in mind, you should move to a larger cutting board. The extra space to work make it much easier to develop proper knife skills, because you're not trying to cramp yourself in. I suggest the largest board that you can comfortably fit in your sink for cleanup. With professional knife skills, I can handle prepping multiple items on an 8.5" x 9.5" cutting board; however, I find that my 11" x 14" board provides a lot more room to organize my work, and is more comfortable to use. At work, I use the biggest board I can fit on my station.

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How can I safely improve my cutting technique

Question

I'm not bad with knives if I should say so myself. My cutting speed is definitely above average, but I've have never been trained by professionals. Most of what I know, I have picked a long the way, trying out some different stuff, practice etc.

I would really like to improve my cutting speed, for when it's really needed to be able to cut fast, but I don't know how to go about it. I really don't want to risk my fingers. So is there some good rules, guides or techniques I can use or practice to become more proficient with knives without risking cutting my fingers?

Answer

All of the following play an important role in cutting technique/speed:

• Practice! Probably the single most important.
• A very sharp, clean knife. Always hone your knife before use, and have it sharpened regularly (6-18 months depending on use)
• A fast and stable cutting surface. A solid end-grain cutting board is ideal.
• The food should be stable. As Nick says, make a flat side to your food if it doesn't have one.
• Proper off-hand placement. Your off-hand should be curled with your finger tips resting on the food. Your first knuckles should be against the side of the knife blade. Your fingertips should be tucked out of the way due to the curling. Your thumb pushes the food under the knife as you slice.
• Proper knife-hand placement. This can vary based on your biomechanics, hand size, knife, etc. However, the gist is:
  • Don't hamfist it
  • Relax your hand and arm
  • Gripping high up on the bolster of the blade can help with control and speed. I pinch the blade itself between my thumb and forefinger.
• Unless you're actually chopping (e.g. using the rocker technique to chop herbs quickly) you should actually be slicing your food. A slight forward movement of the knife blade as it passes downward through the food decreases resistance and speeds the cut. It also is gentler on your food.

To be completely safe you could use a finger guard. For example, Jamie Oliver Finger Guard. I've never used one of these, but it seems like it would significantly decrease the chances of a mishap. It also seems there are a few other brands out there to try.

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Is there a way to keep chilled cookie dough from flattening while cutting it?

Question

Whether using a serrated or straight knife, this seems to be a problem. I end up reshaping them by hand on the cookie sheet so they are round instead of oval.

Is there a way to slice the dough to prevent this flattening?

PS: I should clarify that the chilled dough is in a roll shape.

Answer

Two things.

Use a sharper knife. Don't chop, but slice gently. Let the weight of the blade do the cutting.

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How can I chop onions without crying?

Question

Onions are an excellent addition to many dishes, but cutting them can be frustrating when they make you "cry" all the time.

Does anyone know any tips or tricks to help minimise the tears when chopping onions?

Answer

The tearing of the eyes is a result of enzymes that form a sulpherous gas when the onion is cut (concentrated inside the inner core or bulb of the onion) being released into the surrounding air.

You have a few options to avoid this - one would be to not cut through the center of the onion but to extract the "core". This is kind of a pain and means you are discarding a decent chunk of onion, so I don't like it too much.

Another option is to use a fan to blow the gases away from you. A small fan next to you blowing horizontally should do the trick.

You could also wear goggles, although you'd have to leave them on for a while until the gas dissipates from the area.

Another technique is to cut a lemon in half and rub the fresh lemon against both sides of the blade. You'll have to keep "refreshing" the juice coat and your onions will have some lemon juice on them, so this is somewhat limited by that factor.

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