[:en]
At the monastery we often use a Chinese cleaver. It is thinner in cross section than a western meat cleaver and very versatile.
Point: The very end of the knife, which is used for piercing
Tip: The first third of the blade, which is used for small or delicate work.
Edge: The cutting surface of the knife, which extends from the point to the heel.
Heel: The rear part of the blade, used for cutting activities that require more force, such as cutting through corn cobs.
Spine: Push here to exert more force such as when cutting a pumpkin.
[:zh]
At the monastery we often use a Chinese cleaver. It is thinner in cross section than a western meat cleaver and very versatile.
Point: The very end of the knife, which is used for piercing
Tip: The first third of the blade, which is used for small or delicate work.
Edge: The cutting surface of the knife, which extends from the point to the heel.
Heel: The rear part of the blade, used for cutting activities that require more force, such as cutting through corn cobs.
Spine: Push here to exert more force such as when cutting a pumpkin.[:]
LICING: Holding the food and cleaver firmly, cut straight down, using the knuckles of your free hand as a guide.
JULIENNE: Stack a few slices, and use the slicing technique, cutting straight down through the stack to create sticks. For matchstick julienne, start with 1/8-inch slices, and cut them into 1/8-inch sticks.
SHREDDING: Slicing herbs and leafy vegetables into long, thin strips. This method is especially useful for cooking tougher greens which can be hard to chew when left in bigger pieces. To shred a cabbage for coleslaw, cut a cleaned, washed head into quarters, remove the hard core, then thinly slice the quarters across the grain.
ROLL CUTTING: This technique is used for long vegetables, like carrots or zucchini. It makes attractive chunks and exposes more of the surface area of the vegetable. Hold the blade perpendicular to the board and cut straight down on the diagonal. Then roll the vegetable a quarter-turn, and cut straight down again at the same diagonal angle. Continue rolling and cutting in this way all along the length of the vegetable.
CRUSHING: To crush ginger, place it near the edge of the cutting board, lay the knife blade flat over it with the blade facing away from you, and with the heel of your free hand, give the side of the blade a good whack, being careful to avoid the edge of the blade.
PARALLEL CUTTING: Lay the food close to the edge of the board with the fingers of your free hand flat on top of it. Angle the Chinese chef’s knife so that it’s almost parallel to the board, slanting slightly downward. Move it slowly and carefully back and forth to slice the food, paying close attention to avoid cutting your fingers.
DICING: Line sticks up perpendicular to the blade, and slice straight down across them, creating cubes.
BRUNOISE: Is to create very fine, confetti-like pieces. Stack the panels or lay them out, then cut them lengthwise into very thin julienne. Remember to keep your fingers tucked in, and out of the knife’s path. Finally, turn the julienne and chop them into a beautiful brunoise.
MINCING: Start by cutting the ingredient into thin strips, and then dice the strips. Using the tip as a pivot, raise and lower the blade in a chopping motion, moving it from side to side to mince everything evenly.
CHOP: Means to cut foods into pieces. This is a larger cut than dice. With a rocking motion, keeping the tip of the knife on the chopping board, slice down through the vegetable at regular intervals, using the full length of the knife.
GRATE: Grate food into fine crumbs or other sizes depending upon your grater.
SHAVING: Different from peeling, shaving only removes a thin layer of the outer skin. This is a preferred technique for certain vegetables such as gobo.
FLOWER CUT: Includes using special tools and scoring techniques to create unique patterns. This creates fun, creative and beautiful dishes.
1. Cut your items to consistent sizes so they not only look attractive on the plate but also will cook evenly.
STIR FRY: If any technique in Chinese cooking demands proper preparation, it is stir-frying. Because the heat has to be high and there is little actual cooking time, it’s crucial to have all your ingredients assembled beforehand. Keep your stir fry ingredients separated in bowls based on how much time they need in your wok. Chop components to equal sizes so they have more uniform cooking time, and the result will be appealing and easy to eat. Stir fry comes in many categories such as: dry stir fry, cooking in gravy, pre cooked stir fry and raw stir fry.
DEEP FRYING: Deep-frying produces crisp textured food. Food that has been properly deep fried at the right temperature absorbs less oil and can be light and crispy without being greasy. When food is added to oil that has been heated to 380ºF, the surface of the food is quickly sealed, forming a coating the oil cannot permeate. If the oil is not hot enough, too much oil soaks in. You can test this by seeing if food sinks to the bottom of the oil; if so, the oil is not hot enough. If it’s too hot, the outside of the food can burn before the inside is cooked. You often see smoke rising from the oil.
ROASTING: a cooking method that uses dry heat, such as an oven. Roasting usually causes carmelization of the surface of the food, which is considered a flavor enhancement. Most root and bulb vegetables can be roasted.
STEAMING: Steaming is traditional Chinese cooking developed for when a moist dish was required as an alternative to a roasted one. To start, choose a heat resistant dish that’s slightly smaller than the steamer basket or wok so the steam can rise around it. Always bring the water to boil before adding food to the steamer. Occasionally check the water level as the food cooks. If it’s low, add boiling water to avoid lowering the temperature. Always open a steamer with care and lift the lid so that it points away from you.
STEWING: is a time-honored moist cooking technique that allows the cook to assemble the dish and then let it simmer, with little or no attention, for an hour or more. Many “crock-pot” dishes are essentially stewed. In China, stews are usually cooked in a clay pot over a fire for hours at a time.
RED COOKING and BRAISING: this is a slow cooking method in which food is first browned then gently simmered over low heat in a liquid consisting mainly of soy sauce and sugar. The food takes on a deep mahogany color glaze; a tender, juicy texture, and a rich full-bodied flavor.
SIMMERING: simmering means gently cooking food just below the boiling point in enough liquid to cover it. This technique is used to make broths, soups, sauce, and stews.
BLANCHING or PARBOILING: refers to immersing foods in boiling water for a few seconds or a few minutes to partially precook it. .