1
The way I trimmed fat off ribeyes for 8 years was completely backwards
Watched an old timer at a competition flip his knife around and cut toward himself instead of away and I about dropped my jaw. He told me to try it once and my yield went up like 12 percent on the first rack - anyone else have a basic technique they just never questioned?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
jana_jones1mo ago
Man, you sure you didn't mishear him? Cutting toward yourself is usually the dangerous way to do it unless you're using a pull stroke on a sharpening steel or something.
6
mia7001mo ago
Okay but "cutting toward yourself is usually the dangerous way" is only true if you're using a knife that's too dull to cut butter. I've watched pro butchers rock a knife toward their thumb for years and never seen anyone lose a finger. It's all about control and keeping the blade angle right. If your knife is sharp enough and you're paying attention, cutting toward yourself lets you use your body weight and actually get cleaner slices. Try cutting a ripe tomato away from yourself with a dull knife and tell me which feels more dangerous.
1
amy_anderson1mo ago
Funny how nobody's mentioned the grip yet. @mia700 is right about the blade being sharp enough, but a tucked thumb and a pinch grip on the blade itself changes everything when pulling toward you. Your wrist stays locked and the knife does the work instead of your arm fighting to push through the meat from an awkward angle. That 12 percent yield jump makes total sense once you stop muscling the cut from a foot away and actually get your hand close to what you're trimming.
3