riley_schmidt•2d agoMost Upvoted

Picked up a trick from a line cook in Savannah that still makes my prep faster

I was working a catering gig down in Savannah last fall, and this old line cook showed me how to hold a chef's knife closer to the blade for dicing onions. He said it saves a split second on every cut and keeps your wrist from getting tired over a 12-hour shift. Has anyone else picked up a weird little technique from someone unexpected that actually stuck with you?

2 comments

2 Comments

caleb_ross122d agoOG Member

I remember reading somewhere that chefs in France hold their knives the exact same way - pinching the blade right above the handle instead of gripping the handle all the way back. Tried it out a few weeks ago after seeing a youtube video about it, and it actually made my onion dicing way more consistent. The weird part is how much less my hand cramps up after chopping a bunch of veggies for meal prep. Pretty crazy that some random cook from Savannah figured out the same trick as professional French chefs just from working long shifts.

kim8192d ago

Have you tried using a smaller knife for stuff like garlic and shallots too? I found that switch really helped my precision more than I expected. What brand of knife do you use for your prep work?