smokerblog

My Claw Technique is Superior

I've been pretty active in the kitchen for the past ten years or so and have developed a somewhat snobby attitude toward culinary preparation, usually eschewing the use of food processors and salad-shooters in favor of a solid cutting board and my trusty chef's knife.

So it was with great dismay and shame that I showed up to my family's Memorial Day get-together with a big white bandage wrapped around my thumb after trying to hack it off halfway down the nail earlier that morning. I had been chopping bacon for the German potato salad. I was in a rush and distracted with pots on the stove and dogs underfoot, and I started chopping indiscriminately at the bacon (and thumb).

Fortunately, it wasn't too serious and we deemed it too close to the nail to bother with getting stitches, but keyboard shortcuts like command-C and command-V have been a pain in the, um..., thumb all week.

So here's a tip: learn the "claw" technique. Place your non-chopping hand on top of the food to be chopped with your four fingers pointing down and curved slightly under like a claw. Tuck your thumb behind the fingers. Now chop using the knuckles of the non-chopping hand to guide the blade. Do not be tempted to move your thumb out from behind your fingers. Do not adjust the position of the target while you're still chopping (this is what got me into trouble).

Check out the excellent pictures here that demonstrate the technique. There are other sites offer advice on chopping and cutting that may help you prevent a trip to the ER.

Now, if you want to cut your garden hose with a kitchen knife (ahem, Kay...), you'll have to figure out your own technique for that.