Why You Need a Butcher Knife Set
If you like meat, you definitely like to prepare it right. There's a knife for everything, and there's definitely a set of knives for dealing with meat. A butcher knife set is a set of different knives used to cut and dress meat in different ways.
Yes, you could use a chef knife for meat, but it just wouldn't be right all the time. Here are different types of cutting edge butchers knives and their uses
Types of Butcher's knives
The Butcher Knife
This is the traditional butcher knife. It's an all-rounder that can be used for slicing and trimming meat, and even skinning large animals.
It can even be used for meat preparation on a hunting trip. It has a slight curve at the tip of the blade which helps it to glide easily through the meat.
Some butcher knives have a series of oval dimples or indentations along the edge of the blade. This is called a granton edge and it helps to reduce friction between the meat and the knife. Air pockets formed between the meat and the blade prevent the meat from sticking to the blade. This ultimately prevents the meat from tearing and gives clean cuts.
The F Dick Ergo Grip Knife Set 6pc is a good example of a butcher knife set. It features 6 types of high quality butchers knives:
- A 9'' Butchers knife
- A 7'' Butchers knife
- A narrow bladed 5'' Boning knife
- A 6'' Sticking knife
- A 7'' Sticking knife
- A 7'' Trimming knife
Knives in this set have highly polished stable blades with exact cutting-edge geometry. A finger guard between the handle and the blade prevents your finger from slipping when cutting meat. The handle is also non-slip without being abrasive.
The Boning Knife
A boning knife is useful when you need to cut smoothly around a bone to get at the meat. Boning knives can be straight, curved, flexible, or stiff.
Flexible boning knives are the best as they can bend around bones to cut hard-to-reach meat. Boning knives are typically long and thin to be able to navigate and maneuver through the meat. They can also be used for other functions like skinning.
The Tojiro DP3 Series Boning Knife 15cm has the typical narrow blade with a sharp point which makes it suitable for poultry, meat, and fish. It features a core of high carbon cobalt alloy embedded in two layers of 13-chrome stainless steel. Its handle is made of durable and comfortable ECO wood.
Boning knives can also be curved, like the Shun Kai Classic Gokujo Boning Knife 15.2cm. It features a double-beveled, hand-sharpened blade made with proprietary VG-MAX steel. It is rigid and curved, and can perform a variety of tasks like trimming silver skin from tenderloin and making cutlets. It is also adept at filleting fish. Its D-Shaped handle provides a comfortable, firm grip.
The Cleaver
The cleaver is what automatically jumps to your mind when you think of butcher knife sets. It is lighter and thinner than the traditional butchers knife, but with a broader blade.
Instead of a pointed blade, the cleaver has a square tip. Unlike the butcher's knife which is used to cut through meat and around bones, cleavers are designed for a more or less up and down cutting motion. The cleaver is made to withstand repeated hacking into thick meat, bones and cartilage.
The Furi Pro Heavy-Weight Cleaver 16.5cm features a heavy weighted blade which can cut through tough meat, joints and bones. It has a wide angled cutting edge to allow it to handle heavy duty cuts.
The Steak Knife
Steak knives can be straight, serrated, or hollow. They are mostly used to cut steaks but they can cut other meats as well.
Straight steak knives get blunt fastest but they are easiest to sharpen.
Serrated steak knives retain their edge longest, but are the hardest to sharpen.
Steak knives are mostly used at the table to eat cooked meat. The F DICK 1905 Series Steak Knife Serrated Edge 12cm features high-quality German alloy steel with a sharp edge that's been double sharpened and polished. The knife has a resistant, comfortable handle and a half-bolster guard for easy sharpening.
The Sticking Knife
A sticking knife closely resembles a dagger. It has a thick, sharp, double-edged blade and is mainly used for sticking or piercing animals to bleed them out during butchering.
Small sticking knives are used for small animals like rabbits and chicken, while larger ones can be used on larger animals. They are usually made from high carbon steel and are full tang. The F DICK ErgoGrip Sticking Knife 21cm is a great example of a sticking knife.
The Breaking Knife
If you need a knife for breaking down carcasses, the breaking knife is your knife. It has a long and curved blade which helps you cut through a carcass easily.
The Skinning Knife
This is simply a knife designed for taking off the skin of an animal. Skinning knives have a wide, curved blade to allow you to cut and even gut animals.
The Cimeter Knife
The cimeter knife is also known as a scimitar knife. It has a wide, heavy blade to break down large cuts of meat, slice meat or trim the fat. The wide blade allows you to keep meat portions compact as they're being cut.
Care for Butcher's Knives
- Although cleavers and butcher's knives can cut through bone, avoid doing this for large, thick bones as much as you can. Constantly using them to cut through bone will dent or eventually chip them. Instead, cut in between bones.
- Avoid passing butcher's knives through the dishwasher as it could corrode the knives. Hand wash them instead.
- Avoid using the knife on extra hard surfaces like marble or glass as this will dull the blade and require frequent sharpening.
Final Words
A cutting edge butcher knife set is indispensable if you like to cut meat professionally and preserve its juicy flavor. Invest in a good set and you'll enjoy meat preparation just as much as you enjoy eating meat.
Also Read: A Guide on How to Choose the Best Steak Cutting Knife
