Most Western chef's knives have a curved belly that rocks on the board. A Kiritsuke is different: a long, flat edge that ends in an angled, pointed tip. It asks you to cut a little differently, and rewards you for it.
More blade on the board
Kuroshio's blade is 8.2 inches long, and most of that edge stays flat. When you bring it down, more of the edge meets the board at once. That means:
- Cleaner cuts in one stroke. Long vegetables, herbs and boneless proteins come apart in a single pass, without being dragged or torn.
- Less rocking. Instead of see-sawing the knife, you move it forwards and down.
The push cut
The most natural motion for a flat edge.
- Rest the heel of the blade just behind what you're cutting.
- Push the knife forward and down in one smooth movement, letting the edge travel through the food.
- Lift, move your guiding hand back, repeat.
Keep the movement relaxed. The edge does the work; you just guide it.
The pull slice
For softer things such as tomatoes, fish and cooked meat, start with the tip near the food and draw the knife back towards you as it lowers. The length of the blade lets you finish a slice in one pull.
The tip
The angled tip is the Kiritsuke's precision tool. Use it for scoring, fine brunoise, trimming, and getting into tight places, like taking the core out of a pepper or slicing shallots very finely.
Let the long edge do the slicing and the tip do the detail.
A note on the board
A flat edge loves a flat, forgiving board: end-grain wood or a good soft synthetic. Glass, stone and steel surfaces dull any edge fast.
