Carving Knives and
Forks
- Primarily used for slicing
cooked meats, poultry or fish. Ideally for greatest versatility choose a
blade in excess of 20 cm.
- The thickness and rigidity of
the blades determine their purpose. Knives with rigid blades are used to
slice hot juicy roasted meats. More flexible blades are for poultry. The
most flexible blades are for slicing smoked and cured fish and ham.
- Knives with a pointed tip are
designed to free meat from the bone. Round-tipped knives are best for
boned meats and fish.
- Carving knife blades should have
smooth or bevelled edges.
- Carving forks are designed to
hold food steady for slicing. The prongs may be curved or straight,
depending on the intended use.
Introduction
Carving knives are designed to slice through
cooked meats, poultry and fish: a rib roast of beef, a stuffed loin of pork, a
leg of lamb, roasted chicken or turkey, cured ham or salmon, to name a few. The
blades are usually 20 – 30 cm in length as they must be able to carve across
large cuts in one sweep, to produce an attractive slice for serving. Shorter
slicing knives are can be used for smaller filet roasts, tenderloins and
grilled meats such as sirloin steaks.
Blade
The blades will vary in their width, shape of the
tip, flexibility and edge, depending on the food to be carved. You might select
a rigid blade with a rounded tip for large boneless roasts, a moderately
flexible, pointed blade for poultry and a narrow, flexible blade with a bevelled
edge for a side of smoked fish.
Generally speaking, wider blades are used for
large, hot roasts, because it takes a heftier blade to cut through the meat.
Narrower blades are more suited to drier, compactly textured smoked hams or
cured salmon.
Material
and Construction:
As with all good cutlery, look for carving
knives and forks made from high-carbon stainless steel. Best-quality slicing
knives and forks are forged, but many acceptable knives are stamped. Stamped
blades are more flexible than forged blades. The handle should be constructed
from a durable and sanitary material like plastic, rubber, stainless steel or
impregnated wood.
Tip
Knives with sharp, pointed tips are meant for
cutting bone-in meats like grilled T-bone steaks and roasted pork shoulder. The
tip is used to penetrate and free the meat surrounding the bone. Round-tipped
knife blades are designed to slice large boneless meats and fish: a cured,
boneless ham or side of smoked salmon.
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