Carving Knife and Fork – Slice with Flair

Without a carving fork and knife it could be a sad special dinner indeed. Imagine the bird on the platter, and no utensils anywhere around. How embarrassing! It’s the classic, “Have the right tool for the right job.” The carving set is an imperative part of dining… as important as the cutting board or the hungry guests.

For many people the carving knife and fork is safely stored only to bring out for special occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is a shame since if they are quality cutlery; the blade on the knife should be used for many meals. Honing and keeping your knife sharp will make you look like the star chef as you skillfully carve roasts, briskets, chickens and turkeys. There are many cheap carving sets that may not be meant for daily use, but a quality carving set should be used often.

Any chef will tell you besides their chopping knife, or their chef’s knife, the next most important tools in their knife kit is the carving knife and fork. When shopping for your carving set, look for long thin blade coupled with a long handled carving fork. Try out the grip on the knife, it should be very comfortable to hold and not too heavy for you. Some of the grips available are molded plastic, carved wood, or soft cushion grips. There are different weights for knives, just because a knife is heavy does not mean it is a better knife; it needs to have a comfortable weight for you. A heavy knife is not necessarily better than a lighter weight the blade quality should be more of a concern than the weight.

There are many cheap cutlery sets available that may work out well for occasional use but investing in a quality knife set will keep you slicing like a pro for years.

If you like carving at the dinner table instead of the kitchen, a good cutting board with a well cut into the board for the juices is a good idea. Usually the well is carved around the parameter of the board with a larger groove also. When carving roasts you want to pull the meat when you are ten degrees under the desired temperature. The roast needs to set for 10-20 minutes this will allow the juices to absorb into the meat, and the roast will continue cooking when you pull it from the oven. You will have some of the juices seep out when you slice your roast, but if you cut a roast too soon you will notice allot of the juices will pour out of the meat and your roast will be dry to taste.

When choosing your carving set make sure to get a good quality blade and the comfort of the handle for you is really important. It does not matter if the handle is plastic, wood or comfort grip since many professional knives come with plastic handles. Practicing your knife skills by using your carving knife and fork for all occasions, and on special occasions soon you will slice like a pro home chef.

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