What is Carving?

Carving is a cutting technique where you slice food. Carving mainly takes place at the table, and you will need a carving knife and a carving fork. Slicing meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, and bread is called carving. The slices that are cut are called tranches.

When to carve Meat?

Do not carve immediately after preparing the meat. Always let the meat rest for 5 to 10 minutes so that the meat juices can spread well over the meat. This way, less liquid will leak out during carving. It is best to let the meat rest in foil or in the oven at 160 °F (70˚ Celsius).

After resting, place the meat on a cutting board. It can move around as you cut it. Place a damp dish towel under the board to keep it in place.
How to carve meat?

It is important that you use a sharp knife, not a serrated knife, before carving. Cutting at an angle will make the slices appear larger. It is essential that you cut perpendicular to the thread. Sounds difficult, but it’s not! You just look at how the wire runs and then cut in the opposite direction. This way the meat stays nice and tender.

Always use a knife that is nice and sharp. This way the knife can do its job, and you don’t have to press so hard. If you press down, the meat will lose moisture. To make sure you have a good grip and don’t cut your fingers, use the claw handle.

How to carve chicken?

Carving chicken is done in a slightly different way than carving meat. To carve chicken, use a sharp kitchen knife and a meat fork. You place the chicken with its back on the cutting board. Then cut the bolt loosely. You do this at the pivot point of the ball joint. The next thing you cut is the wings, also at the hinge point. Finally, cut off the fillet. Cut closely along the backbone. Follow the leg and the cracks with the tip of the knife. If you do the same on the other side, you will have two chicken fillets.

How to carve fish?

There are two different options when it comes to carving fish. You can slice the fish, but you can also slice it lengthwise into thin slices. In that case, it is definitely important that the fish has no bones left. Before carving lengthwise, use a fillet knife. Keep it as flat as possible. You start cutting about 20 cm from the right side. This way you cut into long and thin slices.

Carving at the BBQ

Carving can also be used at the BBQ to serve the meat nicely. When BBQing, it is critical to keep the grill at a stable temperature. The meat will then cook nicely. After a short wait, you can carve it on the table. For this, you can use a meat knife.