I Have Knife Skill Problems with These Two Things. Help Me Out?

Christine Gallary
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor at The Kitchn
After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, I worked at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW's test kitchens. I've edited and tested recipes for more than 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. My favorite taste testers are my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie.
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published Sep 3, 2015
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Q: I have been cooking since I was a teenager, but I have not mastered the proper way to cut tomatoes and chicken. Every time I try to cut either one of these, the slices are uneven and I end up making a mess.

Do you have any suggestions on how to cut these ingredients successfully without smashing the tomatoes or messing up the chicken?

Thank you!

Sent by Maia

Editor: For cooked chicken, I like to let the chicken cool off a bit, as it’s easier to cut up when it’s firmed up a bit. Use a very sharp knife and just take your time — practice makes perfect! If you mean raw chicken, freeze it for about an hour before cutting for easier, neater slices.

For tomatoes, the key is to use serrated knives, or knives with teeth. Even a steak knife will do! The teeth on serrated knives will easily cut through the skin on tomatoes while also cutting through the delicate flesh.

Readers, any other tips for cutting up chicken and tomatoes?

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Knives & Cutlery