Chinese Cleaver
The Chinese cleaver was invented during the
imperial period. This is one of the greatest culinary invention
used in Chinese kitchen.
Today Chinese top chef cannot do without a Chinese cleaver.
Those days there were made of iron, today there are made from
fine metal like stainless steel, harden steel and so on.
Good brands to go for are properly henckels cleaver or global
cleaver. The image on the top are made of high quality harden
steel, even the handle is made of steel, are made in China.
Below image show 2 types of cleavers, the top
one is a vegetables cleaver which is lighter half a heavy as
the full size cleaver.
Note: Cleaver are dangerous knives, DO NOT PLAY
WITH IT.
You will be fascinated what a simple invention
can do. It a chopper, a meat mincer, a crusher, meat tenderizer,
it fillet well, a peeler, a slicer and a scraper. It a multi-purpose
all in one kitchen tool. Like a Swiss penknives but better with
only one blade.
Image on the right top parts of the Chinese
cleaver.
The back edge:
can be used for breaking tough soup bones and shell, and also
use a meat tenderizer.
Sharp edge:-
The inner edge:
Used for chopping hard bones, like chicken thigh bones, spare
ribs, fish bones.
The front edge:
Used opening a plastic pack and make accurate cut.
The mid-section:
For chopping meat (mincer meat), slicing, cutting, peeling (larger
vegetable), thin cut, thick cut, fast chopping of vegetables.
By laying the cleaver flat, with a scoop
action the cut food are display on plate.
Using the cleaver:
Chinese chef cannot do without a Chinese cleaver. Now you briefly
understand what it can do. Learn how to control the cleaver
is very important. See other section in cooking guide different
ways of using the brilliant invention. See Cooking
guide.
Care and storing cleaver:
Regularly sharpen the cleaver with a butcher steel to keep the
edge sharp. Remember a sharp knive is a safe knife. A major
sharpening is done if edge is blunt. A sand stone is a good
choice to resharp a blunt edge.
Always wash the cleaver with soap and warm water, dried and
store in the knive rack.
Caution: "Keep Out Of Children Reach"
Tips
Get a heavy stable cutting board is important. During cutting
the chopping must not move. This will help you to cut better.
It is dangerous is the board is not stable.
Buy a thick round hard wood chopping board.
