The Lost Art of Carving (Part 3)

Carving Beef Cuts

Beef is perhaps the most common and popular type of meat presented in roasted form. Below are some tips for carving several popular beef dishes including good old Corned Beef.

While each cut may be different eg rib bones they all have in common: Hold firmly on a wooden carving board to avoid accidents and for accuracy; carve with the grain and stack closely together after carving to retain the juices.

Carving Boneless Roast

Begin slicing at the wide end of the fillet, keeping the blade of the knife slightly tilted, carving across the grain. Make the slices about 2cm thick. To keep the warmth and juices within the slices, keep them stacked closely together on one side of the carving board as they are cut.

Carving Boned-Roasts (Rib Roast)

Carving is easier if you have the backbone removed by the butcher and the rib bones cut short.

1 Place the roast on the carving board with the large end down to form a solid base. Insert the fork firmly beneath the top rib. Starting at the right hand edge (the broadest part), slice across the grain horizontally toward the rib side.

2 Use the tip of the knife to cut along the rib bone to release the slice. Be sure to keep close to the bone. Lift each slice individually by sliding the knife back under the slice and steadying it with the fork.

Usually a rib roast is carved in slices, but for hearty eaters you might like to serve a whole rib. To serve a whole rib, cut under the first rib, near the bone, slicing the meat from the rib top inward. To lift the whole rib neatly, pick it up with the knife underneath and use the fork to hold it steady.

Carving a rolled rib beef roast

A rolled rib can be carved lying on its side or on its end. This will be determined by the length or height of the roll.

For a larger roll it is recommended to lay it on its end with the larger cut surface down and the smaller end up. Sirloin roasts may also be carved using this technique.

Insert the carving fork firmly 2-3cm below the top of the roast. Slice across the grain from the right side. Make the first slice thicker than the others in order to get a smooth and level surface from the start.

Place each piece directly on the plate or a hot serving platter.

Reinsert the fork progressively lower in the meat each time, keeping the slices uniform.

Remove any strings as you come to them. When the roast has only 5-10cm left to carve, divide it down the middle. Lay the cut surface flat on the carving board. Continue to slice and repeat for the other portion.

Carving Corned Silverside

Place the meat fat side up, on the carving board, with the tip to the right of the carver. Look for the direction of the grain.

If you’re not sure how it runs, check by cutting off a thin slice or two. Begin at the tip, slicing across the grain at the desired thickness.

As the grain changes, turn the meat so that you are always cutting across the grain, to ensure tenderness.

Note Images: I am grateful to the "www" and the original owners of these images. I have placed a link back to their original recipes in each image as acknowledgement of their creativity and generosity

The Lost Art of Carving (Part 2)

Things to keep in Mind Each Time You Carve

To those of you who have been waiting for some more carving tips, my sincere apologies for taking so long to get back to this series.

I have been busily building a new website for Charcool and while I am quite proud of the result (thanks Joomla!) I have kind of let everything else slide.

Still, we're back now so let's start with some useful tips to remember before we go through some basic carving techniques:

• For firmer, easier carving, allow roast meats to rest in a warm place for 10-35 minutes covered loosely with foil. This will ensure a juicier result. Always retain the juice to pour over the meat when serving or to make a rich complementary gravy.
• This seems obvious but sharpen your knife before, and as often as necessary during, carving. Nothing spoils the presentation of a cooked roast more than inconsistent, ragged and torn slices.
• Remove any string or skewers as you get to them.
• Use a slicing rather than sawing action, making use of the full length of the blade in a gentle follow-through motion with each slice. Apply only enough pressure to cut meat fibres; too much pressure will bruise or tear the meat, spoiling the appearance.
• The angle of the knife should not be changed once the slicing has begun.
  
• Carve across the grain wherever possible. This will aid tenderness.
• Aim for uniformity in the size and thickness of your slices and try to carve the whole roast so the slices can be divided evenly.
  
• If you have enough meat for leftovers, leave some meat unsliced. A solid piece of meat will not dry out in the refrigerator as quickly as slices.
  
• Always carve on a wooden board before transferring to a serving platter. Don't be tempted to save time by carving on the platter. All you'll do is scratch the platter and dull your knife blade!
  
• As the meat is carved, place slices on the serving platter for a formal presentation.
• Preheat plates and the serving platter before carving as meat slices lose heat faster than a whole joint.
  
• Serve individual portions on to the heated plates when carving is completed.

Coming up next: Carving Beef

The Lost Art of Carving (Part 1)

Get the Right Equipment

Once a ritual rite of passage, the decline of the Sunday roast has made the art of carving at the table just a dim but pleasant and re-assuring memory for many people.

The loss of this simple skill is now so acute that Baby Boomers and Gen X are signing up for master classes just to the learn skills which can put formal family meals back on the agenda.

But carving isn't really some arcane science which needs specialist help and out-sourcing. The purpose of carving, after all, is simply to obtain the greatest number of large, moist slices of meat from a joint of meat or poultry.

While you can spend hundreds of dollars on the best equipment, all you really need is a large fork, sharp knife and a carving board - all of which you already own or can be purchased for a modest price.

Basic Materials

Carving Knife:
Purchase a stainless steel (preferably "high carbon" ss) carving knife between 20 cm 38 cm (8 and 15 inches) in length.

You'll notice that a carving knife is thinner than a kitchen or chopping knife (particularly at the spine), enabling it to carve thinner, more precise slices. They are generally shorter and wider than slicing knives.

Despite some of the better brands selling for around $250 each, you should be able to pick one up for less than $100 (check the sales!). With reasonable care (which includes separate hand-washing and storing them in a block not in contact with other kitchen utensils) your knife will last for many years!

Some popular brands are: Furi, Wurtoff, Mundial and Wiltshire.

Carving Fork:

The carving fork's purpose is two-fold: to hold your roast steady while carving and to retain all your fingers!

Look for one with a long handle and two long, sharp "tangs" or prongs. Normally a carving fork will be the same length or a bit shorter than your carving knife.

While carving forks with a protective guard at the bolster (where the tangs meet the handle) are less common these days there are very many designs around and if you are worried about a bit of home surgery, it's worth looking for this specific feature.

Again, look for quality stainless steel with a comfortable grip. Carving forks are usually included in knife block sets which can be another economical was to pick up good carving equipment at a reasonable price.

Carving Board:

As you would know from reading earlier posts I strongly recommend wooden carving boards over plastic, marble or glass for the inherent anti-bacterial properties and because wood is also kinder to your knives.

A high quality, medium density carving board like camphor laurel is an investment that will give years of service.

In fact, Australian camphor laurel has so many great properties for carving and chopping boards that we carry a large range of boards on our retail site.

I highly recommend the Federation Carving board which is a huge board (40cm x 50cm) and has deep juice channels to collect the juices which can then be poured over the carved meat prior to serving or used to make a sumptuous gravy.

Coming In Part 2

So, having invested in a some reasonable quality carving equipment, next part of this series will look at the basics of carving different meats and share a few kitchen secrets to make your carving experience all the richer.