A Chef’s Knife

Cutting raw meat usually involves a bit of effort, so having the right tool for the job will make the job much easier for you.

The best knife for cutting raw meat is a chef’s knife, which is also the most useful knife in the kitchen in general, as it can handle a great variety of different tasks. For this reason, it is well worth your while investing in a good, high-quality chef’s knife that is durable, comfortable in your hand and will last you for years to come.

When looking for a good chef’s knife, there are a few important factors to pay careful attention to. First of all, the quality of the blade itself is the most important thing of all. You want a knife that is made from a material that will retain its sharpness and does not need to be sharpened often.

Carbon steel is a good option for the average home cook, as it is more durable than stainless steel while being more affordable than the more top-end materials such as ceramic and Damascus steel.

A Cleaver

A cleaver is not a knife that the typical home chef will usually own, but they can be very useful if you often prepare meat or fish. Cleavers are generally used for splitting large cuts of meat, and the momentum and weight of the blade do most of the work. 

A cleaver can either be raised up and brought down to cut through meat and soft bone or used in a rocking motion for lighter tasks. For thick bone, you will probably want to use a bone saw, but this type of butchering is less common in most home kitchens.

A Paring Knife

A paring knife can be useful when preparing meat, usually used for the task of separating meat from bones. This is also a knife that most home chefs will have in their kitchens already, so this is handy.

A paring knife allows to precise slicing, so it is perfect for the task of separating the meat from bones, or seams of fat. You should use the tip of a paring knife, drawing it slowly along the line between the meat and bone, and pull the bone away with your other hand.

A Boning Knife

A boning knife is a more official knife for the task of removing bones from meat or fish. A boning knife is stiffer and is used for removing the bones from meat such as beef and pork, while a more flexible filleting knife is used for delicate meats like poultry and fish.

A Carving Knife

For cutting most kinds of cooked meat such as roast chicken, turkey and beef, a carving knife is what you will need to cut thin, even slices from your meat. They have a long blade, which is quite a lot thinner than that on a chef’s knife, and perfect for the task of slicing cleanly through cooked meat.

Carving knives are usually used together with a two-pronged fork, that holds the meat in place while it is sliced.

So that concludes our roundup of the most common knives you will typically come across when preparing meat. Be sure to check out our range here at Kitchen Knives if you are in need of any of these for your own collection.