Having sharp, strong knives is critical to keep butchering from being overly difficult. Commercial butcher knives are a staple for the butcher shop or deli. The most commonly utilized knives in the butchering process are skinning knives, breaking knives like cleavers and boning knives.
When shopping for professional knives, many chefs and butchers have a preference in edge type for different tasks. There are two common edges in knives; granton edge knives or straight edge knives. A granton edge blade has indentations or scallops which create air pockets between the blade and food. These air pockets create better food “release” and reduces tearing and shredding of the food, keeping it as intact as possible. These blades are great for foods with high moisture content or clingy foods like salmon, cheese, cucumbers and many other meats.
Different tasks will also require professional cutlery of different lengths. Additionally, many facilities require that their staff utilize only NSF listed professional knives. When selecting a butcher knife for your establishment, choose one that has a heavy-duty stainless steel blade for slicing and skinning meat. You should also consider the handle material when shopping for professional knives. Handles can be made of polypropylene, fibrox or other materials, each having different properties relating to comfort, hand feel and durability.
Finally, along with a cleavers, boning knives, skinning and breaking knives, you’ll want to be sure that you have paring knives and slicing knives, along with a professional knife sharpener to keep your blades in top form.
