TV Chef has NO CLUE about Cutting Onions! #chefdez #cooking #tvchef #onions #cuttingonions

Few things irritate a seasoned kitchen professional more than watching a media personality hack through a basic ingredient with terrible form. Chef Dez addresses this head-on in a critique of television cooking show knife skills, focusing on the humble onion. For any commis or cook aiming for a professional standard, mastering the onion is the absolute starting point of prep-line efficiency. When television presenters get it wrong, they spread bad habits that compromise both speed and safety in the workplace.

The Anatomy of a Clean Dice

To diceDiceTo cut food into small, regular cubes. an onion efficiently, you must work with the vegetable's natural structure rather than fighting it. The common mistake seen on screen involves hacking off both ends immediately, losing the natural anchor of the root. A professional approach keeps the root intact to hold the layers together during dicing.

Another point of contention is the traditional horizontal cut. While many television chefs insist on slicing horizontally toward their own fingers, many modern professional chefs argue this step is often redundant and unnecessarily dangerous. If your vertical radial cuts are precise, the natural concentric rings of the onion will already yield a perfect diceDiceTo cut food into small, regular cubes. once you cut across. Skipping the horizontal cut keeps your fingers safer and speeds up prep when you have a sack of onions to clear before service.

Grip, Motion and Station Safety

Beyond the cuts themselves, hand positioning is where television presentations often fall apart. The classic "claw grip" is not just a safety recommendation; it is the driver of speed and consistency on the line. Tucking the fingertips inward and using the knuckles as a guide for the blade allows for rapid, confident slicing without the risk of injury.

Furthermore, the motion of the knife matters. Chopping with a straight downward hacking motion dulls the blade and crushes the onion's cell walls, releasing more of the volatile compounds that cause crying. A fluid, rocking slice—pushing forward and down—shears clean through the cells, keeping the prep board dry, the cuts clean, and the cook's eyes clear. If you want to run an efficient station, these fundamentals are non-negotiable.