The food lab better home cooking through science ( PDFDrive ) 63

thumb(withreally-fine-gritstones,thoughsay,2,000
orabove,youwon’tfeelit).Itmaytakeupto30or
40 strokes before a burr forms, and that is the
indication that you should switch and start
sharpeningtheotherside.
Step 8: Start Sharpening the Second Side.Turn the
knifeoversotheedgeispointingtowardyou.Place
theheelofthebladenearthebaseofthestone,again
maintaining a 15- to 20-degree angle, then gently
push the blade away from you while simultaneously
draggingitacrossthestonetowardthetip.
Step9:Repeat.Your stroke should end with the tip
of the blade against the top edge of the stone, still
maintaining a 15- to 20-degree angle. Moisten your
stonebetweenstrokesifitbeginstodryout.Repeat
forasmanystrokesasittookyoutoformtheburr
onthefirstside.Fliptheknifebackoverandrepeat
steps4through8,usingfewerandfewerstrokesper
side, until you are down to one. (The blade will not
formaburrduringthisstage.)
Step 10: Fix the Stone. After repeated use, your
stone will begin to develop grooves in it, which can
lessenitssharpeningpower.Tofixit,usealow-grit
stonefixer.Placethefixerflatagainstthestoneand
push it back and forth to grind down the stone and
createanewflatsurface.
Step 11: Clean Up. You should have a dedicated


towelforthispurpose,asthegritfromthestonewill
never come out. After thoroughly drying the stone

(allow to dry on a rack for at least a day), store it
wrappedinitstowel.
Step 12: Hone and Test Your Blade. After
sharpening, hone your blade on a honing steel in
order to get the edge in alignment, then test it for
sharpness.Somepeoplerecommendtryingtoslicea
piece of paper in half by holding it up and cutting
throughit.Ifindthatevenarelativelydullknifewill
passthattestbutfailatotherkitchentasks.Thebest
testistosimplyusetheknifetoprepavegetable.Do
younoticeanyresistance,ordoesitflythroughthat
onion? Can you slice a ripe tomato thin enough to
readthroughit?Yes?Thenyou’redone!

MYKNIFEKIT

W

anttogetarealideaoftheessentialsforgood

cooking?This is my knife kit, the tools I take with
me whenever I venture out into a foreign kitchen.
These are the things I want to make sure I have on
handallthetime.