Knowing how to carve meat properly is a great skill to have, especially if you’re a fan of hosting or cooking for other people. Whether it’s a festive turkey on Christmas day, or a roast dinner on a Sunday - it’s actually not as difficult as many believe it to be. There are a few key elements that need to be taken into consideration, but once you have those under your belt it’s actually pretty simple to get the hang of.

Why a carving knife is important

As with any task, the right tools increase the efficiency of your work. And if you’re carving meat, the best tool is a carving knife. Here at Butchers Equipment Warehouse, we’ve been the UK’s leading supplier of butchers knives since 1988, so we know a thing or two about choosing the right knife.

For carving up a feast we’d recommend one of our carving sets. Each of these sets comes with a high-quality carving knife and fork, perfect for stability and precision. A good-quality and sharp knife will do 80% of the work for you, so it’s worth your while. If you try to use a blunt knife, it will put too much pressure on the meat and squeeze all the delicious juices out - and with them, all the flavour too.

As well as a top-notch carving knife, you’ll need a good quality board. A carving board is a great choice. Unlike a standard chopping board, carving boards have drainage channels that capture all the juices that leak out during carving, before they run off onto your countertop. But if you don’t have one, a regular wooden chopping board will do the trick!

Excellent meat will produce an excellent meal

The key to becoming a great carver is to get yourself some great meat. High-quality meat comes from high-quality stock, which can be found at your local butchers. If you’re looking for the very best carving experience, we’d generally advise steering clear of meat from the supermarket for a couple of reasons.

  1. Supermarket meat is rarely ever hung on hooks because ageing meat properly is a time consuming process. This means it’s more likely to be tougher, and shrink during the cooking process.
  2. If you buy from a butcher, the meat is usually incredibly fresh and sourced from a local farm. It’s also more likely to be carved in front of you, versus sitting on a shelf for days until someone buys it, like at the supermarket.
  3. Meat from the butcher is hung and aged in a purpose built room or fridge, giving the muscle fibres a chance to relax and shrink, producing a deliciously tender end result that won’t shrink during cooking.

When it comes to carving meat, a rest is best

It can be tempting to dive straight into carving when your meat is fresh out of the oven, but for best results avoid doing this. As soon as your meat has finished cooking, cover with tinfoil and leave it to rest for at least 15-20 minutes. This will keep the meat succulent, allowing the temperature to regulate throughout the cut or joint so it can retain its juices and flavour. Letting the meat relax will make for a better carving experience and a tastier meal. If you go to carve your meat and it squeaks, it hasn’t rested for long enough.

Carve your meat like a pro with these tips

Place the meat in a position that feels stable and comfortable for you (it doesn’t matter too much how you do this). When it comes time to carve your meat, carve across the grain rather than with it. This technique will give you a juicier, more tender cut. Some cuts that are on the more tender side, like fillet or loin, can be cut with the grain, but if you’re ever in doubt, defer back to cutting against the grain.

To carve meat on the bone, such as a leg of lamb or beef, find the meatiest part of the joint and have that side facing upward. Carve a narrow slice of meat from the centre of the joint down to the bone, and then follow this same pattern across the whole joint with the knife angled along the line of the wedge. After you’ve made all your cuts, free them from the bone by slicing along the base. Then flip the joint over and carve the remaining meat parallel to the bone.

All that’s left to do now, is enjoy the beautiful meal you’ve carved! We only supply the very best carving knives, butchers knives and chef knife sets here at Butchers Equipment Warehouse, so you can have the best experience in the kitchen. So whether you’re at the beginning of your culinary journey, a seasoned professional or a BBQ guru, you can always be confident that we have exactly what you need — and all at the very best prices.

Explore our extensive range of knives, sets and accessories right here on our site, and if you’ve got any questions, get in touch with us on 01254 427721 and we’ll be happy to help!