Of all the foods that people love eating, meat will always remain to have that special place in our diet. There are various meat dishes that a person can decide to prepare so that you have that discerning taste. It is easy said that done. It is not going to be an easy thing for everyone to make this kind of meat recipes especially for those that are rookies in the kitchen. You have to learn how to thinly slice beef with the best meat slicer. For those that are wondering how to accomplish this, you will get some tips of doing that right here. Having a meat slicer is not enough; you also need to combine it with the right technique. This will enable you thinly slice your meat in no time.
Something to Note About Patience
In your cooking process, I think you have learnt that cooking is also an art. That goes hand in hand also with thinly slicing your meat. As always, with a beginner, you will find the process intimidating and also nerve-wracking. That means that you will have to suffer from meticulous cuts here and there. Never give up because you will get better with time as you practice.
How to Thinly Slice Beef With a Meat Slicer?
1. You Need to Know the Foods that Need to be Used With the Meat Slicer
You need to clearly understand that if you really want to be the best user of this meat slicer, you should know what should be used on it and what should not be used on it.
- Don’t used foods that have hard seeds. These seeds are not machine friendly and they will damage the appliance. The only food that we can exempt here is tomatoes.
- Meat that has bone should be exempted from the slicer
- Frozen meat is also not a good option. To add on that is any frozen meat from fruits, vegetables and others.
- Another to be aware of is not using the slicer for slice cooked food after you have just used it slicing raw meat
- Oversized meat for the slicer in not a better option. Always cut it into size first.
2. Can a Meat Slicer Handle Frozen Meat?
There are no negotiations about it. It is just a big NO-NO-NO. If you must use or slice frozen food, then it should be slightly frozen. The one that is froze is difficult to cut and will end up damaging your machine. For your meat to be firmer before cutting, just put it in the freezer for just 10 minutes so that you get a good cut. If not, put it on the freezer for another ten minutes. Don’t let it overstay in the freezer.
3. Which Food to Use in a Meat Slicer
Other using or slicing meat in a slicer, you can also slice the following:-
- Vegetables
- Breads
- Cheeses
- Raw meat
4. Which is the Best to Use, Fine Edge or Serrated Edge Blade for a Meat Slicer
When you purchase this machine, it will come with either one of these blades, a fine edge or a serrated edge. That will mean that you will need to buy the other one for your use. The big question is, which one will you really need.
With fine blades, they have a smooth edge that has the ability to cut very thin slices every pieces without even tearing the meat or food accidentally. For instance, you can use it for something like the prosciutto that has thin slices of cured ham, a popular dish in the Italian cuisine.
Serrated blades have been made with grooves on the edge of the blades and are best to cut through hard crusts without damaging it. When using it, it has no much difference with using the regular knife to cut through the hard bread.
Smooth blades tend to handle most meats but with the serrated edge, you can use it to cut meats that tend to be a little tough.
5. How to Slice Roast Beef
A meat slicer is a common tool to slicing roast meat at home. This home meat slicer can be used either for sandwiches or even serving at a buffet, dinner or in a holiday treat. Follow these directions for a better sliced meat
- It is not advisable for you to slice meat right out of the oven. Let it rest first
- Chill the meat the after it has rested for a few hours if not overnight
- Don’t freeze it as it will turn out to be ice and you won’t enjoy it when it is raw and warm.
For a roast beef, it is recommended for you to use a leaner cut. The slice width will also differ according to preferences. Some will find it wise to do thinner cuts for sandwiches while others will love thicker ones.
Safety Tips:
- Children should be forbidden form touching the machine, highly dangerous. An adult should always operate it
- Safety locks should be in the slicer so that the blades are always kept in place
- When not in use, power button should be off and the unit unplugged
- Gloves that are food grade and cut resistant should be worn; you will be protected from dangerous cuts, if they were to happen.
- The dial that controls the thickness of the meat should be set back to zero
- The machine comes with manufacturer’s instructions. It is always good to read and follow them
If you never knew what to do, as at now, I think you have the common knowledge of how to thinly slice beef with a meat slicer. It involves use of a machine and you always need to be carefully how you use it so that you avoid injuries in the kitchen that are fatal and allow it to serve you for a longer time. You can now enjoy your sliced meat by choosing which machine to use, the electronic meat slicer or the manual meat slicer.