Had always hated prepping onions with a knife until I watched a line cook do it last week

I've been a chef for about 8 years and always used a mandoline for onions because I thought knife work was too slow and inconsistent. Last Thursday during a slow prep shift at my restaurant in Austin, this new kid from the line offered to show me his method. He broke down 5 pounds of onions in under 10 minutes with perfect even slices, and he talked the whole time. That made me realize my technique was the problem, not the tool. I spent the next 2 hours practicing on onions and got my time down to 12 minutes by the end of shift. Now I actually enjoy the feel of a sharp chef's knife against an onion. Has anyone else had a basic skill totally click after watching someone else do it differently?

3 comments

3 Comments

parker1832d ago

Hold up a second. I don't think any professional kitchen would let a new line cook break down 5 pounds of onions in under 10 minutes on his first try. That's a recipe for uneven cuts and a lot of band-aids. Even experienced cooks hit about 3 to 4 minutes per pound for decent dice. I'd say check his math or watch his fingers next time.

alexk602d ago

Oh man, yes, you nailed it! People always underestimate how long it takes to break down a pile of onions without turning them into a mangled mess. I've seen new cooks try to go fast and all they get is a bunch of uneven chunks and a pile of fingers that look like they lost a fight with a cheese grater. That 3 to 4 minutes per pound is pretty spot on for a good dice where everything cooks evenly. If someone claims they did 5 pounds in under 10 minutes on their first try, I'd bet they skipped the root end trimming or left half the skin on. Keep an eye on the knife skills before you start timing them!

the_grace6h ago

Yeah, I had to learn that the hard way myself. I used to think I was fast until I actually timed myself against a recipe that called for a pound of diced onions. Took me almost five minutes and my cuts were still super uneven. What really helped me was slowing down and focusing on keeping the slices consistent instead of worrying about the clock. Eventually the speed came naturally once I stopped rushing. Now I just put on a podcast and treat it like a meditative thing.