The Ultimate Guide About Can You Slice Meat With A Mandolin:
The short answer is yes, you can slice meat with a mandolin slicer. Cutting meat is an art; not only does it require the right tools, but it also needs experience and a steady hand. But like all skills, it is easy to learn the right technique and with a little practice, you should be able to slice meat thinly to perfection.
Don’t worry, if you’re not well versed with the art of cutting. This guide will help you learn the right techniques for preparing your meat for cutting and will also put out the basics that you need to understand to get that perfect cut.
Granted, the first time might not be a clean professional cut but you’ve heard “practice makes perfect”; so without further ado, let’s get started.
How to Use a Mandoline for Slicing Meat?
Almost everyone has a mandoline in a kitchen and a good chef should know their way around the tools they use. The following tips will help you realize the full potential of a mandolin while also helping you hone your culinary skills:
Prepare The Meat
The meat needs to be firm enough to be sliced properly. Putting the meat into a refrigerator 2 to 4 hours before the slicing will make it firm enough into super thin slices. To get the best slices, make sure any excess fat is removed before slicing.
Selecting the Right Blade
A weak and small mandoline blade will not be of much use. If your blade flexes when slicing vegetables, it won’t do any good when slicing meat. A surgical-grade stainless steel blade is best and can help cut up meat in the traditional slice style.
Set The Mandoline Blade
The blade of the mandoline can be adjusted to change the slicing size. For thin, perfect slices be sure to adjust the blade to at least ⅛ inch or thinner.
Angle of Approach
Make sure the slicer is perpendicular to the meat. This angle can expose the fingers to the blade if care is not taken. Always use safety gloves while using a mandoline.
Meat Type
Confused about using a mandoline? It can slice through almost any kind of meat. Adjust the blade according to your needs and enjoy the precise cuts in the dish of your choice. Professional chefs can cut beef or lamb into their preferred sizes effortlessly.
For profesisonals, yes. Mandoline can provide excellent cuts but while it is a nifty tool that can save a lot of time when cutting vegetables or fruits, its sharp blades can also prove dangerous, as getting a bad cut by Mandoline is common for first time users.
It appears that first-time users are not the only victims of Mandoline. With time and use, the blades on the mandolin get blunt and an inexperienced attempt to change the blades can end very badly. The blades are designed to be replaced when they wear out and using blunt blades can ruin the slices.
Like all kitchen tools mandoline also needs to be cleaned before stowing away. While stainless steel does not catch rust easily, water can cause the blades to wear off more quickly.
Can You Use a Mandoline to Slice Meat After Cooking it?
No, slicing cooked meat is not recommended as the meat would shred. While people attempt the same and might get an unexpectedly good slice, it is not consistent. It is best to use a mandolin on uncooked frozen meat that is firm enough to be sliced.
Mandoline vs. Meat Slicer
A meat slicer will help you get precise cuts of all sizes effortlessly, on the other hand, a mandolin brings the advantage and convenience of being easy to use, store, and manage. Meat slicers are great for a commercial setting where cutting and slicing meat would be done frequently. The meat slicer is larger when compared to mandoline and is much more affordable.
Moreover, there are certain cuts that a mandoline can do better than a slicer. If you’re a professional chef and would love to master the art of meat cutting, then a meat slicer is the right choice as it offers versatility and ease, but for everyone else who won’t be cutting meat for a living, a mandolin will do just fine.
Buying a Mandoline? What to Look Out For
Here is a list of things you should consider when buying a mandolin, particularly for cutting meat.
The Size
If you intend to slice a lot of meat with it then you’d want to get a large mandoline. Conversely, if you don’t have a large-sized mandolin you’ll probably have to cut the meat into workable sizes manually.
The Material
The stronger the material the longer it will last. Strong materials like stainless steel are both sturdy and are easy to clean.
The Price
Maybe the high price of meat slicers forced you into thinking “can you slice meat with a mandolin?” Because the only reason a mandolin is preferred over a meat slicer is its affordable price tag. If the mandolin is exceedingly expensive, it would be prudent to look into meat slicer options with a comparable price tag.
Safety
Not all mandolines are safe to use. It is prudent to check the blades and examine the safety locks that hold the blades in place. They can prove dangerous if not handled properly.
Final Thoughts
So, can you use a mandoline to slice meat? Now you know that a mandolin can slice meat neatly and is an excellent tool to have by your side. Knowing how to use one definitely polishes one’s culinary skills. Mandoline accessories will allow you to get different types of cuts in a quick and efficient way. while slicing meat one thing most people think is that Why Is There a Hole in Butcher Knives?
Your first cuts might not look perfect, but a little practice and the right technique will definitely transform you into a professional in no time. And if you are cooking the sliced meat on a range hood that would definitely be an amazing experience but you need to know that can you use a dryer vent for the range hood because obviously went is required for the cooking range and this is an interesting question that we have discussed in depth.
