Leave it to Cleaver

I have a cleaver (the Chinese one from Lee Valley) that I never use.
It was a gift many moons ago.

When I think of using a Cleaver, all I think of is hacking a chicken or turkey apart.

Can you use one just like any other knife?

 

Sure.

 

I have a lamsonsharp oriental vegetable cleaver.

For years it was about the only knife I picked up (for veg work anyway).

I like a wide blade for mashing garlic and ginger and picking up off of the cutting board.

 

You can do almost anything with a cleaver. I have one that I've been trying to kill for thirty years, but it will still probably outlive me.

 

Im upset I didnt think of this thread title lol, the chinese cleavers are much thinner and lighter then a big butchers one yes ?

 

Typically, not always. My first cooking job out of culinary school was in an asian place and the other line cooks only used cleavers. No tongs, no spatulas. Just wok spooks, wok shovels, cleavers and occasionally some long chop sticks. It was interesting flipping a steak with a cleaver.

You can get a chinese cleaver screaming sharp and they are at many price points. Just depends on the steel and everything else.

Bone cleavers tend to weigh more and are thicker. Still relatively cheap.

 

There was a great cleaver thread at the other place. To include technique and benefits. I was actually chatting with Gunnerjohn a bit yesterday about this. I hope we can port the information over somehow. It's a lot of knowledge to be lost and/or repeated!

But if you want the thread, I can find it for you. Just PM me.