When a chef’s knife is not strong enough, a cleaver takes over. The Zwilling Twin Gourmet meat cleaver has a heavy blade that does the hard work, breaking down a whole chicken, chopping through rib joints and handling tough cuts and dense vegetables such as winter squash.
Let the weight fall with a controlled chop rather than forcing the blade, and keep the guiding hand well back. The wide side of the blade is also handy for crushing garlic cloves before chopping and for carrying cut food to the pan.
Position the joint under the heel of the blade before each chop and use a heavy board that will not bounce. Leave large beef bones to a bone saw.
For a forged cleaver with the curved Pro bolster, see the Zwilling Pro 6-inch meat cleaver. Our Kitchen Knife Shapes guide explains meat and vegetable cleavers.
