When it comes to picking knives for your backyard barbeque, you need something that can handle thick cuts of meat. There are many knives with a sharp blade and comfortable grip, but good knives for a barbeque have specific requirements.
Those requirements typically deal with getting the juiciest pieces of meat from the bone. So let's dig into the different types of knives you need for your backyard barbeque.
Knives (and Tools) You Need for a Successful Barbeque
Chef Knives
Chef knives typically have an eight-inch blade. You can find them in any professional chef's home because they act as the happy middle between other knife styles.
Their versatility makes them suitable for chopping medium cuts of meat, onions, herbs, and fish. The curved design behind these blades also makes them easy to rock back and forth for more controlled cutting.
If you are looking for a flexible blade that can handle it all, a chef's knife is where you need to begin. Just don't use them for the more precise cutting jobs like peeling. A chef's knife is accurate for herbs, just not as good at skinny cuts.
Our Chef's Knives
- The Universal Classic 8″ Chef's Knife - Our everyday workhorse in German steel, with a stylish waved pattern and an unbeatable price.
- The Cloud Premium 8″ Chef's Knife - The Cloud Premium has a razor's edge cut with low maintenance. It has a hardness rating of 60+, making it a sturdy (but less flexible) blade.
- The Ultra Dark Premium 8″ Chef's Knife - It's made of high-quality German stainless steel with a classic design.
Carving Knives
A carving knife is great if you are looking to create uniform slices of meat. They are for large hunks that you can dig into with a narrow blade. This design makes them suitable for turkeys, hams, and large fish.
It's not a daily use knife (unless you are eating big chunks of meat every day), but it is excellent for specialist use. For your huge pieces of meat, this sharp edge will take care of you.
Our Carving Knives
- The Universal Classic 8″ Carving Knife - has a unique special waved pattern that is durable and rust-proof. It's not great for vegetables, though.
- The Universal Classic 12″ Brisket and Rib Slicing Knife - the extra-long blade turns brisket, ribs and roasts into clean, even slices in single strokes.
- The Ultra Dark Premium 12″ Brisket and Rib Slicing Knife - the premium G10-handled version for serious pitmasters, with superb durability and balance.
Carving Forks and Combos
A carving knife wouldn't be complete without something to steady the meat. A carving fork (or a good boning knife in your other hand) is helpful for two reasons:
- They help steady the blade during significant cuts
- They allow you to tear apart tender meats
If you're building a serious barbeque kit, our 12″ Brisket Slicer + 6″ Boning Knife combo set covers both the slicing and the close-in work — the ultimate pairing for pulled pork and precise cuts of meat.
Boning Knives
The name tells us that these knives are designed explicitly for removing bones from meat, poultry, and fish. De-boning is a vital process for ensuring that you don't have any unfortunate choking accidents while eating.
Boning knives are thin and precise for removing the smallest bones. Their small tips can get in there and pry those bones out. It's light and flexible, making it great for small precision work.
The precision of boning knives also makes them suitable for detailed work with vegetables.
Our Boning Blades
The Universal Classic 6″ Boning Knife - This boning knife has a long, narrow blade for precision cuts around bones, joints and rib cages — ideal for home butchery before the meat hits the smoker.
Fillet and Ham Knives
The blunt tip ensures you can focus on sawing downward without getting too eager. When serving fully-cooked meat, long slicing knives are great for your use.
For fish straight off the grill, the Ultra Dark Premium 7″ Fish Filleting Knife has a narrow, flexible blade for clean filleting and skinning. For big cooked cuts, the 12″ Brisket and Rib Slicer does the same job as a traditional ham knife — however, its massive size makes it less suitable for any other task.
Steak Knives
Steak knives have a serrated blade that makes them suitable for sawing through tough cuts of cooked meat. You typically take a steak knife with you to the plate so you can cut through the meat. However, it is surprisingly good at cutting through cakes, bread, and pastries.
Be careful of the razor-sharp edge, as well-kept steak knives can turn the toughest steaks into butter. It is a type of knife that is found in most kitchens and often underappreciated. Thank your steak knives.
As a result of their smaller size, they are typically sold at lower prices and in sets. Our Universal Steak Knives Set of 6 is made of German stainless steel and cuts through beef, steak and poultry with ease — perfect for barbeques, dinners and parties.
Steak knives are also good with tomatoes (like bread knives).
Conclusion
When you hold a barbeque, it's important to have the right tools for the job. Part of the right tools for the job is to ensure that your knives can handle various tasks. A boning knife can't carve a turkey.
To ensure you have a complete set to impress the neighbours, check out the knives linked above — or browse the full carving and slicing range and all Paudin knives, with fast delivery across New Zealand.
