Cooking Coarse - Dicing Onions

[rajinuk1985]

great stuff chef ,very interesting!

[chicfication]

Thank you for making these videos! I used to cut onions like a retard because no one cooks in my family (well aside for me when I make something occasionally), but I guess not anymore!!

[toydigger]

Great video!Keep it up!! You have great teaching skills!

The only thing that can be improved is to be able to see in higher resolution.

[margretlle1]

i read somewhere that chewing gum helps prevent crying when chopping onions :)

[kobebryant9981]

good video, but coarse is an awful pun

[hotdude23]

chefffffff hire me i wanna work with u .im in dc

[maicull]

很好！！ very good!

[kpxboiz56]

dude u can be the next billy mays

[NSResponder]

Excellent lesson! Bravo, chef!

-jcr

[ryouba]

Dude, don't hate on the swim goggles!

[phadedlife]

Incredible. I've been cooking for a few years and I cut my onions one step differently. Switching it up just a little to your method has kept my cuts MUCH more consistent. Thanks!

[fukinzeppelinman]

His first step of dividing the onion i already taught my self but after that i do the rest slightly different. Helpful vid just the same. As for the blade, I use a big knife with a very fine serrated edge for onions.

[orangetangopink]

What knife do you use?

[lynth]

You are the best cooking instructor EVER.

Seriously, I love the way you talk. I love the way you move. If you cook only half as good as you present, then you truly are a terrific cook.

[LaceHearts]

I don't get why so many people cry while cutting onions. I never had that problem and I have been cooking with onions for a long time. Guess I'm just lucky.

[nool52]

ur high chef..smoke weed everyday

[BojanglesCanada]

Wow, thanks a lot, i always had trouble with onions.

[shimna]

This works great! Thanks for your time and info.

[sunnydzt]

WOW u r a great teacher!!! I bet your students love to be in your class and they will learn lots from u and keep the knowledge for a life...

great teaching skill ! ty!

[ChefToddMohr]

@sunnydzt - Thanks for the great comment. I've got lots more to teach you. Go to my website WebCookingClasses for more info.

[LifePursuer]

thank you :D

[slvadi]

Thank you! You certainly inspired me to cook more meals.

(you remind me of Baldrick) :)

[ChefToddMohr]

@slvadi - Thanks for the kind comment. Who's Baldrick?

[slvadi]

@ChefToddMohr - It's a character from Blackadder. I guess it's the camera angle and the kitchen. :)

After watching your videos I haven't been afraid to mess around in the kitchen. Thank you again!

[TheFoody]

if u put a bowl of water next to your cutting board the onions wont irritate your eyes as much becuase the gas that makes you cry is attracted to water and the closest source is your eyes, so if u have a bowl of water,it wont make you cry as much

[microflex22]

To keep your eyes from watering while cutting onions, breath through your mouth, and NOT your nose. A trick my grandma taught me.

[CandieBox]

I use onions a lot in recipes. The strange thing is, they never made me cry like they do other people. Never had a problem with that.

[anurek123]

this is a life changing video !!!!!! :D

[Daederik]

!!!

Ok, maybe I could have just used some basic culinary training or something. But man, i've picked up two things from your series so far that just has made life eaiser for me!

One of them was how to properly hold the knife - I was just grabbing it by the handle and going to town. Never really felt comfortable, till I tried it your way. It was an immediate "...oh. Yeah, this is better" reaction.

With the onions I never kept the root on, and always had problems cutting it right. Thx!

[richaj03]

Toss is Great

[kapowaz]

Great video! On the subject of stinging eyes, there are a couple of solutions I've been using fairly reliably for a while. The cause of the irritation is actually a gas that combines with the moisture in your eyes to form suphenic acid, which (as you might guess) stings! This is why cutting underwater works — the gas hydrolyses with the water and so never reaches your eyes. So, if you try cutting onion whilst breathing through your mouth, the gas will hydrolyse on your tongue harmlessly!

[Palmer4Pres]

Thanks for the informative and fun video!

[blwchef]

If your knife is sharp and I mean really hair popping sharp. You won't have any tears. Well, unless you cut yourself.

[kennedbj]

If you want to avoid crying while cutting onions- keep them cold! I'd throw the whole bag into the sink full of water and ice. And work quickly!

[thinkerblack]

thanks man you helped me alot im trying to get a chef apprenticeship and its good to go over some of the things i did in my pre apprenticeship coarse

thanks alot keep it up

[teacherfood]

I have viewed most of the knife skills video here.

I will challenge any of these experts in speed and instruction. I will be blindfolded and my competitor does not have to be.

Teacherfood aka The Blindfolded Chef

[AnteRcd]

A lot of chief have tricks about cutting Onions but this one is the so far the best of all ! Keep it up, I really like your show -5 starts

[aitannaa]

Thanks a lot for the videos! I'm starting chef's school soon and I kinda wanted to prepare myself.....^^

[gamblecampbell]

I learnt how to cut an onion properly! PRAISEEE THE LORD! Why didn't they teach me this in food tech? 5 stars.

[yazicib1]

Onion chemicals go up...

So if you try to cut onions around your eye level, your eyes won't tear.

This may not be a comfortable position, but at least you won't cry :)

[abugintheground]

Nice technique! One of the few videos on youtube that actually gets it right.

If you want to stop crying - try wearing contact lenses. Although, in my experience, if you do wear contact lenses you'll look like an onion superhero and end up cutting a hell of a lot of onions.

[MarqDubois]

Thanks for the help. I have incorporated this cutting method while cutting onions for pizza at my work.

[btnheazy03]

Just out of curiosity, what was this government institution where you had 15,000 people to feed? Oh, and good videos by the way.

[ChefToddMohr]

I was a Chef at the National Security Agency (NSA) at Fort Meade, Maryland.

[btnheazy03]

Damn, so you fed spies and government-sanctioned hackers!! :D

By the way, that is classified information. :) [15,000 employees]

[undriusb]

If you don't want to cry, try breathing through the mouth only + good ventilation.

[btnheazy03]

Even if you breathe through the mouth, I doubt that would prevent the fumes from reaching your eyes

[smell510]

I stand up as far away from the onion breathing through my mouth and with a vary vary sharp knife. that helps me.

[CrimFerret]

No offense here, but I've had a lot better luck with radial cutting the onion halves and forgoing the horizontal slices altogether. Might as well take advantage of the onion's layered structure. The closer the radial cuts, the finer the dice one can achieve, and there's no need for those dangerous (no matter how you do them) horizontal cuts. I'm sure I'd be dinged in 99% of culinary schools for doing it that way, but tradition isn't always an indicator of the best way to do things.

[ChefToddMohr]

CrimFerret-

No offense taken. I hope you don't misunderstand. I'm not saying this is the only way. As a matter of fact, the entire mission of Cooking Coarse is to inspire people to return to their kitchens with their own likes, desires, and creativity. If you like another way of cutting an onion, you should stick with that. There's more than one chef in the world, more than one recipe, more than one way to skin an onion. Thanks for watching.

[rafik1983]

hmmm.... I dont cut horizontal, and it always works. becase onion already is build with horizontal gaps (?). It is faster.

But I will try your method :)

ps. Sorry form my eng. :P

[beatricejohnston]

This guy is great! Full of real, practical advice and very fun to watch!

[timmyzuuzaa]

best one, so cool

i'm in a cooking  school, love it

[v11o]

"cook consistently"

At last! Someone explains why I have to cut the dam thing into uniform bits!

Great video!

[ChefToddMohr]

v11o-

Thanks for the comment. It's amazing to me that "Recipe TV" never tells you why.

Click that "Subscribe" button and tell your friends about Cooking Coarse!

[boognish1975]

dude you gave that onion the business. i'm gunna go chop the shit out of some onions now!

[ChefToddMohr]

StevenSteph1-

Practice, practice, practice.

[StevenSeph1]

As always great video. I have been having trouble getting a consistent julienne(?) or fajita style cut.

[biofire]

haha i just love how you present stuff, don't like the super-fast-joke-filled way of teaching!

[biofire]

i meant don't LOSE the super-fast-joke-filled way of teaching!

[ChefToddMohr]

itsumonihon -

Thank you for the kind comment. The YouTube community, those interested in cooking at least, have been very kind and supportive. I'm humbled by the world-wide response. I'm glad people find value in what I'm doing. It makes me enjoy it that much more.

[itsumonihon]

Todd, thanks very much for posting your great videos. Definitely subscription-worthy. Your presentations are inspiring and informative. Please keep up the good work and know that everyone on youtube is behind you!

[Coolman25]

Thanks for the video response. I've been watching most of your videos (I'm up to #83). The incorporation of food science in your videos really reminds me of one of my favorite cooking shows, Good Eats. I hope one day you'll be able to get a spot on Food Network!

By the way, who's your favorite Iron Chef? :)

[ChefToddMohr]

rayyipe-

Thanks for telling me what your search on YouTube was. That definately helps me alter my descriptions for people to find my videos easier. Have a great holiday!

[rayyipe]

I found this series by doing a google search on roux and buerre maine... which was in the mid-twenties. I'm really enjoying watching the whole series. Thanks again.

[ChefToddMohr]

riffz0r-

Thank you for your subscription.

[riffz0r]

Subscribed!

[ChefToddMohr]

Bentley12345-

Thanks for the comment and your subscription. Mastering the basics of cooking gives you the best platform for creativity. Knife skills is the first place to start by skillfully completing mise en place, giving a better end result.

[bentley12345]

You have a really good teaching style, I've watched a few vids just on cutting onions and your vid is by far the best. I really learned something here. Thanks

[ChefToddMohr]

Ifyoustartmeup-

Yes, it is paying my dues. But more importantly, it's gaining the skill and experience to build upon. I have more people asking me "when can I be considered a great cook". My answer is usually, "that lies within your own head". But, gaining basic skills and experience will help anyone in any job or hobby they desire. Many people aren't willing to put in the hard work, but want the results.

[IfYouStartMeUp]

That makes sense, I agree...

I have experienced both sides to that. I have paid my dues in some areas and certainly experienced immeasurable rewards for it. Additionally I've at times been far to impatient to see something through to the end and with sometimes very mixed feelings. Fortunately not to often with the later.

Yes very impressive that you seen it through!

[IfYouStartMeUp]

You cut onions for 10-12 hours a day!

Holy, you've got to be kidding!

You Must have had a plan or were really capable of seeing the bigger picture.

Now thats paying your dues..and a story you can tell the kids.Forget the walking 5 miles to school, barefoot in -30 below zero, uphill all the way.....story.

[ChefToddMohr]

guerilla...

You're welcome for the tip. The skill to develop is making perfectly horizontal, perfectly spaced cuts in the onion without cutting through the root. It'll then dice in nice, consistent pieces.

[guerillagardenkong]

Man that is a very good tip about bringing the onion to the edge of the board. I have been cutting onions for four days straight since I first saw your videos.

I missed that part about the knuckles of the hand getting in the way of the horizontal cuts.

Thanks man.

[ChefToddMohr]

guerilla-

If you put two chefs in a room, you'll get 5 opinions on how to do anything. I think the horizontal cuts give you more consistent pieces when you're fininshed. Without the horizontal cuts, you're subject to the rounded characteristic of the onion, giving some longer pieces, some shorter.

[guerillagardenkong]

Oh yes. I have seen other chefs on youtube saying the horizontal cuts are not needed.

Most culinary schools on youtube are saying to used the horizontal cuts.

I was seriously wondering what is the theory behind the horizontal cuts in the onion.

I am sure I am going to do it your way dude, but I just want to know what the theory behind the horizontal cuts are.

I just tried it both ways on boiler onions. What is the difference? What should I be noticing about the horizontal cuts?

[getpballs]

Dicing onions just got easier. haha thanks

[xamia]

Thanks for these videos! I find that the horizontal cuts are unnecessary for dicing onions however.

[ChefToddMohr]

Solarcoreg-

I think I mentioned it in the video, but I used to chop onions for 10 hours a day, sometimes 5 days a week! When your job is that tedious, you find new ways to make it quicker. This method of onion dicing has been practiced on thousands of onions, trust me!

[Solarcoreg]

Thank you for solidifying this idea for me. I had previously known about it but for some reason keep doing it differently each time with some degree of frustration. Now I can be much more consistent and use the method for other vegetables as well.