Good knife for Pork Belly (to make Burnt Ends)

PappaG · Sep 17, 2022

So I just got a Masterbuilt 800 Gravity Feed Charcoal Grill and I'm going crazy with Ribs, Brisket and Pork Belly Burnt Ends today.

I had left the Pork Belly on the counter while I was messing around (so it was not that cold). I started using my not sharpened in a while 180 Mazaki petty for the task of cutting up the (uncooked) Pork Belly. I think its safe to say that was not the best choice of knife for this particular task. For the first time, I was disappointed with the performance of one of my knives, but it was what I grabbed in the moment.

What is the correct (or preferred, or best) choice for breaking down pork belly. My knife was ok for removing the top layer of fat, but really slowed down as I cut it down to squares. Several youtube BBQ guys seem to use a filet knife. Is there a "better" type of knife for the task, or do I just need a good sharpening session? A Suji (which I have never had before) - something else? So my 180 was probably the wrong knife, what is the right knife?

HumbleHomeCook · Sep 17, 2022

https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/335mm-apex-ultra-san-mai-sujihiki.60941/#post-931469

jedy617 · Sep 17, 2022

Suji or gyuto...there is a reason why gyuto translates to cow knife and suji is flesh slicer

Delat · Sep 17, 2022

My gyutos work fine on pork belly but on thicker cuts you get a lot of friction/suction, so a suji would be ideal if you’re cutting a lot.

M1k3 · Sep 17, 2022

PappaG said:
So I just got a Masterbuilt 800 Gravity Feed Charcoal Grill and I'm going crazy with Ribs, Brisket and Pork Belly Burnt Ends today.

I had left the Pork Belly on the counter while I was messing around (so it was not that cold). I started using my not sharpened in a while 180 Mazaki petty for the task of cutting up the (uncooked) Pork Belly. I think its safe to say that was not the best choice of knife for this particular task. For the first time, I was disappointed with the performance of one of my knives, but it was what I grabbed in the moment.

What is the correct (or preferred, or best) choice for breaking down pork belly. My knife was ok for removing the top layer of fat, but really slowed down as I cut it down to squares. Several youtube BBQ guys seem to use a filet knife. Is there a "better" type of knife for the task, or do I just need a good sharpening session? A Suji (which I have never had before) - something else? So my 180 was probably the wrong knife, what is the right knife?

Semi-frozen is the way.