What knife to remove the core from a kidney?

[Rangen]

In the time before I became fully aware of KKF, I often made a particular Sichuan dish of stir-fried pork kidneys that is, for me, one of the best things ever. It's a dish that rewards sharp edges, since you score the kidneys almost down to the skin to make diamond shapes that are friendly to the subsequent frying, and to the textural palate of the eater. But before all that, you have to get the horrible core out of the thing. With my mediocre knives, this was an utter chore, so much so that I resolved to let restaurants cook this magnificent dish for me, and not to make it at home.

Now, thanks to KKF, I have good knives, but which one is a good choice to cut the core out of a kidney half? Silverthorn? Laser petty? What? I'd like to resume my kidney-cooking hobby, but it would be nice to know I had a much better tool now.

 

[DavidPF]

My knee-jerk reaction is "whichever one seems like a scalpel to you"

I don't think you'd even care much if it was a "nice, good" knife, but I think you would be making sure beforehand that whatever knife you were about to use was going to be the sharpest damn knife in town - for the next few minutes anyway.

 

[nakiriknaifuwaifu]

*looks left
*looks right

a nakiriits a joke, a nakiri would be a poor choice

 

[DavidPF]

nakiriits a joke, a nakiri would be a poor choice

Hey, it's better than a lot of other things - it would do a better job than headphones, or a spoonful of raspberry jam.

 

[M1k3]

Maybe a paring? Petty or short Suji?

 

[waxy]

You'll want to use a honesuki, the triangular shape helps spread the interior as you cut through it.
My second choice would be an ajikiri, they are by far my most used knife in the kitchen for small and medium sized tasks.

 

[zizirex]

*looks left
*looks right

a nakiriits a joke, a nakiri would be a poor choice

nahh... i still debone my chicken thigh with a Nakiri.

 

[refcast]

gesshin 90mm paring, super stabby, great for this stuff.

 

[DavidPF]

i still debone my chicken thigh with a Nakiri.

In a demonstration of solidarity, tomorrow I will peel some potatoes with my fat clunky bread knife.

 

[MarcelNL]

a scalpel, really....they are cheap , blades require no sharpening as you replace them when needed but most of all, they are very versatile and precise. A nr 11 blade, the one I want my custom-anything-you-want-knife from another thread here made after.
I have a small paring knife in that geometry, I think it would do great for the job (except Kidneys, liver, tongue etc is banned from the house by my GF who has never been properly introduced to that sort of food)

 

[Michi]

a scalpel, really....they are cheap , blades require no sharpening as you replace them when needed but most of all, they are very versatile and precise.

I absolutely love the pragmatism of this post!

 

[MarcelNL]

You'd be surprised what surgical tools I'm using around the house, surgical and anatomical tweezers, a Mathieu needle clamp, Hegar artery clamps, even a non disposable laparoscopy clamp comes in handy every now and then. Ranging from doing WDT in the portafilter basket for espresso using small (splinter) tweezers, to holding stuff when soldering (the Mathieu clamp). Scalpels are great for DIY too!

 

[JaVa]

I read: What knife to remove a kidney for?

 

[MarcelNL]

I read: What knife to remove a kidney for.

I also briefly mistook the meaning of the post completely, ultimately the choice of knife is not THAT different

 

[cotedupy]

Do none of you have a kidney corer?!

Amateurs.

 

[cotedupy]

(Also a joke, in case anyone was going to waste a load of time googling kidney corers!)

What about a sharpened marrow scoop? I do have a marrow scoop...

 

[esoo]

nahh... i still debone my chicken thigh with a Nakiri.

Looks at roast chicken
Looks at fiancee
Looks at Tojiro nakiri in her hand
repeat
*walks away thinking it's not worth the argument*

 

[JaVa]

Hmm...
Did not know you two were engaged to each other?

 

[childermass]

I'm thinking a nicely sharp kiridashi might be a good choice for this job

 

[Nagakin]

Pointy scissors from the beauty shop, tbh.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Replaceable blade skinning knives and hunting knives by Havalon Knives

 

[DavidPF]

The #22 scalpels I saw pictures of, literally look like tiny faithful copies of an old-fashioned bull-nosed butcher knife blade. All that's missing is the patina and the steeling marks.

 

[DavidPF]

I read: What knife to remove a kidney for?

You think that's bad ... My first thought was "I hope you know how awkward this is going to be. If I were you I'd wait till the surgeon can fit you into the schedule - I know kidney stones are hell, but this is not going to end well"

 

[Oshidashi]

Sichuan recipe? Obviously, one must use a cleaver. Along with a scalpel -- the latter tool likewise made in China.

(BTW, that's the urinary collecting system you are removing from the kidney, and the "core" is more properly called the renal hilum. To remove the collecting system it must be detached from the numerous little cups known as calyces, and actually a scalpel would be handy for that.)

 

[Rangen]

(BTW, that's the urinary collecting system you are removing from the kidney, and the "core" is more properly called the renal hilum. To remove the collecting system it must be detached from the numerous little cups known as calyces, and actually a scalpel would be handy for that.)

I am pleased to know that there is a limit to my quest for endless knowledge.