Saw a line cook at my new spot in Austin completely butcher a mirepoix yesterday

He was just hacking at the carrots, celery, and onions with no real plan, and the pieces were all different sizes. I had to stop him and show him the proper small dice, about a quarter inch square. It matters because if the pieces aren't the same, they cook at different rates and you don't get that sweet, even base flavor for your sauces and stocks. I learned this the hard way my first year at a French place in Chicago. How do you guys train new cooks on basic knife cuts without slowing service down?

2 comments

2 Comments

rowank692mo ago

A quarter-inch dice is actually pretty big for a classic mirepoix (you usually want it smaller).

willow7322mo ago

Quarter-inch is my go-to for a good texture, honestly.