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Butterflying is a technique of cutting meat or fish so it opens up and is thinner. There is a variety of reasons why you would want to do this and one of them is to prepare the meat for stuffing or rolling. LO.jpg)
A typical piece of meat to butterfly is beef flank steak. Lay the steak on a surface with the long side facing you. Using a long slicer or even a bread knife, begin to slice the steak in half horizontally. You may have to stoop a bit to see what you are doing so that the knife glides through the steak and you cut it into two even halves, without one half being thicker than the other. Your knife should be very sharp to make this easier. Try not to saw with the knife (although you may have to), but rather slash in short strokes as if you were using a saber, pulling the top part being cut back to reveal the inside of the steak. If you find yourself sawing, then guide the blade through the meat by placing your palm flat on top of the meat, but slightly behind or on top of where the blade is slicing to avoid accidentally cutting your hand. Slice carefully so the meat stays intact. Once the meat is butterflied you can use it as is or pound it thinner between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper with a mallet. To butterfly shrimp, slice the shrimp down the curved part of the tail with a sharp paring knife, then remove the alimentary tract. Spread the shrimp open and lay between two sheets of wax paper and pound thinner, gently.
Posted: 07/23/2007
