Be taught the sogigiri “slanted slice” slicing method with this straightforward tutorial. This straightforward Japanese slicing methodology will aid you create skinny, flat slices of rooster and veggies that cook dinner evenly in your favourite Japanese recipes.
To slice skinny, flat items, we frequently use the sogigiri slicing method in Japanese cooking. This straightforward methodology helps you narrow meat and thick greens to an excellent thickness so that they cook dinner sooner, constantly, and with higher taste. Right here, I’ll train you the sogigiri “slanted slice” slicing method so you possibly can add it to your repertoire of knife abilities and culinary abilities in your house kitchen.
Use the sogigiri slicing method in my Oyakodon recipe, Japanese Hen Curry recipe, and Methods to Reduce Salmon into Japanese-style Fillets tutorial subsequent!
What’s Sogigiri?
Sogigiri (そぎ切り) is a Japanese slicing method the place we slice thick components on a pointy diagonal. This slanted lower will increase the floor space and creates thinner, flatter items—the phrase sogi means “to shave.” Because of this, the ingredient cooks extra evenly and absorbs seasonings higher.
Why I Love Sogigiri: Slanted Slice Slicing Method
- Promotes even cooking – Slicing to an excellent thickness helps cook dinner each bit of your ingredient on the similar fee, so nothing overcooks or undercooks.
- Meals take up flavors higher – The bigger floor space permits rooster, pork, and fish to take in extra seasoning for improved style.
- Quickens cooking – Extra floor space means extra contact with the recent pan’s floor or the simmering liquid, so the thin-sliced components cook dinner sooner.
- Retains proteins tender – By slicing sogigiri towards the grain of rooster and pork, we lower the muscle fibers so the meat has a extra tender texture.
- Creates elegant slices – For visible attraction, you possibly can lower components like shiitake mushrooms into flat, bite-sized items.
Varieties of Meals for Sogigiri (Slanted Slice)
- Hen breast
- Hen thigh
- Chcken tender
- Pork loin
- Fish fillets
- Mushroom caps
- Numerous greens with thick elements, like napa cabbage
Discover the printable recipe with measurements beneath.
Key Gear
- sharp kitchen knife – I like to recommend a strong chef’s knife for many components. I take advantage of a high-quality Nagomi Damascus Gyuto Chef Knife that yow will discover at JOC Items. You could possibly additionally use a nakiri knife (Japanese vegetable knife) for slicing veggies.
Methods to Make Sogigiri (Slanted Slice)
- Tilt your knife again 45 levels or extra. Begin the lower with a ahead movement, then pull the blade by means of to shave off a skinny, diagonal piece. (To regulate the dimensions of the piece, you possibly can alter the angle from 30 levels to just about parallel to the slicing board.)
- Repeat these diagonal cuts whereas sustaining the identical angle and thickness for uniform cuts.
Nami’s Ideas
- Modify the angle of your knife. It’s a easy method to management the dimensions of every lower—making it straightforward to create bigger or smaller items. The angle can vary from 30 levels to just about parallel to the slicing board.
- Use a clean slicing movement. For clear cuts, attempt to shave off the piece in a single move. I push the knife ahead to start out the lower, then pull it by means of the ingredient to slice off the piece. Don’t use a back-and-forth sawing movement, which might create a jagged floor and mash the meat, fish, mushrooms, or veggies you’re slicing.
- Slice proteins towards the grain. While you take a look at the meat or fish fillet, you will note muscle fibers going in a single path. For neat slices, I like to recommend slicing sogigiri throughout this grain, not parallel to it. Additionally, slicing towards the grain is the key to a young texture for pork, rooster, and different meats.
- Preserve a pointy knife. I sharpen my Japanese chef’s knife usually for security and precision. This fashion, slicing is easy and also you’ll get very clear slices.
Methods to Use the Sogigiri: Slanted Slice Slicing Method
Now that you understand how to make sogigiri, you need to use this knife method to prep your components for a lot of sorts of conventional and trendy Japanese dishes. Listed here are my favourite methods to make use of these flat, skinny slices of proteins and veggies.
Regularly Requested Questions
When getting ready Japanese delicacies, I’ll use many various slicing methods at dwelling. Some distinctive Japanese slicing types that I take advantage of in my every day dwelling cooking embody sogigiri or sogi-giri, rangiri (乱切り, random lower or random form), hangetsu-giri (half-moon lower), zaku-kiri (tough chop), koguchigiri (小口切り, skinny rounds), sasagaki (ささがき, shavings for burdock root), and varied kazari-kiri (飾り切り, ornamental cuts). As well as, I take advantage of many primary methods are like usugiri (skinny strips), hosogiri (skinny slices), wa-giri or wagiri (輪切り, spherical lower), and sengiri (julienne lower).
With somewhat observe and persistence, you possibly can be taught many of those culinary abilities from my Japanese Slicing Methods tutorial so that they turn into second nature.
We regularly lower sushi rolls or sashimi like tuna or snapper utilizing a particular sashimi knife known as a sashimi bocho (刺身包丁) or yanagiba (柳刃). There are two primary slicing types for slicing sashimi—hira-zukuri (平造り) and sogi-zukuri (そぎ造り). You’ll be able to learn extra about them in my tutorial Methods to Slice and Plate Sashimi. Lastly, one of many superior methods that an ideal sashimi grasp would possibly use is the paperthin slicing known as usu-zukuri.
For tomatoes and onions, we usually use the wedge lower known as kushigatagiri (くし形切り).
Forestall your display from going darkish
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Tilt your knife again 45 levels or extra. Begin the lower with a ahead movement, then pull the blade by means of to shave off a skinny, diagonal piece. Nami’s Tip: The angle can vary from 30 levels to just about parallel to the slicing board.
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You’ll be able to alter the dimensions of items by altering the angle of the knife.
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Repeat whereas sustaining the identical angle and thickness for uniform cuts.
Editor’s Be aware: This submit was initially revealed on December 26, 2012. It was up to date and republished on June 9, 2025, with new pictures and extra useful info to information your cooking.