Mandolines - for foods other than vegetables?

[politicat]

I need another gadget like I need more republican fundraising letters (and the fact that I get them, at all -- addressed to a nickname I haven't used willingly since I was seven, several states, addresses and Dem voter registrations ago -- creeps me out) but I've been thinking seriously about a mandoline.

Most of the time, a knife does everything I want, but I have two very specific tasks I can't seem to manage manually, no matter how sharp my knives nor how patient I am. I cannot manage to slice meats very thin, and I can't julienne a carrot to save my life. I know a mandoline would do the latter nicely, but can they cut meat? Mostly I'm thinking small slices of rare roast beef -- we don't eat much beef anymore, but when we do, it tends to be of the stellar, showcase this variety. I'd also like to slice nearly frozen chicken for stir-fry, that sort of thing.

I really don't have room for a meat slicer, though I look at them from time to time, and delis are great, but not perfect.

Will a mandoline do what I want?

[eridani]

1. I 've used mine for sausage

Has to be reasonably firm though. Roast beef seems like it would be a bit too squishy and compressible.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

2. I'm not so sure. . .

I have an OXO, which I love a lot, but if you're trying to slice something that isn't absolutely firm, it's a crapshoot. I would think it would only do meat well if it were partially frozen because only the firmest of cheeses work well (esp. for grating). It also isn't terribly swift on the julienne function unless you're working lengthwise--which then means a lot of waste because you can only go so far (I save the butts for soup stock, so not a real drawback). If I want really neat carrots, I find it's more efficient to just whip out the $5 julienne tool and zip away.

I would think if you're a serious carnivore, it might make better sense to invest $100 in an electric meat slicer than a $70 mandoline. I had a friend who had one and loved it.

Or maybe you just need to invest in a kickarse knife that will slice thinly and neatly. Since roast beast seems to be your main thing (and it's not an everyday meal), this sounds like the best option. I have a Katana that is so thin and sharp, it goes through everything, including frozen chicken breast. Of course, Katana now appears to be made by Calphalon and made in China instead of Japan, so there might be better choices. This website appears to have pretty good deals in general. Hm. They also have a couple good deals on meat slicers. . .

Sorry if I've only managed to compound your dilemma. Kitchen gadgets are a bad addiction of mine, too. :eyes:

[politicat]

6. Not a serious carnivore... what meat we use is more for flavor than

sustenance.

And I've got great knives. Sigh. Dammit.

Thanks.

[Warpy]

3. They'll do hard, cooked meats like salami

but if you want even slices of turkey or roast beef you need to get a specific meat cutter. They're large and take up a huge amount of counter space. If you've been looking at them, you know what I mean.

Only a moving blade, like the rotary cutter on the meat slicer, will do even cuts of slabs of muscle meats.

One thing I always liked about homemade sandwiches of leftover roast beast when I was growing up was that the slices were thicker.

A mandoline will do julienne carrots but a coarse grater will do an acceptable job, too. I use the grater on my mandoline instead of the julienne blade because it's easier on my hands.

[politicat]

7. Huge is right.

And apparently, the lower-end ones aren't very good, so it's a waste of the $$$ to buy one... and I won't even get into cleaning the suckers.

[grasswire]

4. are you allowing the roast beef time to rest before slicing?

And are you cutting against the grain?

What about an electric knife? Would that help?

[politicat]

8. Yes, it rests, and yes, against the grain.

I tried an electric knife once; not impressed. (I now use it to cut styrofoam down to manageable sizes.) It more... shredded than cut. Not pretty. I was looking for little collops; it gave me meat confetti.

[amerikat]

5. Nice electric slicer for sale over in DU Marketplace.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=213x5985

[politicat]

9. You're not helping! *Wink*

Thanks, anyway! :cheers: