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Tying a butcher’s knot is a useful skill that every omnivorous cook should have in their bag of tricks.A butcher’s knot is commonly used to tie roasts and steaks, making them more compact and evenly shaped, which in turn ensures even cooking. It’s a simple slipknot, which means it’s quick to execute and you can cinch it tight by sliding the knot up the string. Of course, you don’t have to use a butcher’s knot. A simple knot will do the job, too. But the benefit of a butcher’s knot is that it’s more secure, and thus less likely to come undone during the cooking process, and it’s easier to adjust to the exact dimensions of whatever you’re tying.When tying meat, it’s important to cinch the knot just enough: it should be neither too tight nor too loose. Slide the knot up until the string cozily hugs the meat, then set the slipknot in place by tying a basic knot on top of it.Check out the video above for a video demo of the process.