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Being confident with a knife is far more important than having camera-ready skills. Sure, it’s impressive to be able to brunoise carrots, quickly. But you don’t need rapid-fire movements to make a good meal. Stop stressing about perfection. Time to practice. Need a dish to practice your knife skills? Start by <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/tips-tricks-how-to-mince-a-shallot">mincing a shallot</a>, and then <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/steak-tartare–2">try our hand-chopped steak tartare.</a> Sure, some chefs put the beef in a food processor or a PacoJet. That’s easy, of course. But the tougher and leaner the meat, the more you need to hand chop it. When you use a knife, you can control the process. Soon you will be <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/knife-skills">butchering a turkey with confidence.</a> Once you do feel confident in the kitchen—many of you reading are already there—I recommend that you <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/knives">get yourself a high-quality knife with a wooden handle.</a> Even if you are washing your hands often, a wood-handled Wa knife will keep your hand gripped, ready to keep chopping. Now, pull out your knives. It’s time to start slicing.