How To Baton

Grasp the knife in your dominant hand.

Use your other hand to hold the vegetable firmly on the cutting board, and cut off the ends, keeping your fingers away from the blade.

Turn the vegetable onto its cut, flat surface, and hold it down close to the area you will cut, with your fingers curled under, finger tips firmly planted, and your knuckles pointed outward. This is called a ‘claw grip.’

Position your knife at a 90-degree angle to the vegetable’s length, and cut it into pieces two inches long.

Cut the ends off of the vegetable, resulting in 4 long flat surfaces, so it resembles a block. This will make it easier to create uniform pieces.

Position your knife parallel to the vegetable’s length and slice the blocks into uniform slabs a quarter inch wide.

Stack the up slabs and cut them lengthwise again into quarter-inch strips, using a steady rocking motion of the blade. Congratulations, you now have a ‘wood pile’ of baton sticks.