How to Chop Cilantro

Cilantro is an herb that people seem to love or hate.  I’ve actually heard that some folks are simply predisposed to find the taste and smell repulsive.  Fortunately, I don’t count myself amount them.

I use cilantro in several different dishes.  It’s a staple in most of the Salsa’s I use, and there are several Latin and southeast Asian dishes that call for cilantro.   The only downside, is that like parsley, and other leafy herbs, cilantro can be hard to chop…which can dramatically slow down your prep.

How to Chop Cilantro:

• The technique I use here is a common one for herbs and demonstrates a knife skill that you really should learn
• Bunch the herbs together as closely as possible, and hold the together has you chop through them with your knife. 
• By bunching them together you give yourself enough substance to actually feel the knife cutting…if you just try chopping a few leaves at a time, it just feels like you’re moving through the air.  And, of course by getting them bunched up, you’re more efficient and can get the chopping done is a fraction of the time.
• Holding the Cilantro in your free hand keep the tip of you knife on the cutting board and cut through the tightly wound bundle, rocking the knife back and forth
• Move the knife a tiny bit with each rock, until you are through all the leaves