At República, one of Portland’s most innovative dining destinations, Chef Lalo Camarena leads with a philosophy rooted in precision and a deep respect for ingredients. Known for his creative approach to Mexican cuisine, Lalo embraces the power of a well-crafted knife to enhance every step of the cooking process—from delicate knife work to full-scale prep. To learn a little more about Lalo and the work he does at República, you can read our recent Chef Spotlight here.
Whether perfecting your grip, making the most of a single knife, or ensuring every ingredient is respected, Chef Lalo’s insights provide a roadmap for both professional chefs and home cooks looking to elevate their craft. If you want to try some of Lalo’s tips yourself, you can find his favorite STEELPORT 8” Chef Knife here.
Next time you step into the kitchen, consider your knife not just as a tool, but as an extension of your skills and values. Respect the blade, respect the ingredients, and cook with intention.
Fish Breakdown Demo
As part of our ongoing knife skills demo series with top local chefs, Chef Lalo Camarena recently visited the STEELPORT factory to share his expertise with the community. He demonstrated essential knife techniques, broke down a sablefish, and prepared a Mazatlán-style aguachile. Here are a few of the tips he gave on breaking down a fish.- When working with fish, knowing its structure is key. With sablefish, Chef Lalo notes that the belly can be tricky to cut through. A sharp knife is essential for making clean cuts from the outside toward the inside, using the natural lines of the fish as a guide.
- For removing fillets and the belly, use smooth, sweeping motions. If you encounter resistance or feel the knife hitting bone, stop and adjust your angle before continuing.
- A sharp blade also makes skin removal effortless. Hold the skin taut, apply light downward pressure with your finger on the blade, and let the knife glide through for a clean separation.
The Versatility of a Single Knife
When it comes to kitchen efficiency, Lalo believes in making the most out of a single, well-balanced knife. “I really enjoy using one knife for everything. That idea of gripping up on your blade—it’s probably not the safest thing (user warning!), but I've tournéd mushrooms using a chef knife like this sometimes. Rather than reaching for your paring knife when you’re busy in the kitchen, if you just want one station, one knife, and you got three different prep projects to run through. Start tourne-ing your mushrooms. After that, you’re going into your veg prep, then you go into your fish prep.” With a high-performance chef’s knife, adjusting grip techniques allows for seamless transitions between tasks. From precise vegetable cuts to delicate fish filleting, a well-balanced blade can do it all.
The Importance of Grip and Control
Lalo emphasizes the importance of grip for both precision and safety when using his STEELPORT 8” Chef Knife: “I think with the bolster being kind of deep like this, I can get an uptight grip like this, yeah, which makes it nice if you’re doing more finicky work and just trying to use the tip of your blade. Doing a pinch grip up here at the middle of the knife, and having that kind of deeper bolster there makes it a lot easier. And I like that I can hook my pinky in the finger groove for added security.” Even when tackling heavier prep work, such as breaking down fish, the right grip ensures efficiency while maintaining delicate control. “The weight of it makes it feel like a workhorse, but it’s still delicate enough that you can do any of this finicky work,” says Lalo.Honoring Ingredients: No Waste, Full Respect
Beyond technical skills, Lalo believes knife work should be accompanied by a deep respect for ingredients. “Always use your scraps. I mean, if you’re breaking down fish, use your bones. Make some stock. Now you have fish and you have fish soup. If you’re taking off your skin, make fish chicharron, yeah. If you have a bunch of meat left on your ribs from your fish, scrape it off and make pâté.” Lalo sees this practice as a way to honor the labor behind every ingredient: “The amount of food waste and waste in general, that happens... We can do our piece by giving respect to the fishermen that caught this fish, the driver that drove it to us, and the people working out in the fields growing this food—everybody. So much love went into all of it before it got to you. Yeah, give it the respect and just honor every bit of it as best you can.”
Whether perfecting your grip, making the most of a single knife, or ensuring every ingredient is respected, Chef Lalo’s insights provide a roadmap for both professional chefs and home cooks looking to elevate their craft. If you want to try some of Lalo’s tips yourself, you can find his favorite STEELPORT 8” Chef Knife here.
Next time you step into the kitchen, consider your knife not just as a tool, but as an extension of your skills and values. Respect the blade, respect the ingredients, and cook with intention.