All Things Knives

 

      Another tutorial from the Mad Chef.  A subject that often goes pretty much overlooked is the quality of knives, whether they be for hunting, camping, or in the kitchen.  Many folks opt for the more expensive the better, but that is not always so.  

      I have owned many knives in my life, mostly in the hunting, butchering, kitchen, and pocketknives.  One category that often goes overlooked when selecting a knife is the HRC.  The Rockwell scale C, also known as HRC, is a method used to measure the hardness of a knife. A higher hardness level means the knife can be sharper and maintain its edge for extended periods. Typically, kitchen knives have a hardness range of 50-65+ HRC, with most consumer knives falling between 52-62 HRC.  It is essential to consider the trade-offs when choosing a knife.  Knives with a higher HRC rating can be more brittle and prone to chipping or breaking as well as harder to sharpen if not used properly. On the other hand, knives with a lower HRC rating may not chip or break as easily but will lose their edge more quickly but will be easier to sharpen.  

Rockwell Hardness

52-54 HRC

Cheap, needs sharpening

54-56 HRC

Sharpen a few times a day for professional use. Suitable for home cooks.

56-58 HRC

Easy to sharpen, used in professional kitchens

58-60 HRC

High quality, stays sharp longer, harder to sharpen

60-62 HRC

Remain sharp for a long time, but have more risk of becoming brittle

63-66 HRC

Needs cleaning after each use, prone to breaking and becoming brittle

      Another aspect to consider is the type of steel used to make the knife.  There are many different types with German and Japanese being some of the best.  

      Be aware that steel over HRC 60 make superb knives but are more costly.  For example, the Schrade series of outdoor knives use AUS-10 steel with HRC of 58 costing from $39>.

Kershaw knives use 8crM0v13, also with a HRC of 58 costing $39>.  Their new Kindred series uses D2 Tooled Steel with a HRC of 62, but costing $71.99>.  Their 'top of the line ' Livewire series uses CPM S110V with a HRC of 62, but costs $320.  The Outdoor Edge series of hunting knives use Japanese 420J2 steel with an HRC of 56, costing $40. The list goes on and on.  You do get what you pay for so just choose a good quality product that fits your needs within reason and budget.    

      Looking at I what I use personally, in the pocketknife category I have used two, both Gerber.  One is a vintage Bolt Action Folder using 17cr17 with an HRC of 60.  Now obsolete, they retail for $150.  I used this knife for years, both carrying it my flight suit in the USAF and for a backup hunting blade.  I prefer Gerber as their S30V steel is a superior product.  

      Another more recent addition is the Gerber Auto 06, automatic opening survival type knife using S30V steel with an HRC of 60, costing $220.  this is the current armed forces survival knife.  This bad boy is sharp.  I still carry it today in my UTV at the Texas Ranch.  

      Additionally, I do carry a variety of Old Timer and Buck knives in my backpack as backup when hunting or camping. 

 

Old Timer 8" Sharpfinger

Buck Folding Hunter

Buck Hunter

Gerber Gator Gut Hook 

      Skinning knives are a bit more particular with short handles, balance, ease of operation and very sharp steel.  I usually carry 3 in my backpack.  Barb usually skins (she's a surgeon) and I keep the blades sharp.  These HRC numbers seem a bit low, but they work well and sharpen easily throughout the animal.  

Old Timer Sharp Finger 1095 steel HRC 55

Alaskan Skinner w/Damascus 1095 steel HRC 55

Titan Skinner w/1080 steel HRC 58

      Now let's take a look at kitchen knives, the biggest of the beasts.  These have varied shapes and uses but must be sharp to be used quickly and safely.  All of us, at one time or another, started out with the set we received as a wedding present or what we could afford at the time.  We started out with a set of Chicago Cutlery and still have the steak knives in our RV.  There is nothing wrong with this; you just learn early to resharpen often.  The new series of Lixy and Explorer series of 'cleaver style' kitchen knives of Japanese 440C steel with an HRC of 56.  There are also the new popular Matsubara and Takayuki 'Nakiri style' kitchen knives using Japanese VG-10 steel with an HRC of 60, costing $200>. Of course, not to forget the new, popular Coolina series of cleaver knives utilizing a hybrid carbon/manganese steel with an HRC of 60 costing $249>.

       

      When we were stationed overseas, we were able to purchase a very nice set of Wusthoff Kitchen and steak knives, which we still own 40 years later.  We also have a few more in the RV.  Again, these German knives rival the Japanese and will last for many years.  In the past 40 years we have only replaced the small paring knife due to breakage.  These knives are of high-quality carbon steel X50CrMoV15 with an HRC 58 costing $95>$200.  Versatile, but still fairly easy to sharpen.  Some of favorites:  

8" Chefs Knife

7" Santoku Knife

10" Brisket Slicer

8" Artisan Butcher 

3" Mini Slicer/Paring

8" Cleaver

       I have others and they find their uses from time to time.  I use two sharpeners.  With these I never have to resort to hand sharpening.  With proper care, these sharpeners will keep the knife tuned and not need major sharpening.  I have never been disappointed with my set of Wusthoff knives.  

Fine Tuning

Coarse Sharpening

      Knives are sometimes the assumed cooking tool.  They make life easier from camping to hunting to the kitchen.  Of course, I love to cook, and these are an integral part of my plan.  Can't do the job well without the right tools.  Again, I recommend that anyone looking to upgrade their cutlery do the research and decide what is right and best for your applications home to woods to campground.  

"There was never a good knife made of bad steel" 

Benjamin Franklin

WiFi provided by:

      

Chivo Guisado

 

     Another of our expeditions into the world of goat cuisine.  Our initial offering, Cabrito, is versatile and will add to many meals.  We also have ribs, and roasts, but this recipe fills the gap.  

      This recipe is from the Dominican Republic culture, a staple of their cuisine.  For this I used the lower rib trim meat tenderized and seasoned.   We dined on this during our stop in Reno.   

2 lbs. goat meat, cubed

1 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp orange juice

¼ tsp salt

½ red onion, roughly chopped

1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and roughly chopped

1 Tbsp dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano

½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped and loosely packed, divided

1 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

½ tsp allspice

½ tsp black pepper

Bay leaf

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 Tbsp sugar

2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and roughly chopped

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 cube of beef bouillon

1½ cups of water

1 Tbsp brown gravy powder

2 tsp oregano

     Add the lime and orange juices along with the salt to the goat meat.  Toss the goat meat in the juice and salt and drain.

      In a mortar and pestle, add the dried oregano, salt, garlic, allspice, and peppercorns.  Grind these ingredients into paste.  Add the paste to the goat meat and massage it in thoroughly.  Add the Anaheim peppers, red onion, and half the cilantro, toss to combine.

      Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or preferably overnight.

      When ready to cook, heat a Dutch oven or similar vessel over medium heat.  Drain the meat, reserving any liquid.  Add the oil and when shimmering, add the sugar.  Cook the sugar until it is brown being careful not to burn it. Increase the heat to Medium-High and add the meat in batches, lightly browning it.  When all the meat is browned, add the tomato paste, stirring to incorporate.

      Add the tomatoes and stir to incorporate. Add the bay leaf and beef bouillon/water mixture, bringing to a heavy simmer.  Reduce the heat, cover and cook at a low simmer until the meat is tender, approximately 60-90 minutes.  Check periodically and add water if needed.

      When the meat is tender, uncover and increase the heat.  Cook to reduce the sauce to a thick gravy.  Rather than corn starch, I used a Tbsp of dry brown gravy powder as a thickener.  It really makes a difference. 

      Remove the bay leaf before serving over mashed potatoes. Garnish with fresh oregano, if desired.

      

      This is delicious.  Perhaps the best goat recipe yet.  The addition of the Caribbean herbs and spices really accented the goat meat providing a flavorful experience.  

"The goat always climbs up the mountain"

Spanish saying

Hi Jolly Boondocking, Quartzsite, AZ

 

      This is a short 2 day stay in the desert west of Phoenix.  There are literally hundreds of thousands of RVers who visit here each winter, especially during the World's Largest RV Show in January which attracts nearly 250,000 folks.  

      We will boondocking off grid with the on-board Arctic Fox Solar/Lithium setup.  Instead of running the generator each night for about 8 hours I will use the Jackery Power Source to power my CPAP which will only require about 2 hours of generator time each day to recharge the Jackery unit.  

      This BLM LTRV area is about 3 miles north of town on Hwy 95.  There is no charge to camp here, just a simple registration.  There are no facilities or services of any kind out here.  You may camp for free 14 days.  We did water up at the RV Pitstop in town before heading out here.  Topping off the freshwater tank cost $6. On the way out it cost $10 to dump.  NOTE:  If camping long term in Quartzsite there are businesses that will send a truck out to refill your water tank and even dump your tanks for a fee.  You never have to leave.  

      We'll chill out, get some laundry done and refill any supplies we needed. When travelling we try not to let the laundry stack up, so we do laundry about every 5 days.  Roux loved the outside time, able to enjoy the new smells and sniffs.  With mild temps we didn't need the heat and were able to enjoy windows and doors open.  

      While here we dined on BBQ Brisket Stuffed Baked Taters and Smoked Pork Loin.

Smoked Pork Loin w/beans, taters, and gravy

Brisket Stuffed Baked Potato

      This is always a nice stop over on our route north.  We have stayed much longer in the area, but usually south of town at La Posa, which has water spigots, trash dumpsters, and dump capability.  These are best for longer term stays.  From here we headed north on Hwy 95 to Las Vegas, however Railroad Pass Casino no longer provides overnight parking for RVs so we scooted down the road to Boulder City and stayed at Canyon Trails RV Park.  Nice park, good for an overnight.  Canyon Trail RV Park, Nevada

NOTE:  DUE TO VERY HIGH WINDS (THAT WOULD BE CROSSWIND WHILE DRIVING) WE STAYED AN ADDITIONAL DAY IN QZITE TO WAIT IT OUT.  

"The desert when the sun comes up, I couldn't tell where heaven stopped and the Earth began" 

Tom Hanks

The Yankee's Place

 

      This restaurant has been around Leakey for about 4 years now, first out of their home and then from a food truck.  They have spent the last few months renovating a new place to call home and recently opened.  They specialize in pizza but offer much more Italian as well.  They are located just south of the town on the east side next to the Wash Barn.  

      The renovation lasted nearly all of our winter duration here, but finally they opened on Valentine's Day 2025.  Besides just the construction aspect they improved with other aspects such as ovens, supplies, and logistics.  There is seating for 29 customers.  

      Their menu is diverse, including a new beer/wine menu.  They also still offer take out.  The Yankee brings the best of his original New York Italian heritage cuisine to the Texas Hill Country.

           

      We decided to dine two days before our early spring departure.  Once seated Barb decided to try out the 'build your own pizza while I went with Pork Sausage Lasagna.

      We had mixed feelings about our meal.  I thoroughly enjoyed the lasagna.  Barb, however, was not thrilled with her pizza.  Her 10" pizza was $8 and each topping was $1.50 more. Barb is particular about her pizza sauce so she ordered the Ricotta Sauce.  This turned out to be 4 glops of Ricotta on top of the pizza.  The service was quite good.  I enjoyed 2 beers and Barb had lemonade.  Total for our dinner was $40. On a scale of 1-5 our rating is:   

"Your diet is a bank account.  Good food choices are always a good investment" 

Bethanny Frankel