Robert Irvine Says This Onion Hack Makes Cooking Everything Easier

While the aroma of onions sweating in the pan can fill the kitchen with anticipation, that vegetable doesn't prep itself. Although chefs seem to make quick work of their mise en place, Robert Irvine demonstrated an onion hack that will simplify those slices and dices. In his "dicing an onion 101" video on Food Network's Twitter feed, Irvine makes quick work of that onion prep.

In the short video, Irvine explains how an onion is halved, while keeping the root end intact. From there, he makes multiple cuts from root to end, then makes even horizontal cuts, followed by one diagonal cut. To complete the dice, he simply cuts vertically through the onion across the other cuts. The knife never leaves the board. And, the fineness of the dice can be changed depending on the thickness of the various cuts. What is implied, but not said: a sharp knife ensures precision.  

A few Twitter users concurred with Irvine's method. As @corpki1 said, "I did a cooking class in Rome and showed everyone THIS WAY to cut an onion, and I swear they had never seen it before! I don't even know how else to dice an onion." But, @UygEv2015 thinks that a dicer is easier. Even though Irvine's method might take a few onions to master, the simple prep hack might make mise en place a little more efficient.

Sometimes there are tears of joy when a recipe comes together perfectly, but no one wants to shed a tear when cutting onions. While chefs seem to be immune from the waterworks, other cooks have found a few simple hacks to prevent the tears streaming down their face. In an Eat This, Not That! article, Lisa Durso recommends putting the cutting board near the stove or by an open flame. While the scientific reasoning is unclear, the heat seems to lessen the onion's compounds that cause people to tear up. Given the heat in a professional kitchen, it could be the reason why professional chefs aren't wiping away their tears.

On the other hand, there have been other cutting onion suggestions. TikTok weighed in with its wet paper towel by the cutting board concept (per People). The damp towel pulls away the fume and helps to keep the water works faucet off. Yummly suggests chilled onions as well as the sharp knife and good knife skills. Many of these hacks might have more appeal than wearing a pair of goggles while cooking. Then again, sometimes a good cry can be cathartic. No one wants to cry over a glass of spilt milk, but prepping an onion for a delicious recipe might be worth a few extra tears.