Cube

To cube means to cut food into even, square blocks. Cubes are usually larger than a dice, often 1.5 to 2.5 cm (about 1/2 to 1 inch) on each side. Recipes cube stew meat, potatoes, squash, bread, cheese, tofu and cold butter.

How to do it

1. Trim off anything you do not want, such as skin, gristle or a hard rind.
2. Cut the food into slabs as thick as the cube size you want.
3. Cut each slab into strips of the same width.
4. Line the strips up and cut across them at the same width again.
5. For meat, cut across the grain where you can, and keep the pieces the same size so they cook at the same rate.

Why it works

Even cubes cook in the same time, which matters most in long-cooked dishes such as a stew and in quick ones such as kebabs, where small pieces dry out while large ones are still raw. Larger cubes also hold their shape through long cooking better than small pieces.

How to use it

• Meat for stews and braises: about 2.5 to 4 cm (1 to 1 1/2 inches), so it stays juicy over hours of cooking.
• Meat and vegetables for skewers: about 2.5 cm (1 inch).
• Potatoes and root vegetables for roasting: 2 to 3 cm (3/4 to 1 1/4 inches).
• Bread for croutons: about 2 cm (3/4 inch).
• Cold butter for pastry: about 1 cm (1/2 inch), so it is easy to rub in.

Common mistakes

• Buying pre-cut "stew meat" without checking it. It is often a mix of cuts and sizes that cook unevenly. Cutting your own is more reliable.
• Cutting soft food such as cheese or tofu with a dull knife, which squashes it. Chill it first and use a sharp chef's knife.
• Making cubes much smaller than asked. They overcook and fall apart.
• Crowding cubed meat in the pan when you brown it. It steams instead of browning. Work in batches.

In recipes

"Cubed", "cut into cubes" and "cut into chunks" all point to this cut. If a recipe gives a size, follow it. If it does not, aim for bite-sized pieces of about 2 cm (3/4 inch). Smaller, more exact pieces are called diced.