What does cut in mean when cooking?

Answer 1

The term "cut in" is most commonly used in baking. For instance, if a recipe says to add shortening to flour and cut in, it means to cut the shortening into the flour using two forks or a pastry blender to break the shortening into small pieces in the flour.

Answer 2

To cut in an ingredient is to blend it in with the other ingredients gradually using a sharp implement such as a knife, fork, or a special tool called a pastry blender made for this purpose. In Western cooking, the term is most commonly encountered when making pie crust. There is always a step telling you to cut the fat being used (lard, butter, or vegetable shortening) into the dry ingredients (usually flour and salt). The pastry blender, a tool that looks like four or five semicircular steel blades mounted on a handle, is used to cut in the fat. Basically, you just push the fat into the flour with the pastry blender using short, firm strokes. The fat gets cut into tiny pieces gradually, and eventually the flour-fat mixture looks like coarse meal.

In a pinch you can use two knives, or even a dinner fork.

The next step in making the pie crust is to add ice cold water to the meal-like flour-fat mixture, then blend the whole mixture until it gathers into a ball. Then the dough is ready to roll out.

Answer 3

Cut, in cooking, can mean to cut or carve meats or vegetables with a knife. The term is also used referring to cutting fat into flour, using a fork or pastry cutter, in making some baked goods.