You will need a nice, large cutting board, a clean towell, and a standard curved 10" butcher knife. You cannot cut a proper steak with a straight-bladed chef's knife, as the blade will not contact the cutting board at the proper angle. The knife needs to be sharp. That should go without saying, but from what I've seen, it doesn't. A sharp knife is less likely to cut you than a dull one because the handler will not have to fight with it. Also, please observe all safety regulations and common sense when using a dangerous instrument like a butcher knife. First, when the meat is taken out of the vac-pac, it needs to be dried thoroughly with the towell. Any blood on the meat will cause it to oxidize very quickly and turn brown. It will not be spoiled, but it will not look appealing. The cutting board also must be dried off. The meat should not feel loose, and the fat should be hard and white. If its too loose it means the meat has not been aged long enough, and will not be tender or appear solid on the tray.

