To start cutting any large fruit, you must first “top and tail” (cut off both ends).
Peel the pineapple by standing it on end and running your knife in between the rind and flesh, following the contour of the fruit. Make sure all the brown “pits” are removed for both better visual appeal and texture.
Once peeled, cut slices that correspond to the desired thickness of the end product. Here I’m cutting half inch slices for a large dice. Cut from the outside in, stopping right before you reach the core. For most professional applications, the core is not served because it is much more fibrous then the surrounding flesh. Don’t throw it away however; the core makes a tasty Scooby snack to sustain you through the prepping process.
Next, stack the slices on top of each other. Cut into strips or a batonnet. From here, you can use them as is, or cross cut horizontally to get a dice.
If you plan on slicing the pineapple for display on a fruit platter, start by cutting into quarters after it is peeled. Stand the quarters on end vertically and cut out the core. Lay the quarter piece of pineapple down flat, where the core use to be, and slice horizontally into quarter inch pieces. The real secret is using your guide hand technique to keep the pineapple slices a uniformed with. This will allow you to fan them out easily when laying out a fruit tray.
