Raise it up!

True: the quality or state of being accurate
(as in alignment or adjustment)

What’s in a name? In our case, A LOT…but, the simple truth is: our cutting board can be adjusted to accommodate its environment. You can make it “true” by leveling it. Or, raise it up to create more of a pitch to get the juices flowing.

The True Au Jus Board (patent pending) was “created” at a BBQ. We were tired of losing all the juice from a perfectly cooked Tri Tip. The “juice groove“ on most boards isn’t big enough. It’s even more frustrating when your cutting board isn’t even close to being level, thus causing the juice to quickly run to one side. It was time for a change!

We wanted to make sure that we accomplished three things:

  1. Design a board that had function
  2. Design a board that was beautiful.
  3. Design a board that was ecofriendly.

We feel very strongly that we’ve accomplished that!

How do you get the juice from the groove in a traditional board? Well, if you tried what we tried, turkey basters, brushes, tiny spoon flicks, you probably found it as useless as we did…  And slap dragging the meat into the groove before serving just doesn’t feel classy… nor is it effective or appetizing.

We solved the juice groove problem by enlarging the groove and tapering it at the front corners down to a hole that you can plug with any wine cork (we provide one).

We added a .75 qt. stainless steel bowl under the hole that slides into the board. (it’s attached).

We solved the adjustment problem by adding 4 stylish, black lacquered 3.5” cylinder feet that are adjustable up to one inch. You’ll notice the “Up” stamp on the surface of the board. It signifies which direction to “turn” the feet in order to raise it up. We put rubber pads on the bottom of the feet to make it a non-slip board.

Ever drop a board with meat on it because of the tiny finger grips?” Yep, us too. We added two large rustic handles to make it easier to carry.

What’s another cool thing about this board?

It’s Teak! Why?

Well, for one…because it’s beautiful. It has medium rich browns mixed with blond, tinges of gold and orange hues. We recommend putting oil on the board every few months to keep it looking rich in color and less “dried out”. Teak doesn’t need oil like other species of wood, but it can’t hurt. Our recommendations are:

Food grade mineral oil or Mahoney’s Walnut oil. Apply to all surfaces of the board. Let the oil soak in overnight and buff with a clean towel the next day. To clean your board, simply wash with soap and warm water, making sure to scrub well. Meats and proteins are safe to use on this board if cleaned immediately after using. Mineral oil is petroleum based and approved by the FDA. It’s easy to find and generally less money.  Please note that Mohoney’s Walnut oil has been heat treated to remove the proteins that cause allergic reactions.

This Teak is plantation grown in South America. It’s FSC (Forrest Stewardship Council) Certified. It’s also Rain Forrest Alliance Certified. What does this mean? Well…in short, it’s sustainable, eco-friendly and environmentally responsible.

Teak has natural tectoquinones oils, a tight grain and tensile strength in the wood that make it much more resistant to water. Teak is one (if not the only) wood that retains its natural oils even after being processed.  Teak is also dense in silica (used to make glass) which adds to it’s resistance to water but also boosts its hardness. Although some feel this can be damaging to your knife’s edge, we disagree. Why? Because we primarily recommend this board for meat…which you slice (typically), not chop. Although this is an often-debated topic, with some very strong opinions…after a lot of use…I feel the damage to my knives is negligible. We also feel strongly that you have a separate board for fruit and vegetables, this being an opportunity to have a different species of wood.

When’s the last time you went to a bbq or house party when the food wasn’t served buffet style from a kitchen island or counter?

Yep. Us too. We wanted a beautiful, functional board that was capable of being a serving piece as well… not just the centerpiece of the spread… but now the center piece of conversation!

Cook it UP! Raise it UP! Slice it UP! Juice it UP! Serve it UP! Enjoy it UP! Seems a good equation for most everything!

Our hope is you will see this as well… True is True!