Leeks are sweet, versatile, and look like those enormous palm leaves that cabana boys often use to fan you with. The only downside of these alliums is their ability to store a shocking amount of sand and grit between their tightly-nested layers—leeks are buried in dirt as they grow, and they grow in layers, so each new layer catches some dirt inside as it forms. Here's how to clean leeks the easy way, with two separate methods, depending on if you want your leeks halved or chopped—either way, you're going to want 'em as clean as possible.
1. Remove the Roots
Start by chopping off the bottom root of each leek with a sharp knife. You can discard this part—the tough greens can be used later to make stock, but the stringy roots hold too much dirt to be worth salvaging and repurposing.
2. Make a Slit Down the Middle
Next, make a shallow slit down the length of the leek. Be careful not to cut all the way through the leek, but just through the outer layers. You're going to use this slit to start peeling away layers in the next step.
3. Start Peeling
Use that slit to begin peeling the more fibrous, tough outer laters, until you reach the lighter, more tender ones inside. Don't worry about being too precise here—if they seem tender enough to eat, they're fine.
4. Check Under the Leaves
We're going to remove those super-tough dark green tops in the next step, but it's worth checking underneath them first—sometimes there's perfectly good pale-green leek hiding underneath those leaves. Peel them away to find out.
5. Chop off the Leaves
Next, use your knife to chop off the remainder of the top dark green leaves. You can save these to toss into vegetable stock later—otherwise, there's not much to do with these besides composting.
6. Slice the Leeks Lengthwise or Chop Them
Here's where you have two options for how to slice your now-rootless (and topless) leeks—cut lengthwise or chopped. If you want to roast them or braise them, you'll probably want them sliced in half lengthwise. If you're planning on sautéing your leeks or using them in a sauce, you're going to want to chop it up. This is when you'll really see how much unsavory grit is nestled in between those tightly-huddled layers, so it's time to wash up!
7. Rinse Sliced Leeks Under the Faucet
If you chose to cut your leeks lengthwise, you can run each halved stalk under cool water, fanning the layers open with your fingers so the water can run in-between and wash away sand and grit. It should slide off of the layers pretty easily, but you may need to get in there with a couple fingers to make sure it's all rinsed away.
8. Rinse Chopped Leeks in a Bowl
If you chose to chop your leeks, you can actually chop them before washing, then dump the pieces into a bowl of cool water. Use your hands to agitate the leeks and watch the sand fall to the bottom.
9. Drain in a Colander or Pat Dry
Whether or not you sliced or chopped your leeks, all that's left is to dry them and get them ready to cook.
If your leeks were sliced lengthwise, you can pat them dry with a paper towel or dish cloth, or lay them cut-side down on a paper towel to let the moisture drip off.
If you chopped, scoop the chopped leeks out of the bowl with your hands and transfer them to a colander to drain and dry. Once dry, start melting your butter—these leeks are good to go.
