When cutting and preparing a mango it is really important to get a nice, fresh and ripe fruit. By using a ripe fruit it will mean that the flesh is soft enough to be cut neatly and easily but not so soft that it becomes mushy. It is very important when cutting a mango to be very careful, as with anything involving a sharp knife. There are two different ways to choose from to cut a mango, and we will look at each different option below separately, so feel free to choose the option that you feel most comfortable with, or that you find easiest.
Method 1
Take your mango, a medium sized knife and a chopping board and make sure the board is on an even surface. Trim the top and bottom off of the mango, only enough to expose the flesh.
Stand the mango upright and use the knife to run down the side of the mango, just inside the skin. Make sure to be as close to the skin as you can, whilst holding the mango with your other hand to keep it steady. Work your way all around the mango, until the skin has been completely removed.
Once the skin has been removed, stand the mango upright and use the knife to find the outside of the stone. The large stone of a mango is hard, so you should find it easy to find the right place to cut by feeling for the soft point. Cut down along the line of the stone, and the repeat on the other side of the stone.
Once the two flesh sides have been removed, cut any excess off of the stone and dispose of. Now you can simply dice or slice the mango cheeks into whatever sizes or shapes you need.
Method 2
This second method differs slightly from the method, and may be suitable for those uncomfortable with using knives. Start much the same, with the mango trimmed top and bottom, and simply cut the mango cheeks directly off of the stone, in the same way as above but without removing the skin first.
Remove the excess flesh on the stone, and then turn back to the cheeks. To remove the skin, take a dessert spoon and scoop the flesh away from the skin, trying to do so in the smoothest way possible and with the cheek intact. You can then slice or cut as needed.