How To Cut Meat Against The Grain

Use smooth unbroken sawing motions.

How to cut meat against the grain. But some cuts have fibers running in different directions making it difficult to identify the grain. Once you know how the grain runs you should then get the right knife or meat slicer. Place the blade against the grain on one end of the meat. What you have to do is cut it into maybe three shorter sections along the grain and then slice those sections against the grain.

Slicing the meat 1. We do not have cutting teeth so no matter how you cook the meat its not going to be tender if you dont cut it against the grain where you shorten the fibers ray explains so when we mash down it comes apart. To identify which direction the grain of the meat is running look for the parallel lines of muscle fiber running down the meat and slice perpendicular to them. One of the most important elements to a good cut against.

Because its so long and the grain runs the entire length of the steak its not possible to slice the entire thing against the grain. Its not just the cut of meat that determines how tender it is its also how you cut the meat. Butcher and author of the everyday meat guide ray venezia joined rach to break it down for us literally. Cutting against the grain means slicing meat across the width instead of the length.

The first step to accurately cut meat against the grain is to check the direction of the grain. For tender meat you have to cut it against the grain. Use a sharp kitchen knife and hone it just before you cut. Its often recommended to slice these cuts thinly at about a 45 degree angle.

First find the direction of the grain which way the muscle fibers are aligned then slice across the grain rather than parallel with it.