Cutting meat against the grain is a technique that can dramatically affect the texture and tenderness of your dishes. It involves slicing meat perpendicular to the natural direction of the muscle fibers, which makes the fibers shorter and easier to chew.
Cutting against the grain can make even the toughest cuts of meat tender, but it requires some skill and attention to detail. Let’s explore how to cut against the grain and what to look for in the meat fibers.
Step 1: Choose your meat
Generally, the beef cuts you want to be conscious of cutting in the right direction tend to be the secondary steak cuts. These cuts tend to be well-used muscles that are very flavourful such as the brisket, flank steak, or skirt steak. These beef cuts have long muscle fibers that run parallel to each other.
When these fibers are sliced WITH the grain, they remain intact and can create a chewy and stringy texture. However, when they are cut AGAINST the grain, the fibers are severed, making the meat much easier to chew.
There are some primary cuts of beef that are already cut against the grain by the butcher, making them easy to prepare for cooking. These cuts include ribeye steak, tenderloin steak, striploin steak and sirloin.
Chicken breasts are another cut of meat where understanding the grain direction is important for tender, well-prepared dishes.
Step 2: Identify the direction of the grain
Not all cuts of beef are the same! And that means that the orientation of the meat fibres can vary across different cuts of meat and even within a single piece. The Tri Tip serves as a prime illustration of how meat fibres can shift in orientation.
Before you start cutting, it’s important to identify the direction of the grain in the meat.
We suggest having a look at the raw cut before cooking to identify the direction of the grain. The grain refers to the direction of the muscle fibers, which are visible as long lines running through the meat.
To find the grain, look for the lines of muscle fibers that run along the length of the meat. Examine the entire piece of meat because the direction of the grain can change!
Once you’ve identified the direction of the grain, continue to cook the meat and make sure you can still identify the direction of the grain after it’s cooked.
Step 3: Position the meat for cutting
To cut against the grain, you need to position the meat correctly. Place the meat on a cutting board with the grain running parallel to the edge of the board. If the grain is running diagonally across the meat, you may need to adjust the angle of the meat so that the grain is parallel to the edge of the board.
Cuts like skirt or bavette steak often feature a long shape with grains running width-wise. You may find it easier to first slice these into smaller, more manageable portions before cutting against the grain for optimal tenderness.
Step 4: Make perpendicular slices
Using a sharp knife, make perpendicular slices across the grain. Aim to make each slice about ¼ to ½ inch thick. It’s important to keep the knife at a right angle (or close to it!) to the grain to ensure that you’re cutting against it. If the knife is angled with the grain, the fibers will remain intact and the meat will be tough.
It’s important to note that some steaks are easier than others to cut at a perfect right angle or 90º. Flank steak is easy to cut – it has grains that run the length of the steak and it’s intuitive to cut it against the grain going width-wise. However, a steak like skirt steak has a grain that runs width-wise. It would be tempting to cut it width-wise but you would be cutting WITH the grain which is a no-no!
With skirt steak, you can cut across the grain and it won’t be perfectly perpendicular (right angle) and that’s ok! Your other option is to divide the skirt steak into smaller portions by cutting width-wise and then slicing against the grain.
Step 5: Check your progress
As you’re cutting, check your progress to ensure that you’re cutting against the grain. Look at the cut edges of the meat and examine the direction of the muscle fibers. If the fibers are running diagonally across the slices, you’re cutting against the grain. If the fibers are running parallel to the slices, adjust the angle of the meat and try again.
Did the fibre direciton change?
Yes – this does happen within a cut and it can be frustrating if you didn’t notice!
If the direction of fibers change in the meat, simply adjust the position of the meat and continue slicing perpendicular to the grain. Skirt steak and tri tip are 2 steaks that have changing orientations in the grain.
Final Thoughts
When you’re cutting meat against the grain, it’s important to pay attention to the texture and tenderness of the meat fibers. If the fibers are long and stringy, the meat will be tough and chewy. On the other hand, if the fibers are short and the meat is tender, you’ve done a good job of cutting against the grain.
By following these tips and techniques, you can improve the texture and tenderness of your meat dishes and impress your family and friends with your cooking skills.
