Slicing meat against the grain

Why

Muscle is made of long muscle fibres grouped into bundles held together by connective tissue; the direction the fibres run shows on the meat as fine parallel lines, the grain. When you slice across the grain, each fibre in the slice is only as long as the slice is thick and your teeth separate it easily, whereas a slice cut along the grain keeps the fibres at full length and chews like string. In America's Test Kitchen's measurements, flank steak sliced against the grain needed more than four times less force to bite into than flank sliced with it, while for strip steak the difference was less than twofold. So it matters most for coarse-grained cuts such as flank, skirt, brisket or chuck, and less for tenderloin and other tender cuts. Slicing does not replace correct cooking, though: overcooked lean meat stays dry, and cuts rich in connective tissue only soften with long braising (see the Braising tough cuts card).

How to do it

• Find the lines of the grain and turn the meat so they run away from you; then move the knife from left to right, at a right angle to them.
• Slice coarse-grained cuts such as flank or skirt thinly; on a thin steak, angle the knife to get wider slices.
• Where the grain changes direction, as in skirt or brisket, first divide the meat along the grain into sections and then slice each one across separately.
• For stir-frying, slice raw meat across the grain into thin strips; after 15–20 minutes in the freezer it slices more easily, then use it at once or return it to the fridge.
• Let roast meat rest before carving (see the Resting meat card) and slice with a sharp knife in long strokes, without pressing down.
• On a T-bone steak, cut both parts, the strip and the tenderloin, off the bone and slice each across its own grain.

If it goes wrong

Slices cut along the grain can still be saved: cut them across into short strips or small cubes and serve them in a sauce, a salad or a flatbread. Slice overcooked meat across the grain as thinly as possible and pour juices or sauce over it; it won't be tender again, but it will be pleasant to eat. Braising cuts that are still tough are not a slicing problem but a matter of time – keep braising them.