Identify the grain. Once you’ve learned in the brisket, use it on every meat, from perfectly grilled pork chops to an insane porterhouse. Cutting meat against grains is simpler and fun too. Cooking Your Steak Cook your steak on the stovetop for stir fry. In simple terms, cutting meat against the grain will save your jaw a lot of work. Trimming; Take a cutting board and a butcher knife. There is no art here but what’s so important is to cut the steak perpendicular to the grain’s lines or cut against the grain as others would say. You want to be sure to cut it against the grain to avoid overly chewy meat. You should cut the large pieces of white fat while you’re preparing your meal. In this way, you will have short fibers that are going to be super soft, tender melting into your mouth instead of long fibers that will make you forget about the delicious taste and chew that piece for a longer time. Nevertheless, we took into account making you even more conscious of how you need to slice any steak cut. When the dish first appeared on menus in the 1970s, it had referred initially referred to strips of meat cut from the beef skirt. Whether we are talking about working or supporting muscles spotting the grain is a must. The good news is that these are the cuts for which slicing against the grain is most important. That’s why tracking and understanding the fiber lines is essential. The fibers usually run length-wise on a brisket, so that’s good to keep in mind. Cause if it's not, the grain is a lot harder to find, which is fine because it's also a lot less important — cut your own filets and porterhouses the way you like. Then you can begin the... Get rid of unnecessary fat. By cutting against the grain, you’re separating these sturdy fibers into more palatable portions. Whether it’s a Porterhouse, hanger, skirt, or anything else, cutting against the grain remains valid. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. You can clearly see it in the raw steak (look at those lines), but you can still see it in a cooked steak. The grain of the steak is referring to the muscle fibers within the piece of meat. These simple steps will help you cut your sirloin steak very easily. Here is Episode 6 of Wet Aged and Confused. It doesn’t have to be exactly 90 degrees. After going through all of the trouble to find the best steak and cook it to perfection, the last thing you want to do is ruin your eating experience by cutting it poorly. With any steak cut, you should always slice against the grain. $500 vs $16 Steak Dinner: Pro Chef & Home Cook Swap... Wagyu vs. Kobe Beef: Similarities, Differences, and Which Is Right For... What is Beef Tallow? We often say in our recipes to cut meat "across the grain" or "against the grain." When it comes to meat, cutting across the grain is highly encouraged. Ultimately, if you cut with the grain your steak will still be chewable. Butcher and author of "The Everyday Meat Guide," Ray Venezia, joined Rach to break it down for us — literally! Think of them as lines or strings of tissue throughout the meat. One can see the direction of the lines on both cooked and raw beef cuts, they resemble long streaks. You should be able to see the fibers separate or stretch away from each other. Why is it important to cut against the grain? It’s not about connecting a beef cut with a specific way of slicing, although there are some cuts that have the same grain direction every time. Cutting against the grain it’s absolutely necessary but not sufficient because there are other aspects that contribute to the meat’s tenderness. You can … When you cut your meat steak against the grain, you will separate the strong muscle fibers hence creating more palatable thin meat pieces. How do you cut against the grain? What exactly does that mean, though, and why is it important? The grain of the meat is easier to identify in certain cuts of meat with more sinew—like flank, hanger, and skirt steak—than it is in lean cuts, like tenderloin. You will encounter various beef cuts and the grain won’t be the same, depending on the butchering way. I’ve … … Whether or not you work out (get swole, manage gains, pump iron, etc. Firstly, you need to get some necessary tools like a knife, a cutting board, a towel. The dish is derived from the Spanish word \"fajita,\" meaning a little strip or a little belt. We don’t discriminate. Spicy, falling-apart beef sandwiches are a game day no-brainer. We are literally going across, so we want to cut at a perpendicular angle. © 2021 Condé Nast. Why Slicing Against the Grain Is Important. Once you’ve identified the grain, you’ll want to slice against it, making perpendicular slices that form a “T” with the grain. It’s a bit different when we’re working with our sriracha-brisket sandwiches though. Here’s how: You can always tell the direction of the grain. Bon Appétit may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Ad Choices. And that's regardless of whether it's strip loin or flank steak. We are talking about all things grain. If you have a bone-in cut, finding the grain is even easier. We want for you straightforward cooking steps, a clear picture of the cooking process or method used, helpful tips, and a few cooking myths to discover as well. I just want to get it right on my next cut. The concept of slicing against the grain is to shorten the actual muscle fibers so that they are easier to chew. A mishandled steak will feel chewy and unsatisfying even with the best preparation. Step-by-Step Instructions You will need a very sharp knife and a cutting board. 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