Airehead Posted March 17, 2019 Share #1 Posted March 17, 2019 Real question--. My friend Cindy O'Ryan just had a hip replacement. I asked her what she needed and she said corned beef. So I cooked one and potatoes and parsnips and cabbage and carrots. Veggies are good. It says to cut the corned beef across the grain. How do I know which way the grain runs and which way is against it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randomguy Posted March 17, 2019 Share #2 Posted March 17, 2019 Good question! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Grass Posted March 17, 2019 Share #3 Posted March 17, 2019 This should help. https://www.thekitchn.com/heres-exactly-how-to-slice-meat-against-the-grain-and-why-you-should-be-doing-it-meat-basics-215798 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airehead Posted March 17, 2019 Author Share #4 Posted March 17, 2019 Page not found Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Grass Posted March 17, 2019 Share #5 Posted March 17, 2019 You’ve probably read in recipes and heard again and again that meat should always be sliced “against the grain.” But what does that mean? What exactly is “the grain,” and why it is so important to slice against it? If those questions have ever gone through your mind, rest assured you’re not alone. Let me tell you, and more importantly show you, what the grain of the meat actually is, and why it’s so important. What Exactly Is the Grain? Not to be confused with whole grains like barley, farro, and freekeh, the grain of the meat is something totally different. It refers to the direction that the muscle fibers are aligned. In the photo of flank steak above, you can see that the fibers run vertically from top to bottom. The grain of the meat is easier to identify in certain cuts of meat. It’s more clearly defined and easier to see in tougher cuts — like flank, hanger, and skirt steak — than it is in lean cuts, like tenderloin. Here’s Why It’s Important to Slice Meat Against the Grain It’s not just the cut of meat that determines how tender it is, it’s also how you cut the meat. First, find the direction of the grain (which way the muscle fibers are aligned), then slice across the grain rather than parallel with it. In the photo above, you can see that the muscle fibers run from left to right. By cutting against the grain, we want to cut through the fibers and shorten them, rather than cut in the same direction that they run. This makes it easier to chew through, since a lot of the hard work of breaking up the muscle fibers has already been done for you. Slicing meat with the grain (or in the same direction as the muscle fibers), however, leaves you with a chewier piece of meat, one that could have been more tender if it was just sliced differently. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkpow Posted March 17, 2019 Share #6 Posted March 17, 2019 Cut across the grain: 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Airehead Posted March 17, 2019 Author Share #7 Posted March 17, 2019 Thank you gentleman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootingstar Posted March 17, 2019 Share #8 Posted March 17, 2019 Hope she loves it Airehead. You're a good friend. My mother taught us how to cut meat across the grain when we were teens. For Chinese cooking it is a basic skill because much of the dishes are small bite-size pieces of meat, unless roasting a duck or steaming a fish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted March 17, 2019 Share #9 Posted March 17, 2019 1 hour ago, Goat Geddah said: Here’s Why It’s Important to Slice Meat Against the Grain I didn't know that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Grass Posted March 17, 2019 Share #10 Posted March 17, 2019 3 hours ago, Airehead said: Thank you gentleman. Hey @donkpow, it would appear that Ms. Airehead considers only one of us a gentleman. Should we ask her which one, or just leave well enough alone? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donkpow Posted March 17, 2019 Share #11 Posted March 17, 2019 38 minutes ago, Goat Geddah said: Hey @donkpow, it would appear that Ms. Airehead considers only one of us a gentleman. Should we ask her which one, or just leave well enough alone? I just assumed ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Grass Posted March 17, 2019 Share #12 Posted March 17, 2019 1 minute ago, donkpow said: I just assumed ... Yeah, me too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted March 18, 2019 Share #13 Posted March 18, 2019 If you only buy grass fed beef you shouldn’t have to worry about it. But you should always slice bread across the grain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted March 18, 2019 Share #14 Posted March 18, 2019 On 3/17/2019 at 9:20 AM, Airehead said: Page not found He's still sleeping this time of day in Cali. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsharr ★ Posted March 18, 2019 Share #15 Posted March 18, 2019 https://www.cookingchanneltv.com/videos/ask-alton-meat-grain-0202574 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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