Every professional butcher knows the classic recommendation to slice meat against the grain for more tender cuts. By slicing perpendicular to the direction of the muscle fibres, the muscle fibres are shortened dramatically, resulting in bites that are much easier to chew. In other words, instead of the diner having to break long fibrous strands with each bite, we deliver the meat ‘pre-chewed’ into short fibres. However, beyond this standard explanation, there are technical nuances and little-known tricks that can make all the difference to the texture, presentation and perception of your cuts. Here we explore some new angles on the backcombing cut, with professionals in mind who are looking to further perfect their technique.

 

Advanced effects on texture and tenderness

• Slice thickness: It’s not just the direction of the cut that matters, but also how thinly it’s sliced. An experiment by America’s Test Kitchen showed that, with very thinly sliced meat, there was virtually no difference in tenderness regardless of the direction of the slice. In contrast, with thicker slices (≈1.3 cm), tasters did perceive much more tenderness in slices cut against the grain. This suggests that extremely thin slicing can mitigate toughness even in stringy cuts. Of course, in thicker pieces the rule remains: whenever possible, cut against the grain to mitigate tenderness.

 

• Cuts with multiple fibre directions: Some muscles, such as the tri-tip or the chest, have muscle strands in different orientations. A tri-tip has two sections where the ‘beta’ changes direction, which makes filleting it correctly a bit more challenging. The tenderness of these cuts depends largely on following the orientation of the fibres in each section; slicing without respecting these changes can ruin even perfect cooking by making it tough. The professional solution is to identify the different veins and adjust the cutting direction: for example, separate the sections or rotate the piece mid-cut to keep cutting perpendicular to the grain of each part. This advanced knowledge avoids mistakes that a beginner might overlook, ensuring that each slice is as tender as possible.

 

• When a deliberately leathery texture is sought: Interestingly, cutting across the grain (i.e. parallel to the strands) has its uses in specific products. A case in point is jerky: cutting with the grain will result in a noticeably more leathery and tough texture, while cutting against the grain gives more brittle and softer strips. Jerky artisans sometimes choose to cut with the grain to achieve that traditional firmer chew that some consumers enjoy. In other words, the ‘rule’ of cutting against the grain can be intentionally reversed when the desired product experience is different.

 

• Slow cooking or ultra-thin meat: Not all preparations require obsessing over the sense of cut. If a piece has been cooked at a low temperature for a long time, much of the collagen will have turned to gelatine and the fibres will easily fall apart on their own. In a stew that ‘falls apart with the fork’, the need to cut against the grain diminishes, as the meat practically separates into short strands anyway. Of course, even in these cases it does not hurt to respect the against the grain when shredding or filleting, but the impact on tenderness will be less than in a lean, undercooked cut. A professional recognises the difference and adapts his technique according to the final condition of the meat.

 

Presentation and perception of the product

Cutting against the grain not only influences tenderness but also the visual presentation of the meat and how it is perceived by the customer. A clean cut against the grain tends to produce evenly sized slices with a smooth surface, where marbling or seasoning is better appreciated, in contrast to a cut against the grain that would leave long, stringy, unattractive strips. For example, in a poultry breast, the traditional practice of filleting it widthwise (often with the fibre) produces evenly sized pieces for consistent portions, but if maximum tenderness is sought, it is best to slice it lengthwise against the grain even if it produces longer strips; these can then be split in half to make even portions. Here the professional balances aesthetics and tenderness according to the final dish. In general, well-targeted cuts enhance the perception of quality: a short fibre gives a bite that falls apart easily and ‘tastes’ juicier and tastier, leaving a positive impression of the raw material. In short, the slicing technique has an impact on the appearance (more compact and less ‘frayed’ slices), on the eating experience and on the overall satisfaction with the product.