Slicing
Skära upp
Slice across the grain, after resting. Each cut page gives its rest time.
Find the grain. Turn the board so the lines run left to right, and cut straight down across them.
1. Find the grain. It shows as fine parallel lines.
2. Slice at right angles to them.
Note it raw. Crust and bark hide the grain. Check it while trimming or marinating, and cut a small notch across it to find later.
Thin on tough cuts. Cut flank, skirt, brisket and högrev about 5 mm thick. On flat cuts, tilt the knife to get wider slices.
Some cuts turn. A brisket is two muscles lying at an angle to each other. Separate the point from the flat and slice each across its own grain. Skirt needs cutting into pieces first.
1. Find the grain. On skirt it runs across the width.
2. Cut into three along the grain.
3. Slice each piece across it.
Always after cooking? Yes. The butcher has already cut a steak across the grain for you. The one exception is stir-fry strips, which you cut raw, still across the grain.
Why it works
Meat is made of bundles of long fibres. A slice cut along them holds whole fibres, and your teeth have to break each one. A slice cut across holds fibres only as long as the slice is thick, so the knife has done most of the work. That is also why thinner slices eat more tender.