Why is it important to cut meat against the grain?

If you do cut with the grain of the steak, you will often find the meat more gamey and tougher to chew. The reason? It is because the long muscle fibers remain intact and haven’t been cut. Cutting against the grain breaks up the muscle fibers making the steak much more tender.

Why is it important to apply slicing meat by following the direction?

Tender or Tough In which direction you cut the meat relative to the grain can mean the difference between a piece that’s tender and a piece that’s tough. Why is this? Well, since the muscle fibers are meant to stretch and contract so that the animal can move, they aren’t easily broken along their length.

Why is it important to know the kind of meat and its characteristics?

Factors affecting the quality of raw meat Meat quality and consistency are important in ensuring consumer satisfaction. Quality of meat is affected by the genetic propensity of the animal, how the animal is reared, and the nutritional status during production.

Do you cut chicken against the grain or with the grain?

Chicken is also a little different from other meats in that you want to slice not quite 100 percent against the grain, because it can end up almost too tender if you do. But you still want to cut at a sharp bias against it.

Why do we need to trim the meat before slicing?

In addition, particularly for steaks and other cuts of beef, excess fat can actually curl the edges of your meat up, so trimming before cooking keeps your finished plate looking great.

What determines meat quality?

Meat quality is normally defined by the compositional quality (lean to fat ratio) and the palatability factors such as visual appearance, smell, firmness, juiciness, tenderness, and flavour.

Why is it important that meat should be prepared properly?

Meats, such as beef, pork, and chicken, can contain harmful bacteria and parasites. If eaten raw, these bacteria and parasites could make you really sick. When you cook meat properly, though, any harmful organisms are killed during the cooking process, allowing you to eat the cooked meat safely.

What happens when you cut meat with the grain?

If you cut with the grain, that keeps the muscle fibers intact. This makes the meat much less tender as the fibers are holding everything together. And tenderness means the meat can be easier, or harder if it’s not tender, to chew.

What is the grain of the meat?

Let’s start with the ‘what’. Not to be confused with grains like cereals and legumes, the grain of the meat refers to the direction that the muscle fibers lie in your cut of meat. These muscle fibers are, unsurprisingly, tough, as they support the animal’s movement.

Does cut of meat affect tenderness?

Only beef and lamb that has met the highest quality standards can hold it. However, it’s not just the cut of meat that determines how tender it is, it’s also how you cut the meat. Preventing your meat from becoming chewy requires spotting the grain.

Is it better to cut meat thin or thick?

If you’re after a tender cut of meat, the thickness of the slice is as important as cutting across the grain. Muscle fibers run parallel to each other, so cutting thick slices against the grain still leaves a significant amount of tough muscle to chew through. If you’re looking to avoid this, keep your slices as thin as possible.