If you have ever attempted to follow a steak recipe, you've likely been instructed to cut the meat 'against the grain.' The importance of adhering to this technique, you may ask? It lies in the structure of muscle fibers and their reaction when chewed.

Any meat type - from poultry, pork even to seafood- contains muscle fibers. However, beef frequently exhibits the most obvious alignment of fibers, also known as the grain. Greg Garrison, the executive chef at Repeal 33 in Savannah, Georgia, explains that when you slice against the grain, you are ensuring that each piece has the shortest possible length of muscle fiber. In essence, smaller muscle fibers are softer to chew than larger ones. This is crucial for slightly tougher cuts such as flank steak, skirt steak, picanha, and brisket.

Consequently, cutting your meat perpendicular to the grain typically results in the tenderest steak portions. Meanwhile, failing to do so can lead to a perfectly seared, restaurant-worthy steak that is, nonetheless, tough and chewy. Hence, let's explore the best technique for slicing against the grain to ensure you don't waste your effort.

Identifying the direction of the grain on a steak is an easier task with raw meat. Depending on the cut type, you will see parallel lines that are either very clear or slightly noticeable. According to Garrison, various steak cuts contain different sized muscle fibers; however, they tend to be fairly long in general.

Look for noticeably long, distinct, parallel lines in cuts from more active muscles such as hanger, skirt, or flank steaks. Steaks like filet mignon, rib-eye, and strip steaks sport finer grains since they come from muscles that aren't overly active. Some of these naturally tender steaks are even butchered in a way that the grain runs vertically to ensure each bite is delicate.

Regardless of the cut at your disposal, take note of the long parallel lines before cooking so you'll recall the correct slicing direction after the steak is properly seared and rested. If you're unsure about the grain direction even after cooking and resting the steak, gently pull at it to find out where it naturally wants to come apart. Follow this natural separation to identify the grain, ensuring you slice against it with your knife.

But what if the grain structure is not clear, or the grain changes throughout the steak, like in the case of a tri-tip? You can try to identify a basic grain structure and slice perpendicular to it at a 45-degree angle to ensure the muscle fibers are as short as possible.

Garrison's general practice for meats with multiple layers, different fiber directions, is to choose cutting against the grain of the larger fibers or larger groups. If the grain alteration is easily noticeable, you still slice against it as usual, but you will need to change direction as you slice.

Of course, every rule has exceptions. When butchering larger cuts of beef (like primal cuts) into smaller steaks, cutting with the grain is advisable. "Primarily, when butchering larger cuts into smaller steaks, or primal cuts into sub-primals, it's best to follow the natural structure of the muscle groups," mentions Garrison.

In preparing braised, slow-roasted, or smoked beef like barbacoa, which should have a more pulled end product, cutting against the grain may cause the meat to fall apart, resulting in an unpleasant texture. According to Garrison, in recipes like shredded beef for a taco bar, you should pull (or shred) the beef with the grain - not against it.