Flank steak is a delicious recipe for everyone. Cooking the flank steak may become tough and hard if you don’t know the right way of how to slice flank steak.
Did you know why a flank stick may become tough and chewy?
Flank steak is a cut of meat from the underbelly. The muscles from the underbelly generally become tough and chewy because of their heavy uses.
Fortunately, this muscle will become tender and tasty if you know how to cut raw steak.
What’s the right way of slicing flank steak?
Make your tough watering with the piece of flank steak. Read the article top to bottom if you want to make the flank steak tender and tasty.
How to slice flank steak step by step?
Stage One: Buying the right flank steak
Step 1 Choose the right shop: Local butcher is the best option to buy flank steak. They provide fresh and bloody meat to the customer.
On the other hand, you can get this piece of meat from the super shops but the quality may not reach your desire. The flank steak freezing for a long time may not provide you tender and test.
Finally, a local butcher is the best idea to buy this cut of meat.
Step 2 Check out the meat color and condition: Now, check out the color and condition of the meat. You should observe the color and condition of the meat.
The color should be deep and bloody. The fresh flank steak will attract you with its color and condition.
Step 3 Have an eye on the grain and fat: Look at the meat carefully to the grain. You should get the line of the grain easily on the fresh meat.
The grain should be deep, chunky, and full of flavor. Put your finger on the grain and feel the line. This line is the flank steak.
Step 4 Get the piece of flank steak: Buy the necessary volume of the meat regarding your family member of personal use only.
Try to avoid a large amount of fat from the meat. You have to cut out the fat later when slicing the flank steak.
Stage Two: Preparing the flank steak to slice
Step 1 Get the equipment: You must need some kitchen staff to process the flank steak. Arrange a sharp knife and a carving fork.
The knife must have enough sharpness that can cut the fatty meat. On the other hand, the carving fork must be strong enough to hold the meat in the place.
Step 2 Cut off the silver skin from the piece of meat: Now, it’s time to cut off the silver membrane of the meat piece.
Flank steak does not include the silver membrane in the cut. Place the knife under a corner of the meat and start cutting the upper substance.
After cutting a large area enough to hold with a hand, try to pull it up with another hand. Create pressure on the silver skin so that it can come out easily.
Step 3 Trim the large of fat from the steak: The piece of meat may carry a large amount of fat. If you like to eat oily steak, you can keep it.
You should cut out the large fat area. It may create trouble for the taste of the steak. You might not want a chewy piece of meat after doing so much hard work.
Stage Three: Cut the flank steak
Step 1 Find the grain: This is the most important part of this process. If you fail to follow this instruction, then the entire process may go vain.
Try to identify the grain of the flank steak. The name flank steak comes from the line up of the grain. To get the ultimate flavor and tender of the steak, you must cut the pieces against the grain.
Have your eye on the steak and try to find out the grain line. You should see some parallel lines up on the meat piece.If you fail to identify the gain line with your eyes, then put your fingers on the grain line. Feel the line on the grain scratching repeatedly.
Step 2 Place the cut of the meat on the cut board: When you get the grainline on the meat, place the meat on the cut board for the final operation.
Place the meat in a suitable direction. The grainline should be put in a different direction. Remember, you have to slice the flank steak against the grain.
Step 3 Hold the flank steak with a Carving Fork: Get the carving fork and put it onto the flank steak. Be sure that the carving fork is strong enough to tolerate the pressure.
To make the processing easier, put the carving fork at a 45-degree angle. Don’t put the fork in the middle of the piece. You have to attach the fork several times.
Get the fork just before the line you are going to cut. It will help to hold the meat in the right place.
Step 4 Fix the measurement: Before chopping with the knife, you must fix the measurement of the steak. The thinner the piece is, the testier the meat.
Half inch is the ideal size to slice flank steak. You can have it on your own choice. You must be aware of cutting the meat into tiny sizes.
Step 5 Slice the flank steak with the knife: Hold the carving fork with one hand and the knife with another hand. Place the knife flat on the meat.
Make sure that you have placed the knife against the grain. You must hold the knife flat on the meat so that you can cut the piece in a line.
Scratch the knife forward and backward with pressure. Try to cut the piece at a 45-degree angle. This angle will add tender to the pieces.
Don’t snatch the flack steak. Start cooking your favorite recipe.
How to cut the steak against the grain?
Step 1 Arrange the things: First, you have to arrange some kitchen staff. Get a sharp flat knife for cutting meat and a carving fork.
The knife must be longer than the size of the piece of meat. Next, the carving fork must be strong enough to hold the piece of meat.
Step 2 Cut off the silver membrane: Start with cutting off the silver skin from the meat. You will get it on the surface of the meat.
Put the knife at a corner of the meat and start cutting the silver skin. Place the knife too close to the meat. Then, hold the corner with one hand and pull out the skin tightly.
Run the knife eventually with the pulling pressure.
Step 3 Find the grain: After separating the silver skin, find for the grain on the meat. You must cut the flank steak against the grain to make it tender and tasty.
You will see a parallel pattern on the piece of meat. Put your finger on the meat and feel the line.
Step 4 Place the piece of meat on the cut board: Place the piece of meat on the cut board against the grain. You have to cut the meat against the parallel line.
Step 5 Put the carving fork in the right place: Put the carving fork on the meat so that it cannot move with the pressure of the knife.
You have to change the position of the fork several times to cut the piece of meat efficiently.
Step 6 Cut the steak in the right volume: Place the knife flat on the meat. Make sure you have taken half-inch of the meat as the flank steak size.
Scratch the knife forward and backward. You should slice the steak with love and patience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Should you cut steak with or against the grain?
In short, you should cut the steak against the grain to make it tender and tasty. If you cut it with the grain, then it may become chewy and hard.
Nobody likes to chew longer flank steak. Cutting the steak against the grain makes the pieces tender and soft. You can simply cook delicious recipes with the steak.
Why is my steak tough and chewy?
If you feel that the steak is tough and chewy, then there must be a wrong cutting the steak. We should cut the steak against the grain.
The grain may make the pieces tough and chewy. That’s why we should break the line of the grain while cutting the meat into pieces.
Next, if you keep a large amount of fat in the steak, it may make the steak tough. Before cutting the steak, you must know the right way of cutting flank steak.
What is the difference between skirt steak and flank steak?
Skirt steak and flank steak both are the part of the underbelly. Skirt steak is the diaphragm of the underbelly. It refers to the most used muscles in the belly. As a result, these muscles are tough and less favorable.
On the other hand, flank steak is the muscle of the underbelly that is soft and tender. These muscles are free from hard uses. Thus, flank steak is a popular dish in modern society.
Bottom line:
You should have the masterpiece of how to slice flank steak after reading this article. Before going to the final cut, you should be familiar with the techniques.
If you fail to buy the fresh piece of meat, then you may not make the steak tender enough to make your favorite dish.
Be sure about the size while slicing the steak into tiny pieces.