How To Slice Flank Steak

Flank steak is a very sought-after meat part of the cow. It’s a very good piece of meat for grilling. A lot of people are struggling when it’s time to cut it. In this article, we will check how to slice flank steak like a true Masterchef.

What Is a Flank Steak

Flank steak is a piece of meat that has been cut from the belly area of the cow. These particular steaks are pretty long and quite thin. This makes them a perfect choice for grilling. Don’t get me wrong, it can be used in fajitas, you can fry it, broil it, or use it for a steak jerky. I just like them the most when they are grilled. Since flank steaks come from a very muscular piece of cow, a lot of grain is present in them. Grain is a meat fiber. That is one of the reasons why chefs are cutting this piece of meat across the grain. This action can be a bit tricky but don’t worry, we will show you how to slice flank steak across the grain.

What does “Cutting Across The Grain” Mean?

This technique of meat cutting is particularly useful when we are talking about meat that tends to be a bit “chewy”. The key effect that we are getting when we are cutting meat this way is that fibers in the meat become shorter and way easier to chew. Take a close look at the piece of flank steak that you are cutting. You’ll see long muscle fibers that are running parallel across the whole piece of meat. To cut meat across those muscles is cutting across the grain. The picture below can give you a better idea of what I am talking about.

Once you get a hang of how to find the grain, you won’t have any problems cutting across it. Depending on how meat was butchered, some pieces can have muscle lines going into several directions. In that case, you’ll want to cut based on the majority of the lines. I believe that you get the point now. If you cut your flank steak parallel with the muscle tissue, you will get long pieces of meat that will take a longer time to cook and won’t be as tender as it would be if you are cutting across the grain.

What To Use To Cut Flank Steak Properly

No cutting can be done without proper tools. Wrong knives or misuse of a kitchen tool can make all the difference. A lot of people will use ordinary chef knives when it comes to cutting flank steak. Personally, I’ll always go with a so-called “flank and shoulder” knife. This is a variation of a boning knife. The main difference is that it’s quite long. Aside from the knife, you will need a kitchen meat fork as well. You don’t want to handle the meat with your hand and thus remove all the seasoning and juices if you are cutting the meat that just came off the grill! The image below shows examples of the tools that I am using to slice flank steak.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article explained how to slice flank steak to you. As I mentioned above, this way of cutting will give you smaller, more tender pieces of meat. If you grilled flank steak in a proper way, the meat should melt in your mouth and you won’t have to stretch your jaw with all that chewing. Additionally, you’ll be able to shred the meat even further if you want to use it in fajitas or something of that sort. All in all, that is it! Enjoy your meat and stay tuned for more useful articles about cooking!