First, find the direction of the grain which way the muscle fibers are aligned, then slice across the grain rather than parallel with it. The best meat for venison jerky and how to slice it field. Cannot be used to press and cut dried squids and beefdeer jerky the way i wanted. Dec 01, 2009 to our mind, the best jerky is pliable yet chewyand doesnt make you gnaw on dried muscle fibers longer than your hand. Cutting jerky strips always cut your jerky strips with the grain. That means cutting against the grain of the meat, in 18inchthich slices. Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links. Well, meat is made up of bundles of long muscle fibers that are laid out parallel to one another. Youve probably read in recipes and heard again and again that meat should always be sliced against the grain. If you cut the meat parallel to the grain the meat, even if it is cooked properly, it will be stringy and fibrous.
Make beef jerky tips for cutting meat fat yankee jerky youtube. The right cut of meat makes all the difference when making great tasting beef jerky, and here ill show you which ones are the best. Recipe book the great beef jerky guide 40 new recipes purchase link. Jul 18, 2017 what does cutting against the grain really mean.
The simple answer is, a cut that has the least amount of fat. A wide variety of jerky cutting machine options are available to you, there are 369 suppliers who sells jerky cutting machine on, mainly located in asia. I dont just sprinkle the cure and spices directly on the pieces though. Marinate the meat in a marinade or solution of your choice. Feb 11, 2015 heres why its important to slice meat against the grain its not just the cut of meat that determines how tender it is, its also how you cut the meat. It can have a larger grain to it but it works well to cut into strips for making jerky, as long as you cut across the grain. But you still want to cut at a sharp bias against it. If it separates easily, your likely cutting across the grain. To our mind, the best jerky is pliable yet chewyand doesnt make you gnaw on dried muscle fibers longer than your hand. For me it very much depends on what meat i am making jerky out of. Cutting with the grain will result in a little chewier. Video reveals the science behind keeping steaks tender. Aug 26, 2006 if you want to jerk a round steak you need to go with the grain because it was cut against the grain when it was steaked.
Position the meat so the grain vertically on the cutting board. People who hunt deer usually know all about making jerky, because thats how a lot of it ends up getting eaten. It is a dry solid and thin piece of meat which supplies plenty of protein and a decent amount of calories. Cutting against grain causes muscle and tissue fibers to be shortened.
Others cut steak with the grain, and then they leave the dinner table disappointed because their steak is tough. But, unless you had expert tuition in your younger days, it can all get a bit confusing. How to make beef jerky tips from a professional meat cutter. Beef jerky is widely available cut both with and against the grain. Thats because when you slice against the grain, thinner slices mean shorter strands.
Getting the most from wild game meats food grit magazine. This means that not only is it necessary to slice the meat against the grain, but you want to slice it as thinly as possible. Cutting the meat with or against the grain for beef jerky. Dont cut too thin or the venison will dry out like a shingle on your roof. Heres how and why to slice meat against the grain sliced roast. Cutting across the grain means to slice perpendicular to the fibers, so the fibers in the cut pieces of meat become much shorter, making it easier to chew them. If you bundle a bunch of hoses together, they resemble the structure of meat. Take a close look at your meat, and youll see that just like wood, its got a grain. Smoky beef jerky against all grain against all grain. Sep 07, 2007 i always cut mine against the grain for the most part.
The reason we cut against the grain of the meat is to make it much easier to chew. And if you want a more tender jerky, slice the meat against the grain. For tender meat, you have to cut it against the grain. So when you cut against the grain of the muscle, you get hundreds of tiny fibersinstead of one long one. Today, brian teaches you a great method for cutting your meat up quickly for delicious beef jerky. Whole meat jerky is what people usually associate with the term jerky. How to make jerky step 1 properly cutting and weighing meat. You now have all the information you need to create delicious beef jerky at home on any budget. Here you will learn the different ways of slicing meat so you can get the best feel and taste out of your jerky. For jerky that was more tender, we sliced the meat against the grain, while slicing with the grain yielded a. Jerky or steak cut against the grain is relatively easy to chew for jerky, this is a matter of preference. Ive done it both ways many, many times, and it seems that if you slice against the grain, the jerky is not so hard to chew when it is dried. If you slice with the grain, those muscle fibers are really long and tough to chew. The best meat for venison jerky and how to slice it.
Look closely at a piece of meat and youll see that the long muscle fibers run parallel to one another. Homemade beef jerky methods and techniques make that jerky. I put the spices and cure in a gallon plastic screw lid jar and put in about 2 lbs of venison strips, and shake the jar a few minutes. In his book, project smoke, bbq expert steven raichlen shares 7 key tips for beef jerky. If you want to press your jerky meat thinner after you dried it,this is no good for you. Cutting meat against the grain clover meadows beef. It produces a jerky that easily snaps off in your teeth and almost melts in your mouth. Remember to look for the freshest cuts of meat that contain the least fat, and keep your cuts in mind when deciding whether to cut with the grain or against it. One of the most important decisions when making beef jerky is the cut of meat you are going to use. If you are using relatively tender meat then cutting across the grain will result in a batch of jerky crumbs.
To make jerky, take any lean meat wild or tame and cut it into 18 to 14inchwide strips, cutting against the grain if possible. Invest in a good quality knife, practice cutting techniques and trim off that fat. For many people, cutting meat against the grain happens coincidentally because it simply looks right. Why you should always slice meat against the grain daily. Its more clearly defined and easier to see in tougher cuts like flank, hanger, and skirt steak than it is in lean cuts, like tenderloin.
If you arent familiar with the differences between with and against the grain, youtube it up. So hopefully at this point you have decided what type of meat to use when making your homemade beef jerky, now you just need to trim and slice it. You cant start making jerky until you know what cut of beef you are going to use to make your jerky. What were trying to do is shorten those strands as much as possible, so that your teeth and jaws have less work to do. Perhaps the simplest and most effective tutorial on cutting against the grain of meat was delivered by alton brown on his original cooking show, good eats here, at the 2. If this has a fat cap on it, it must be trimmed before using to make jerky. The concept of slicing against the grain is to shorten the actual muscle fibers so that they are easier to chew. When it comes to meat, cutting across the grain is highly encouraged. An ideal training tool thats perfect for use in grocery stores, restaurants, foodservice companies, and culinary schools, as well as by serious home butchers, the art of beef cutting provides clear, uptodate information on the latest meat cuts and cutting techniques. Apr 26, 2017 3 free recipes click the guide below recipe book the great beef jerky guide 40 new recipes purchase link purchase bring. If you want jerky pieces that break off easily, then cut against the grain. Danielle walkers, against all grain llc is a participant in the amazon associates program, an affiliate. Let the meat rest on a plate, loosely covered in foil, for about 5 minutes per pound after it finishes cooking.
We found that cutting the steak thininto 18inchthick stripsand placing the strips on a wire rack during ovendrying greatly shortened the cooking time. Grasp opposite ends of the meat slice and attempt to pull it apart. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and examine it for threadlike ridges. How to slice chicken breast for stirfries knife skills.
Apr 10, 2014 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. If you are using very tough meat then cutting with the grain will be absolutely impossible to chew. This makes the meat more tender and it doesnt really fall apart much at all, especially if you are sure to slice your meat when it is slightly frozen. Heres what you need to know about meat grain and how to cut against it. Slicing meat against the grain the food lab serious eats. A deer has a lot of lean meat and not everyone is a fan.
The grain of the meat is the direction that the stinglike fibers of the muscle run. How to slice meat against the grain grilling companion. Make beef jerky tips for cutting meat fat yankee jerky. But what does slicing against the grain really mean. What is the best cut of meat for making beef jerky. Mar 05, 2010 most people probably give up on these tough cuts after eating slices that werent properly cut against the grain. Seriously the best beef jerky recipe easy to make at home, nice and.
Guide to picking the best meat for beef jerky nom nom jerky. But some cuts have fibers running in different directions, making it difficult to identify the grain. The grain of meat refers to the direction the muscle fibers run within a. Sep 22, 2016 hope you enjoyed our guide to picking the best meat for beef jerky. To identify which direction the grain of the meat is running, look for the parallel lines of muscle fiber running down the meat, and slice perpendicular to them. Normally this is in the context of steak, or in australia, carving up the lamb roast. Not that the process is any different, just that the flavors are unique.
Smoked beef jerky, sliced with or against the grain. Aug 11, 2015 why you should always slice meat against the grain. If youre not sure which way the grain lays, cut a thin slice of the meat from the piece youve chosen for jerky. Weve all heard discussions about cutting meat with or against the grain. For jerky that was more tender, we sliced the meat against the grain, while slicing with the grain yielded a chewier jerky. How to make jerky shop meat processing products, supplies. What i mean by this is that if you look at a piece of beef, you will notice the strands of meat all run together in the same direction. You can cut with or against the grain, but some find that strips cut against the grain are easier to chew. How to cut beef and make teriyaki beef jerky youtube. For a tougher piece of meat especially, that muscle is long and stringy. The ultimate guide to beef fundamentals and master cutting techniques. Essentially, he says that you should think of muscle fibers in meat as lengths of hose. Sliced jerky has a really traditional, chewy texture, although the texture varies a bit depending on whether you slice the meat it with or against the grain.
With a certain cut of meat, like this flank steak, it is very important to cut the meat against the grain. When making beef jerky, i like to slice the meat against the grain, meaning, perpendicular to the natural lines of the meat. Danielle walkers, against all grain llc is a participant in the amazon associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by linking to products danielle organically uses and trusts. This step is optional because the additional moisture can make dehydration take longer, and the resulting jerky might be stickier.
For spicier jerky, use the larger amount of pepper. The grain of the meat is easier to identify in certain cuts of meat. I usually cut mine 14 thick with the grain for chewier jerky. Slicing your meat when making making beef jerky is where you get to decide whether you want a chewy jerky or a more tender jerky. You will notice that when you go to slice a large slice that was cut against the grain into a strip, with the normal shape of a eye of round, you will not be cutting with the grain but simply only cutting that slice into smaller strips. Half the people say to slice it with the grain, the other half against the grain.