Flank steak is a leaner cut of meat that can be grilled and enjoyed by itself or sliced and used in a stir-fry. However you choose to enjoy it, the tenderness of the steak is largely impacted by how it’s cut.
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Why Does It Matter How You Cut Your Flank Steak
When looking closely at a flank steak, or any steak for that matter, you will notice muscle fibers (or grain) that run a certain direction along the length of the steak. The muscle fibers are chewy and tough. If you leave them in tact, your steak will be chewy and tough. However, if you cut against the grain (perpendicular to the grain) of the muscle fibers, you will break them up into small pieces leaving only the loose connective tissues holding your steak together. These are much easier to chew through, leaving you with a much more tender bite of steak.
How to Cut Flank Steak
Whether you have a grilled steak that you are about to enjoy for dinner or you are slicing a raw steak to be used in your favorite Japanese barbecue recipe, you follow the same steps below:
1. The first step to properly cutting your flank steak is to identify the grain of the steak and orient the steak so the lines of the grain are horizontal to you.
2. If you would like shorter steak strips, cut the steak horizontally into pieces of your desired length.
3. Once you are happy with the length of your strips, cut perpendicular to the grain of the steak into slices of your desired thickness.
4. Enjoy!
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Final Thoughts on How to Cut a Flank Steak
Who would have thought that something as simple as how you slice your steak can have such an impact on its overall tenderness. I hope that you have found this informative! Happy cooking!
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