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Warning: My old boss told me to always cut against the grain on a brisket flat

He said it would make it more tender, no matter what. I did that for a year at the shop in Tacoma. Every single brisket flat I sliced was tough and chewy. I finally tried cutting with the grain for the long muscle, then turning it to slice across, and it was like a different piece of meat. Has anyone else been given bad slicing advice that just made things worse?
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2 Comments
sanchez.lucas
Same thing happened with my pork shoulder.
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the_blair
the_blair6d ago
Honestly your old boss had a point though. Cutting against the grain on the flat is standard for a reason, it shortens those tough fibers. Maybe the briskets you were getting just weren't cooked right to begin with, that can make any slice chewy. I've seen folks mess up the cook and then blame the slicing method. A properly cooked flat sliced against the grain should be tender every time. Switching your cut might have just covered up a different problem in your process.
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