The Meat That You Don't Actually Have To Cut Against The Grain - Tasting Table

"By running the knife's blade across the long muscle fibers - the so-called "grain" of the meat - you can make them less chewy and stringy. But did you know there's one kind of meat in particular where you can break this rule and still get super-tender results? It's nothing fancy, just good-old chicken breasts, but here's the key: this only applies if you're slicing it paper-thin."

"Take the chicken breast and make several thin slices with the grain. The pieces will still taste buttery smooth after you've grilled them. However, if you make thicker cuts, like an inch or two thick with the grain, you'll find them difficult to chew again - just as conventional wisdom warns. So, why exactly is this? Why does thickness make all the difference?"

Cutting against the grain shortens long muscle fibers and reduces chewiness. Chicken breast can be sliced with the grain and remain tender if the slices are paper-thin. Thin slices contain so few muscle bundles that the texture becomes imperceptible when chewing. Thick cuts with the grain retain bundled muscle fibers and produce tough, rubbery pieces. The thickness of the slice, therefore, determines chewiness more than the grain direction in very thin preparations. Paper-thin slicing is useful for fillings and for velveting in dishes like soy chicken and broccoli or chicken scallopini. Cutting against the grain still yields the most tender results in most situations.

Read at Tasting Table