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Meat is made up of living cells, the muscle fibers. You can see them easily because they run like lines through the meat. It’s very important to be able to recognize the direction of the fibers, called the “grain.” The principle is simple: you must always cut against the grain, with your knife perpendicular to the piece of meat, rounded side up.
So if the grain runs this way
I’ll change my cutting angle. Why? Simply to obtain short fibers, so small that you don’t feel them in your mouth.
So if the grain runs in this direction,
I move my knife and I cut in the opposite direction.
Make a straightforward knife cut, with your blade at an angle. My left hand holds the piece of veal in place.
The slice is becoming apparent.
You can make smaller escalopes by beginning with a smaller piece.
Identify the direction of the grain;
cut in the other direction. Allow between about 100 and 140 g (3-5 oz.) per escalope.
Second step: flatten the escalope. Avoid direct contact between the meat and the tenderizing mallet. It’s a matter of hygiene. Lay each escalope on a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper.
Fold it over to cover each escalope, leaving some extra space. An escalope that you flatten is naturally going to get bigger. You can increase the surface by a third or even double it, depending on the thickness of the slice.
Ideally, use a tenderizing mallet to pound the surface. The side with points has the advantage of breaking down the remaining fibers, thus tenderizing the meat. It’s called “masticating” the meat. If you don’t have a tenderizing mallet, use the bottom of bottle, a small heavy-bottomed saucepan or the flat side of a large knife.
Turn the meat over and give it a few more pounds to get a thin even escalope. 00:01:38 We repeat the process with each escalope. Usually escalopes are cut from bottom round or eye of round, which is exceptionally tender. Meat from the top round, shoulder or rump is firmer and less tender. That is why escalopes sold in supermarkets are not always of the same quality. Escalope refers only to a thin slice, with no guarantee of provenance or quality.
A little hint: if you cut your escalopes in advance, separate them with a piece of parchment paper before placing them in the refrigerator.