way you slice a steak actually have? Let’s set up
some definitions:
Let w be the distance you move the knife between
slices (i.e., the width of a slice).
- Let m be the length of the meat fibers in each slice.
- Finally, let θ be the angle between the knife blade
and the meat fibers.
Given a bit of high school trigonometry, you can
quickly come up with the following formula:
m = w / sin(θ)So, what are the implications of this? Well, if our
goal is to minimize the length of the meat fibers (m),
then we need to maximize sin(θ). When the meat is
cut into 0.5-inch strips at a 90-degree angle to the
direction of the meat fibers, sin(θ) is equal to 1 (i.e.,
maximized) and the meat fibers are exactly as long
as the slice is wide, i.e., 0.5 inch. Cut them at a 45-
degree angle instead, and while their width is still 0.5
inch, the length of the meat fibers has reached 0.707
inch (that’s the square root of 0.5, for all you nerds
out there who get excited over 45°–45°–90° right
triangles). That’s an increase of almost 50 percent!
Now take it to the extreme: if you were to cut
perfectly parallel to the meat fibers, then sin(θ) will
be equal to 0 and, according to the unbreakable laws
of mathematics, your meat fibers would stretch all
the way into infinity. That’s one big cow!