The first step is choosing your seasoning, whether it’s a wet or dry brine – larger cuts of meat roasted at lower temperatures for slicing don’t get the flavor benefit of browning and searing that pot roasts do, so don’t skip that important step. Next, keep the oven temperature low — 325 degrees Fahrenheit is a good target. Low-temperature cooking allows the middle of the meat to come to temperature before the outside is overcooked and dry. And longer cooking time also gives time for collagen to change from tough and chewy to meltingly smooth and tender. You might have noticed how this works with notoriously tough brisket — when it’s brined, slow-roasted, and sliced, like magic, it becomes juicy pastrami or corned beef that’s easy to bite despite the original texture of the meat.
A last trick that will keep your sandwich meat tender (and all other roasts and steaks, too) is learning to cut or slice against the grain of the meat. If you cut your perfectly roasted meat in the same direction as the meat fibers, you’ll get stringy meat, no matter how thinly you slice it. Just look for the faint lines in the meat and slice across those lines. Your teeth will thank you with every tender bite.
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