from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
bryangnewman@gmail.com
Bœuf de Bazas
A Bazas bull.
Bazardaize Beef.
Restaurants looking to attract customers who appreciate quality, depth of flavor, and texture may put the Boeuf de Bazas on the menu. The cattle go to market when no younger than 36 months—an optimal age for natural marbling. Their name comes from the town of Bazas, located just 70km (43 miles) from Bordeaux, France.
The breed carries the prestigious and publicly accepted Label Rouge, red label, and IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) certifications, so whether prepared as a steak, stew, or roast and you’ll taste the difference.
Label Rouge
The Label Rouge, the red label.
After the Protected Designation of Origin, the AOP, the Label Rouge is the most powerful French mark of food quality and, in many cases, is considered the most effective. France's Label rouge is closely linked to the Pan-European IGP with its geographical limits, but it is not used for wines. (Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)). All vegetable and animal products and produce will have passed organoleptic tests that appraise taste, smell, and texture. The Label Rouge sets very clear and high standards, and consequently, it is a trusted label.
The breed developed over 800 years ago from Aquitaine and Spanish cattle and is easily recognizable. In the Middle Ages, they were primarily raised for milk and draft work, as all cattle raised for beef belonged to the aristocracy. However, the tractor ended the need for draft oxen, and by 1970, only around 700 certified Bazadais cattle remained; the breed was on the verge of extinction. Then, local farmers joined together, and the Bazadaise breed made a comeback and was commercially reintroduced some thirty years ago. Today, they are prized for their exceptional meat and high-quality milk.
A Bazas town festival is held every year in February, named the Fête des Boeufs Gras (the Festival of the Fat Oxen), which celebrates the fattened Bazadaise stock and their meat. If you are close to Bordeaux and want to enjoy a local celebration and local menus, contact the Tourist Information Office in Bazas for the exact dates. The same office will provide information on the Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park.
The
Fête des Boeufs Gras de Bazas
Photograph courtesy of Bazas city hall.
Boeuf Bazadaise on your menu:
Le Marbré de Bœuf de Bazas
au Poivre Verte et Moutarde à l'Ancienne - A well-marbled green pepper
steak from the Bazas beef served with a traditional mustard.
Poivre Verte:
Green pepper is the pepper of choice for many French chefs when preparing
pepper steaks; these are the same peppercorns that produce black and
white pepper, but picked before they are fully ripened and then
pickled in brine and dried. The result is a pepper with a slight
herbal flavor that's less pungent than black or white pepper. With
green pepper, the chef can control the heat.
Moutarde à l'Ancienne:
A mustard made in the traditional manner. Here, the chef will be making his or
her own mustard. The mustard seeds will be soaked in water for a few days, then
lightly crushed to retain a grainy texture with flavored vinegar and other
herbs added.
While Dijon is the most famous French mustard, Moutarde
à l'Ancienne offers a different, robust and complex flavor.
A chef who makes his own mustard told me that good
mustard depends on the freshness of the grinding, and he mixes white and black
mustard grains and adds fruit vinegar, sugar, and a little salt. After his
creation has developed its flavor in the refrigerator for a day or two, the
final taste is acquired by adjusting the ingredients and occasionally adding a
small amount of Worcestershire sauce. The final taste will depend on the
dish that the mustard will be served with. Since this chef doesn't sell his tasty
mustard outside his restaurant, its pale brown color is of no commercial
importance. The mustard is made fresh three times a week, and no preservatives
are used; anything more than three days old will be thrown out. When you see Moutarde
à l'Ancienne on the menu, ask the waiter or Maitre d' for more
information; a good mustard complement natural flavors,
Steak
au Poivre Vert
Steak with a green pepper sauce, fresh green beans and
mashed potatoes.
Shutterstock
Bœuf de Bazas en Pot-au-Feu, Brochette de Légumes, Bouillon
à l'Huile
de Truffe - A Bazadaise beef stew. A
traditional Pot-au-Feu has been
upgraded by preparing the broth with truffle oil, and
skewered vegetables accompany the dish. With a menu item like this,
always ask for more explanations from your waiter. Some pot-au-feus can be two-stage
servings, a meal in itself (see Chapter 28).
Huile de Truffe:
Truffle oil may be a
step down from real truffles, but it should provide a hint
of what a fresh truffle can add to a dish. Chefs have made truffle
oil for at least two hundred years by simply soaking truffle shavings in olive
oil. The final product is an intensely flavored oil that will add some of the
flavors of truffles and may be stored year-round. When you buy commercially
prepared truffle oil, it is unlikely that the quantity of truffle used is
anywhere near the amount of truffle that chefs would use in their homemade
product. If you are buying for your home, look carefully at the label, and do
not buy a product that notes it is made with truffle flavor or aroma; that is
not the real thing, and from my experience, it will not taste like the real
thing.
Joue et Queue de Bœuf de Bazas,
Effilochée en Salade à l'Huile d'Olive Vierge - The
cheeks and tail of Bazas beef, shredded and served with a salad made
with virgin olive oil.
Beef cheeks and beef tail (ox-tail) are traditional
bistro dishes;
this menu listing shows the traditional ingredients prepared as a salad. The
meat will have been slowly cooked for hours until it
is really tender. Here, word effilochée implies a texture so
tender that the meat shreds naturally. The virgin olive oil will
be added just before serving; using virgin olive oil to cook with destroys its
flavor. (See chapter 14, Queue de Bœuf, Hochepot, Ox-tail).
Pavé de Bœuf de Bazas au Pinot Noir d'Alsace –
A thick cut of Bazas beef served with a sauce prepared with the
light red Pinot Noir wine from the Alsace in
northeastern France.
Pavé de Bœuf,
also called a Pavé de Rumsteck: Rump steak, usually the USA
sirloin or the UK rump steak. French rump steaks are very well prepared,
certainly much better than similar steaks in the USA or the UK.
French chefs cannot order beef by grades like US
prime, choice or select, etc. So, the chef or the sous chef will
personally choose the meat that the restaurant will serve, and
it will be carefully prepared and marinated before being grilled or
fried. (See chapter 19. Coeur de Romsteck and Pavé de Rumsteck – Rump
Steaks.
Pinot Noir d'Alsace: A
very light red that will work well with the taste of this unique beef, but
as this is the only red wine in the Alsace, you'll need to choose a full-bodied
red from elsewhere in France to accompany this dish.
Carpaccio de Boeuf de Bazas,
Chutney de Figues et au Parmesan -
A beef Carpaccio served
with a fig chutney and
flakes of Parmesan cheese.
The French have never refused great recipes
brought from other countries, and four hundred years before another Italian, Catherine de Medici,
a Florentine, came to France in the 16th century to marry the French
Prince Henry, and brought many new recipes along with herbs and
fruits. Today, France exports its creations and imports others.
Carpaccio:
Carpaccio
is an iconic dish that didn't originate with a French chef; the creator was an
Italian, Giuseppe Cipriani (1900–1980). Giuseppe was the owner of Harry's
Bar in Venice, Italy. In the 1950s, he created Carpaccio di Manzo
(Italian for Beef Carpaccio) for a regular customer whose doctor had forbidden
her to eat cooked meat. The dish was named in honor of the famous Venetian
Renaissance painter Vittore Carpaccio (c. 1460 - 1526), known for his vibrant
red hues. Today, Carpaccio is so much a part of French menus that few realize
that it is a relatively new Italian creation. However, just as French cuisine
has been exported around the world, the French have never refused great recipes
brought from other countries. (See chapter 4 Carpaccio).
Entrecôte Bazadaise
-
An entrecôte from the Bazadaise
beef. Entrecôte is a rib-eye steak in North America and the
UK. Though in the UK, an entrecôte can include the fore rib and may also
be part of a UK sirloin. (UK and USA sirloins are not the same.)
The word entrecôte is French and
means between the ribs, and that is what it is. A French entrecôte steak
is usually prepared without the bone, and is one of the tastiest steaks that
any restaurant can offer. (See chapter 2).
An entrecôte with Sauce Béarnaise on the side.
Photograph courtesy of Malmaison
Hotels and Brasseries.
Faux-Filet de Bœuf de
Bazas, Mousseline de Carotte, Blettes au
Citron - A US Strip Steak or Delmonico,
among other names; in the UK, this is a sirloin. The steak is accompanied by a
very light carrot puree and Swiss chard flavored with lemon. (UK and USA
sirloins are different cuts.)
Faux-fillet,
also called a Contre Fillet: A cut just below the entrecôte.
A faux-fillet will be grilled, or lightly pan-fried, and never well done. Well
done, this cut would be very tough. (For more about the faux-filet, see chapter
three).
Mousseline:
The word mousseline comes from the material muslin. Until the arrival of very
thin metal sieves, muslin was used to prepare very light purees.
The
Town of Bazas
Bazas is a small, pretty town in the department of
Gironde with its history going back to Roman times. The town
still has late medieval houses and narrow streets, along with a Cathedral
built in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The Bazas Tourist Office English website:
The Confrérie
Bazadaise du Bœuf.
To improve the local menus and keep the competition
away, there is the Confrérie
Bazadaise du Bœuf, the brother and sisterhood of the Bazadaise beef.
This Confrérie was formed in 1995 when the Bazas beef began to
be a significant commercial enterprise.
Modern French confreries are mostly voluntary organisations that work with and enjoy promoting a particular food or wine. There are hundreds of confreries, including those that support Fresh Mayonnaise, the real Tart Tatin, Pink Garlic, and more. They dress up in would-be ancient costumes and organize fairs and dinners. While promoting the breed is the organiser's aim, for many members, their primary job, apart from the Mardi Gras celebrations, is to eat well and have a good time.
Members of the Confrérie Bazadaise du Bœuf.
The brother and sisterhood of the Bazardaise beef.
The Confrérie Bazadaise du Bœuf claims they reintroduced a tradition dating back to when the English ruled Aquitaine. Then Eleanor of Aquitaine, France, married Prince Henry of England when he was also Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou in 1154. Two years later, Henry would become King Henry II of England and the ruler of Aquitaine, while Eleanor became Queen of England. (Even if you disagree with the dates claimed by the confrerie, their tradition is undoubtedly over 300 years old).
The confrerie's fete coincides with Carnival, and the celebrations begin with a parade the day before Mardi Gras (Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday, in French). During Mardi Gras, special meals for carnivores are served, and a large amount of wine will be drunk.
If you wish to join
the fun, be aware that Fat Tuesday moves around each year with the Carnival
dates, as it is linked to Easter. So, Mardi Gras can be anywhere from February
to early March. To check the exact dates, check with the French Government
Tourist Information Office.
In the modern fete, the Confrérie organizes a parade where the bulls are paraded through the town. The parade is led by horses, followed by children playing on fifes and drums and other children on stilts. Parades and contests end with the finest Bazadaise specimens wrapped with flowers and ribbon on their horns. To win an 800-kilo bull to take home and show the folks, buy a lottery ticket when you arrive.
The Label Rouge regulations
To meet the
requirements for the Label Rouge, the beef must be of a unique and
consistent quality, and the cattle raised with modern forms of animal
husbandry. Calves must be raised by their mothers and allowed to graze freely,
and no antibiotics or growth hormones may be used.
In the summer, the cattle are free range and, in the winter, Bazas' cattle are kept in barns where they feed on grasses that were collected from their pastures during the summer. That, along with natural cereals, is their complete diet; they may not be fed any animal additives.
Cathedral of St Jean Baptiste de Bazas in Bazas
Photograph courtesy of dizzymissytrolly
www.flickr.com/photos/missydizzytrolly/6162176191/
--------------------------
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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
bryangnewman@gmail.com
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