Showing posts with label Steak Tatar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steak Tatar. Show all posts

Filet Mignon on French Menus and Filet de Bœuf in French Cuisine.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

     
An 8-ounce Filet Mignon
  
When ordering a Filet Mignon in France
rule No 1 is to read the menu carefully.
     
A Frenchman, an Englishman and an American meet in Paris and decide to have lunch together. Without waiting for a menu the Frenchman chooses the best steak dish he can think of and orders a Filet de Boeuf, the Englishman ordered a Fillet Steak; and the American orders a Filet Mignon. The Frenchman and the Englishman are served excellent cuts from the center of a beef tenderloin, large fillet steaks. The American was served a superb cut, but, from a pork tenderloin!  He had not remembered rule number 1.
  
 A Filet Mignon in the USA
   
Ordering a Filet Mignon in the USA indicates that you want the very best of beef steaks.  In the USA a Filet Mignon is the name usually given to the tenderloin, a large muscle that is the most tender of all cuts.  Other cuts make great steaks and they may be tastier, but they are not as tender. A Filet Mignon is the most expensive cut that most US restaurants offer and it will generally be served with a sauce.
  
What is happening here?
  
The French term Filet Mignon means “dainty fillet” in English. In France, it does not refer to the whole beef tenderloin, rather to the narrow, almost pointed, end of the tenderloin. The thick end of a beef tenderloin, the fillet, in France is reserved for the cuts called a Chateaubriand and a Tournedos. As the tenderloin becomes thinner, about halfway down, the French will cut their Filets de Boeuf, beef fillets. The French beef Filet Mignon is the name given to the last few inches of the narrowest part of the tenderloin. Nevertheless, the term Filet Mignon may be used for a whole tenderloin, but that will be a pork or veal tenderloin! N.B. Confusion for the American traveler in France began in the American kitchen. When US chefs and butchers took French names for their own use but changed their original meanings they omitted to inform would-be travelers.
    
This cut, even when well marbled, has little natural fat and whether called a filet mignon in the USA or a fillet steak in the UK or a filet de bœuf in France they will be barded, wrapped in fat, before being cooked. Without the barding the steak would dry out. N.B. This cut should never be ordered well done. To see the post on ordering a steak in France cooked the way you like it click here.
     
A whole beef tenderloin (without any bone) may weigh anywhere from 1.3 kilos (2.5 lbs) to 2.3 kilos (4.5 lbs). In the USA most restaurants take the whole tenderloin beginning at the thickest end and cut 2" to 2.5" thick steaks until they reach the narrow end.  A large sized US Fillet Mignon steak is around eight ounces (225 grams). Some North American restaurants offer 10-ounce (280 gram) Filet Mignons.  
  


A whole tenderloin.
Photograph courtesy of Marx Foods.
   
The smallest part at the end of this cut, on the right-hand side in the picture above, is the French Filet Mignon, the dainty fillet.    Nevertheless, cuts taken from here will, in France, rarely be called Filet Mignon, rather they will on the menu as Médaillions, or used for the highest quality Steak Tartar or cut for dishes such as Beef Stroganov.  Whole tenderloins of pork and veal are much smaller, and it is for these that the French use the words Filet Mignon. A tenderloin, a Filet Mignon, from an average pig weighs about 500 grams (17.5 ounces, 1.1 lbs), and that is about enough for three people, two if they are very hungry.  A veal tenderloin weighs about 700 grams (24.5 ounces, 1.5 lbs), a fair sized meal for three.
    
Filet de Bœuf on French Menus:
   
Filet de Bœuf Poêlé, Jus de Cresson et Pommes Grenailles – A lightly fried fillet steak (tenderloin) served with a watercress sauce and small new potatoes.
   
A Filet de Bœuf.
  
Cœur de Filet de Bœuf Grillé, Sauce au Poivre Vert. A grilled center cut  from the heart, the center, of a beef tenderloin, served with a green pepper sauce,
  
Filet de Bœuf en Brochette Marchand de Vin – A beef fillet cut into cubes and served on a skewer with a Sauce Marchand de Vin; that is a sauce prepared for a wine merchant. A beef fillet served this way allows the use of the thin end of the tenderloin, the French Beef Filet Mignon which may be cut into small pieces. A Sauce Marchand de Vin is made with red wine and beef stock. N.B. The word brochette with two tees may easily be confused with brochet, with one tee, which is pike, the fish.
  
Filet de Bœuf, Sauce au Porto, Fricassée de Cèpes, Pleurotes et Champignons de Paris – A beef fillet served with a Port wine sauce and a stew of wild Porcini mushrooms and farmed oyster and button mushrooms
   
Médaillons de Filet de Bœuf Balsamique – Round cuts from the end of the tenderloin (medallions) served with a Balsamic vinegar sauce.
   
  
Médaillons de Filet de Bœuf
These three cuts together will weigh less than 6 or 7 ounces,
(170 to 200 grams).
Photograph courtesy of www.boeufinfo.org/

Tartare de Filet Mignon de Bœuf –  A Beef or Steak Tartar. The best Tartar will be cut from the end of the tenderloin, no better cut could be used for a steak Tartar
   
     
French beef comes from freely grazing grass-fed cattle
  
There are cattle feeding lots in France, but they are few and far between.  When the beef on your menu is named and it has a Red Label or an AOP then you know it is farm raised. You also know the calves were raised by their mother until they were weaned. The cattle graze freely in the summer and only in the winter are they allowed into barns. In the barns they are fed the same grasses, wildflowers and herbs they grazed on in the summer.   French beef will, therefore, be tastier, though it may also be slightly tougher as the cattle will have had more exercise. French beef may be well marbled but overall has less fat than beef sold in the USA.
   
You will nevertheless, see Filet Mignon on French Menus:
     
Filet Mignon de Porc aux Pêches, Miel, Amandes et Son Jus au Romarin – A pork tenderloin prepared with peaches, honey, almonds and a sauce made from the natural cooking juices and Rosemary, the herb.
 
Filet Mignon de Porc Jus a l'EstragonA filet mignon or pork served with a sauce made from the natural cooking juices and tarragon.
 
Filet Mignon De Veau Charolais, Son Jus Aux Escargots Du Brionnais Et Porto Rouge – A cut from a tenderloin of Charolaise veal served with a sauce made from the natural cooking juices and large-sized farmed petit gris snails, from the area of the Saône and the Loire in South Burgundy, and a red Port wine. The AOP Charolaise cattle were the third breed to receive an AOC to protect their provenance and unique qualities. To that French AOC has been added the Pan-European AOP.
 
Filet Mignon De Veau, Fricassée De Rattes Et Eryngii, Sauce Au Vin Rouge Et Morilles – A  veal filet mignon alongside a stew of ratte potatoes and farmed King Trumpet Oyster mushrooms served with a sauce made with red wine and wild morel mushrooms. (Ratte are a popular strain of potatoes in France.  Their name comes from their spurious resemblance to a mouse or a rat; rest assured that their look has nothing to do with their taste which is superb).
  
Ratte Potatoes.
  
More French confusion in US Kitchens
  
Another example of confusion with the use of French in the US kitchen is the use of the word entrée. Entrée in French means “the entrance, the beginning.”  Following on that entrée in France is used for the first course. In the USA they took the French word entrée and use it for the main course!
   
George Bernard Shaw said:  England and America are two countries separated by a common language.  However, Shaw ignored the confusion that arises when US chefs and butchers take words from French cuisine and bring them into the American kitchen.

A tenderloin steak in the languages of France’s neighbors: 

(Catalan – llom de bou), (Dutch - ossenhaas), (German – rinderfilet), (Italian - filetto di manzo), (Spanish  -  filete de lomo ).
   
Connected Posts:
    
 
 

  
 
 
   
   
 
 
  
   
   
   
  
   
   
 
  
   

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

 

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

Copyright 2010, 2016.

Bœuf Charolais - Charolais Beef; the Very Best Beef in France.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

The Charolais Cattle
Photograph courtesy of deanezl
www.flickr.com/photos/45449312@N00/1733676500/     

The AOP-certified Charolais cattle are prized for the excellence of their meat. They were the third French breed to be awarded an AOC (now an AOP) for the consistent superior quality. For livestock, an AOP also dictates the manner in which the cattle are raised and what they may be fed. Charolais herds are all free-range for most of the year, feeding on grasses, wildflowers, and herbs in the summer. In winter, when moved to sheltering barns, they are fed local grasses and cereals collected and stored from their summer grazing areas. Furthermore, all AOP cattle must be completely free of growth hormones and antibiotics. Calves must be raised by their mothers and remaining together until weaning.  

A Charolais cow resting.
Photograph courtesy of David Wright
www.flickr.com/photos/dhwright/6997890059/

Charolais cattle are almost entirely white, creating a marvellous contrast as they graze in lush summer pastures. Their striking appearance, with their white coats against the vibrant green, is a memorable sight in the countryside.

Unlike those raised for veal, Charolais beef cattle are not brought to market until they are at least two and a half years old. This extended rearing period allows for their body fat to be finely distributed throughout their muscles, resulting in exceptionally well-marbled beef.

The Charolais Beef on French menus:


         Filet de Boeuf Charolais aux Morilles et Savagnin Gratin de Pomme de Terre et Légumes de Saison - This is a cut from a Charolais fillet (the tenderloin), prepared with Savagnin wine sauce and accompanied by wild  morel mushrooms, a potato gratin and a Savagnin wine sauce.

         Filet de Boeuf: Beef Fillets. While the fillet is always the tenderest cut of beef, it isn't always the most flavorful. In France, fillet cuts are almost always served with a sauce. Here, the sauce combines the natural cooking juices, morel mushrooms, and the unique Savagnin wine.

         The Savagnin grape: The grape that yields fantastic white and yellow wines in France's Jura department, which borders Switzerland. Its name, derived from the French word sauvage (meaning wild), hints at the grape's origins in wild vineyards.

          Morilles - Morels are a family of tasty mushrooms with a decidedly different look to most others.  Morels lack the gills and domed caps of many other mushrooms, but they all have white to ivory-colored stems and a conical cap.  Dried morel caps that you may see in the market look tube-shaped, but that is part of the drying process and when rehydrated the conical cap returns. The morel’s taste and texture make them a French favorite; they’re served fresh from early spring through to the beginning of June. (The idea that Morel stems are not edible is an urban legend, though they are a little tougher than the cap).

         Gratin de Pomme de Terre: and maybe Gratin Dauphinois: while the menu listing refers to browned potatoes it’s quite probable that the chef has chosen the popular Gratin Dauphinois to accompany a filet steak with a wine sauce.  Here, thinly sliced baked potatoes are cooked with olive oil and garlic and layered with cream and milk. Some versions add onions and nearly all add grated cheese,  typically Gruyère with the dish browned under the grill before serving. This dish originated in the historic Dauphine region of France, now the departments of Savoie and Isère in the region of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, and part of the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.  Dauphiné translates as a dolphin, that seagoing mammal but that will not be on the menu, neither will the dolphin fish. A dolphin was the symbol of the counts who ruled the area until they became part of France some 600 years ago.  Then the Kings of France adopted the title Dauphiné for their eldest sons, the first in line for the throne.  N.B. Pommes de Terre Dauphine are different; they’re potato croquettes mixed with choux pastry and fried. 

 

Morel mushrooms

Photograph courtesy of Pascal Blachier

https://www.flickr.com/photos/pascal-blachier/3471258841/


        Le Carpaccio de Bœuf  Charolais, Mesclun et Copeaux de Parmesan – A Carpaccio of Charolaise beef served with a mesclun salad and sprinkled with flakes of Parmesan cheese.

         Carpaccio - This iconic dish didn't originate with a French chef; the Carpaccio’s creator was an Italian, Giuseppe Cipriani (1900–1980).  Giuseppe Cipriani was the owner of Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy and in the 1950's Cipriani 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. According to the Cipriani tradition, the dish was created for a regular customer of Harry’s Bar whose doctor had forbidden her to eat cooked meat.

          Mesclun: means "mixed" in the Provençal language of southern France. While a Salade Mesclun can certainly serve as an entrée (the French first course), it more commonly accompanies a main dish or may be part of a light lunch.

          Typically, a salade mesclun will feature five or six distinct ingredients chosen for their harmonious yet contrasting tastes, textures, and colors. It's traditionally served with a vinaigrette sauce. The exact ingredients change with the seasons,

          Typically, a salad mesclun will feature five or six distinct ingredients chosen for their harmonious yet contrasting tastes, textures, and colors. It's traditionally served with a vinaigrette sauce. While the exact ingredients change with the seasons, you might encounter leaves like:

          Pissenlit (dandelion leaves), for a pleasant spicy note.

          Treviso Radicchio or Chicorée Rouge di Chioggia  (radichio), chosen for its beautiful flash of reddish-purple color and a touch of bitterness.

          Endive (Belgian endive), for a satisfying crunch.

          Chicorée Frisée (curly endive), is often included for its slightly bitter taste and attractive look.

          Feuille de Chêne (oak leaf lettuce), which can be red or green. Haricot Vert (green beans) are often added.

          Mâche or Mâche Nantaise (Lamb’s lettuce or Corn Salad), France’s tastiest contribution to a mixed salad. Mâche leaves are nutty, juicy, with just a tinge of spice, and a texture that expands when tasted with other salad greens.

          Roquet (rocket/arugula) spice.

          Sucrine  (bibb lettuce), buttery texture and mild, slightly sweet flavor.

          Laitue Iceberg (iceberg lettuce), included for the crunch.

          Even if the chef got a little "carried away" and adds herbs, tomatoes, and its ubiquitous Haricots Blanc, white beans you're guaranteed a great salad.

 

Boeuf Carpaccio
Photograph courtesy of patrick janicek
www.flickr.com/photos/marsupilami92/32731729907/


           Pavé de Rumsteck "Charolais" Sauce au Poivre Vert – A thick-cut Charolais rump steak served with a green peppercorn sauce.

          A French "rumsteck" comes from a slightly different cut than a North American or UK rump steak. In France, this cut is traditionally barded (wrapped in fat) during cooking to prevent it from drying out, as it's naturally lean. This technique often results in a French rump steak that's more flavorful than its counterparts elsewhere.

          Pepper steaks: Most French pepper steaks are prepared with green peppercorns, and for good reason. Green peppercorns are picked as unripe peppercorns and pickled in brine before drying. This process gives them a slightly herbal flavor and makes them much less pungent than black or white peppercorns. Theit milder profile makes green pepper sauce easier to control, ensuring the dish is perfectly seasoned without overpowering the other flavors.

 

Pave de Rumsteck
Photograph courtesy of Brian Griffin
www.flickr.com/photos/124398512@N05/19843323429/

 

             Tartare de Bœuf Charolais,  Pommes Frites et Salade de Jeunes Pousses –  A Steak Tatar made with Charolais beef and served with French fries, chips, and a salad of young vegetable leaves. The most popular young leaves and shoots, come from spinach, chicory, Belgian Endives, arugula, and watercress. 

         Tartare de Bœuf : A steak in the manner of the Tartars, the famous and frightening fighters who rode to war under the direction of Genghis Khan beginning in the 13th century.   Twentieth-century folklore has the Tartar tribesmen riding to war with raw meat under their horses' saddles.  As they rode, they were said to cut off pieces of the raw meat with a knife, and eat as they rode; they only stopped riding to sleep. Despite the name, Steak Tartar (Tartare) is far from any real Tartar culinary traditions.

          Steak Tartar begins with raw ground or chopped beef. Despite the lack of a frying pan or grill, in France, this may be one of the greatest steak dishes that you have ever tasted. Steak Tartar is spiced beef made with steak.  Fish and vegetarian versions of this dish are also not cooked.

         Pommes Frites: The perfect Pommes Frits, French Fries or Chips can be a culinary feast on their own. The ideal French fry has no fixed size though most French schools of the culinary arts teach their would-be chefs to cut them 5mm x 5 mm thick and 5 or 6 cm long. An excellent French fry is crispy and slightly crunchy on the outside; it will be colored a golden brown, and on the inside, it will be cooked and tender. 

         The French take on properly made French fries requires them when freshly cut to be soaked in cold water before frying them twice. I was told that the soaking reduces much of the starch on the outside, and that aids in producing crispy fries, but its frying them twice that provides that perfect crispy fry. To order a steak to go with the fries see the post: Ordering a steak in France, cooked the way you like it.

 

Tartare de Bœuf
Steak Tatar.
Photograph courtesy of cyclonebill
www.flickr.com/photos/cyclonebill/9382942005/


          Tournedos de Bœuf du Charolais Poêle, sa Béarnaise a la Truffe Noire avec Petits Légumes de Printemps a la Vapeur d'Estragon et Couronne de Pommes de Terre Rôties  –   Pan-Seared Charolais Beef Tournedos with Black Truffle Béarnaise Sauce, served with Steamed Spring Vegetables with Tarragon, and a Crown of Roasted Potatoes.

          Tournedos: The  thickest cut from the end of the fillet, the tenderloin, is called the tournedos in France. A tournedos is also the cut used for a Tournedos Rossini, and a double tournedos will be a  Chateaubriand.  

         Sauce Béarnaise: One of France's really awesome sauces; it is part of many beef or fish dishes whether they are served hot or cold.   The sauce was created by chef and restaurateur Jean-Louis François Collinet. He famously created it by adapting Sauce Hollandaise by substituting lemon with white wine vinegar and shallots, and replacing other herbs with chervil and tarragon, and voila he created Sauce Béarnaise. Collinet is also credited with creating soufflé potatoes in 1837.

   

Charolais cow and calf

Photograph courtesy of K-State Research and Extension

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ksrecomm/51001467159/

Finding Charolais and Bourbonnais on the map.

Part of the Charolais du Bourbonnais name for this breed of cattle comes from the village and community of Charolles in the department of Saone et Loire in the Bourgogne. (Bourgogne, Burgundy, is today joined with Franche Comte as Bourgogne – Franche-Comte). This area was home to the Bourbon Kings of France, hence Bourbonnais.

Portions of Charolais and Bourbonnais are now included in a new voluntary economic and agricultural grouping called Le Pays Charolais-Brionnais.   

How to get to Charolles
Photograph courtesy of Elliott Brown
www.flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown/34878669824/

The area of Charolais-Brionnais covers part of the South West of Burgundy and part of the region of the Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes  To make things more interesting when you ask the locals who they are some call themselves Charolaise and some call themselves Bourbonnais.

There is much more than beef on the menu with the names Charolais and Bourbonnais; for example:


Charolais AOP -  Fromage Charolais AOP -  A 45% fat, creamy,  goat’s milk cheese made with unpasteurized milk.    


 L’Agneau Charolais Fermier du Bourbonnais, Label Rouge  – The highly rated Charolais Bourbonnais Label Rouge, red label, lambs that developed alongside the Charolais cattle. When Charolais lamb is on the menu, do not pass it by.

  

The Volailles Label Rouge Bourbonnais IGP -  The Bourbonnais poultry. Their highly rated poultry includes their farm-raised chickens, their Poulet Bourbonnais Fermier Label Rouge, and their Pintade Bourbonnais, Fermière Label Rouge, their red label, farm-raised Guinea hens.

------------------------------------------ 

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman 
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com 
Copyright  2010, 2011,2012, 2016, 2019, 2025

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