Behind the French Menu: behind the french menu.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

The Taureau de Camargue was the first breed of French cattle to be awarded an AOC, now an AOP, for the unquestionably excellent and consistent quality of their meat. When the Taureau de Camargue is on the menu, you will have an opportunity to enjoy some of the best steaks or roasts that France can offer; in the winter fabulous stews will be on the menu.

The Camargue where the cattle are raised is a working nature reserve and part of the Delta of the Rhone River on France’s Mediterranean coast; it is partly in Provence, Alpes-Côte d'Azur; and partly in Occitanie. (The new Super Region of Occitanie was created on 1-1-2016 by combining the regions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées).

Grilled gilthead seabream

Photograph courtesy of yves P

www.flickr.com/photos/ypou34/7569136082/

The Taureau de Camargue AOC/AOP are completely free range and looked after by real French cowboys, called gardiens. who also look after the Camargue’s wild white horses. The breed is black and dark brown bulls and cows that are descended from the great Spanish fighting bulls; however, they are physically much smaller and are now considered an entirely separate species.

Wild horses of the Camargue

Photograph courtesy of Barry.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/beejd1044/34729434332/

To hold their AOC/AOP the animals must be antibiotics and growth hormone free, and 90% of their food comes from natural grazing. Your first bite will tell you that the texture and taste of this meat is different.

The Taureau de Camargue on French menus:

Carpaccio de Taureau, Parmesan, Cebette et Câpres - A Carpaccio of Taureau de Camargue prepared with Parmesan cheese, spring onions and capers.

Côte de Taureau de Camargue Grillée au Thym, Sauté de Pomme de Terre à la Ciboule – A rib roast of Camargue beef grilled with thyme and served with potatoes fried with scallions (green onions). A French rib roast has four ribs and will weigh 3 kilos or more, so you will be served slices. You will be asked to choose how you prefer the meat to be cooked, so click here to reach the post on how to order steaks (and roasts) cooked the way you like them.

A Taureau de Camargue rump steak.

Photograph courtesy of patrick janicek

https://www.flickr.com/photos/marsupilami92/16897832010/

Entrecôte de Taureau de Camargue, Sauce Béarnaise, Pommes de Terre Rate au Four, Légumes du Moment - An entrecôte steak, a US or UK rib-eye. An entrecote, in France, is nearly always grilled and here it is served with Sauce Béarnaise. Accompanying the steak are baked “rate” potatoes, one of France’s most popular potatoes, along with the freshest vegetables.

Gardiane de Taureau et son Riz de Camargue - The stew of the Gardians, a stew as the Camargue's French cowboys would prepare. This stew is a variation of Provence’s memorable beef daube made with red wine, and here it is served with rice grown in the Camargue. (For more about the foods grown and served on the Camargue click here).

Pièce de Filet de Taureau de Camargue AOC Sauce au Vin Rouge, Purée de Pomme de Terre à l'Huile d'Olive – A filet steak from the Taureau de Camargue prepared with a red wine sauce and served with pureed potatoes flavored with olive oil.

Among the Camargue’s many traditions and one in which the Taureau de Camargue take part in is the Course Camarguaise, the Camargue acrobatic competition or contest. The Course Camarguaise is certainly not a bull-fight as some translations suggest; it is a unique acrobatic attraction, and the gardiens do not let their bulls, or, more often, the cows, get hurt or wounded; these animals are trained professionals. To see more on the Camargue see the post: The Camargue, France. The land, its people, and its unique cuisine.

A Course Camarguaise

Photograph courtesy of Arnaud DG

https://www.flickr.com/photos/hern42/3930446271/

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Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

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Connected posts:

AOC and AOP on France's Foods and Wine labels? Why is the AOC becoming an AOP?

Carpaccio on French Menus.

Côte, a rib or rib roast, a cutlet or a chop; Côté, a side or a filet; Côtes, (cotes) the hills or the coast in French. All will be on French menus.

Daube – A Traditional Provencal Stew. Now on Menus all Over France.

Entrecôte (Entrecote). Ordering a Perfect Entrecote Steak in France.

Estragon - Tarragon. Tarragon, the herb, in French Cuisine.

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

French Olive Oils. Enjoying France's Best Olive Oils.

Ordering a Steak in France, Cooked the Way you Like it.

Parmesan, the Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano is an Important Ingredient in French Cuisine.

Regions - France’s Mainland Regions and Their Borders Have Changed. Keep This List With Your GPS and Map.

The Camargue, France. The Land, its People, and its Own Unique Cuisine.

Thyme in France. Thym, Serpolet, Farigoule and Thym Citron, Lemon Thyme in France. Thyme. One of the most important herbs in French cuisine.

Entrecôte – Entrecote.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

An entrecote, cooked á Point.

An entrecote cooked à point will be rare to medium-rare;

Photograph courtesy of jypygen

An entrecote is a rib-eye steak in North America, while in the UK an entrecote may be called a rib-eye or fore-rib steak; then depending from what part of the rib it is cut in a UK restaurants that same French entrecote may be on the UK menu as a sirloin steak. N. B. A US sirloin is a different cut to a UK sirloin; it comes from a cut further down the back, the UK sirloin is better. To order your steak cooked, in France, the way you like it back home see the post: Ordering a steak in France, cooked the way you like it.

In France, an entrecote is usually served without the bone.

The French word entrecôte translates as between the ribs, and that is certainly where this cut comes from; an entrecote or rib-eye steak is one of the tastiest steaks that any restaurant can offer. In many US restaurants, a rib-eye steak may be on the menu bone-in, that is with the bone; however, French entrecote steaks are usually prepared without the bone. The French cut these steaks leaving a line of fat on the edge, and that keeps the meat moist while cooking; most excess fat will be removed before serving.

An entrecôte ready for the grill.

Photograph courtesy of Jonathan Koertge.

An entrecote on a French menu:

Entrecôte Bordelaise - An entrecote in the manner of Bordeaux. This is the most famous of France's many Entrecote recipes and made with Sauce Bordelaise.

The Sauce Bordelaise, which may be part of many other dishes is made with veal stock, Bordeaux red wine, butter, shallots, thyme and bone marrow.

Entrecôte Bordelaise à la Moelle - An entrecôte steak cooked in the manner of Bordeaux, with added bone marrow. A Sauce Bordelaise will usually have included a small amount of bone marrow; however, when the dish is à la Moelle then more bone marrow will have been added to the sauce which will give it a velvety texture. Additional pieces of bone marrow will be added to the steak just as it is about to be served.

Entrecôte Bordelaise à la Moelle

In the photograph above the beige circles on the steak are pieces of bone marrow.

Photograph by Monkey Business/Yaymicro.com

A note about the wine to accompany an Entrecote Bordelaise

Sauce Bordelaise will have been made with a dry Bordeaux wine. When ordering wine to accompany your Entrecote Bordelaise choose a wine that complements rather than overpowers the sauce. In a good restaurant, this is where the sommelier, the wine steward, demonstrates his or her skills and knowledge by pointing out the wine used in the sauce. Then with your preferences, that should include your budget, he or she can suggest a wine that will pair with the dish and not overpower the sauce.

Entrecôte Façon du Chef - An entrecote prepared in the manner of the chef’s choosing. Since 90% of entrecote steak are grilled here the chef’s choice will indicate particular herbs and a particular sauce. Ask.

Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2001 Pauillac, Bordeaux.

This may be the sommelier's choice for pairing with an Entrecote Bordelaise if you have
not told him or her your budget!

Photograph courtesy of cumi&ciki

Entrecôte – Legumes - An entrecote accompanied by vegetables. Many French restaurants, usually the smaller ones and those without pretensions, have menus that use abbreviations and restaurant shorthand like this. The indication that the vegetables are included lets you know that you must order the French fries separately.

Entrecôte Marchand de Vin – An entrecote steak as it would be prepared for a wine merchant. A Sauce Marchands de Vin will be a slightly stronger red wine sauce than the Sauce Bordelaise. The sauce will usually be made with a beef stock, not veal stock, without added bone marrow and the red wine may not necessarily be a Bordeaux.

Entrecôte Maître d'Hôtel – An entrecote steak as preferred by a restaurant manager; this is the classic French way to serve an entrecote steak. The steak is grilled to the degree requested and then a cold (compound) butter flavored with of parsley and lemon flavored butter, is placed on top of the steak just as it is served. Very few other herbs will have been added during cooking, often just a little salt and pepper. The Maître d'Hôtel butter will melt and flavor the steak as the diner eats.