Ordering a steak in France cooked the way you like it.

from

Behind the French Menu

by

Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

In France, medium-rare is à point.
Photograph courtesy of Ernesto Andrade

                                                       www.flickr.com/photos/dongkwan/2963811001

Ordering a steak in France requires surprisingly little French.  It looks very straightforward, and at first it is! Whether you confidently request "a steak, please?" in English or make the same request in French, even with a charmingly imperfect French accent. Every French server understands an order for a steak.   However, a linguistic adventure may begin when the server politely inquires, "Quelle cuisson, votre steak?" (How would you like your steak cooked?).

While "a steak" or 'un steak' is always understood, the standard North American and UK terms—medium-rare, medium, or well-done—do not translate conceptually into traditional French cooking terminology."  If you are in an area with many tourists, you shouldn't expect any problems, but using the correct French phrase will go a long way to ensuring a perfect steak.

Slices from a roast.
"Whether you're specifying the doneness of beef or veal (a roast or a steak), 
the French terms remain the same.
"Photograph courtesy of Steve Johnson
https://www.flickr.com/photos/artbystevejohnson/4667971258/

 How to Order a Steak in France: Explained in Detail.

This explanation is followed at the end of the chapter by a short lexicon 
that you may print out or photograph.

The way your steak is cooked significantly impacts its taste and texture, so it's important to have it cooked in the manner you prefer. While photographing the concise lexicon towards the end of this chapter will help you order when travelling in France, this more detailed exploration will give you an advantage when placing your order.

Bleu - (pronounced bler as in blur without the r). French for the color blue and the term used to order a seriously rare steak.  When you feel the need for an almost raw steak, then a steak bleu will satisfy that need.  A steak bleu indicates that the chef has allowed the steak to take a quick peek at the grill or frying pan in passing on its way to your plate.  A steak bleu is just sealed on the outside; when cut, it will leak copiously onto your plate; it will have been cooked, maybe, for one to two minutes on each side.         

 

Saignant - (pronounced say-neeon). The French term for a rare steak.  The direct translation into English of the word saignant would be bloody, or bleeding; despite that, a steak saignant will have been cooked a little more than a steak bleu.  A steak saignant will also leak when you cut into it, though a little less copiously than a steak bleu.   In North America and the UK, a steak saignant will still be considered a rare steak. If you want a well-prepared but totally uncooked steak, then consider a Steak Tartare (chopped) or a Beef Carpaccio (very thinly sliced).

 

À point (pronounced 'ah pwahn'). Perfectly cooked, just ready, or just right. À point is the term used in France for all perfectly cooked foods, not just steaks; it's used across French cuisine for any dish cooked to perfection. Unfortunately, many guidebooks mistakenly equate à point only with medium-rare for steak. While a steak à point simply means a steak perfectly cooked, for most French diners, that typically leans towards medium-rare. So, you may often hear French customers ordering their steaks à point.

 

Many visitors prefer their steaks cooked medium or medium-well.  French servers, especially those accustomed to English-speaking tourists, understand this cultural difference. If you ordered a steak à point steak they'll agree, usually with a smile, to return your steak to the kitchen for a few more minutes on the grill or in the frying pan if you find it too rare for your taste."

Entre à Point et Bien Cuit - (pronounced ahnt-re ah pwahn ay bee-ahn kwee).  Ordering medium-rare steaks in France using entre à point et bien cuit has worked well for me, as it translates to 'between medium-rare and well-cooked,' and all French servers will understand that.  The result is a steak that perfectly aligns with a North American or UK medium-rare, leaning slightly more towards medium than rare. A nearby French diner listening in might consider entre à point et bien cuit to be overcooked; but, remember, you are paying the piper.      

To make the usage of à Point clear, here are three menu listings:

 

      Faux-Filet de Bœuf Cuit à Point, Purée de Céleri - A UK Sirloin Steak, or in the USA, a Strip Steak, perfectly cooked and served with celery purée.
Filet de Saumon à la Crème de Fleur d'Ail Cuit à Point - A perfectly cooked filet of salmon with a cream of garlic-flower sauce.
Fromages de France Affinés à Point – French cheeses that are perfectly aged. (Ready to be eaten immediately). 

Steak à point.
Photograph courtesy of abnehmen.net
www.flickr.com/photos/40489931@N06/4035041028

Entre à Point et Bien Cuit - (pronounced ahnt-re ah pwahn ay bee-ahn kwee).  Ordering medium-rare steaks in France using entre à point et bien cuit has worked well for me, as it translates to 'between medium-rare and well-cooked,' and all French servers will understand that.  The result is a steak that perfectly aligns with a North American or UK medium-rare, leaning slightly more towards medium than rare. A nearby French diner listening in might consider entre à point et bien cuit to be overcooked; but, remember, you are paying the piper.   

 

 Moyen (pronounced mwah-yan). While moyen does mean 'average' or 'middle' in French, it is used in expressions like le Moyen Âge (the Middle Ages) or Moyen-Orient (the Middle East), or even by a chef calling for a feu moyen (medium flame) – however, it has no culinary connection. I have never heard moyen used by a chef for a steak.

DO NOT USE THE WORD MOYEN WHEN ORDERING A STEAK IN FRANCE.

Despite this, I've seen moyen incorrectly presented in some guidebooks as the term for a medium-cooked steak, but that term is not used in French-French. 

French servers in tourist zones are accustomed to English speakers and will generally understand your request for a steak moyen – you certainly won't be the first. However, be aware that what constitutes a US or UK 'medium' steak is often closer to a French steak bien cuit." Outside of well-traveled tourist routes, a steak moyen may be met with confusion. So for a medium done steak ask for a steak entre à point et bien cuit.

 

Entre à point et bien cuit

Close to medium

Photograph courtesy of Jim Hammer

https://www.flickr.com/photos/hammer51012/26462211125/

Moyen (pronounced mwah-yan). While moyen does mean 'average' or 'middle' in French, it is used in expressions like le Moyen Âge (the Middle Ages) or Moyen-Orient (the Middle East), or even by a chef calling for a feu moyen (medium flame) – however, it has no culinary connection. I have never heard moyen used by a chef for a steak.

DO NOT USE THE WORD MOYEN WHEN ORDERING

A STEAK IN FRANCE.

 I've seen moyen incorrectly presented in some guidebooks as the term for a medium-cooked steak, but that term is not used in French-French. 

French servers in tourist zones are accustomed to English speakers and will generally understand your request for a steak moyen – you certainly won't be the first. However, be aware that what constitutes a US or UK 'medium' steak is often closer to a French steak bien cuit." Outside of well-traveled tourist routes, a steak moyen may be met with confusion. So for a medium done steak ask for a steak entre à point et bien cuit.

Bien Cuit – (Pronounced beeyan kwee). Literally "well-cooked" in French. A request for a steak bien cuit generally produces a medium-to-well-done steak. The outside is nicely seared, and the inside might still have a whisper of rosé. However, unless the cut was originally really well marbled, the juices will have mostly packed their bags and left. If you're eyeing steak frites and want it well done, be warned: it will taste like something that has the charm and chewiness of an old boot

.

A steak cooked bien cuit
Photograph courtesy of jeffreyw
www.flickr.com/photos/jeffreyww/7104077479/

Très Bien Cuit – (Pronounced tray beeyan kwee). This one's a bit of a linguistic improvisation. Très bien cuit—"very well cooked"—isn't something you'll often hear since I made it up; it’s a request for an overdone steak.  Most seasoned servers who deal with tourists will get the message. Don't be surprised if the server blinks twice and gently tries to talk you into something more appetizing. The picture below will show you how the average French diner sees a steak très bien cuit.

The French view of a steak cooked très bien cuit
Photograph courtesy of Ian Britton
www.flickr.com/photos/freefoto/3002603097/

A lexicon
If you’re travelling

Use this lexicon to order your beef just the way you like it, whether it's a Steak Frites, a Chateaubriand, or slices from a roast.

Print this lexicon or save a photo on your phone!

 

Bleu – (pronounced bler as in blur without the r).). This is an extraordinarily rare steak, singed outside and bloody within.

Saignant – (Pronounced say-neeon, (you do not pronounce the T in saignant). The term for a rare steak.

À Point - (Pronounced ah pwa). Perfectly cooked. À point is used in the French kitchen for any food perfectly cooked, not just steaks! Forget what the guidebook said. À Point is used for all dishes that are perfectly cooked. A steak in France cooked à point, will be rare-to-medium-rare, with the accent on the rare.

Entre à Point et Bien Cuit – (Pronounced ahn-tray ah pwahng ay beeyan kwee). This translates to "between medium-rare and well-cooked" and describes a medium-rare steak that's just a little closer to medium. (The term "medium" is not used in the kitchen for food).

Bien Cuit – (Pronounced beeyan kwee). This translates to "well-cooked." In France, ordering a steak bien cuit typically results in a medium-to-well-done steak that still has some pink inside. A word of caution: the steaks used for steak frites rarely lend themselves to being cooked well done. A well-done flank steak or skirt steak will be tough and tasteless, practically inedible.

Très Bien Cuit – (Pronounced tray beeyan kwee). Meaning "very well-cooked" and indicates an exceptionally well-done steak. Unless very well marbled, the result would be similar to a piece of fried or grilled leather

The correct pronunciation

If you have a few minutes, try to combine reading with the pronunciation program below. It is better than my written suggestions.
http://forvo.com/languages/fr/ (Best for single words)

 

Frites

 US French fries and UK chips. 

The majority of French diners and most French chefs agree that the best French fries are made, in accordance with French culinary tradition, using graisse de bœuf, beef suet, (beef fat with a low melting point). Beef fat is behind the fundamental taste difference as nearly all North American and UK fries are made using vegetable oils.  There are parts of France, like the south-west where graisse de canard, duck fat is used instead of beef fat. Vegetable oil for French fries is not part of the French tradition though that is slowly changing.  If you are a vegetarian, you should check with your server before ordering French fries and if you are not a vegetarian but worried about your cholesterol then, like the French, enjoy French fries cooked in beef fat but in small portions.

 

Frites et Mayonnaise.
In the US Frites are French fries and in the UK they are chips

 

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

Behind the French Menu

by

Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Copyright 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2023 2024.

 

 

Steak de Hampe - A Flavorful French Cut of Beef With no Corresponding USA or UK Cut to Compare With.

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

Steak de Hampe and French fries.
Photograph courtesy of Susan Lucas Hoffman
https://www.flickr.com/photos/64141731@N00/6834216274/
 

A Steak de Hampe is a flavorful steak that like many French cuts of meat it has no accepted name in the US or UK equivalent.  French chefs
prize this cut for its deep, beefy flavor and while often compared to a bavette (hanger steak) or onglet (flank steak and in the UK a skirt steak)
The hampe tends to be slightly more marbled and is anatomically distinct.
In the USA the hampe would be considered part of the outside skirt steak, often used for fajitas or stir-fries; in the UK, it's typically treated as part of the flank.  However,[BN1]  French butchery draws fine distinctions between cuts and the hampe is always marinated before cooking to enhance tenderness and is rarely cooked beyond medium-rare. Hampe steaks are meant to be quickly seared and served immediately, and it is a popular cut for France’s great Steak Frites and will nearly always rarely cooked any more than medium-rare.  This cut is never prepared well done; it will be tough and shriveled.  If you only eat well-done steaks order an entrecote.

 

The Hampe is below the Onglet and above the Bavette on this diagram

Steak de Hampe on French menus:

Steak de Hampe de Boeuf et Gratin Dauphinois – A hampe steak served with Gratin Dauphinois.  

Gratin, Au Gratin, Gratiné, and Gratinée, all refer to dishes that are browned before serving, though “browned” barely captures the essence of this cherished French culinary technique.

Our taste buds are activated by sensory memories long before we visit a restaurant offering a favorite dish and French diners considering dishes with names that include Gratin, Au Gratin, Gratiné, or Gratinée will have their sensory buttons pushed. All of these are treasured techniques and tastes in French Cuisine.  

Recipes with Gratin in the name have been part of French cuisine since the late 1600’s. While any dish that is browned in an oven or under a grill may be called a Gratin, even the simplest Gratin dishes will likely see a French chef adding cheese, breadcrumbs, cream and or butter to help it along.

 Gratin Dauphinois: Thinly sliced potatoes cooked in olive oil, then baked in milk and cream, flavored with nutmeg, garlic, thyme, and shallots, with some versions adding onions. The dish is browned under the grill before serving, typically with Gruyere or Parmesan cheese.

On French menus, the names Dauphiné or Dauphinois typically indicate recipes, mostly fairly modern, from the area of the ancient and quasi-independent principality called Dauphiné (now comprising the departments of Savoie and Isère in the Rhône-Alpes region and part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region).  Historically, the ruling Counts, under the banner of the Holy Roman Empire, ruled using the title Dauphiné (dolphin).   At the end of the 14th century, the Dauphins sold their land and titles to the French King, with the title Dauphiné becoming the title of the King's eldest son. N.B. Pommes de Terre Dauphine is not the same dish and is not made au gratin; it is a potato croquette mixed with choux pastry and fried.  

 

Gratin Dauphinoise
Photograph courtesy of Karen and Brad Emerson
https://www.flickr.com/photos/karenandbrademerson/3118473571/

 

Steak de Hampe Sauce au Poivre – A hampe steak prepared with a pepper sauce. Nearly all pepper steaks are made with green peppercorns.  Green peppercorns are usually the pepper of choice for a steak au poivre, a pepper steak. Black pepper can override the flavor of the steak.

Green peppercorns are harvested before they ripen, then pickled in brine and dried, but not fermented. The result is a pepper with a light herbal flavor, much less pungent than black or white peppercorns. Green peppercorns are usually the pepper of choice for a steak au poivre, a pepper steak. When black pepper is used for a pepper steak, it's harder to manage its intensity. If black pepper is used, then it will almost certainly be crushed, not left whole, and not ground, as crushed black peppercorns deliver a less aggressive heat.

 

Steak au Poivre.
Photograph courtesy of Xoyos. com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/78501770@N05/7232708858/

 

Steak de Hampe Sauce au Poivre – A hampe steak prepared with a pepper sauce. Nearly all pepper steaks are made with green peppercorns.  Green peppercorns are usually the pepper of choice for a steak au poivre, a pepper steak. Black pepper can override the flavor of the steak.

Green peppercorns are harvested before they ripen, then pickled in brine and dried, but not fermented. The result is a pepper with a light herbal flavor, much less pungent than black or white peppercorns. Green peppercorns are usually the pepper of choice for a steak au poivre, a pepper steak. When black pepper is used for a pepper steak, it's harder to manage its intensity. If black pepper is used, then it will almost certainly be crushed, not left whole, and not ground, as crushed black peppercorns deliver a less aggressive heat.

To order a steak to go with the fries see the post: Ordering a steak in France, cooked the way you like it.

Steak frites with a Sauce Bearnaise.
Photograph courtesy of Trevor Pittman
https://www.flickr.com/photos/46485532@N04/8445938443/

La Hampe de Bœuf Grillée, Sauce Bordelaise, Poêlée De Pommes De Terre Et Champignons – A grilled hampe steak served with a Sauce Bordelaise, accompanied by pan-fried potatoes and button mushrooms.

 Sauce Bordelaise - The classic sauce from Bordeaux, with a red Bordeaux wine as its base. The sauce is used with many meat dishes and will be on menus all over France.  To the Bordeaux red wine, veal stock, butter, shallots, thyme, and bone marrow are added.  The wine used in the preparation of this sauce is key, and there is plenty of choice. Bordeaux is close to the center of France’s Atlantic coast and the cultural center of the nearly 60 wine appellations that make up the famous Bordeaux wine-growing region, which produces 25% of all the AOP wines in France.  If you’re visiting the historic center of Bordeaux, you’ll find that it has more heritage buildings than any other French city, except Paris.

Champignons, (also called the Champignon de Paris): Button mushrooms, were the first mushrooms to be successfully cultivated (a related mushroom was first cultivated in the 17th century in very small quantities). However, the commercial production of cultivated mushrooms, which began with the Champignon de Paris, would have to wait for three hundred years. This success spurred significant investment in cultivating other mushroom varieties. Today, we can choose from over fifteen types of cultivated mushrooms, available year-round,

Today’s button mushroom brings you four or more mushrooms in different sizes, with different names, different prices, two colors and close to ten different names. Despite all these differences, the white button mushroom is the same as the brown button mushroom, and the different sizes are simply the same mushroom at different stages in its growth cycle.  The medium-sized Cremini is also known as the Portabellini, and the largest of them all is the Portabella or Portabello.  The only difference between all these mushrooms is their degree of maturity and color. The Champignon de Paris and its siblings are right up there, along with Nouveau Beaujolais, Pink Champagne, and a number of other food products, when it comes to marketing.

 

Hampe de Veau Grillée, Sauce aux Deux Moutardes au Thym – A grilled hampe veal steak prepared with a sauce made from two different mustards flavored with thyme.  Notably, this menu listing highlights the use of two distinct mustards, but interestingly, their specific identities are omitted.  Mustards can have very different tastes, so it's a detail worth asking about.

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Searching for the meaning of words, names or phrases

on

French menus?

Just add the word, words, or phrase you are searching for to the phrase "Behind the French Menu" enclosed in inverted commas (quotation marks) and search using Google, Bing, or another search engine.  Behind the French Menu's links include hundreds of words, names, and phrases commonly seen on French menus. There are over 450 posts featuring more than 4,000 French dishes, all accompanied by English translations and explanations.

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Moutarde – Mustard. Mustard (Including Dijon Mustard) in French cuisine.

Ordering a steak in France cooked the way you like it.

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

Poivre - Peppercorns. White, Green, Black and Red Peppercorns. Grey Pepper and the Misnamed Pink Peppercorns. Pepper in French Cuisine.

 Steak Frites - Great Steaks from France. Onglets and Bavettes in French Cuisine 

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

 

Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman

behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

Copyright 2010, 2017, 2025.

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 [BN1