from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com
A French cut from the
center of the shoulder for beef, veal, pork.
(In the USA and UK this
cut is often called flat iron or top blade).
Braised beef daube in
red wine.
Photograph
courtesy of Nikki Tysoe
www.flickr.com/photos/fimbrethil/8019717298/
The paleron is a
flavorful cut from the center of the shoulder and a cornerstone of French
cuisine, most often destined for succulent daubes and hearty stews. When
well cooked, the meat’s full, rich flavor shines through in a way no grilled or
fried dish can replicate. Good restaurants, by highlighting the origins
of their beef and the specific cuts they offer, cultivate a loyal clientele who
appreciate attention to detail and the addition of high-quality dishes to
the menu.
Cuts from a paleron.
The USA top blade, or
flat-iron.
In the UK the top blade or feather blade,
There’s a
lot of confusion when it comes to comparing French, UK, and US beef shoulder
cuts. In the UK and US, the whole shoulder area is generally called “the
chuck,” covering cuts like chuck roasts, steaks, blade roasts, chuck eye
roasts, flat iron steaks, and various other shoulder pieces.
The paleron, specifically, corresponds to US cuts usually called the top blade or flat iron. While the paleron can certainly be prepared as steaks, in France this cut is almost always reserved for slow-braised or stewed beef and veal dishes, and occasionally for pork recipes. The paleron is prized for its unique texture and rich flavor, which develops beautifully with long, gentle cooking.
Paleron on French Menus :
Ravioles de Paleron de Bœuf, Toast de Moelle et
Mousseline de Carottes à
l’Orange, Émulsion Réglisse – Ravioles
are delicate, small, square ravioli that originated in France’s historic
Dauphiné region. This dish features them filled with slow-cooked beef (typically
from a daube or stew), served with bone marrow toast, an orange-infused carrot
mousse, and a creamy licorice sauce.
The Dauphiné region: Eight hundred
years ago, this was an independent state in the southeast of what is now
France, ruled by Counts under the banner of the Holy Roman Empire who bore the
title Dauphin. Toward the end of the 14th century, the rulers of the Dauphiné
sold their lands and titles to the King of France—perhaps an offer they simply
couldn’t refuse! As a result, the dauphiné, dolphin, which was the
symbol on their flag, became both the hereditary title of the eldest son of the
French king and a prominent part of his royal standard.
The standard (flag) of
the French King’s eldest son,
the Dauphiné.
During
the French Revolution, the province of Dauphiné was divided into three
departments: Drôme and Isère (both in the then-Rhône-Alpes region, now part of
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (in Provence-Alpes-Côte
d'Azur). Later, some of the former province's lands were also incorporated into
the Rhône department, which is likewise within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
Other dishes
from the region include:
Pommes de Terre Dauphine: Deep-fried potato
croquettes made from a mixture of mashed potatoes and choux pastry.
Gratin Dauphinois: A classic dish of
baked, thinly sliced potatoes, slow-cooked in milk and cream, and flavored with
nutmeg, garlic, thyme, and shallots. It's typically browned under the grill,
often with Gruyère or Parmesan cheese.
(N.B.
Don't confuse dishes with the name Darphin with those named Dauphine.)
Brochettes De Paleron De Bœuf Marinées – Skewers of
marinated beef from the paleron.
Le Paleron De Bœuf Irlandais Aux Champignons, Pressé De Céleri, et Carottes Confites - A
classic beef stew, prepared with Irish beef, button mushrooms, and Lard de
Poitrine Fumé (smoked bacon from the
belly), served with pressed celery and carrot confits. (The French recognize
the high quality of Irish beef and it will be on many menus).
Champignons: Cultivated button mushrooms better known in
France as the Champignon de Paris were the first mushroom to be
cultivated and grown commercially.
Lard
and Bacon: A Culinary Confusion. The words "bacon" and "lard"
in French and English have certainly created a few linguistic speed bumps for
English speakers visiting France for the first time.
This
confusion dates back a thousand years to 1066, when William the Conqueror
arrived from Normandy and conquered England. The Norman-French cooks serving
William's barons brought significant changes to the English kitchen's lexicon.
The word "bacon" in English and the word "bacun" in
Old French initially referred to any type of pork (both words share a common
Germanic origin).
Over
time, however, "bacon's" meaning in both languages evolved to align
with what it signifies today: smoked, salted, or dried meat from the back,
sides, or belly of a pig.
In a
similar manner, the French word "lard" was introduced into the
English language where it originally encompassed both pig fat and a type of
cured pork though in English it now now only refers to pig fat. (It’s from this
broader meaning that we get the English verb “to lard,” meaning to insert
strips of fat into meat.)
Then, in the 13th century, the French began using the word
"saindoux" (pronounced san-doo) specifically for rendered pig fat. Today,
lard witll rarely indicate pig fat on a French menu. Instead, on French menus,
you'll often find "bacon" and "lard" used interchangeably
to denote what English speakers call bacon. So, lard on a French menu
means bacon and not pig fat.
Paleron de Bœuf Servi Avec son Jus, Risotto aux Truffes et Croûtons de Pain - Braised paleron (beef from
the Flat Iron), served in its rich natural cooking juices, served with a
fragrant truffle risotto with croutons."
Truffe/s
: Truffles have the unique ability to
flavor food, and unfortunately, the very best are scarce and in demand, so they
are also expensive.
When
ordering a dish with truffles, remember that too little is a waste of whatever
you pay. Other diners with whom I
discussed truffles view their effect on a dish in different ways, but everyone
agrees that truffles do add to the flavor and aroma, but require a certain
quantity, a critical mass of flavor, to work their magic. The very best
truffles are added to dishes, uncooked and in front of the diner.
In this dish the truffle is not named and that
indicates a less intense truffle. In all probability this is the Truffe
d'Été, the Summer Truffle or Black Summer Truffle, a lightly scented
truffle and one of the least expensive. (This
truffle is also called the Truffe de la St Jean d'Été). The summer
truffle needs to be used in quantity and in a risotto that works well. It is
available fresh from May- through mid-October. If the truffle used were one of
the more famous French truffles such as Truffe de Périgord, the Perigord truffle (tuber melanosporum) or the Truffe de Bourgogne, the Burgundy truffle (tuber uncinatum) the name will be on
the menu listing and the price will be 200% higher.
Different French truffles are available throughout the year, each with a
season of only three or four months. In your travels around France, you may
plan ahead and find truffle fêtes and celebrations that coincide with your
visit.
Croutons:
Pieces of toasted or fried bread, often cubed and seasoned and used to add
texture and flavor to dishes like salads, soups, and casseroles. They can be
made from various types of bread, including white, whole meal or sourdough.
Paleron
de Bœuf à la Crème d’Échalotes
et Risotto aux Topinambours
A braised beef paleron
prepared with cream of shallots
and a Jerusalem artichoke risotto.
Photograph courtesy of La Viande
Francais.
Paleron de Bœuf Charolais Braise
Doucement au Four, Jus au Poivre de Java, Legumes Glaces, Galette de Patate Douce.
A paleron from the Charolais AOP beef slowly
braised in the oven with its natural gravy flavored with the cubeb pepper and
served with glazed vegetables and a sweet potato galette.
Poivre
de Java also called Le Cubèbe or Poivre à Queue
– Cubeb Pepper or Tailed Pepper. This pepper has a
distinct flavor best described as a mix of black pepper and cloves, with a
slightly fruity and tangy taste. Cubeb looks quite similar to black peppercorns
to which it is related, but with a distinctive feature: a small stalk or
"tail" usually remains attached to the dried berry and accounting for
the name "tailed pepper."
Cubeb pepper
Like
its relative the peppercorn, cubeb pepper grows on vines. It’s picked while still green but it will be
sold when sun dried and then its color ranges from grayish brown to black,
inside the seed is hard, white and oily. In
France Poivre de Java is sometimes confused with long pepper, correctly called
Poivre Long and the type of Long Pepper grown in Java is Poivre Long de
Java. Long Pepper is coming back
into fashion in France as its name sounds interesting and will enliven some
menus. Long Pepper has a stronger bite than ordinary black peppercorns and consists
of many minuscule fruits, each about the size of a poppy seed, embedded in the
surface of a flower spike, so its look is often compared to catkins.
Galettes:
The term galette can refer to various types of flat crêpes, or
pancakes in French cuisine. Outside of the crêperie context, a galette can also
mean a flat, round, free-form cake or patty, often made from grated or mashed
vegetables or potatoes, cooked like a pancake or fritter.
Paleron de Porc aux Légumes de Saison – A slow-cooked pork paleron
served with fresh seasonal vegetables.”
Salade
de paleron de bœuf
Le Paleron De Veau
Français Confit À
Basse Température Jets De Houblon, Garniture Maraichère –
A French veal paleron confit (slowly
cooked at a low temperature), served with hop shoots and market garden
vegetables.
Confit:
The word confit comes from the French verb confire, meaning “to
preserve” or “to cook slowly in fat.” Traditionally, confit referred to duck
or goose slowly cooked in in its own fat at a low temperature, resulting in
tender, flavorful meat that would be preserved under the fat produced while
cooking.
However, in modern French cooking, the
meaning of confit has broadened. It often simply means meat that has been
slowly cooked at a low temperature—à basse température—sometimes with
fat, sometimes without. This slow-cooking process breaks down connective
tissues and produces tender, juicy meat.
Garniture Maraichère - Une maraîchère is a “market gardener,” and on French menu listings Garniture Maraichère has evolved into an adjective meaning “of the market garden” or “garden-style.” Now, it’s a classic term referring to a garnish or accompaniment of mixed fresh garden vegetables—often carrots, peas, turnips, green beans, asparagus tips, etc.
-----------------------------------
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
Copyright 2010, 2017,
2019, 2025.
---------------------------
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Connected Posts:
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Bacon in France. Bacon and Salted Pork on French Menus. Lard in French Means Bacon in English.
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Daube – A Traditional Provencal Stew. Now on Menus all Over France.
