from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
The Charolais Cattle
Boeuf de Charolles
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 consistently 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 remain 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: While
the fillet is always the tenderest cut of beef, it isn't always the most
flavorful and almost always served with a sauce. Here, the sauce combines the
natural cooking juices, morel mushrooms, and the unique Savagnin wine.
The Savagnin grape: This
grape 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 and need to be
cooked a little longer).
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 fillet
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 Dauphiné 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. Dauphin 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 Dauphin for their eldest sons, the first in line for
the throne. N.B. Pommes
de Terre Dauphin are different; they’re potato croquettes mixed with
choux pastry and fried.
Morel mushrooms
Photograph courtesy of Dennis
Murphy
https://www.flickr.com/photos/damurphy/2539509636/
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 (radicchio), 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), a 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. (For more about French rumstecks see chapter 19).
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. Their 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 tribes 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; they only stopped riding
to sleep. Despite the name, Steak Tartar (Tartare) is far from any authentic
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 Frites, 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 it's 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:
A thick cut from the center 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 most historic 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, Burgundy. (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. 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.
Poulet Bourbonnais AOP
- The Bourbonnais AOP chickens, which are part of the Volailles Label Rouge
Bourbonnais IGP, and
include the Pintade Bourbonnais,
Fermière Label Rouge, their red label, farm-raised Guinea hens.
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Copyright 2010, 2011,2012, 2016, 2019, 2025
Behind the French Menu
