Beef dishes (French)
 

Which of these are the 'better' types of beef, that is, which would best satisfy an American palate? (not stringy, not tough, etc).

1. Pavé de Rumsteak (Roquefort sauce)
2. Filet de Boeuf (Bernaise or au-Poivre)
3. Entrec&ocirc;te Po&ecirc;l&eacute;e (Bernaise)- and what <i>is</i> Po&ecirc;l&eacute;e ?
and while I'm at it, what is &quot;Faux Filet&quot;?

Thank you once again.

Most beef prepared in France is like tire rubber. The meat itself may be of excellent quality (such as Charolais beef), but it is prepared in a way that makes it extremely tough and chewy. This is so common that I often recommend that Americans not order any beef (except ground or chopped beef) in France.

There are exceptions. There's a place by the old Opera in Paris that prepares superlative steaks, and I once had a tiny steak at a restaurant on the Left Bank that melted in the mouth. But most of the time one has the impression that the beef was prepared by Michelin for use on bulldozers.

While not as critical as AnthonyGA I sort of agree w/ him that Paris isn't really a &quot;Steak and Baked Potato&quot; sort of place. You can get good beef - like cold beef salads. But a grilled steak like back home - not so much.

Anthony has it right. Have your steak when you come home and have almost anything else in France. Faux filet is probably the chuck tender, which while tasty (in the US) is not near a filet. If you have beef, have it as a stew--boeuf bourgignon. Get a menu translator. You can download it from Patricia Wells' site.
Will add, that the rumsteak will be tough. The other cuts might have a chance, IF you must.

&quot;Filet&quot; is tenderloin; &quot;entrecote&quot; is rib steak; &quot;faux filet&quot; is called Boston steak in the U.S., I think (boneless sirloin).

&quot;Poelee&quot; is pan-fried.

The one you probably want to avoid is the &quot;Pave de Rumsteak&quot;; it's made from rump steak.

How about the steak at L&quot;Entrec&ocirc;te?

We once had steak from Limousin beef, and it was the absolute best we'd ever tasted--or have since.

I've had good beef at good restaurants. I usually order au point, meaning medium rare. &quot;Faux Filet,&quot; is the upper part of the short loin and usually has a thin layer of fat.

At home I'd prefer a good sirloin strip to a filet anytime. I go for the flavor rather than &quot;melt in your mouth tenderness&quot;. But in Paris if I get a steak, I'd probably choose the Filet de Boeuf. It is bound to be more tender (not my concern at home, but sort of is in France), and anyone in Paris will make a Bernaise that will provide all the taste you could ever want out of the meat. (although the au-Poivre -- with pepper-- is pretty darn good too).

I'd agree that the Pave de Rumpsteak is the worst cut, but that's why they put the Roquerfort sauce on it. That makes the comparable tire rubber taste like a gourmet treat.

most bistrots have bavette...Providing it is cooked rare, it is usually excellent and with frites very fare.

whoops..meant to say typical fare!

I wouldn't expect 'grilled steak' as we eat it in the US, just trying to avoid the 'rubber meat' syndrome... Although we go to Paris nearly every year, we're 'chicken' when it comes to French cuisine that we can't decipher on a menu, and definitely are not 'foodies' by any stretch. I do have several translators I can check when I get home.

We're trying to branch out a bit more everytime we go so I've been saving some restaurant menus to show hubby.
The above descriptions came from 'Le Temps Perdu' in the 6th.

Anthony - LOL - nice to se you have a definite opinion about this
1. thick rumpsteak
2. filet = filet
3. poelee - pan-fried; faux filet= sirloin steak
No it won't be like the states, probably not a huge 24 oz T-bone, probably not tenderized with chemicals, more &quot;organic&quot;
Like anything you must compare like restaurants. I am sure that it will be better than some, worse than others. Do you like the steak at Ponderosa?

The omnipresent &quot;bavette&quot; in bistros is flank steak, a cheap cut that can be impossible to cut or chew.

Medium-rare, with all respect to Cigalechanta, is &quot;&agrave; point.&quot;

Agree with the others about steak, but if you're looking for beef dishes outside the steak arena, a good daube de boeuf is hard to beat, or boeuf bourgignon, or anything else braised or stewed.

Ah, Travelnut, Le Temps Perdu. My partner has had the filet there several times and loves it, he likes the peppercorn version not bernaise. I usually opt for the coq au vin or rabbit in casserole so I can't verify. I like that place a lot.

merci, Eloise
Happy Easter or Bunny Day to you :)

'Le boeuf bourgignon' is my favorite no matter where one is in France!

Sorry Eloise but it is my favorite subject
bavette is a skirt steak = diaphragm muscle, not flank. It is flavorful but tends to toughness. It is the cut of meat used in &quot;real&quot; fajitas.

I don't think it's because of an American palate, just how much you are willing to spend and what you are used to.

I always get a &quot;faux filet&quot; if I can. It is worth it and it definitely more tender and thicker than the cheaper cuts--at least every place I've ever had it and it costs more. Don't even think of the romsteak or bavette, and entrecote is cheaper and fattier and thinner which is why it's usually on the cheap lunch menus or prix fixe. There is one cut that is good, I think the filet de boeuf, but is only prepared for two people. I might be wrong on that, but there is one type that you can't order solo.

I have special ordered faux filet in my favorite cafe which I frequent, and they will make it for me even when it isn't on the menu (eg, if only entrecote is on the menu).

I love au poivre and bearnaise sauce, but that is personal taste.

I don't agree that all beef in France is tough. I have had very tough steaks even in places supposedly known for them (ie, la Fontaine near the Pantheon), but my favorite cafe (La Rotonde in Montparnasse) cooks an excellent tender faux filet, as does the Grand Cafe near the Opera.

Oh, Christina I've seen filet de boeuf for one on many menus in Paris -- Le Temps Perdu, where Travelnut got these listings is just one of them.

The faux filet is indeed sirloin, so by nature it is likely to have more taste than the filet, but if it's tenderness you're looking for, the filet is definitely the way to go.