Steak Frites
Oct 12th, 2006, 10:12 AM
#21
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,654
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The first steak I ever ate in Paris was at a place on the corner of Boulevard de La Tour Maubourg & Rue de Grenelle and I didn't like the flavour of the meat at all!
I have since refrained from ever ordering steak in Paris again.
Now in America (Fort Collins to be exact) we devoured a devine steak called a 'Rib Eye Steak'.
No-one has ever heard of that in restaurants here. All we get is fillet,
rump, sirloin, and porterhouse.
Maybe those cuts of beef link up with "New York Strip" & "Kansas City Cut"??
I have since refrained from ever ordering steak in Paris again.
Now in America (Fort Collins to be exact) we devoured a devine steak called a 'Rib Eye Steak'.
No-one has ever heard of that in restaurants here. All we get is fillet,
rump, sirloin, and porterhouse.
Maybe those cuts of beef link up with "New York Strip" & "Kansas City Cut"??
Oct 12th, 2006, 11:11 AM
#22
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 34,853
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I generally get about as good steak in Paris as I do in the US. I don't frequent US steakhouses where you spend $100, though, but I'm not talking Sizzler. I don't think that just because you don't hear of Paris-style steak in the US means anything, because you don't hear of Paris-style lamb or lots of other things, either, and that doesn't mean they aren't good. I don't know what Kansas City steak is myself, and never see that on menus where I live in the US.
I find it a lot easier to get a decent steak in Paris than good frites, actually. They are often just an afterthought, and not so great. I don't like them when they are really thick, however, and I get them that way too often. YOu just have to not order the cheapest cut in Paris, that should do it. If you get those cheap prix fixe menus with the cheapest steak, it won't be good. I usually order a faux filet in Paris.
Any place should know what a rib eye steak is. Just ask them what kind of steak they have cut from the rib section and see what names they come up with. It's not the same as a rib steak that is cut from a rib roast, but same general area of the cow. It's called a Delmonico some places. All the steaks you name are loin steaks, I believe (Porterhouse and sirloin and filet), not rib. I like the filet mignon, also, and usually order it (it's from the loin).
I find it a lot easier to get a decent steak in Paris than good frites, actually. They are often just an afterthought, and not so great. I don't like them when they are really thick, however, and I get them that way too often. YOu just have to not order the cheapest cut in Paris, that should do it. If you get those cheap prix fixe menus with the cheapest steak, it won't be good. I usually order a faux filet in Paris.
Any place should know what a rib eye steak is. Just ask them what kind of steak they have cut from the rib section and see what names they come up with. It's not the same as a rib steak that is cut from a rib roast, but same general area of the cow. It's called a Delmonico some places. All the steaks you name are loin steaks, I believe (Porterhouse and sirloin and filet), not rib. I like the filet mignon, also, and usually order it (it's from the loin).
Oct 12th, 2006, 11:21 AM
#23
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,184
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
From my experience, if you order "Steak frites" it will come with "steak haché" which is in effect a burger patty, but astonishingly good.
"Steak et frites" will get you indeed a steak.
When ordering a steak the cut will be specified on the menu whethey you want a bavette, entrecote, faux filet etc.
"Steak et frites" will get you indeed a steak.
When ordering a steak the cut will be specified on the menu whethey you want a bavette, entrecote, faux filet etc.
Oct 12th, 2006, 11:35 AM
#24
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,122
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Boucherie means butchershop and the small, popular restaurant Boucherie Roulière, 24, rue des Canettes, in the 6th arrondissement specializes in meat: different cuts of steak, côte de boeuf, etc. at affordable prices. Make a reservation, it's very busy and you sit elbow to elbow. Tél. : 01.43.26.25.70
Oct 12th, 2006, 01:08 PM
#25
Nobody in France says "steak et frites" -- it is "steak frites"
"poulet frites" "moules frites" exactly the same way Singaporians say "chicken rice."
To get a hamburger steak, you have to say "steak hâché frites".
"poulet frites" "moules frites" exactly the same way Singaporians say "chicken rice."
To get a hamburger steak, you have to say "steak hâché frites".
Oct 12th, 2006, 02:22 PM
#27
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 36,842
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
And if you are an American at many places when you order "steak tartare" get ready for the warning that it is uncooked meat (well, duh!) and that you probably want steak hache (NOT!)
Thanks for straightening out that other thing -- I never heard of getting "chopped" steak when ordering steak frites.
Thanks for straightening out that other thing -- I never heard of getting "chopped" steak when ordering steak frites.
Oct 12th, 2006, 03:36 PM
#28
Join Date: Sep 2003
Posts: 570
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The strangest meal I ate during a 3 week trip to France in September was a "hamburger AND frites" in Beaune, Burgundy. Four of us ordered the same meal. Boy were we surprised when we were presented with a very large sandwich bun containing the hamburger AND THE FRIES. Yep...the potatoes were on the bun, held in place by some delicious toasted cheese. We were so hungry that after a hearty laugh and a roll of the eyes, we ate the WHOLE thing!
Also, the very worst meal I had was in a restaurant near Mont St. Michel. The steak was so tough that I refused to pay for it! I tried steak one other time in Paris and wasn't impressed. The cut of meat resembled what we in the States call a skirt steak. If it isn't cooked correctly, it's tough as shoe leather.
Also, the very worst meal I had was in a restaurant near Mont St. Michel. The steak was so tough that I refused to pay for it! I tried steak one other time in Paris and wasn't impressed. The cut of meat resembled what we in the States call a skirt steak. If it isn't cooked correctly, it's tough as shoe leather.
Oct 12th, 2006, 03:43 PM
#30
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,247
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oct 12th, 2006, 05:40 PM
#31
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,766
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Like mkdiebold, the only steak I've had in Paris was tough(2 times) so I've avoided it ever since. Think I'll try the Relais d'Entrecote next time, as everyone here seems to like it. I did have wonderful steak in Burgundy, tho - in fact all the food was wonderful in Burgundy.
Dec 22nd, 2006, 11:27 PM
#32
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The best steak-frites in Paris are to be found at either Le Relais de l'Entrecôte (in the 6th and 8th arrondissements), as others have said, or at Le Relais de Venise - L'Entrecôte (in the 17th arrondissement, at Porte Maillot).
In fact, the two restaurants are owned by sisters. Both serve the same menu (in other words, there isn't a menu; steak-frites is the only thing they serve), and both have the same butter sauce for the steak.
Wikipedia has more information here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Entrec%C3%B4te
In fact, the two restaurants are owned by sisters. Both serve the same menu (in other words, there isn't a menu; steak-frites is the only thing they serve), and both have the same butter sauce for the steak.
Wikipedia has more information here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Entrec%C3%B4te
Dec 23rd, 2006, 02:57 AM
#33
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 226
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
At Lafayette Gourmet, the fine food section of Galeries Lafayette, you find a wide range of choice foodstuffs.They also have a wine and liqour section worth a visit. At LAfayetee Gourmet butcherßs department, you can also get your steak prepared fresh, under your eyes, and get it served on a premise there. Excellent quality for an excellent prize, they even have a plat du jour or daily special. Go there at noon or in the early afternoon.
Galeries Lafayette is not just another department store, here you see all the nice things, you can live without. If you need souvenirs, from a bottle of the real thing perfume for about 50 EUR, a silk scarf, a little tin Tour Eiffel to a postcard for 0,50 EUR - here you are. Also have a look for their cupole (cupola of stained glass over the shop´s center) and go all upstairs to the roof to have a nice view over the city.
Galeries Lafayette is not just another department store, here you see all the nice things, you can live without. If you need souvenirs, from a bottle of the real thing perfume for about 50 EUR, a silk scarf, a little tin Tour Eiffel to a postcard for 0,50 EUR - here you are. Also have a look for their cupole (cupola of stained glass over the shop´s center) and go all upstairs to the roof to have a nice view over the city.
Dec 23rd, 2006, 07:05 AM
#34
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 469
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Our Parisian friends say the best steak house is Les Gourmets de Ternes, 87 blvd de Courcelles, in the 8th. We have only been there once; everyone seemed to be eating huge, thick steaks with frites. This is not a tourist spot; reservations required as well as some French language skill. This is the real thing; nothing like the Entrecote places mentioned above.
Dec 23rd, 2006, 08:37 AM
#35
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,667
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
neo...
trying to compare steak frites with the best cuts of beef in america is strange and belies a misunderstanding of steak frites. i do understand that you are putting the OP's search for 'ultimate meat and potatoes' in context. which i do not disagree with....Aleta has already addressed this point gracefully.
steak frites is (or should be) just an everyday, basic, cheap dish. it is like a 'hamburger and fries' in the US or fish and chips or a bog standard curry here in the UK. it is a thin, generic piece of beef that should not be compared with fine cuts like new york strip (or porterhouse in england). perhaps a slight exaggeration but that's like saying that fish and chips in england is nothing special compared to tuna sushi in tokyo. you can say that fish and chips is the 'english version' of what you might enjoy in tokyo but that's just weird and meaningless. you might search for the 'ultimate fish and chips' but i do acknowledge that fish and chips would best not be described as the 'ultimate in fish'.
steak frites is served every day in the canteen in our paris office and is one of the cheapest things on the menu. other dishes rotate but steak frites is the only dish served every day (perhaps steak hache is as well.
anyway, steake frites cooked properly (just seared for a second or two) is lovely dabbed in a little french mustard if you wish. it's simple, generic, cheap, quick and should not be over analysed, nor should it be compared with fine, named cuts of beef that you might enjoy elsewhere. as 'everyday food' it compares very nicely with 'everyday food' in other nations. i find it delicious for lunch...even in our office cafeteria. but fine cuisine, it is not. btw...i would never dab a fine cut of steak in french (or any other) mustard but that's the point.
americans do not eat or regard new york strip as the french eat or regard steak frites. average americans do not consider this cheap, everyday food that they would have for lunch (i know that in some circles that is not the case). in france, it is a common lunch of the working class.
i do agree that reasonably priced, good quality steak is more common to get in the US than in france. but that does not mean that it is on the same level as steak frites in france.
i understand that many visitors to france overpay and have elevated expectations for steak frites...leading them to think 'what's the big deal' when they have it. but this is just a result of the inflated expectations and a misunderstanding of the dish.
trying to compare steak frites with the best cuts of beef in america is strange and belies a misunderstanding of steak frites. i do understand that you are putting the OP's search for 'ultimate meat and potatoes' in context. which i do not disagree with....Aleta has already addressed this point gracefully.
steak frites is (or should be) just an everyday, basic, cheap dish. it is like a 'hamburger and fries' in the US or fish and chips or a bog standard curry here in the UK. it is a thin, generic piece of beef that should not be compared with fine cuts like new york strip (or porterhouse in england). perhaps a slight exaggeration but that's like saying that fish and chips in england is nothing special compared to tuna sushi in tokyo. you can say that fish and chips is the 'english version' of what you might enjoy in tokyo but that's just weird and meaningless. you might search for the 'ultimate fish and chips' but i do acknowledge that fish and chips would best not be described as the 'ultimate in fish'.
steak frites is served every day in the canteen in our paris office and is one of the cheapest things on the menu. other dishes rotate but steak frites is the only dish served every day (perhaps steak hache is as well.
anyway, steake frites cooked properly (just seared for a second or two) is lovely dabbed in a little french mustard if you wish. it's simple, generic, cheap, quick and should not be over analysed, nor should it be compared with fine, named cuts of beef that you might enjoy elsewhere. as 'everyday food' it compares very nicely with 'everyday food' in other nations. i find it delicious for lunch...even in our office cafeteria. but fine cuisine, it is not. btw...i would never dab a fine cut of steak in french (or any other) mustard but that's the point.
americans do not eat or regard new york strip as the french eat or regard steak frites. average americans do not consider this cheap, everyday food that they would have for lunch (i know that in some circles that is not the case). in france, it is a common lunch of the working class.
i do agree that reasonably priced, good quality steak is more common to get in the US than in france. but that does not mean that it is on the same level as steak frites in france.
i understand that many visitors to france overpay and have elevated expectations for steak frites...leading them to think 'what's the big deal' when they have it. but this is just a result of the inflated expectations and a misunderstanding of the dish.
Dec 23rd, 2006, 08:43 AM
#36
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 36,842
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I totally agree with you, walkinaround, which is why I responded the way I did to dxrx's original post, which seemed to be setting himself (herself) up for disappointment with the reference to looking for the "ulitmate in meat and potatoes".
Dec 23rd, 2006, 09:08 AM
#37
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,119
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Slight change of subject, but along the same lines. The worst meal I've had in France was "Coq au vin" in Sarlat. It's one of my favorites at home, so I was happy to see it on the list that night.
Well...in the U.S., the "coq" is chicken. In Sarlat it's <i>rooster</i>!
Of course, it makes sense if one pays attention to the name.
Well...in the U.S., the "coq" is chicken. In Sarlat it's <i>rooster</i>!
Of course, it makes sense if one pays attention to the name.
Dec 23rd, 2006, 09:33 AM
#38
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 36,842
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
So true, Jeanne, there is a reason the dish was invented and it was used for rooster. Cooking the tough bird in wine for a few hours was a way to make it edible and chewable. That's a far cry from the usual American version -- some tasty fresh chicken slowly simmered in some nice wine for flavor.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
BTilke
Europe
12
Oct 21st, 2003 12:26 PM
