# what is French cut meat?



## glurf (Jan 5, 2008)

I usually make London broil in a slow cooker, but today at the butcher they had something called "French-cut" London broil on sale that is supposed to be 10 times better than a normal flank steak. The guy who sold it to me told me it'd be great for just 10 minutes a side on the grill but I'm nervous about ruining it--anyone know more about this or have a recipe I can follow?


----------



## breton beats (Feb 21, 2007)

Sounds like marketing term to me. (Not to mention the international riots that will insue when one combines French with London hehehe).

In France meat is broken down differently,as in different cuts of meat, different shapes, different muscles, somewhat simalar to the way we cut our meat but some difference. But this wouldn't refer to just one cut of meat, the whole animal would have had to have been that way. 

Also to "french" meat usually means to clean the meat and fat off the bones and let them stick out of the meat. (Think fancy lamb chops or veal crown etc..)

Could it have been thinner? In France meat servings are smaller, when I want to grill meat there I have to ask for twice the thickness to get any kind of a good size.


----------



## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

A 'London broil' does not seem to be available here in the UK...  
I wonder WHAT we call it?

Mind you, there are differences in butchery cuts between the English method and the Scottish, which uses a lot of French named cut, such as gigot chops.


----------



## chefinfrance (Dec 16, 2007)

I think you could be talking about Bavette a cut of beef that the French serve as a steak for grilling, in the uk it is generaly rolled and roasted or braised. In the UK and US we call it flank but the French divide the flank into smaller joints bavette, flanchette and hampe. The bavette is the cut that would be nearest the loin. It is because the French enjoy thier meat rare that you often find this dish in cheaper restaurants cooked quickly it can be very tender any thing beyond medium and it can be very tough. The translation for bavette is bib and that should give you a idea of the size and shape the French remove all the fat cut the steaks with the grain and then butterfly it before grilling it.
I hope this is of some help if not at least you have learned a new French word.
Steve masterchefinfrance.com


----------

