What is the difference between French and British cuts of beef?
What is the difference between French and British cuts of beef?
I am told they just butcher the animals dfferently. Certainly the cuts don't seem the same. For example is faux fillet really exactly the same as British sirloin and is entrecôte really the same as rib steak?
Here is a picture of British beef cuts.
Best Answer
The simplest way to see the difference is to compare the cut diagrams:
British
French
Images courtesy of Wikipedia - Cut of Beef
The main difference is in how certain areas are sub-divided. We can see that faux-filet is part of the British sirloin, and entrecote is partly forerib and partly sirloin.
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Quick Answer about "What is the difference between French and British cuts of beef?"
In England, they tend to use more generic names for cuts of Beef (usually larger), while the French, on the other hand, prefer to use smaller cuts and consequently have a wider variety of names, for example, the English Fillet in French becomes: Filet, Chateaubriands, Tournedos, Filets Mignon.What are French cuts of beef?
French Beef Cut Translations- Filet \u2013 Fillet, tender, juicy, expensive.
- Faux-Filet \u2013 Sirloin steak with a different name in each English-speaking country. ...
- Entrec\xf4te \u2013 Fore rib steak. ...
- Basses-c\xf4tes \u2013 Chuck steak although I could be misundersting things in the UK. ...
- Rumsteak \u2013 Rump steak (in steak form rather than roast form)
What is the best quality cut of beef?
What is the Best Cut of Steak? The Ultimate Top 10 ListWhat are the 3 cuts of beef?
But first, know that there are three categories of beef cuts: primal, subprimal, and retail. A butcher generally cuts each primal region into smaller sections known as subprimal sections. Those are then cut up further, and that's what winds up behind the meat counter.What is topside beef called in France?
G\xeete (\xe0 la noix) \u2013 topside.List Of Beef Cuts And How To Use Them | Good Housekeeping UK
More answers regarding what is the difference between French and British cuts of beef?
Answer 2
Apart from the fact that French and British cuts are differently named, the hindquarters are cut at different angles, which is why British cuts tend to be a lot more tender and easy to carve than their French counterparts.
Someone commented that 'Fillet doesn't exist in British cuts'? As someone (literally) born & brought up in a butcher's shop, I've never heard such utter nonsense.
Answer 3
I read somewhere that the British cut beef into about 40 cuts and the French into 200+ cuts so it seems the French have identified taste and texture difference not visible or unimportant to the UK/USA eyes/mouth or just that UK butchers don't think customers can tell. Comparing a butchers shop in France to one in UK or US is eye opening. The attention to detail, the use of fat strips, the careful cutting shows clearly that French butchers are superior. Having said that the meat is not always so. I got a rib roast in France and it was tough like leather, I was told later not aged at all.
Answer 4
The real difference is that the French feeding of their bovine for cuisine is very different than the British or American
Fillet and faux fillet, are the cuts that are not found in a normal Angus or Angus type of Bulls. It is due to their feeding
The British and/or American's prefer a layer of fat, whereas the French in their fillet have none. For example, le fillet American is scraped fillet with a blunt knife. There are other examples of the difference but this one it most obvious. Pedantically, fillet does not exist in English/American Cuts
Answer 5
Two things 1.The French diagram seemsfar more detailed than the English one, which lacks several cuts 2. Meat cuts are regional in both countries, but I think more in the UK
The obvious examples have already been mentioned, fillet steak is definitely an English cut,the eye of the loin. French paleron = feather or blade (regional names) Skirt is not shown (it is related to onglet). Neck is not a cut commonly sold in London, I'm not even sure what I'd ask for, I suspect it goes into anonymous stewing steak and mince
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: ROMAN ODINTSOV, Jill Burrow, ROMAN ODINTSOV, Ave Calvar Martinez