The stuff they sell in Migros as "Fondue bourguignonne". I know its beef, I know its brazilian, but where on the animal is it from? I did some research (french language wikipedia) and found that they recommend the "poire", which seems to be silverside, for fondue. Is that what this meat is likely to be? Its a single piece of meat at around 450g. It looks very lean. Could be silverside I guess.....
The reason I ask is that I bought a piece with no intention of making fondue. It will probably become a beef panang, unless somebody tells me its no good for quick frying (would be surprising for fondue but you never know).... I wouldnt normally buy silverside for a curry unless it was going to be cooking for a day or two.
I searched for this topic and the more general "which cut of meat" etc as its something I struggle with a little here in Switzerland. Perhaps this thread can become a one stop butcher shop and the reference point for the different cuts we get here in Switzerland along with translations and cooking methods.
If you search the forum you should find older threads on cuts of meat. I think we were talking mostly about flank steak. Duenne lappen is flank steak, btw. My butcher gets it for me, and it's great. Anyway, someone had a link to a brochure describing cuts of meat in different languages.
I would NEVER use filet (tenderloin) for chinoise, it's a waste (fine for bourguignonne if you're going to eat it rare/bloody)!
Loin/entrecote is what I usually use for both, I buy a chunk then slice it with my meat slicer after letting it air for a few days to lose some water content.
Your question reminds me of that "Chinese restaurant" near ZchHB out to Bahnhofstrasse and 1st road left, where everything was done quite well except the point that all meat, whether beef or lamb always had the consistancy of old leather shoes
And yes of course you struggle with the question of the "cut of meat" here in Switzerland as most Swiss people think that the cut is the same around the globe, and so are surprised that things which in theory are the same are already different (plus or minus) in France and Italy. There are meals I consume cheerfully in Italy but do not torture myself with here in Switzerland.
"the different cuts we get here in Switzerland" is a good question in so far as the various regions of Switzerland differ. If you look up things in culinary books, the cuts in German speaking Switzerland are close or the same as in Southern Germany and Northern France, while former Austria-Hungary (Austria, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary) already is different again.
My question was rather what the meat that they call simply "Fondue bourguignonne" actually is. There's no mention on the packaging of the type of cut, in any language.
Exactly! And it's difficult enough to figure out when they bother to write it on the label!
I'm going to assume that this piece of beef is from the hard working hindquarter of the cow that has to push it around all day. So I will either cook it to death or fashion myself some relatively inexpensive shoes.
You never use filet in Fondue as thre meat is too tender and falls into pieces. You should use rump steak or top side. In order to get thin slices you need to freeze it to cut it thinly
Great link, but don't forget that butchers here cut up their meet differently (and differently the French too I believe). I got this link from another discussion here I cam across yesterday when searching for the German term for a piece for a British style Roast Beef:
I think I've been asking my butcher for duenner lappen not lempen. Well, except whatever it is, it was a beautiful cut of meat and was great with some mole (a mexican ancho chili sauce, not a rodent) sauce that I made.
