Taste le Tour with Gabriel Gate S07 2011 ep134
Channel: Peter J Warren
Date: 2020-07-09

This is the picturesque old centre of Limoges in the Limousin and this historic place is called le Village de la Boucherie,
the butchers’ village.
And for several centuries six families of butchers
lived all around here preparing the famous Limousin beef that is known as one of the best beef in France.

vo
I found the superb halles of Limoges, the covered market at the end of the butchers’ village.

There I met François Brun, a dedicated butcher who sells top Limousin beef

gaby Q
Tu peux nous expliquer pourquoi c’est un bon morceau de viande ?
Can you explain to us why this is a good piece of beef?

Francois

Cette bête-là je l’ai fait rassir. Elle est tuée ça fait 3 semaines
To start with I have aged this beef for three weeks. 
Ça c’est très important.
This is very very important.
Alors ensuite la Limousine sa typicité c’est qu’elle a un grain très très fin.
Then the characteristic of Limousin beef is that is has a very fine grain.

La graisse de couverture ici, juste ce qu’il faut pour la cuisson.
There is just enough covering fat for good cooking.

Et ce qui est important c’est la graisse dans la viande comme ça.
And what is important is a little fat in the meat like this.

Ça c’est très très bon et ça donne tout le goût à la cuisson en fait de l’entrecôte, et c’est pour ça que tout le monde aime l’entrecôte en fait.
This is very,very good and that is what gives all the taste in the cooking of the beef sirloin and that is why, in fact, people love sirloin.

Vo
Down the road from les halles is one of the best Limoges restaurants called L’Amphitryon where the chef, 
Richard Lequet, cooks François’ Limousin beef.


Gaby Q
Donc, Richard, explique-moi comment tu cuis ton entrecôte?
So Richard, explain to me how you cook a sirloin?

Richard
Alors je cuis juste l’entrecôte à l’huile d’olive. 
I just cook sirloin in a little olive oil.
On la saisit à l’huile d’olive. On la fait bien colorer
I brown it well.
On l’assaisonne à la fin
I season it at the end of the cooking.
Pas de sel en début de cuisson, pas de poivre en début de cuisson.
No salt or pepper at the beginning of cooking.

Ptc
So Richard says that the key to a good steak like that is to rest the meat once it is cooked for three or four minutes in a warm place and well-covered.

Richard seasons entrecôte with some fleur de sel, you know, the top quality salt and some piment d’Espelette - it’s a chilli from the south of France.
And for a magic touch, a drizzle of olive oil just before serving.
This is so good, tender. There is a sweetness about the meat.  It’s excellent.



Jarret de Boeuf aux Carottes
Beef Shin Stewed with carrots
A jarret de boeuf aux carottes – this slow-cooked shin of beef with carrots is amazing and a popular farm dish.

I first brown a piece of trimmed shin of beef for a few minutes, then place it in a cast-iron pan.

Then I add diced bacon, onion, carrot and celery, some garlic and one clove and cook for a few minutes.

 ‘Of course, the quality of the meat is important, but what makes the difference in a dish like this is the vegetables - the different flavours, the aromatic of the vegetables and the herbs.’  

The addition of one tablespoon of flour. And one tablespoon of tomato paste is necessary for colour and texture.

I then mix in 100 ml of dry white wine – you can use red if you wish.  Then I stir in 1 cup of strong beef stock.

Everything goes in with the beef shin as well as a bouquet garni and a little salt and pepper.

I cover with foil and a lid and cook in the oven at 120°C for 
3 hours.  It’s good to turn the meat over once or twice. 

The vegetable is carrot and it’s cooked in the pot for forty minutes or until the meat is tender.

Serve all together, or you may strain the sauce if you wish.

C’est magnifique!


Ptc

The beautiful region of Auvergne is popular for its fast flowing rivers full of trout.  This is the small town of St. Flour and tomorrow we are going to discover the local charcuterie.