A French Expert Shares Tips for Buying and Cooking Beef
Listen to the story
If you often cook beef at home, you might not know all the best tips for buying and preparing it.
A French butcher, who holds the title of "Meilleur Ouvrier de France" (Best Craftsman of France), has shared some useful advice.
This title is given to people who are among the most skilled workers in their field in France.
According to this expert, there is a particular time to buy beef when it can cost up to 30% less than usual.
This tip could help shoppers save money without changing what they buy.
The advice also covers different cuts of beef, such as entrecôte, which comes from the rib area, and paleron, which comes from the shoulder.
These cuts are popular in French cooking and can be prepared in different ways depending on the recipe.
The butcher also gave advice about cooking beef so that it stays "saignant", meaning rare, with a red centre.
He explained that choosing the right oil is important when cooking beef this way.
Not all oils react the same way to high heat, so using the wrong one could affect both the taste and the texture of the meat.
By following these tips, home cooks may be able to buy better quality beef for less money and cook it the way they prefer.
This kind of practical advice from a professional can be especially helpful for people who enjoy cooking beef regularly but are not trained chefs.
Vocabulary8 words
- beef
- meat that comes from a cow
- butcher
- someone whose job is preparing and selling meat
- Meilleur Ouvrier de France
- an official French title for a top skilled worker
- entrecôte
- a cut of beef taken from the rib
- paleron
- a cut of beef taken from the shoulder
- saignant
- cooked only a little, so the meat is still red inside
- oil
- a liquid, often from plants, used for cooking food
- texture
- how something feels, for example soft or firm
Quiz
Answer key
1. Pay less for beef 2. The rib area 3. False
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
If you often cook _____ at home, you might not know all the best tips.
A French _____, who holds a special title, has shared some useful advice.
This title is given to people who are among the most _____ workers in France.
There is a particular time to buy beef when it can cost up to _____% less.
This tip could help shoppers save _____ without changing what they buy.
The advice also covers cuts of beef, such as _____, from the rib area.
Paleron comes from the _____.
The butcher gave advice about cooking beef so that it stays "_____".
He explained that choosing the right _____ is important for cooking.
Using the wrong oil could affect the taste and the _____ of the meat.
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