Charolais beef

For cuts to grill or to roast, the texture and intensity of flavour vary according to where the meat is on the carcase and the type of muscle fibre. The cuts on the back (fillet or rump steak) are very tender, but less flavoursome.  On the other hand, cuts from the lower part of the rear haunches have more flavour, but are less tender.  Whatever cut you choose, you will be able to select the best compromise between flavour and tenderness.  
For cuts to potboil or braise, the flavour depends chiefly on the amount of fat. The presence of gelatine is very different from one cut to another, but it adds significantly to the flavour and succulence of the dish.   A tip : always mix a lean cut with one with more fat so as to have a dish full of flavour but not too fatty.

Don’t hesitate to try different cuts and to ask your butcher’s advice on how they should be cooked.

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  crédit photo Institut Charolais

Contrary to generally accepted ideas, beef is no richer in lipids (fatty acids) than other meats.  Many cuts of beef (e.g. rump steak, blade and topside) contain less than 5% fat.

In fact beef supplies numerous elements essential to human health:
> Proteins – in the form of amino acids necessary for growth
> Iron– in the form that is most easily absorbed by the body.
> Vitamins from groups A and B and other trace elements