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Contrary to popular belief, the word Châteaubriand does not refer only to a cut of beef, but to a method used to grill or roast a thick cut of beef tenderloin. The steak was originally prepared by a chef named Montmireil in 1822 for a French author, diplomat, and statesman Francois René Vicomte de Chateaubriand.
When served in France, Châteaubriand will always be accompanied by a sauce – most often either a traditional red wine sauce or Béarnaise sauce. The steak is usually served with a side of roasted new potatoes or tiny chateau potatoes.
MOST ICONIC Châteaubriand
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Steak au poivre is a French dish consisting of a beef steak that is coated in crushed peppercorns and fried. It is served with a sauce that is made in the same pan that the steak was cooked in. Typically, the dish is accompanied by potatoes and a salad on the side.
According to Francis Marie, a famous steak specialist, the dish originated in the 19th century in Normandy's bistros, where men took women for late dinners of steak au poivre, due to the pepper's purported aphrodisiac properties. Numerous chefs claimed the invention of the dish, the most famous of them being Émile Lerch, the owner of Restaurant Albert on the Champs-Élysées, who stated that he first made the dish in 1930.
MOST ICONIC Steak au poivre
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Entrecôte is a type of beef steak that's cut from between the ribs, but it's more commonly known as a thin and boneless rib-eye steak. The butchers cut bone-in rib-eyes with the bone on each side, but there are also six leftover boneless steaks from the meat between each bone-in rib-eye, and they're known as the entrecôtes.
Due to the fact that these cuts are thin, it makes them great for quick cooking on the grill or in a pan (high heat), but it's important not to overcook them. The steaks are juicy, tender, and generously marbled. This type of meat cut is popular in France and Europe, and the word entrecôte means between the ribs.
VARIATIONS OF Entrecôte
Beef bourguignon is a rich and complex stew originating from the region of Burgundy in France. The star of the dish is a robust red Burgundy wine, which is used to soften and tenderize tough cuts of Charolais beef, along with savory additions such as carrots, onions, garlic, thyme, and mushrooms.
The ingredients are simmered for a long time until the meat is completely soft and succulent, and all the juices have blended into a hearty, dark sauce. Some say that the dish tastes even better after it has been refrigerated for 24 hours and then reheated.
MOST ICONIC Beef bourguignon
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Simply translated as steak and fries, steak-frites is a dish that traces its origins to French and Belgian national cuisine. In this classic, fries vary from the hand-cut rustic potato wedges to thin, factory-produced types. They are always deep-fried, giving them a crunchy texture and an appealing golden color.
Although fries are the essential accompaniment, the steak is the main star of the dish. The most common steak used in the dish is the rib eye cut, but sirloin steak or the famous T-bone are also commonly found on restaurant menus. A simple sauce reduction, Béarnaise, or Hollandaise sauce often accompany the dish.
MOST ICONIC Steak-frites
View moreJarret de boeuf is a traditional stew (also popular in ther formar colony Chad) consisting of beef cooked with vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, leeks, and aubergines. The stew should be cooked for at least two hours until the meat and vegetables become tender.
It is recommended to serve the dish in bowls and pair it with fufu or rice.
A staple of classic French cuisine, tournedos Rossini is a dish created in honor of the legendary composer (and noted gourmand) Gioacchino Rossini. The original recipe is rich, elegant, and uses only the finest ingredients available: 2 pieces of beef tenderloin (aka filet mignon) placed on round slices of toasted sourdough bread, generously garnished with briefly sautéed foie gras and slices of black Périgord truffle.
Just before the dish is served, it is finished with a Madeira demi-glace sauce. The preferred wine for the sauce is Verdelho, a medium-dry wine. The recommended drink to accompany this luxurious dish is a vintage red Bordeaux.
MOST ICONIC Tournedos Rossini
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Entrecôte à la bordelaise is a classic French dish consisting of a seared steak and a rich, wine-infused sauce. Traditionally, entrecôte is a cut from between the ribs which roughly corresponds to rib, ribeye, club, Scotch fillet, or Delmonico cuts.
The steak is shortly seared on both sides, while the sauce typically includes a combination of sautéed shallots, butter, dry red wine (preferably red Bordeaux), spices, and thyme. The sauce is reduced until it becomes thick and smooth, and it is then usually drizzled over the steak.
Alouettes sans têtes is a traditional meat dish. It's made with a combination of thin slices of beef, prosciutto slices, bread crumbs, garlic, shallots, parsley, paprika, carrots, celery, leeks, olive oil, white wine, butter, and tomatoes.
The slices of beef are topped with the prosciutto slices and a combination of breadcrumbs, garlic, shallots, paprika, and parsley. They are rolled and tied with kitchen string, then browned in olive oil. The vegetables are sautéed and the rolls are placed back into the pan, followed by the wine and tomatoes.
The dish is simmered for a few hours until the rolls are fully cooked and the sauce thickens.
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Tournedos à la bordelaise is a French delicacy consisting of thick and round pan-seared or grilled steaks of beef tenderloin that are accompanied by a red wine sauce on the side. Named after the French wine-producing region of Bordeaux, the bordelaise sauce is typically made with a combination of finely chopped shallots, butter, and spices such as thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper, which is reduced in dry red wine (traditionally a red Bordeaux wine) until thickened and smooth in consistency.
The sauce can alternatively be enhanced with the addition of a demi-glace consisting of broth and bone marrow. Once cooked, the tournedos are transferred to a serving platter and served with the flavor-packed wine sauce drizzled on top. The tender steaks are often garnished with chopped parsley on top, and they are usually paired with a side of french fries and a glass of medium to full-bodied wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or red Bordeaux wine.
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 11 French Beef Dishes” list until March 21, 2025, 1,444 ratings were recorded, of which 1,265 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.