普羅旺斯的天空下 Living in Provence

有機夏洛萊(Charolais)牛肉之1 - 烤牛肉佐烤時蔬

我最近在我們每星期都會去採購的超市發現了品質優良的有機牛肉。

在繼續寫下去前, 我必須先承認我一直認為我無法在法國找到我喜歡的牛肉 / 牛排, 尤其是在吃過澳洲 King Island (位於塔斯馬尼亞 Tasmania) 的牛肉 / 牛排後。 味道是一種很主觀的東西, 我之所以喜歡澳洲 King Island的牛肉, 是因為它的肉質帶著自然、乾淨的甜美...那種一放入嘴中, 肉汁自然的甜美讓你不由自主帶上會心的一笑。請別誤會, 我並不是說法國的牛肉不好, 只是我尚未找到那種自然、無雜質的甜美...直到我遇上了這有機夏洛萊(Charolais)牛肉。

相遇的故事:

我如同往常在超市的肉區猶豫不決, 直到接近了有機牛肉區, 我看到了那美美的有機夏洛萊牛肋排(帶骨; entrecôte avec l'os - 典型的法式切法) 和一條條烤牛肉 (roast beef rump*), 我通常對美的烹煮食材無抵抗力...先將牛肋排放入推車中, 同時也已想好要將這牛肋排豪邁的燒烤, 接下來繼續猶豫是否要帶一條烤牛肉 (部位為 beef rump), 畢竟它還不便宜。
(beef rump - 在法國通常拿來做 roast beef烤牛肉, 也有做 rump steak的; beef rump法式切法是取於沙朗後與牛後大腿前間的一三角區, 這一區的肉含脂量不多, 不宜過度烹煮。)

當我還在猶豫不決、挑來挑去的時後, 我注意到旁邊有一位長者正在將被翻動過的盒子重新排整齊, 我同時注意到他的衣服並不是此超市的制服, 老公剛好過來看我到底選好了沒, 我興奮的要他看那些美美的有機夏洛萊牛肉。這時旁邊的那位長者聽到了我們的談話, 便試著和我們交談, 老公先問他是這牛肉的銷售員嗎, 長者回覆他是這有機夏洛萊牛的養殖者, 他是專程重諾曼第北下到南法來宣傳試賣他的牛肉。
(夏洛萊牛是一種源至夏洛萊省的混種食用牛, 夏洛萊省位於勃艮第區, 但此品種牛現已在許多地區養犆)

交談的時後, 我和那位長者說到我之所以猶豫不決、挑來挑去是因為我個人真的很不適應法國牛排總是切的太薄, 那種薄的厚度往往導致烹調過熟, 在好的牛肉 / 牛排也是浪費...這位長者完全同意我的看法, 他並說這也是他一再和此超市的切肉區拜託把他的牛肉切厚點, 他向此超市的切肉區解釋因為這些有機夏洛萊牛肉適和煮至 rare 食用以便品嘗它的鮮美, 但超市並無採取他的建議。 他向我們說希望多點購買者能和我們的想法一樣, 也許日後我們可以事前打電話至超市的切肉區要求某部問的牛排要切成幾公分, 這樣的服務其實澳洲的超市(肉區)也會提供, 我想下次來試試。在我們要離開肉區時, 他幫我們挑了一條烤牛肉 roast beef rump並告訴我們這條 beef rump 成熟度佳, 做烤牛肉再適合不過了。在這段談話中, 我可以感受到那位長者對他所養殖的牛的用心與期望, 對於任何一位用心的生產或製造者, 我希望他們努力的產品能被珍惜、讚賞。

以下先介紹烤牛肉佐烤時蔬 (待下一篇再來寫燒烤帶骨牛肋排)

烤箱預熱至 220C

牛肉的處理:

先將牛肉於冰箱取出, 放於室溫40分鐘 -1小時
(我用了重約 850克的 beef rump)

烤時蔬:

蘿蔔數條 (這裡用了2種品種), 去皮、切4份 (quartered)
馬鈴薯數顆, 斜對切
洋蔥, 去皮、切4份 (quartered)
大蒜數瓣, 不去皮
1枝迷迭香

- 將烤時蔬的所有材料放入一大烤皿, 淋上適量的特級橄欖油, 確實將橄欖油覆蓋在蔬菜上, 少許海鹽調味。

- 將牛肉用大火鎖住 (sear) 肉的每一面 (我刻意不先用鹽調味是為了在烤後, 切薄片後灑上鹽之花; 鹽之花不宜高溫烹煮, 高溫烹煮後即喪失它寶貴的一絲鹹中帶甜的韻味)
(Sear: 是只用大火快速的將肉的表面藉焦化封鎖住內部的肉汁)

- 現將牛肉放於時蔬上, 進烤箱烤 22分鐘 (rare)

- 先將牛肉取出, 放於一溫盤, 用鋁箔紙覆蓋 '休息 ' 35分鐘

- 烤箱溫度降至200C, 牛肉'休息 '的同時, 繼續將時蔬烤至熟、馬鈴薯呈金黃

將休息好的牛肉切薄片, 灑上鹽之花並搭配烤時蔬一同享用 (烤過的大蒜可以輕輕擠出, 抹一點搭配著吃)

隔天, 將牛肉切厚片當 rump steak吃 (用大火快速 sear 肉的表面)

English Version:

Organic Charolais Beef Part 1 - Roast beef rump with vegetables

I recently discovered some really decent organic beef from the supermarket where we do our weekly grocery shopping.

I have to confess that I did not think I could find some decent beef / steaks here in France, especially after tasting the King Island beef / steaks in Australia.  It is a personal taste thing, I like the nature, clean and sweet taste of King Island beef.  Don't get me wrong, French beef are not bad but it was not the same taste I was after, until this organic beef Charolais....

This is how it started:  
I was wondering in between the meats section and could not decide what to get until approaching the organic beef section.  And...I saw this gorgeous organic Charolais entrecôte with bones and rump for the roast on the other side.  I have zero resistance to any beautiful cooking ingredients.  So I first picked up the entrecôte and pictured a rustic char-grilled steak dinner and continued to decide if I should also pick up a rump roast...I hesitated as it was a bit pricy.
While selecting in between boxes and boxes, I couldn't help noticing that there was a slightly elder person next to me who was re-arranging every box of beef that have been moved so it would look nicer for display.  You don't usually see that in most of the supermarket's meats section.  I then noticed that he was not dressed as the other employees who work here.  My husband came around to check if I have finally picked the meat, and I started talking about these beautiful meats....This slightly elder person overheard my words, and started talking with us.  My husband first asked if he is some sort of sales representative for this beef, and he told us these meats came from his cows, he is the beef farmer and he came all the way from Normandy to the south to promote his beef.  
*(Charolais is the name of this particular breed of cattle.  Although it was originated in Charolais near Charolles in the region of Bourgogne, this breed of cattle could also be found in other regions of France.)

I started expressing how I personally dislike the French beef / steaks thin cuts, except the entrecôte with bones.  And that's often why I hesitate and pick through boxes and boxes in order to find one that pleases me.  He completely agreed with me as that was what he suggested the butchery of this supermarket for his beef.  As this beef is in such a great quality and it is better eaten rare than overcooked, and all those thin cuts result you the overcooked ones.  I told him it is such a waste in so many levels and I was happy to see we shared the same view.  Before leaving, he picked up a box of the rump roast I was hesitating and told me it would make a nice roast as the meat itself is more matured than the others and therefore, more flavoursome.  From our conversation, you could tell his affections for his meats (from his small moves of re-arranging the display boxes); a producer who look after his produce tells me that these meats are going to be very much appreciated.

For this roast beef rump with vegetables:

Preheat the oven to 220C

Beef Rump:
Remove the beef rump from the fridge 40 minutes - 1 hour prior to the cooking
(the beef rump I had was around 850g)

Assorted roast vegetables:  
carrots, peeled and quartered
new potatoes, cut in half (on the diagonal)
garlic cloves (unpeeled)
onion, peeled and quartered
1 rosemary sprig

Arrange the vegetables, garlic, onion and rosemary nicely in a baking dish.  Toss well with some olive oil and sprinkle with some sea salt to season.

-  Sear the beef rump all sides and transfer the meat to the baking dish with the vegetables.
(Please note that I deliberately did not season the meat with salt as I wanted to sprinkle some fleur de sel when serving; as fleur de sel tends to lose its very delicate sweetness when heated.)

-  Roast for 22 minutes for a rare result.
-  Remove the meat from the oven, and allow it to rest on a warm plate, cover with a foil.  I let it rested for 35 minutes.
-  Turn the oven down to 200C and continue roasting the vegetables while the meat rests.

Thinly slice the beef and serve with the roasted vegetables.  (I like to squeeze out the roasted garlic and spread a little bit over the meat!)

I will post another article on the char-grilled organic Charolais entrecôte next.