In France,what cut of meat do I buy to prepare a brisket?!
Answers: Maybe a Paleron? Maybe a Poitrine? Any advice on what to tell my French butcher? Christmas dinner swings in the balance, otherwise I'll have to eat foie gras again!
Ask your butcher for a Poitrine Gros Bout or Gros Bout de Poitrine. That's the cut which is the most equivalent to brisket - just dont expect it to be pre-brined like in many US and UK butchers.
If you cant get hold of any, your alternative doesn't sound too shabby!
Not sure what it is called in French, but why not use something like a print out of the attached link to indicate which cut you want.
One word of caution, although the anatomay of a cow is fairly standard across breeds, the butchery cuts of beef are not international. What may be commonly available in one country could be incorporated into a different cut somewhere else... the brazilian prime cut of Picanha is a classic example.
Here in the UK the Brisket is cut somewhat smaller than in the USA and it is also rolled as standard... although we share a common name for the cut it is treated VERY differently before you even get it home.
You would need to not only indicate the cut but how you want it cut and possibly even your use of it. A good butcher will do their best to help.
Found the link below that shows where the Brisket is, but I am sure you could find a better one from a US butchery style site. Good luck
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Beef_...
