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Macreuse à bifteck

Beef · Chuck
GrillRoast

Macreuse à bifteck is commonly used as-is in English; the closest equivalent depends on the butchery tradition.

A chuck-area subdivision of French butchery — dark-red, fairly lean, fine-grained meat from the front shoulder, separated by a central nerve into two halves. Sometimes also called *boule de macreuse* ("ball of macreuse") or *noix de macreuse* ("nut of macreuse") for its rounded shape. Distinct from *macreuse à pot-au-feu*, which is the same general muscle group but butchered out for slow cooking. The à-bifteck portion is for steaks and quick roasting (5-minute *steak haché* or pan-fried slices), while the à-pot-au-feu portion goes into the stewpot. The CAP boucher curriculum treats these as separate butcher's terms, though both come from the same anatomical region. Cook quickly to medium-rare; treat like flat iron or onglet.

Names by country

CountryNameNotes
🇫🇷FranceMacreuse à bifteckprimaryAlso "boule de macreuse" or "noix de macreuse." The à-bifteck portion is for quick cooking — steaks, pan-fried slices, beef tartare.

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Classic recipe

Macreuse à Bifteck Sauce Marchand de Vin12 min

The 'steak' macreuse — French chuck cut against the grain, grilled rare, finished with a wine-merchant butter sauce. Che…

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Steak searing in a cast-iron skillet beside an unbranded knife

$ · indoor steak searing and plancha-style cooking

Sear macreuse hard so it stays tender

Hard sears when a grill is unavailable or inconvenient.

Lodge 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet

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