Merlan

The third *morceau du boucher* on the round — a long, flat, tender muscle named for its resemblance to the fish *merlan* (whiting). Weighs 800g–1kg per side; produces 6–8 thin steak-cuts. Like poire and araignée, it was historically reserved by butchers for themselves and connoisseurs because separating it from the surrounding muscles requires patient detail work. Soft fibres, very tender, ideal for quick pan-frying or grilling. Best cooked rare or medium-rare; cut into thin slices against the grain. The trio of poire / merlan / araignée is one of French butchery's strongest cultural-identity threads — together they encapsulate the boucher's-art tradition of fine-grain muscle separation.