Other Chops, Medallions, and Noisettes

A chop is (or at least should be) a lean, tender cut of meat with the bone attached, suitable for sautéing or grilling. A medallion is a larger chop with the bone removed or a round piece of steak such as tenderloin; the meat is sometimes pounded slightly to flatten it. A noisette is a small, round, boneless piece of meat such as a lamb chop with no bone. You can also make medallions and noisettes by slicing a boneless (veal or pork) loin into medallions and a tenderloin into noisettes.

The technique for sautéing chops, medallions, and noisettes is virtually identical for all. Red meats such as lamb or venison should be cooked less—between rare and medium rare—while pork and veal should be cooked to medium, until no translucency remains when you cut into one, 137°F[58°C]. At home it’s easiest to make a pan-deglazed sauce, constructing it by adding flavorful ingredients to the pan in stages. (See for more about pan deglazed sauces.) Roasts are cooked to a lower temperature than sautéed meats because the inside of a roast rises by about 5°F[2 to 3°C] as the roast rests.