Beef and Veal

France produces some of the best beef you can find. The country pastures of the Aubrac on the Aveyron/Cantal/Lozère borders are famous for the quality of their meat produce. The flavour is splendid, but it can be very tough; for English tastes it is not hung enough. Our local Aveyron butcher boasts that his is hung for at least 15 days, but it can still be heavy going. It seems that the longer you hang it (sometimes 45 days in the UK) the more tender it becomes, but it is then inclined to lose its flavour. The best answer in France lies perhaps in preferring long, slow-cooked stews.