The Steak Cut Anthony Bourdain Called A 'Poor Man's Filet Mignon'

Before he was a famous television globetrotter and an award-winning author, Anthony Bourdain did his time behind the line at various restaurants in New York City. While cooking at the now-defunct Brasserie Les Halles, he worked alongside Hubert Marie, a traditionally trained French butcher whom he admired for his knowledge and skill. Together, they broke down a side of beef into different cuts of steak. Inspired by the Frenchman's craft, Bourdain wrote a short piece for The New York Times in 2000 all about it. In his article, the chef sings the praises of the pavé, also called filet de romsteck, deeming it "a sort of poor man's filet mignon."

Bourdain details how Marie expertly extracted the pavé from the larger coeur de romsteck, which includes all the fatty pieces and ligaments. In describing the filet de romsteck, Boudain calls it "a cylindrical column of beef about a foot long, a tasty, fairly tender and completely trimmed hunk that resembles filet mignon." Most often, this cut of meat is carved just like a filet, hence Bourdain's comparison. As the famous chef notes, cutting a pavé is an impressive feat, and one that differs from the way Americans usually do it.

The filet de romsteck cut comes from the rump, a leaner piece of steak known in the United States as rump steak, top sirloin, or top butt. However, a French romsteck (also spelled rumsteak or rumsteck) is cut differently from its American cousin, creating a bit of confusion. Properly carved by a skilled butcher, the romsteck yields distinct cuts of beef with different applications. The largest and least expensive is the coeur de romsteck. This translates to "the heart of the romsteak," a cut generally used for making delicious steak frites.

Although not one of the best known cuts of beef, Anthony Bourdain reveals that the filet de romsteck is one that some French butchers will likely be able to sell you this piece, especially on advanced notice. According to the chef, the pavé yields as much flavor (and for a fraction of the price) as a filet mignon. In fact, it's most excellently prepared as steak au poivre. "Just dredge in cracked peppercorns, sear in a hot, oiled sauté pan to desired doneness (the thick pavé can be finished in the oven if necessary)," suggests Bourdain, who also notes that one should remove any excess oils and add an additional tablespoon of brandy. Now that sounds like a delicious meal worth attempting.