MENU GLOSSARY

I recently ordered a "Bavette Steak" while out to eat. I've had Bavette before, but never bothered to look up the official cut. Bavette has an alias -- flap -- which is what I knew it by. Flap or Bavette is a cut from the short loin and has a lot of the same qualities as flank steak -- meaning it has great flavor and potential toughness (if cooked or cut incorrectly).

Chefs are under intense pressure to differentiate themselves. Some ways to do it is to utilize new cuts of meat, old favorites that haven't been seen in a while, or foreign ingredients and recipes. If you haven't stayed abreast of food trends, ordering your meal can end up as a guessing game. Here is an A to Z list of some food items we have served recently that just might be new to you.

• Airline Chicken Breast: while it can be served on a plane, it has nothing to do with the friendly skies. It is a boneless chicken breast save the first joint of the wing.
• Chimichurri: Argentinian meat marinade and sauce whose chief ingredients include parsley, garlic, oil, vinegar, and red pepper. Check out the wiki-origin of the name chimichurri.
• Confit: most of us know duck confit -- but what about the vegetable and fruit confits we see on menus? All confits share similar cooking preparations -- the item is cooked down and then preserved. Vegetable confits are usually stored in oil or lard. Fruit confits will generally be preserved in sugar or honey.
• Demi-Glace: rich sauce made from veal. It has been around long enough for Escoffier to write about it and is used as a component in many classic sauces. Lately, the concentrated flavor of this sauce has been getting menu air-time on its own.
• Fondant: a pastry ingredient made of sugar and water which has been cooked down and then creamed. However, you may see fondant on the dinner menu usually as potato fondant. In this case, the potatoes have been cooked in a way that produces sweetness out of the potato starch. One way to do it.
• Gelée: It is what it sounds like -- French Jelly. While US jellies tend to be made from fruit and tend to be quite sweet, chefs use gelée to describe jellies of different ingredients and flavors (i.e. vegetables, wine, etc.).

• Gremolata: herb condiment traditionally made with only parsley, lemon zest, and garlic. Sometimes it will be thinned with olive oil and used as a sauce.
• Gribiche: I have a love affair with this yummy egg yolk sauce. It is kind of like mayonaisse made with hard boiled egg yolks rather than uncooked yolks. Flavors run similar to tartar sauce and are chef dependent.
• Hanger Steak: this cut of beef has gained a lot of popularity over the last few years. The cut literally hangs between the last rib and loin. It is positioned near the kidneys which is thought to give it its flavor boost. The cut needs careful preparation and cutting to avoid becoming chewy.
• Kasu: lees (leftover solids) from the sake brewing process. Kasu is used as a flavoring ingredient in many Japanese dishes.
• Kurobota Pork: Japanese name for Berkshire Pork which is an heirloom breed of pig. The meat is well marbled and more flavorful than super market pork. Some love it, while others find it too strong. More information.
• Lardons: small pieces of fat (usually pork) used to flavor dishes. Lardons are often cut from pork belly or back. If listed as an ingredient on a recipe, you may find them cooked crisp -- like a small piece of bacon.
• Matelote Sauce: red wine sauce with flavoring ingredients (usually leeks, shallots, fennel) which has been reduced. Generally served with fish.
• Meuniere Sauce: simple sauce of browned butter, parsley, and lemon that traditionally accompanies fish which has been dredged in flour prior to cooking. Interesting story about the sauce.
• Pipérade: cooked mix of tomatoes, peppers, and spices. Traditionally ham is in the mix as well, but many restaurants leave it out.

• Pissaladiére: French "pizza" that really walks a fine line between pizza and savory tart. Traditionally made on puff pastry and topped with caramelized onions, anchovies, and black olives.
• Pork Belly: pork belly is the same cut of meat used to make bacon in the USA. Chef's will get it in uncured, unsmoked, and uncut. The layering of meat and fat that you see in bacon make it a versatile and sinfully rich cut of pork to use in many dishes. While it can be cooked crisp like bacon, there are many other ways that chefs use this cut of meat.
• Quince: A hard/sour fruit related to pears and apples. Quince becomes sweet and complex when cooked into jams, puddings, and paste. You'll often see quince paste on cheese plates.
• Za'atar: spice mix of sesame seeds, thyme, salt, and ground sumac (not the poisonous kind) that is used as a table condiment or as a flavoring ingredient in many dishes.

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