Beef cut: where it is, price, recipes
Merlan cut
A long flat muscle named after the fish it resembles, which is exactly why searching for it online is hopeless. Extremely tender, and there are only two per carcass.
- Pan-seared
- Grilled
$13/ lb
- In French
- Merlan
- Where it sits
- Round. Poire, merlan, araignée: three grilling gems hidden in the round, rare because they are small.
- Tenderness
- 5/5
- Flavor
- 3/5
- Marbling
- 1/5
- Price
- $13 / lb ·
- Actual size
- ~18 cm
Compared with its neighbors
Compared with Pear cut, Merlan cut is milder (3/5 vs 4/5), leaner (1/5 vs 2/5) and costs the same.
Compared with Spider steak / oyster steak, Merlan cut is more tender (5/5 vs 4/5), milder (3/5 vs 5/5), leaner (1/5 vs 3/5) and costs $1 a pound less.
| Cut | Tenderness | Flavor | Marbling | Price | How to cook it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merlan cut | 5/5 | 3/5 | 1/5 | $13 / lb | Pan-seared, Grilled |
| Pear cut | 5/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | $13 / lb | Pan-seared, Grilled |
| Spider steak / oyster steak | 4/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | $14 / lb | Pan-seared, Grilled |
