French-Style Meat

Wotchers!

In something of a counterpoint to the flamboyant and royal origins of the Kurnik pie of last time, today we have another Russian recipe which, although elegant in origin, lies more at the everyday comfort level rather than the rare special occasion.

It is ridiculous in two senses: the amount of time it takes to prepare (under 10 minutes), and the deliciousness of the final result (off the charts). With its mix of ingredients, it is almost a one-pot meal in itself, requiring only the addition of some lightly steamed vegetables to make a hearty and comforting meal the whole family can enjoy.

Another find from trawling Russian language websites, I was, at first, taken with the title. Initially, I thought it had lost something in translation, and that, with enough hunting around, I would discover a more elegant name, but no. Everywhere I found it, it was French-Style Meat.

Which is not a bad thing – I like consistency – but to have such a perfunctory-bordering-on-dismissive title, with the inference that it is an example of French cuisine, rated by many as the pinnacle of gastronomy, sounds more like a slight than a compliment. I decided to delve deeper, and found a whole lot of Guff™ when it came to the origins of the dish. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good backstory to a recipe, but with this one it seems no-one was doing much fact-checking along the way.

The most oft-repeated story is that the dish owes its origins to a dish created by Urbain Dubois, Veal Orloff, for his employer, Count Grigory Orlov the Russian ambassador to France in the 18th century.

*le sigh* So much Guff™ in such a short sentence.

Instead, here’s some information based on actual facts:

• Urbain Dubois was a chef in the 19th Century and was born over thirty years after the death of Grigory Orloff.
• At some point between 1845 and 1860 Dubois worked for Prince Alexey Orlov.
• Prince Alexey Orlov was AN ambassador of Tzars Nicolas I and Alexander II, but never officially appointed Russian Ambassador to France.
• Urbain Dubois did not, to the best of my searching ability, ever publish a recipe named Veal Orlov, Veal Orloff, Veal Prince Orloff, etc. during his lifetime.
• The earliest version of a recipe similar to the modern dish, was published in 1902: Selle de Veau Prince Orloff, just after the death of Dubois.

This early version, Saddle of Veal Prince Orloff, comprises a saddle of veal braised, boned, sliced, reformed with layers of mushroom and onion puree between the slices, covered with a Soubise (white onion) sauce and topped with breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese before being grilled and served.

French-Style Meat comprises pork steaks layered with potatoes and onions, sprinkled with cheese and topped with (originally) sour cream, or more recently, mayonnaise.

Quite the contrast, I think you’ll agree.

ANYHOO…

If the intent was to throw a load of cheap ingredients together, name it after a Russian prince and allege it as French as some kind of disdainful mockery for that nation and its cuisine, it backfired spectacularly, because it is simple and quick to prepare and tastes delicious. It is hugely popular and has been for decades.

The person who named this recipe as French-Style Meat as a slur against the French when everyone loves it, and by extension, France & its cuisine (probably)

You can crank this out for the family in about an hour, with only 10 minutes or so of actual work. As already  mentioned, it is ridiculously tasty. The secret lies in the specific layering of ingredients to bring out the best in their flavours. The order of ingredients is pretty much a moveable feast, but I believe the order presented here is the pinnacle of deliciousnes.

Starting at the bottom,

• Onion rings, to form a delicate barrier for he other ingredients. If you are an onion fiend, you can use full-on slices of onion.
• Thick slices of potato. In the pictures I have peeled the potatoes, but you can also just slice them as is. During the long, slow cooking time, the potatoes confit themselves in all the flavours dripping down from the rest of the ingredients and become melt-in-the-mouth.
• Tenderised pork steaks. Pork shoulder is cheaper than pork loin, but either is fine, as are other more expensive cuts.
• Onion rings. More onion rings scattered across the top of the meat for more flavour.
• Grated cheese. A handful of strong, well-flavoured cheese scattered over the top of each steak.
• Sour cream/creme fraiche/mayonnaise/yogurt – It might seem sensible to have these last two layers the other way around, and I will admit that trying to spread this over grated cheese is a challenge (pipe it instead!) but having the creamy layer on top protects the cheese from overheating and burning during cooking. Both sour cream and creme fraiche are quite rich, so you might like the variation I prefer which is 50/50 reduced fat mayonnaise and plain, non-fat yogurt.

French-Style Meat

The quantities needed will depend on how many you’re catering for. These quantities are for each person.

1 pork steak – shoulder or loin
1 onion – thickly sliced
1 large potato – peeled (optional) and thickly sliced
60g strong cheddar cheese – grated
80ml sour cream/creme fraiche/mayonnaise/non-fat yogurt or a mixture.
salt and pepper

• Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan.

• Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
• Separate half the onion slices into rings and lay them on the parchment (above left).
• Lay the slices of potato on top of the onion and season with salt and pepper (above right). You can add any extra slices of potato to the pan.

• Use the back of a long knife to tenderise the steaks. The weight of the blade will be enough to break down the muscle fibres, but not enough to cut through. Don’t skip this step, as the steaks are usually from the tougher cuts and this will render them melt-in-the-mouth tender once cooked. Beat a little tartan pattern into them, making vertical lines into the meat first one way, then turn the steaks 90 degrees and repeat to give the pattern as seen on the left-hand steak above. Turn the steak over and repeat.
• Lay the meat on top of the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the rest of the onion on top of the meat (above right).

• Sprinkle the grated cheese over the onions (above left).
• Top with your choice of whatever creamy ingredient you prefer (above right). Again, I can strongly recommend a 50/50 mix of reduced fat mayonnaise and non-fat yogurt. The grated cheese makes this a little tricky, so use a piping bag, or ziplock plastic bag with the corner snipped off, and then spread with the back of a spoon.
• Finish with a final dusting of salt and pepper.
• Bake for 50 minutes, turning the tray around after 25 minutes to ensure even cooking.
• Serve hot, with steamed green vegetables.