Charolais
Bos taurus · Meat
Top 10 pairings
Charolais is the big cream-white beef breed of Burgundy, in eastern France — a large-framed, late-maturing animal that puts weight on as muscle first and lays fat down late. The carcasses are large, the fat sits mostly on the outside, and the marbling is low. Culinarily it is the anti-Wagyu: enormous, clean, lean steaks that want moisture, sauce and a short cook, and that dry out fast past medium.
Picking a good onedrag
Freshly cut, cherry-red, firmOff: tacky, slimy, smelling wrong
Counter freshEveryday bestSear, roast or braise, but mince needs 160°F (71°C). Pregnant? Cook all meat through.
ColourRed, a brownish cast under lights
Touch the surfaceMoist and clean, still not sticky
SmellMild, clean, faintly meaty
These cues are Beef's, and hold across its varieties; where this one differs, its own page says so.