Beef Languette Recipe: Tenderloin Fried in Butter

Languette is thin fried meat that's exceptionally simple to make, a dish found all over the world, with plenty of variations and recipes. It's easily recognized by its tongue-like shape, and the name comes from the French languette de boeuf, “beef tongue”. It's considered restaurant fare, although at home you'll meet it far more often, since plain fried meat is mostly cooked on the same principle.

When I was a kid, semi-finished products for languette were sold in shops, and all you had to do was coat them in breadcrumbs and fry. Most canteens and cafes had similar dishes on the menu too. They were always cooked a bit differently, but they were tasty, and natural fried meat was prized. It was usually beef, but pork or even chicken was often used. The menu would specify which meat the dish was made from.

The essence of the dish is a thin, elongated slice of beef, no more than 2 cm thick, which is pounded lightly. A few spices: salt and black pepper. Sometimes the meat is coated in breadcrumbs or a little flour and then fried until browned. If the meat is fried breaded, it's very handy to make a sauce afterward, because the coating mixes with the meat juices and other additions to make a thick sauce.

The dish uses tenderloin or the loin section of the beef carcass. The meat is sliced across the grain and then pounded. Depending on the thickness of the slice, frying can take from 5 to 10 mins per side. A languette usually weighs about 100-125 g, and they're served at two pieces per portion. The side dish is usually potatoes fried in slices or fairly elaborate vegetable sides.

The prepared pieces of meat are fried in hot fat, less often deep-fried. To my taste, the meat turns out better without breading, fried in butter. Although many recipes recommend frying in pork or beef fat, or even grilling.

During cooking it's important to get a browned layer on the surface, which keeps the juices in the meat. The frying temperature stays constant. The meat is thin and doesn't need finishing at a lower temperature, as you do with thick steaks or entrecotes. A finished languette always looks browned on top and has a pleasant dark pink color inside. Don't overcook the meat or it will turn tough.