Word Of The Day: Paleron

We're not sure if David Letterman ever dusts off his old skit called "Know Your Cuts of Meat," but it's a safe bet that at least til now, he's never included paleron as one of the options. Paleron is tough to find in the US — it's generally more of a French cut — but it's essentially a shoulder cut that's best served after a long braising. If you have a knowledgeable butcher or an outstanding meat section at your market, you could ask or look for upper blade or top blade steaks. In grocery stores you're most likely to find a split section of the paleron called a "flatiron steak."

While it isn't a standard-issue cut, some chefs swear by braised paleron. And butchers may be getting hip to it: We found this nice flickr shot of palerons which the photographer attributes to Chicago's Butcher & Larder, the meat specialists we profiled last week on Food Republic.