Pierrade

[bleudauvergne]

We don't have a pierrade stone at home. But there are restaurants where you can order this. I asked the name of it the first time I saw it, and the guy said it was a Lyonnais specialty that goes back hundreds of years, the pierrade. So imagine my suprise when I stumbled across This website just now. How can someone place a trademark on an age old way of cooking meat? Apparently someone got away with it 20 years ago and are now trying to muscle restaurants into paying royalties for the right to put "Pierrade" on their menus. Wouldn't this be something like trying to put a registered trademark on "Fondue"?

In any case, I plan to serve it at home, and I don't want to buy the Tefal thing. I want to find an old pierrade set. Anyone know where might be the best place to go poking around for one when in Paris? Also, I have been wondering about some old plates I found - are these pierrade plates?

[bleudauvergne]

I went back to the restaurant that served the Pierrade, and since that time (about 5 years ago) they changed the name of the dish to grillade. I haven't had a chance to talk to them about it yet but will ask when we do go.

[raisab]

Lucy,

I haven't researched but I would venture most of us here in the US haven't a clue as to what Pierrade is. I am guessing since you say it is now called grillade at your resto, it must be some sort of grilled meat combo such as the Argentinian Parillada? Served with different sauces maybe? Just curious as the website linked to seems to be advertisement or mail-order of sorts.

Edited to add:

I see Pierrade is cooking on a stone?

Edited December 15, 2005 by raisab (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Lucy, perhaps you are thinking about a soapstone griddle. The one shown is rather tarted up, but I have seen many simple ones at brocantes in France.

[bleudauvergne]

It's this thing where they bring out a hot stone to the table along with the meats and you cook it there at the table.

Here's a translation of the page entitled "Everything about La Pierrade"

La Pierrade is a registered trademark.  Authorization is required to use the name.  The table of rules of use of this registered trademark is at your disposition.  Read it. 

A certain number of professionals (restaurants, kitchen equipment manufacturers, meat producers) use the trademark La Pierrade without a license.  If you want to use the trademark, or want to know the rules under which is allowed to be used, consult the rules. 

(emphasis theirs).

The rules state that you must buy a license to use the name, and renew it yearly if you want to Pierrade, Serve La Pierrade at your restaurant, or sell cooking stones. Not only that, but on your menu, you must put the registered trademark sign after it.

Click here to register and pay the fee (which is €110 per year). There are links to two books that 'confirm' that legal judgements have upheld that Pierrade is a trademark and can be used only with permission. It's silly!

[bleudauvergne]

Lucy, perhaps you are thinking about a soapstone griddle.  The one shown is rather tarted up, but I have seen many simple ones at brocantes in France.

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I think that's what it is, Margaret. The ones I have seen in restaurants are square.

[Ptipois]

Click here to register and pay the fee (which is €110 per year).  There are links to two books that 'confirm' that legal judgements have upheld that Pierrade is a trademark and can be used only with permission.  It's silly!

←

Silly indeed, like Orange when it tried to restrict use of the word "orange". I don't know where they're standing now.

Still I didn't know "pierrade" was traditional in Lyon. Never heard of that before. I suppose there were not many people to hold on to the term when it was registered as a trademark.

Also, I didn't even know it was soapstone. See, I'm not doing too well here (wink to John Talbott --> )

[bleudauvergne]

I'm going to have my "grillade" at lunch today at the same place where they said it was a Lyonnais specialty when it was called the pierrade. I'll ask some questions about that. I suspect that they may have said this to add to the romance... We'll see.