Small, thin, lean, incredibly tender muscles located on either side of the backbone, tenderloins are the most prized cut on the entire animal. Their buttery tenderness is legendary and people are willing to pay very high prices for tenderloin roasts & filet mignon steaks.
This cut has a relatively mild flavor (though grass-fed tenderloins are more flavorful than grain-fed ones), so tenderloin roasts & steaks are frequently paired with sauces that add moisture & additional flavor. One of the fancier classical roast recipes, Beef Wellington, is traditionally made with beef tenderloin. This is also an excellent cut for making steak tartare and carpaccio.
Tenderloins have a narrow end and a thick end. To ensure consistency, roasts & steaks are typically cut from the thick end. Roasts can be made from the thin end by cutting the smallest portion off and trussing it to a thicker portion using butcher’s twine. The thin end can also be sliced for beef medallions.
These tenderloins are sold with the “chain” on. The chain is a muscle that runs along the tenderloin. Because it isn’t very pretty or a very useful thickness, it’s usually cut off the tenderloin by butchers or chefs and sautéed as a snack.
Tenderloins also have a side muscle that juts off the thick end. It’s typically cut off of the tenderloin and can be used as a small tenderloin roast. These tenderloins are sold with the side muscle still attached and are cleaned of surface fat down to the silver skin. This version of the cut is sometimes referred to as a “PSMO Tenderloin” (PSMO stands for “Peeled, Side Muscle On”).
Beef tenderloins are often graded into sizes by weight, with “5 & Up” referring to ones graded at or above 5 pounds each.
Applications: Roast Whole or in Portions, or Slice into Chateaubriand or Filet Mignon Steaks.
FAQs
Tenderloins have a narrow end and a thick end. To ensure consistency, roasts & steaks are typically cut from the thick end. Roasts can be made from the thin end by cutting the smallest portion off and trussing it to a thicker portion using butcher's twine. The thin end can also be sliced for beef medallions.
What is the best cut of beef tenderloin? ›
Filet Mignon is cut from the tip of the Tenderloin, a delicate and tender area of the loin primal. It's also an incredibly lean part of the animal, which means you'll enjoy a fork-tender steak without much fat or connective tissue. These qualities have made Filet Mignon one of the most prized cuts of beef.
What are the 4 cuts that come from a beef tenderloin? ›
The three main cuts of the tenderloin are the butt, the center-cut, and the tail. The filet mignon is cut from the large end of the tenderloin from a steer or heifer. In the U.S., both the central and large end of the tenderloin is often sold as filet mignon in supermarkets and restaurants.
Are filet mignon and beef tenderloin the same? ›
To sum up: Filet mignon is part of a beef tenderloin, but a beef tenderloin is not a filet mignon. Instead, it houses the filet mignon, which comes from the end portion of the tenderloin. The rest of the tenderloin can create other steak cuts or a delicious tenderloin roast to feed the family.
Which is better choice or prime beef tenderloin? ›
Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking such as broiling, roasting or grilling. Choice beef is high quality, but has less marbling than Prime. Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib will be very tender, juicy, and flavorful and are suited for dry-heat cooking.
How to choose a beef tenderloin? ›
Selecting Beef Tenderloin
If you're going the route of your local supermarket you'll want to aim for USDA Prime cuts of tenderloin. The USDA grades cuts of meat and plugs them into three categories. Prime cuts provide abundant marbling (flavor and tenderness) and are the product of young, well-fed cattle.
What is the difference between AAA and AA beef tenderloin? ›
The main difference between the grades is the amount of marbling. Prime beef has slightly abundant marbling; AAA has small marbling; AA has slight marbling; A has traces of marbling. The more marbling the more flavorful and juicy the meat will be. Hence, a premium is frequently paid for AAA cuts over AA cuts.
Is beef tenderloin a cheap cut? ›
It has a reputation as an expensive cut reserved for the fanciest of occasions. One trick we use to make this luxurious cut more affordable is to purchase a whole tenderloin roast and cut it into steaks. It's easy to do and is a satisfying way to hone your home butcher skills.
What is a very tender cut of tenderloin steak? ›
Chateaubriand is a very tender cut of beef tenderloin steak. Learn how to buy the best and how to cook it perfectly every time.
Which cooking method is best for beef tenderloin? ›
The food web and a great many cookbooks (very many of them highly reputable) recommend blasting a tenderloin in a hot oven, 450–500°F (232–260°C), for a relatively short time to cook it, followed by a counter rest.
If you buy a whole beef tenderloin (eye fillet) and trim and cut it yourself, you can save 60-70%+ on cost compared to buying a centre cut tenderloin from the butcher.
Do you have to remove the silverskin from beef tenderloin? ›
Silver skin is a tough connective membrane that doesn't soften upon cooking, making it necessary to remove.
Why is beef tenderloin more expensive than filet mignon? ›
Beef tenderloin is where you'll find filet mignon. But because filet mignon is just a portion of the full tenderloin, it's more expensive per pound than the beef tenderloin itself. However, that doesn't make the beef tenderloin a cheap piece of meat.
What are the different cuts of beef tenderloin? ›
Cuts. The three main "cuts" of the tenderloin are the butt, the center cut, and the tail. The butt end is usually suitable for carpaccio, as the eye can be quite large; cutting a whole tenderloin into steaks of equal weight will yield proportionally very thin steaks from the butt end.
What is another name for beef tenderloin steak? ›
This is the most tender steak, lean yet succulent, with a fine buttery texture. Sold boneless. This steak also meets government guidelines for lean.
Are there different grades of beef tenderloin? ›
There are eight total quality grades: Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter and Canner. They have been used by the beef industry since 1927. The first three quality grades — Prime, Choice and Select — are the most commonly recognized by consumers and are considered food-grade labels by USDA.
What is better than filet mignon? ›
These cuts—ribeye, New York strip loin, and filet mignon—can certainly be dubbed the best, and few will disagree. “Filet is the most tender cut, but has the least amount of flavor. Ribeye is the most flavorful, but the least tender of the three, and New York is in the middle.” Flannery explains.
Is beef tenderloin better medium or medium-rare? ›
Beef tenderloin roast is best served rare or medium-rare with an internal temperature at between 125°F and 135°F, respectively. Use a meat thermometer to determine if the roast is done, and remember that the temperature of the meat will rise under the broiler and as it rests before serving.
Is beef tenderloin more expensive than filet mignon? ›
The reason filet mignon can be even more expensive than the tenderloin per pound is that the average animal only holds about 500 grams, or just over a pound, of the filet portion.
