What Is a Center Cut Beef Tenderloin Look Like

Paul is a barbecue enthusiast. He is currently grilling and smoking on a Komodo Kamado Ultimate 23.

Where Is Filet Mignon on a Cow?

Filet Mignon: The Virtually Tender Cut of Beef

Beef filet mignon, with its rich marbling of fat, is the nigh tender cutting of beef at that place is, and it's also my personal favorite.

Many steak aficionados will try to tell you that prime rib, rib-heart steaks, or strip steaks offer more flavour, which, they say, makes them better than the more tender filet mignon. Others prefer lean cuts of meat for grilling, like flank steak, to go the protein without the fat. Others prefer a porterhouse steak or t-bone considering they have a small filet and a strip steak in a single cut. But I still prefer the tenderness of the beefiness filet. To me, information technology is truly the King of Steaks.

What is the filet mignon cutting of steak?

Filet mignon steak is a cut of beef from the tenderloin that is part of the cow's short loin. The tenderloin runs downwardly the back of a beef moo-cow and is taken from a muscle that gets very little exercise. That lack of motion keeps the muscle tender every bit the cow matures to the platonic age of xviii months to ii years old.

A beef tenderloin is large, usually weighing around 4–6 pounds, and has ii parts. The truthful filet mignon comes from the pocket-size circular strip that is fastened to the unabridged tenderloin. In American butcher shops, a filet mignon steak is cutting into nearly two-inch steaks from the entire tenderloin. Just if you lot see filet mignon medallions on a bill of fare, they are typically cutting from the extra tender small-scale circular strip. It's this modest round strip that the French give-and-take "filet mignon" is actually referring to.

The Price of Filet Mignon

Filet mignon in the meat cabinet at supermarket.

Paul Edmondson

Beef Tenderloin vs. Filet Mignon: What's the Difference?

Telling the divergence between the beef tenderloin and filet mignon can be a little confusing if you lot're not used to selecting cuts of beef. I once asked my sister-in-law to option up a beef tenderloin from Costco, and she came home with pork loin!

Beefiness tenderloin is the proper noun of the large cut of beef before information technology is sliced into steak. One time it is cut into steaks, those steaks are known by the French name, "filet mignon." I've seen steaks labeled equally "beefiness tenderloin" steaks in the market, and they are the aforementioned as filet mignon steaks. All the same, y'all'll never see a whole, uncut beefiness tenderloin labeled as "filet mignon."

To turn a beef tenderloin into filet mignon, all you take to practise is take a very sharp butcher's pocketknife and slice the beef tenderloin into 2-inch steaks across the grain of the meat. In one case it's sliced, yous take filet mignon.

Trimmed vs. Untrimmed Beef Tenderloin

There are 2 types of beef tenderloin: the trimmed version of the beefiness tenderloin and the untrimmed version. The trimmed version has the fatty and silver skin from the cow's sides largely removed and is smoothly cutting with the side medallion taken out. The trimmed version is more than expensive since information technology has less fatty and waste than untrimmed. The trimmed version is my favorite since it doesn't require whatever special preparation.

The untrimmed version is a neat way to become super high-quality beef at prices like to those of New York steaks and rib-centre steaks. The untrimmed version requires more preparation since you take to trim it yourself. The process of trimming a beef tenderloin is also known equally "peeling." The medallion is removed showtime past following the seam down the length of the tenderloin with a sharp knife.

Side by side, the fatty and silvery peel is peeled and sliced off. Long strips of fat film can be easily pulled off with your hands. Some people like to exit the fat on and to melt it off on the grill, but I prefer to remove it. The silver skin is tougher than the other fatty and won't pause downward when cooking, so information technology'south highly recommended to pull information technology off. It has a "argent" sheen, information technology'southward sparse, and it runs the length of a large beef tenderloin. Filet mignon (beef tenderloin) has enough of fat in the meat already. Trimming information technology off is the way to go!

Grain-fed or grass-fed filet mignon?

The Deviation Between Grass-Fed and Grain-Fed Filet Mignon

Grass-fed filet mignon is considered a more premium beef product than grain-fed or corn-fed beefiness. Here's why.

Benefits of grass-fed beef

Grass-fed beef is more expensive to produce and costs $5–ten more than per pound
Information technology is promoted every bit a more than humane way of raising beefiness and more than sustainable way to subcontract
Grass-fed beefiness has 1/3 to 1/2 as much fat equally grain-fed beef
Grass-fed beefiness has a higher percentage of beta carotene that converts to vitamin A (10% of daily allowance in 3.5 ounces)
Grass-fed beefiness has three times the corporeality of vitamin Due east as grain-fed
Grass-fed beef has a threescore% higher composition of omega-3 fats than grain-fed
Grass-fed beef has higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which contributes to health benefits of beef

With all those smashing benefits of grass-fed beef, how does it taste? Well, my feel with grass-fed filet mignon beef is that it has more flavor, but information technology is chewier and tougher than corn-fed filet mignon. It's probably tougher considering beef that is not finished at a feeding lot for 60 to 100 days has a lot less fatty content, resulting in a less marbled, tender filet mignon.

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58 Calories Per Ounce in Filet Mignon Steak


4 ounces	6 ounces	viii ounces	10 ounces	12 ounces
232 calories in iv ounces of filet mignon	348 calories in half dozen ounces of filet mignon	464 calories in a viii ounces of filet mignon	580 calories in x ounces of filet mignon	696 calories in 12 ounces of filet mignon

What's the Divergence Betwixt Selection or Prime Cuts of Filet Mignon?

While the USDA offers a range of beefiness quality ratings, I would only consider the top two when it comes to filet mignon.

Here is the full list of meat grades

Prime Cut: About 3% of all beef is graded prime. Prime is the highest and best rating for beef and contains the nearly marbling. It'south also the most expensive in the marketplace and is usually only available in high-stop grocery stores and butchers or at fancy restaurants.
Pick Cut: A piddling over fifty% of all beef is considered the choice. This is what Costco sells. It's very high quality and the cutting of beef I personally recommend.
Select
Standard
Commercial
Utility
Cutter
Canner

The college the marbling of the beefiness ("marbling" refers to the fat white strips running vertically through the beef), the higher the rating. When information technology comes to filet mignon, I notice that the option cut of beefiness tenderloin is an excellent choice. While prime cuts are technically improve, there is little actress value in spending the boosted money to get a prime filet mignon steak, in my stance.

Whole Trimmed Beef Tenderloin - Large and Small

Paul Edmondson

How to Grill Filet Mignon

For more than detailed instructions, see my total recipe with step-by-step photos on how to grill filet mignon.

Filet mignon is such a wonderful cut of beef that the simpler preparations are the all-time. My filet mignon recipe is super simple. Start by taking the filet mignon out of the refrigerator and let the internal temperature of the meat come up to room temperature. Filet mignon that is grilled at room temperature volition cook more evenly. I usually take information technology out of the fridge 30 minutes to an 60 minutes before I want to grill it.

A few of my favorite preparations include:

Garlic table salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Pad of butter on each steak
Wrap each filet with one piece of bacon and insert a toothpick to hold salary in place (for salary-wrapped filet mignon)

The undercover to cooking the all-time filet mignon recipe ever is removing the filet mignon from the grill at exactly the right temperature. The USDA temperature for medium-rare is 140 degrees, but if you wait to pull your filet from the grill when the meat hits 140, it will keep to cook fifty-fifty subsequently it has been removed from the oestrus. Y'all'll end upward with mode overcooked steak.

To go the perfect medium-rare filet mignon, use an instant-read meat thermometer and pull the meat from the grill at 120 degrees. Let it stand up tented in tin foil for ten minutes before serving.

To serve filet mignon at a medium temperature of 160 degrees as recommended by the USDA, yous need to pull the filet mignon from the grill at 130 degrees. If you desire it a little more than pinkish, pull it at 125 degrees and let information technology stand for ten minutes. I hate to repeat myself besides much, merely perfectly cooked filet mignon really is all nigh getting the temperature right. You lot can ever add more salt and pepper to taste, only if yous overcook the meat, yous tin't fix it. Information technology'south worth investing in a great instant-read thermometer for barbecuing premium meats similar filet mignons.

I also grill the entire beefiness tenderloin and slice information technology into filet mignon steaks later I pull it from the grill. I normally start with a whole beef tenderloin from Costco. I liberally apply garlic salt and pepper the entire beef tenderloin and then lightly spray it with PAM to hold the seasoning on and to prevent the beef from sticking to my grill. When y'all're fix to grill, rut your barbecue to 500+ degrees and sear the meat for most three minutes per side. While the outside is searing, have your digital remote meat thermometer and set up it to 120 degrees.

Next, place the unabridged beef tenderloin to the side of the grill to cook the meat with indirect heat. Place the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the beef. Be sure you insert the tip of the thermometer very slowly while advisedly watching the temperature as you go. Continue to insert the thermometer until the temperature starts to decrease again. This way you know when you accept the thermometer in simply the right spot for an accurate reading of how well the meat is cooked.

Shut the chapeau on your grill and bring the temperature down to most 300 degrees. To cook an entire beef tenderloin, it usually takes nigh xxx minutes (then 10 minutes to rest). Finally, piece the tenderloin into filet mignon steaks. I use a serrated electric carving knife.

Cooking a Whole Beefiness Tenderloin

A beef tenderloin doesn't demand to be sliced into steaks before cooking. It can exist cooked whole. The primal is to necktie the meat upwardly tightly so that its thickness is consistent.

The best way to necktie it up:

Start with cooking string at one finish and tie a tight double knot.
With the help of another person, wrap the string in a spiral around the meat to the other stop. The screw loops should be spaced one to ii inches apart.
Tie the other end off with another double knot.

By using this technique, y'all can be sure that your meat volition cook more evenly. I highly recommend information technology if you're cooking an untrimmed tenderloin.

Beef tenderloin before it is sliced into filet mignon steaks (5-lb whole beef tenderloin from Costco that cost about $70).

Paul Edmondson

Where to Buy Filet Mignon

I haven't found a better deal for buying beef tenderloin to piece into filet mignon steaks than the prices at Costco. The simply downside is you inevitably end up with several pounds of filet mignon (I adopt to eat information technology right away rather than stick the extra steaks into the freezer). Only buying a beef tenderloin and slicing it into filet mignon steaks volition save you at least three dollars per pound for option cut meat, and so this is a good option for most people.

I personally get a lot of joy out of purchasing meat from a butcher. I've fifty-fifty establish that many butchers will give y'all a discount if you enquire for it. Not every butcher will, but you tin can always ask, "Hey, can you requite me a special on Filet Mignon steaks today?" Oft, they will slice you off some smashing steaks and mark the price down quite a bit, just but if you ask.

I generally stay away from ownership filet mignon from places that ship frozen steaks to your house (like Omaha Steaks). While many of them offer cost discounts for prime cuts of beef and have special containers that keep the meat frozen for long periods of fourth dimension, I find frozen meat inconvenient to eat. Thawing takes time and planning, and I tend to lose steaks in the freezer for long periods of time and so detect them too sometime to eat later on.

I recommend purchasing the day of or the day earlier you intend to swallow. It'south also a skilful idea to only buy enough filet mignon to feed the number of people you desire to serve. Plan for about 8 ounces per person. This is a salubrious-sized serving that may result in some leftovers for the next day.

Filet Mignon with Truffle Table salt Recipe

Cook it until 125 degrees and then let it rest.

Cook information technology until 125 degrees so allow information technology rest.

Simple Recipe for Filet Mignon

For Christmas Eve dinner, my family wanted a tasty but piece of cake-to-prepare meal. We decided to barbecue a whole filet mignon roast (beefiness tenderloin). Here's the recipe we used.

Filet Mignon Recipe Instructions

Lightly drizzle the meat with vegetable or olive oil.
Sprinkle with Truffle Table salt or fibroid common salt (a medium amount).
Sear the meat over high heat on all sides for near two minutes per side.
Lower the temperature to medium or medium-high estrus to become the grill to 375 degrees.
Insert the meat thermometer into the filet mignon and cook to 125 degrees.
Permit residue for 10 minutes, slice and serve.
Optionally, serve horseradish on the side.

It was a striking! This recipe is unbelievably easy to do and the truffle salt gives information technology an exceptional and unique flavor. My family unit loved information technology.

What is the best cut of beef?

Questions & Answers

Question: Is it wise to purchase a tenderloin now and freeze it for three weeks to brand Beef Wellington?

Answer: A beef tenderloin can exist frozen for three weeks. The key is to fully de-thaw the meat before cooking. I commonly do this on the counter for 12 hours and so in the fridge for a day. The meat will be great for any type of dish or grilling.

Question: Why was Costco 'Prime trimmed' tenderloin $3.00 more per pound than their 'choices trimmed' filet mignon? Shocking to see both were nicely trimmed, but three.00 more per pound?

Answer: So, Prime is more expensive, but in my opinion, choice is a improve value. Just make sure your comparing trimmed to trimmed and untrimmed to untrimmed.

Question: How do I grill a very rare beef tenderloin?

Respond: The best manner to grill extremely rare beef tenderloin is to grill information technology indirectly at a low heat (250 degrees). This volition slowly enhance the temperature. For encarmine rare, still mooing beef, pull information technology at 110 degrees. Use an internal meat thermometer. Let it rest ten minutes and then slice and serve. Notation, this volition be very, very rare.

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Source: https://delishably.com/meat-dishes/Filet-Mignon-Beef