What Is a Fillet of Beef

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 Almost Tender Cut of Beef

Beef filet mignon, with its rich marbling of fat, is the about tender cutting of beef there is, and information technology'southward also my personal favorite.

Many steak aficionados will try to tell yous that prime number rib, rib-center steaks, or strip steaks offering more season, which, they say, makes them ameliorate than the more tender filet mignon. Others prefer lean cuts of meat for grilling, like flank steak, to get the protein without the fat. Others prefer a porterhouse steak or t-bone because they have a small filet and a strip steak in a single cut. Merely I still prefer the tenderness of the beef filet. To me, information technology is truly the Male monarch 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 cow and is taken from a musculus that gets very little practice. That lack of movement keeps the muscle tender as the cow matures to the ideal age of xviii months to two years sometime.

A beef tenderloin is large, usually weighing around 4–six pounds, and has two parts. The true filet mignon comes from the small round strip that is fastened to the unabridged tenderloin. In American butcher shops, a filet mignon steak is cut into almost 2-inch steaks from the entire tenderloin. Simply if you see filet mignon medallions on a menu, they are typically cut from the extra tender small round strip. It'due south this minor round strip that the French word "filet mignon" is actually referring to.

The Price of Filet Mignon

Filet mignon in the meat cabinet at supermarket. — Filet mignon in the meat chiffonier at supermarket.

Paul Edmondson

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

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

Beefiness tenderloin is the name of the large cut of beef earlier it is sliced into steak. Once it is cut into steaks, those steaks are known by the French name, "filet mignon." I've seen steaks labeled equally "beef tenderloin" steaks in the market, and they are the same as filet mignon steaks. However, y'all'll never see a whole, uncut beef tenderloin labeled as "filet mignon."

To turn a beefiness tenderloin into filet mignon, all you have to practice is take a very precipitous butcher's knife and slice the beef tenderloin into two-inch steaks beyond the grain of the meat. Once it'south sliced, you have filet mignon.

Trimmed vs. Untrimmed Beef Tenderloin

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

The untrimmed version is a great way to get super loftier-quality beef at prices similar to those of New York steaks and rib-eye steaks. The untrimmed version requires more than preparation since you have to trim information technology yourself. The process of trimming a beef tenderloin is besides known as "peeling." The medallion is removed first by post-obit the seam down the length of the tenderloin with a sharp knife.

Side by side, the fat and silver skin is peeled and sliced off. Long strips of fat movie can be easily pulled off with your hands. Some people like to exit the fat on and to melt it off on the grill, just I adopt to remove information technology. The silverish pare is tougher than the other fat and won't interruption down when cooking, so it's highly recommended to pull it off. It has a "silver" sheen, it's thin, and it runs the length of a big beef tenderloin. Filet mignon (beef tenderloin) has plenty of fatty in the meat already. Trimming information technology off is the way to go!

Grain-fed or grass-fed filet mignon?

The Difference 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. Hither's why.

Benefits of grass-fed beefiness

Grass-fed beef is more expensive to produce and costs $5–10 more than per pound
It is promoted as a more humane way of raising beef and more sustainable manner to farm
Grass-fed beef has 1/3 to 1/2 as much fat as grain-fed beef
Grass-fed beef has a higher percentage of beta carotene that converts to vitamin A (10% of daily allowance in 3.5 ounces)
Grass-fed beef has three times the corporeality of vitamin Eastward as grain-fed
Grass-fed beef has a 60% college composition of omega-3 fats than grain-fed
Grass-fed beefiness has higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which contributes to health benefits of beef

With all those great benefits of grass-fed beef, how does it taste? Well, my experience with grass-fed filet mignon beef is that it has more than 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 sixty to 100 days has a lot less fat 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	8 ounces	ten ounces	12 ounces
232 calories in 4 ounces of filet mignon	348 calories in 6 ounces of filet mignon	464 calories in a 8 ounces of filet mignon	580 calories in 10 ounces of filet mignon	696 calories in 12 ounces of filet mignon

What'due south the Difference Between Choice or Prime Cuts of Filet Mignon?

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

Here is the full list of meat grades

Prime Cut: About iii% of all beef is graded prime. Prime number is the highest and all-time rating for beefiness and contains the almost marbling. It'due south also the most expensive in the marketplace and is usually only bachelor in high-end grocery stores and butchers or at fancy restaurants.
Option Cut: A petty over 50% of all beef is considered the choice. This is what Costco sells. Information technology's very high quality and the cut of beef I personally recommend.
Select
Standard
Commercial
Utility
Cutter
Canner

The higher the marbling of the beef ("marbling" refers to the fat white strips running vertically through the beef), the college the rating. When information technology comes to filet mignon, I find that the choice cutting of beef tenderloin is an fantabulous selection. While prime cuts are technically improve, there is little extra value in spending the additional money to get a prime filet mignon steak, in my stance.

Whole Trimmed Beef Tenderloin - Large and Small — Whole Trimmed Beefiness Tenderloin - Big and Modest

Paul Edmondson

How to Grill Filet Mignon

For more than detailed instructions, run into my full 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 best. My filet mignon recipe is super unproblematic. Start past taking the filet mignon out of the refrigerator and let the internal temperature of the meat come to room temperature. Filet mignon that is grilled at room temperature will melt more evenly. I commonly have it out of the fridge 30 minutes to an hr before I want to grill it.

A few of my favorite preparations include:

Garlic salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Pad of butter on each steak
Wrap each filet with ane piece of bacon and insert a toothpick to agree bacon in identify (for bacon-wrapped filet mignon)

The secret to cooking the all-time filet mignon recipe always is removing the filet mignon from the grill at exactly the right temperature. The USDA temperature for medium-rare is 140 degrees, just if you wait to pull your filet from the grill when the meat hits 140, information technology will go on to cook fifty-fifty after it has been removed from the estrus. You lot'll stop up with way overcooked steak.

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

To serve filet mignon at a medium temperature of 160 degrees as recommended by the USDA, you lot need to pull the filet mignon from the grill at 130 degrees. If y'all want it a little more pinkish, pull it at 125 degrees and let it represent ten minutes. I hate to repeat myself too much, simply perfectly cooked filet mignon actually is all almost getting the temperature correct. You lot tin can always add more than salt and pepper to gustation, but if you lot overcook the meat, you can't set information technology. It's worth investing in a bang-up instant-read thermometer for barbecuing premium meats similar filet mignons.

I besides grill the entire beef tenderloin and slice information technology into filet mignon steaks after I pull it from the grill. I usually first with a whole beef tenderloin from Costco. I liberally utilize garlic salt and pepper the entire beef tenderloin and then lightly spray information technology with PAM to concord the seasoning on and to forbid the beefiness from sticking to my grill. When y'all're ready to grill, heat your barbecue to 500+ degrees and sear the meat for nearly three minutes per side. While the outside is searing, take your digital remote meat thermometer and set up it to 120 degrees.

Next, place the entire beef tenderloin to the side of the grill to cook the meat with indirect estrus. Place the meat thermometer in the thickest part of the beef. Be sure you insert the tip of the thermometer very slowly while carefully watching the temperature as yous go. Continue to insert the thermometer until the temperature starts to decrease once more. This way you know when you lot have the thermometer in just the right spot for an authentic reading of how well the meat is cooked.

Shut the chapeau on your grill and bring the temperature down to virtually 300 degrees. To cook an entire beefiness tenderloin, information technology usually takes nigh 30 minutes (so 10 minutes to rest). Finally, slice the tenderloin into filet mignon steaks. I utilize a serrated electric etching knife.

Cooking a Whole Beef Tenderloin

A beefiness tenderloin doesn't need to exist sliced into steaks earlier cooking. It tin can be cooked whole. The key is to tie the meat up tightly so that its thickness is consistent.

The best way to tie it up:

Start with cooking string at one end and necktie a tight double knot.
With the help of some other person, wrap the string in a spiral effectually the meat to the other end. The spiral loops should be spaced 1 to two inches apart.
Necktie the other end off with another double knot.

By using this technique, yous can be certain that your meat will cook more evenly. I highly recommend it 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). — Beef tenderloin before it is sliced into filet mignon steaks (5-lb whole beef tenderloin from Costco that toll nearly $70).

Paul Edmondson

Where to Purchase Filet Mignon

I haven't found a better deal for buying beefiness tenderloin to slice into filet mignon steaks than the prices at Costco. The only downside is you inevitably end up with several pounds of filet mignon (I prefer to eat it right away rather than stick the extra steaks into the freezer). But buying a beefiness tenderloin and slicing information technology into filet mignon steaks will save y'all at least three dollars per pound for choice cut meat, and so this is a good option for almost people.

I personally get a lot of joy out of purchasing meat from a butcher. I've even establish that many butchers will give y'all a discount if y'all ask for information technology. Non every butcher volition, merely yous can always enquire, "Hey, tin you give me a special on Filet Mignon steaks today?" Ofttimes, they volition piece you off some great steaks and mark the price down quite a bit, simply merely if you inquire.

I generally stay away from ownership filet mignon from places that ship frozen steaks to your house (like Omaha Steaks). While many of them offering toll discounts for prime cuts of beef and have special containers that keep the meat frozen for long periods of time, I find frozen meat inconvenient to swallow. Thawing takes time and planning, and I tend to lose steaks in the freezer for long periods of time and so find them besides onetime to swallow later.

I recommend purchasing the twenty-four hour period of or the day before you intend to eat. It's also a good idea to only buy plenty filet mignon to feed the number of people yous desire to serve. Program for virtually eight ounces per person. This is a salubrious-sized serving that may outcome in some leftovers for the adjacent mean solar day.

Filet Mignon with Truffle Common salt Recipe

Cook it until 125 degrees and then let it rest.

Cook it until 125 degrees and and then allow it rest.

Elementary Recipe for Filet Mignon

For Christmas Eve dinner, my family wanted a tasty but easy-to-prepare repast. We decided to charcoal-broil a whole filet mignon roast (beef tenderloin). Here's the recipe we used.

Filet Mignon Recipe Instructions

Lightly drizzle the meat with vegetable or olive oil.
Sprinkle with Truffle Salt or coarse salt (a medium amount).
Sear the meat over high estrus on all sides for about 2 minutes per side.
Lower the temperature to medium or medium-high rut to get the grill to 375 degrees.
Insert the meat thermometer into the filet mignon and melt to 125 degrees.
Permit rest for ten minutes, slice and serve.
Optionally, serve horseradish on the side.

Information technology was a striking! This recipe is unbelievably piece of cake to practise and the truffle salt gives information technology an exceptional and unique season. My family loved it.

What is the best cut of beefiness?

Questions & Answers

Question: Is information technology wise to buy a tenderloin now and freeze information technology for three weeks to make Beef Wellington?

Answer: A beefiness tenderloin tin be frozen for three weeks. The key is to fully de-thaw the meat before cooking. I usually do this on the counter for 12 hours and so in the refrigerator for a day. The meat will be great for any blazon 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 3.00 more per pound?

Answer: So, Prime is more expensive, simply in my stance, choice is a ameliorate value. Just make sure your comparing trimmed to trimmed and untrimmed to untrimmed.

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

Answer: The best mode to grill extremely rare beefiness tenderloin is to grill it indirectly at a low heat (250 degrees). This will slowly enhance the temperature. For encarmine rare, still mooing beefiness, pull it at 110 degrees. Apply an internal meat thermometer. Let it rest ten minutes and so piece and serve. Note, this will be very, very rare.

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