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Beef Tenderloin

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Beef Tenderloin at a Glance

Primal:  beef tenderoin is part of the Loin Primal Cut
Meat Buyers Guide variations:  189, 189A, 189B, 190, 190A, 191, 191A, 191B, 192, 192A
Weight Ranges:  1 lb - 7-up, see the Fresh Beef IMPS page for specifics
Best Cooking Methods:   roasting, grilling, broiling
Cut Variations: roasts, steaks

Ryan Adams has done an excellent series on different cuts of beef and has given permission to re-post his content here, with minor modifications for the Professional Chef audience.

I'm going to be one-hundred percent honest with you: I'm not a fan of beef tenderloin in most cases. It's expensive, and flavor-wise there are better cuts of beef. Mario Batali compared the cut to Paris Hilton — it's nothing special, and yet for some reason everyone wants to get a hold of it. However, the folks clamoring for filet mignon are usually after its most notable claim to fame: it's easily the most tender piece of meat you can find on a cow.

Cuts of Beef Series: Beef Tenderloin

The tenderloin is an oblong shape spanning two primal cuts: the short loin and the sirloin. Specifically, the tenderloin sits beneath the ribs, right next to the backbone. The smaller, pointed end of the fillet starts a little past the ribs, growing in thickness until it ends in the sirloin. Because the tenderloin muscle gets little exercise, the meat is extraordinarily tender, with the center section flaunting a texture that when cooked perfectly — to borrow a Bourdain one-liner, from A Cook's Tour — is like "driving a Rolls Royce naked in mink underpants." Yeah, it's that good, and lots of people are willing to pay top dollar for that experience.

When left whole, the tenderloin is also known as the fillet, and many neat little bits can be cut from it. There is a thick, two-to-three inch long steak that can be cut from the larger end of the fillet called the Chateaubriand, which is often used in France or high-end restaurants. The chain — or in France, the bavette — is a long, thin muscle found nestled next to the main muscle and is reminiscent of flank or skirt steak. The bavette is often found rolled up and tied, although I've also seen it cut into steaks.

Now, we come to filet mignon, a boneless meat cut from the small forward end of the tenderloin. The French term "mignon" means small, if you were wondering. Here in America, most butchers erroneously tend to call all tenderloin steaks filets mignon. Naughty, naughty.

While lacking in robust taste, the meat is very versatile: it can be roasted whole, steaks can be sautéed or grilled easily, all with excellent results. Marinades, rubs, and even bacon are often used successfully to enhance the tenderloin's flavor. Thinly sliced and served raw, you have beef carpaccio.

Beef Tenderloin NAMP Variations

There are multiple variations of the tenderloin available for purchase, each basically having more of the trim, fat & silver-skin removed. 

Beef Loin, Tenderloin, Full NAMP 190A & 1190A Steaks

This is how most people know the tenderloin: the main muscle (psoas major) cut up into one inch thick steaks with the silver skin and excess fat removed.  Most fine dining restaurants will serve fillet mignon steaks trimmed this way.

Photographs: NAMP Meat Buyer's Guide

Beef Loin, Tenderloin Steak, Side Muscle off, Defatted NAMP 190 & 1190 Steaks

This variation leaves the silver skin on. I'm trying to figure out why anyone would want to do such a thing, as it would ruin the beautiful texture, but the option is available if you'd like.

Beef Loin, Tenderloin Full NAMP 189 & 1189 Steaks

This is the whole tenderloin, untrimmed.  It consists of the psoas major muscle, the iliacus muscle, and if present, the sartorius muscle.  All of the ragged edges should be trimmed off, and no cuts deeper than half an inch in the muscles are allowed.  Remember, more fat = more flavor, and juicier meat.  The 189 has a lot of fat attached, which is awesome in my book.

 

 

Beef Loin, Tenderloin Steak, Side Muscle on, Defatted NAMP 189A & 1189A Steaks

Still the full tenderloin, but with a majority of the surface fat removed.  This version leaves both the silver skin and some of the fat layer intact.

 

 

Beef Loin, Tenderloin, Butt NAMP 191

The tenderloin can be bisected, and this is the "butt" or thicker end of the cut.  The psoas major muscle, the iliacus muscle, and if present, the sartorius muscle should be exposed.  The flap, or obliquus abdominis internus, should be trimmed level with the surface fat.

 

 

Beef Loin, Tenderloin, Butt, Defatted NAMP 191A

This is the same cut as the one above, but all of the surface fat has been removed.

 

 

Beef Loin, Tenderloin, Butt, Skinned NAMP 191B

And to continue the theme, same cut as above, but this time with the silver skin cut off as well.

 

 

Beef Loin, Tenderloin, Short NAMP 192

This is the opposite end of the halved tenderloin, also called a short tenderloin.

 

What to look for when buying

Look for cuts with a decent amount of marbling, which, while rare in a tenderloin, is worth seeking out. The more fat, the more flavor, and the meat will be more tender when cooked. If you're going for the filet mignon sort of cut, make sure that the steak has been cut in a uniform shape to ensure even cooking. The meat itself should have a bright, cherry-red color with fat speckled throughout the muscle. Check that the muscle is firm to the touch, and that the cryovac doesn't contain excess blood-loss.

  —Nose To Tail At Home

 

How To Cut Beef Tenderloin Steaks

 

Back to Cuts of Beef Index