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what are the parts of a beef tenderloin

by Neal Swaniawski Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

Beef tenderloin is a prime cut of beef divided into filet mignon, chateaubriand

Chateaubriand steak

Chateaubriand steak is a meat dish cooked with a thick cut from the tenderloin filet. In contemporary times, chateaubriand cuts of beef refer to "a large steak cut from the thickest part of a fillet of beef".

, tail, muscle on roast, and chains. While the entire meat portion is tender, filet mignon is especially tender despite being a lean cut of beef. Filet mignon is only 17% fat compared to the 25% found in 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.May 9, 2019

Full Answer

What vegetables go well with beef tenderloin?

What vegetables go well with beef tenderloin? Potatoes go well with beef tenderloin and can be prepared in so many ways. Mashed or whipped potatoes flavored with a few cloves of roasted garlic highlight the richness of the beef.

Where to buy a good beef tenderloin?

The Top 8%

  • Only the top 8% of USDA beef
  • Prime and high-Choice grades
  • Pasture raised in the Midwest
  • Grass-fed and grain finished
  • Aged 28 days & cut-to-order

What is a good recipe for a beef tenderloin?

  • Preheat grill to 450 degrees
  • For best results, allow the whole beef tenderloin to come to room temperature (but not a must, if you don’t have the time) before you cook tenderloin.
  • Rub all sides of the beef tenderloin with the spice rub recipe that I shared above.
  • Sear the tenderloin over that direct, high temperature on the grill for 15 minutes. ...

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What beef cut is the equivalent to Tenderloin?

  • Prime Rib with Mustard and Herb Butter A “genius” boneless rib roast rubbed with seasoned brown butter
  • Salt and Pepper Roast Beef with Bearnaise Sauce A whole top loin roast served with a classic sauce
  • Roast Beef Stuffed With Quinoa, Spinach, Cranberries A butterflied, stuffed and rolled roast using a top sirloin roast or sirloin tip roast

What are the 4 cuts of tenderloin?

Different Cuts of Beef TenderloinTenderloin Roast. The whole uncut beef tenderloin is called the tenderloin roast. ... Chateaubriand. ... Filet Mignon. ... Porterhouse and T-Bone Steaks.

What is best part of beef tenderloin?

The Filet Head - This piece is great for a roast, medallions of filet mignon or making brochettes. The Center Cut - this is where the best steaks come from. The tenderloin tail - a tapered side of the tenderloin great for brochettes.

What are the parts of a beef tenderloin called?

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 part of the beef tenderloin is the filet mignon?

Filet mignon is a tender cut of beef from the narrow front part of the tenderloin, near the short loin. It's a very lean cut, with hardly any marbling or connective tissue.

What's the difference between filet mignon and tenderloin?

The Cut of Beef: The tenderloin can be seen as the whole piece of meat while the filet mignon is the portion that tapers down to a point at the end of the tenderloin. The tenderloin can be bought as a whole piece while the filet mignon is pieces cut in rounds from the tenderloin.

Is prime rib and beef tenderloin the same?

Prime Ribs Are Cut From The Rib Section of Beef, While Beef Tenderloin is Cut from the Loin. Beef tenderloin and prime rib are not one in the same. They come from distinctly different places in the cow. The prime rib comes from the rib section and the beef tenderloin comes from the loin of the cow.

Are backstrap and tenderloin the same?

For the record, backstrap refers to a length of loin on the back of a deer, elk, moose, etc. It's the ribeye in beef and loin in pork. Tenderloins are the two strips of very tender meat under the loin, behind the ribs. This is filet mignon in beef.

How much does a 4 lb beef tenderloin cost?

A peeled tenderloin is more expensive than an unpeeled tenderloin. Depending on where you purchase it, you can expect to pay $8 per pound or more. Wholesale clubs generally have the lowest per-pound price, while upscale food boutiques may charge $25 or more a pound.

Can you cut a beef tenderloin roast into steaks?

Filet Mignon are cut from the beef tenderloin, which is why they're sometimes called tenderloin steaks. The entire tenderloin roast is a large cut that's extremely versatile. It can be cooked whole for a spectacular dinner, but it can also be cut into a whole pile of amazing steaks.

Is beef loin the same as beef tenderloin?

The loin yields the most tender and expensive cuts of beef--but not the most flavorful. The choicest portion is the tenderloin, which is exquisitely tender and lean. The top loin and sirloin aren't as tender, but they're a bit more flavorful. Cuts from the loin require very little work to taste great.

What is the difference between beef tenderloin and Chateaubriand?

The chateaubriand is cut from the tenderloin, which is part of the loin primal. This is the same sub-primal as the filet mignon, the origin of the most tender steak cut. This highly-prized cut of beef only represents 2-3% of the total animal.

Is tenderloin the same as eye fillet?

Eye fillet Also known as fillet or tenderloin steak. As it comes from an area of the animal where the muscles don't do much work, the meat is tender. It comes from the hindquarter of the animal and is the strip of muscle tucked in against the backbone.

Tenderloin Roast

The whole uncut beef tenderloin is called the tenderloin roast. As the name implies, roasting is the preferred cooking method for the entire tenderloin.

Chateaubriand

There is an ongoing debate in the culinary world about what exactly the Chateaubriand cut is or whether it is properly a cut of beef or simply the namesake recipe.

Filet Mignon

Perhaps the most familiar cut of the beef tenderloin is the thick, single-portion steak called the filet mignon. French butchers are more specific than their American counterparts about the section of the tenderloin from which filet mignons are cut.

Porterhouse and T-Bone Steaks

Technically speaking, Porterhouse and T-bone steaks are not cuts of the beef tenderloin although each type of steak does include a portion of tenderloin along one side of the steak. Both types of steak are cut from beef short loin where the top loin and the tenderloin meet.

What Is Beef Tenderloin?

The beef tenderloin is an oblong muscle called the psoas major, which extends along the rear portion of the spine, directly behind the kidney, from about the hip bone to the thirteenth rib. It doesn't get much exercise, which is why the meat is so tender.

How to Cook Beef Tenderloin

Cook a tenderloin quickly over high heat (like on the grill) so that the exterior becomes nicely browned while leaving the interior juicy and medium-rare. You can also sear it in a smoking hot skillet on the stovetop, then finish it in a 450 F oven.

What Does Beef Tenderloin Taste Like?

The tenderloin is a lean cut with comparatively little intramuscular fat, known in culinary terms as marbling. And marbling happens to be one of the major factors in making a cut of beef moist and flavorful.

Varieties

The tenderloin is the key to the entire beef short loin. Before butchering each side of beef, a decision has to be made about whether to leave the tenderloin in or remove it. If the tenderloin is removed, as it often is, the short loin can be cut into boneless top loin steaks, also known as strip steaks.

Cooking With Beef Tenderloin

You can cook a whole beef tenderloin or enjoy it cut into a smaller roast or as steaks. However, you decide to prepare it, though, keep in mind that it generally tastes best at medium rare. Without a lot of interior fat, the meat turns dry and tough if it gets overcooked.

Where to Buy Beef Tenderloin

You can buy beef tenderloin at the meat counter in most grocery stores or at specialty butcher shops. A tenderloin generally weighs between 4 and 7 pounds and serves about four people per pound. You can purchase filet mignon, T-bone, or porterhouse steaks either individually or in packages.

Storing Beef Tenderloin

Store beef tenderloin in the store packaging in your refrigerator for up to three days. In vacuum-sealed packaging, it can last for about three weeks in the refrigerator and up to six months in the freezer. Thaw beef tenderloin overnight in the refrigerator or submerged in cold water.

What is Beef Tenderloin?

Beef tenderloin is the muscle that sits between the short loin and sirloin primal cuts, and can be enjoyed whole or cut down into smaller steaks. It’s long and round in shape and weighs between four to six pounds in an adult cow.

What Part of the Cow Is Beef Tenderloin?

Beef tenderloin is located near the cow’s back, between the sirloin and top sirloin. It ends where the sirloin ends and goes lengthwise through the sirloin into the short loin. Tenderloin is easy to distinguish because, compared to sirloin, it has high fat content and richer marbling.

Beef Tenderloin vs Filet Mignon

While all filet mignon comes from beef tenderloin, not all of the tenderloin is filet mignon. Beef tenderloin is a prime cut of beef divided into filet mignon, chateaubriand, tail, muscle on roast, and chains. While the entire meat portion is tender, filet mignon is especially tender despite being a lean cut of beef.

Buying Advice

It is important to account for two factors when buying beef tenderloin. The first factor is the number of people for whom you will be cooking. As a rule of thumb, buy about half-pound beef tenderloin per person. Beef shrinks as it cooks, but this rule accounts for shrinkage.

Meat Prep

The excess fat and the silver skin around the raw beef tenderloin can be easily removed with the help of a thin, sharp knife. You will also need to cut the chains and muscles on the roast portion during this process.

Tenderloin Substitutes

Beef tenderloin is the most flavorsome cut of beef and is difficult to substitute. However, rib-eye comes close despite being higher in fat content. The higher fat content in rib-eye will make you tweak the recipe a little. However, most cooks and food enthusiasts prefer pork tenderloin when beef tenderloin is unavailable.

How to Smoke Beef Tenderloin

Beef tenderloin is best barbecue smoked whole because it allows the rich fat content to slowly render and tenderize the meat over a long period of time.

BEEF TENDERLOIN

I like to ask people about their favorite cut of beef, whether it’s a steak or whole roasted. I’m never surprised to hear that prime cuts like ribeye, prime rib, beef tenderloin, or filet mignon are among the most loved. Tenderloin and tenderloin steaks are my personal favorite and that’s is because of the tenderness.

WHY BUY A WHOLE TENDERLOIN

Wondering why bother trimming your own? Well, one reason for breaking down my own beef tenderloin is because I like to be in control on the cut of meat. Whether I want to roast a whole beef tenderloin or break it down to steaks, I will decide how it’s cleaned and how it’s cut.

ANATOMY OF THE WHOLE TENDERLOIN

If you have to clean the tenderloin yourself, don’t be scared. All you need is a sharp boning knife (I also like to use a sharp short knife) and a large cutting board.

CLEANING AND TRIMMING BEEF TENDERLOIN

It will be quite easy to spot and very easy to remove. You can actually remove it with your hands and may need just a few assist cuts along the way. Just follow it along, separating it from the tenderloin.

WHAT TO DO WITH BEEF TENDERLOIN SCRAPS

When preparing the whole tenderloin, the only thing you will have leftover is the chain. It is quite a fatty piece but there is still a lot of meat on it. Use this piece when preparing homemade beef stock, in soups, or mix it with some stew meat and use it in beef stew.

RECIPES USING BEEF TENDERLOIN

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

What Are the Primal Cuts of Beef?

At some point, anyone who cooks beef is curious about where the major cuts come from on the cow. This handy guide will show you the location of major beef cuts, like chuck, rib, loin, and brisket. You'll also discover which cuts are considered the best and the most reliable ways to cook each one.

The Basics of Beef Cuts

Beef is divided into large sections called primal cuts, which you can see in our beef cuts chart. These primal beef cuts, or "primals," are then broken down further into subprimals, or "food-service cuts." These are then sliced and chopped into individual steaks, roasts, and other retail cuts.

Forequarter Cuts: Beef Chuck

Beef chuck comes from the forequarter. Consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade, and upper arm, beef chuck produces tough but very flavorful cuts of meat.

Forequarter Cuts: Beef Rib

Made from the top part of the center section of rib—specifically the sixth through the twelfth ribs— the beef rib primal cut is used for the traditional standing rib roast (also called prime rib). It's also the source of the delectable ribeye steak as well as the classic French entrecôte .

Forequarter Cuts: Beef Plate

Also called the short plate (or "long plate" depending on where it's separated from the rib primal above it), the beef plate primal includes the short ribs. It is also where the skirt steak is located, which is used in carne asada.

Forequarter Cuts: Beef Brisket

Beef brisket is one of the most flavorful cuts of meat, although it is tough and needs to be cooked in just the right way. It's also a moderately fatty cut of beef, but this can work to your advantage because it tenderizes into succulent, meaty perfection.

Forequarter Cuts: Beef Shank

The beef shank is the leg of the animal's thigh. Each side of beef has two shanks, one in the forequarter and one in the hindquarter. It is extremely tough and full of connective tissue.

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Structure

As with all quadrupeds, the tenderloin refers to the psoas major muscle ventral to the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae, near the kidneys.
The tenderloin is an oblong shape spanning two primal cuts: the short loin (called the sirloin in Commonwealth countries) and the sirloin (called the rump in Commonwealth countries). The tenderloin sits beneath the ribs, next to the ba…

Variations

Preparation

Characteristics

Production

  • The beef tenderloin is an oblong muscle called the psoas major, which extends along the rear portion of the spine, directly behind the kidney, from about the hip bone to the thirteenth rib. It doesn't get much exercise, which is why the meat is so tender. It's encased in a thick layer of crumbly fat known as kidney fat or suet, which can be used in...
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Composition

  • A smaller, very skinny muscle called the psoas minor, commonly referred to as the chain, runs the length of the tenderloin and is often (but not always) removed before the tenderloin makes it to the meat case. At the other end there's another muscle, the iliacus, sometimes called the side muscle or wing muscle.
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