Beef Beliefs No.2
At Perini Ranch Steakhouse, we talk tenderloin often — but we also get plenty of questions about the cut and what all those terms really mean. So we’ve put together a simple, easy-to-digest guide to all things tender — from the loin to the trimmings, and everything in between.
In the United States, the long, cone-shaped muscle known as the tenderloin is prized for its leanness and tenderness. Because it’s an unused muscle with little functional purpose in the animal, it remains exceptionally tender. Roasting and serving a whole tenderloin makes for a beautiful presentation and is often associated with holidays and special celebrations.
As you may know, our Mesquite Smoked Peppered Beef Tenderloins are always cooked to a perfect medium rare. We do this because the tenderloin is so lean that cooking it further can result in dryness. Additionally, this cut reaches its optimal flavor when cooked to medium rare.
A filet is a center-cut steak from the beef tenderloin. Think about the shape of a filet—its leanness and tenderness—and it all makes sense. It’s a very elegant steak and relatively easy to prepare.
At the Steakhouse, we often serve a very unusual cut called a Bone-In Filet. Remember, a T-bone steak includes a strip on one side and a filet on the other. So, if you cut the steak with the bone attached to the filet side, you get this really delicious steak called a Bone-In Filet. (We’re not usually filet people, but this steak is incredible.)
You’ll also hear the terms filet mignon, chateaubriand, and tournedos—all sound fancy, and all are traditional methods of cutting or preparing a beef tenderloin. "Mignon" implies small, so it typically refers to the narrower ends rather than the center cuts. Chateaubriand refers to the larger end of the filet, hence its shape. Tournedos is a French term and is often served with an artichoke heart and sauce.
Lots of folks love a filet because it’s lean and cuts like butter. But without as much marbled fat as a ribeye, filet doesn’t have quite as much flavor on its own, which is why it is often served with a béarnaise sauce. We prefer to top each one with a generous slice of blue cheese butter. At the Steakhouse, we cut 8-ounce sections from the middle of the tenderloin for each diner.
Insider Tip: Because anything cut from the tenderloin is very lean, this is a nice place to introduce fats for flavor – compound butters, béarnaise sauce, etc., are great pairings with these cuts.
And, with our tenderloin, of course, it’s perfectly trimmed so every bite is the same. With these tenderloin trimmings, we’ve developed the Beef Sticks, a delicious, lean, healthy, high protein snack made from beef tenderloin. Each pack includes four premium sticks, and for those who can’t get enough, our six-pack bundle is the way to go.
