Beef tenderloin

Beef tenderloin is a highly prized cut of meat from the loin of a cow.

It is famous for being exceptionally soft and easy to eat. Because of this texture, it is the ideal choice for dishes requiring very tender meat. One famous example of such a dish is steak tartare. Different cultures around the world use many unique names for this specific cut. In the United States, it is called beef tenderloin. People in the United Kingdom and South Africa call it fillet. In France, the name is simply filet.

In Italy, it is known as filetto. Swedes use the term oxfilé. In Brazil, it is called filet mignon. Finally, people in Australasia refer to it as an eye fillet.

To understand where this meat comes from, we must look at the anatomy of the animal. The tenderloin is actually the psoas major muscle. This muscle is located ventral to the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae. In simpler terms, it sits near the kidneys and the backbone. The muscle is positioned beneath the ribs of the cow. Because the psoas major does very little physical work, it remains extremely tender. This lack of activity is what creates the soft texture people value.

The shape of the tenderloin is long and oblong. It spans across two different primal cuts of beef. One part of the muscle belongs to the short loin. In Commonwealth countries, this is called the sirloin. The other part of the muscle belongs to the sirloin primal cut. In those same countries, this second part is called the rump. This means the tenderloin acts as a bridge between these two sections of the animal. Its position along the spine makes it a very distinct part of the loin.

When butchers prepare the meat, they sell it in three specific ways. The first way is "unpeeled." This means the fat and the silver skin remain on the meat. The second way is "peeled." In this version, the fat is removed, but the silver skin stays. The third way is known as PSMOs, or "pismos." This stands for "peeled, side muscle on." The side muscle is also referred to as the chain. Choosing between these depends on how much preparation the cook wants to do.

A whole tenderloin is divided into three main sections: the butt, the center cut, and the tail. Each section has a different shape and size. The tail is the smallest part of the muscle. It starts just past the ribs and is quite pointed. As it moves toward the other end, it grows thicker. The butt end is the opposite side and is much larger. The center cut sits in the middle of the two ends.

These different sections are used for very different culinary purposes. The butt end is often used for carpaccio. This is because the "eye" of the muscle can be quite large there. If you tried to cut the butt into equal steaks, they would be very thin. The center cut is much more consistent in diameter. This makes it perfect for portion-controlled steaks. Chefs use the center to make traditional filet mignon or tenderloin steaks. They also use this section for Chateaubriand and Beef Wellington.

The tail section is handled differently because its size is inconsistent. It is generally not suitable for making standard steaks. Instead, it is used for small rounds called Tournedos. These rounds are often too small to be served as an individual entree. Because they are small, they are often plated as a pair. Cooks frequently cook them with bacon or lard to add richness. The tail is also useful for any recipe that requires small pieces of very tender meat.