Filet Mignon - are there different types?

[Nicholas Mosher]

I'm one of the people that prefer well marbled boneless ribeye - but if the ribeye is poor with lots of thick fat bands I'll do tenderloin.

Cryovac'd pairs of butt-ends are what my local markets sell as well. I'll cut chateaubriand roasts, and then get a few good steaks from the ends. The steaks I usually save for myself - really good lunches.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I'm a huge fan of the bone-in rib eye as it is more flavorful than is the tenderloin. But in either cut, look for gat marbling as this will enhance both the texture and flavor of the meat. It also make the meat more tender.

If you're looking for flavor, ask for the rib-steaks closest to the chuck as they get a little more exercise, and hence have more flavor than those that run further from the chuck (shoulder). Suprizingly, the second most tender cut on the carcass isn't the rib-eye, but rather the petite steak, cut from the chuck. It is recognized by its small size, good marbling, and a thin line of gristle that runs through the center from end-to end. It is very flavorful and tender, but small in size, typically, no larger than a 1/4 pound or less. And, best of all, it's a cheap steak because few people know what it is. But I still love the bone-in rib steaks above all others.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North