Tenderloin vs Filet Mignon?

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I just find it interesting that Costco has found a market for what is essentially the same cut of meat, and is able to command different prices for each. Like you, I think of Chateaubriand as a large cut of tender and roast it rather than grill or broil. On very rare occasions I am able to procure foie gras trimmings and Oregon truffles at the same time. I stuff the tender with a pate, partly roast, and wrap with Phyllo or puff pastry. My version of Wellington. Very elegant, but the stars must be right, and even then it is not cheap.
 
I just find it interesting that Costco has found a market for what is essentially the same cut of meat, and is able to command different prices for each. Like you, I think of Chateaubriand as a large cut of tender and roast it rather than grill or broil. On very rare occasions I am able to procure foie gras trimmings and Oregon truffles at the same time. I stuff the tender with a pate, partly roast, and wrap with Phyllo or puff pastry. My version of Wellington. Very elegant, but the stars must be right, and even then it is not cheap.
That's a good start! :)

I don't consider tenderloin or filet mignon to be among the most tasty cuts. They are almost certainly the most tinder cuts. The cooking challenge is to take these exceptionally tinder meats and cook in them in a way that preserves their tenderness and yet imbues them with flavor. That is why filet mignon is so often served with various sauces perhpas Bernaise or Bordelaise. And that's why Wellington is popular, also noting that your Wellington can be served with a sauce over, any of them.

Myself, I prefer rib eye when cooking plain steaks no sauce, because of the marbling, which is not present to any significant degree with filet mignon or tenderloins. Nor do I like the larger cuts because I want my steaks thick, not big, and most cuts would serve a small army if they're cut perhaps 2" thick. That's one thing going for filet mignon and other tenderloin cuts, that the overall size of the muscle is small so you can serve a very thick cut and still keep it within a reasonable serving size (perhaps 6-8-10 oz.).

Yeah I've ate a pound of beef before, probably more on occasions. I've sometimes cooked prime rib and served 24 oz. portions, but that was the old days when I was young and stupid and really liked lots of beef! :)

I think 6-8 oz. is a pretty reasonable serving size considering modern sensibilities. Wellington is a good way to dress up smaller serving sizes..
 
That's a good start! :)

I don't consider tenderloin or filet mignon to be among the most tasty cuts. They are almost certainly the most tinder cuts. The cooking challenge is to take these exceptionally tinder meats and cook in them in a way that preserves their tenderness and yet imbues them with flavor. That is why filet mignon is so often served with various sauces perhpas Bernaise or Bordelaise. And that's why Wellington is popular, also noting that your Wellington can be served with a sauce over, any of them.

Myself, I prefer rib eye when cooking plain steaks no sauce, because of the marbling, which is not present to any significant degree with filet mignon or tenderloins. Nor do I like the larger cuts because I want my steaks thick, not big, and most cuts would serve a small army if they're cut perhaps 2" thick. That's one thing going for filet mignon and other tenderloin cuts, that the overall size of the muscle is small so you can serve a very thick cut and still keep it within a reasonable serving size (perhaps 6-8-10 oz.).

Yeah I've ate a pound of beef before, probably more on occasions. I've sometimes cooked prime rib and served 24 oz. portions, but that was the old days when I was young and stupid and really liked lots of beef! :)

I think 6-8 oz. is a pretty reasonable serving size considering modern sensibilities. Wellington is a good way to dress up smaller serving sizes..
I agree. That is why it works so well with Wellington. The flavor is in the pate and sauce. I like Hollandaise. I serve with new herbed potatoes and sauteed wild mushrooms.
 
Thanks Jim. I was trying to think of Hollandaise when I was composing my post. I had some sort of mental block remembering that.

I just finished reading Ratio which had quite a lot to say about sauces. It was a library copy but I hope to buy my own copy soon and make a bunch of the sauces the author commented upon. I've made some of them but I think I'll do a lot better next time with benefit of the author's advice.

In fact AFAIK you can't make Wellington without some kind of sauce over it. Does not work plain.
 
my two favourite steaks are Tbone & ribeye.used to be able to get Tbones everywhere but butchers/restaurants etc were banned from selling beef on the bone for a while when we got mad cow disease over here.something to do with the saws transferring the virus to the meat when it was butchered.been available again over here for a while now but limited number of places sell them & they charge an arm & a leg.
imo meat,fish,seafood etc tastes better cooked on the bone or in it's shell.trouble is i think the average brit likes their food easy & don't know how to handle bones etc.you can see that in the "marked down" bays in the supermarket.there's always a lot of meat on the bone,whole fish & shell on seafood that hasn't sold that day,that's been reduced in price to shift it...but i ain't complaining;)!!
 
Cooking meat/poultry/fish bone-in always tastes better than fillets. They say the meat is sweetest near the bone. If you take away the bone it won't be the sweetest anymore.

Best way to not get yer cows mad is to not grind up other mad cows and put it in the feed.
 
greg, gordon ramsay considers beef wellington one of the most technically difficult things to cook. i've seen him say as much on several cooking shows.

i've never even attempted it because i'm pretty sure it would suck if i tried, and it's a pricey mistake.
I have done it on many occasions when I worked in finer dining establishements. The trick is to have a pretty big piece of meat to start with to prevent over cooking. Just a quick sear on very high heat. We used to let them sit and cool off again before wrapping them.
 
I've found that to be a problem since I rarely cook for more than two, and hardly ever cook for more than four. It's a challenge to do a Wellington on a small piece of meat.

I've succeeded at prime rib for two, although everybody has to be satisfied with end pieces. :)
 
I guess I'm in the minority--I love filet mignon. A 22-oz steak is more than FIVE recommended portions. Talk about super-sizing...
 
I've found that to be a problem since I rarely cook for more than two, and hardly ever cook for more than four. It's a challenge to do a Wellington on a small piece of meat.

I've succeeded at prime rib for two, although everybody has to be satisfied with end pieces. :)
Sometimes I cook more than we need so I will make plans for the leftovers. Nothing like cold steak on a salad. mmmm
 
Cooking meat/poultry/fish bone-in always tastes better than fillets. They say the meat is sweetest near the bone. If you take away the bone it won't be the sweetest anymore.

Best way to not get yer cows mad is to not grind up other mad cows and put it in the feed.

We had a mad cow scare over here in Canada a few years ago. But all was called off when it was discovered that they were just really peeved off.
hmmmmmmmmm,
 

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I guess I'm in the minority--I love filet mignon. A 22-oz steak is more than FIVE recommended portions. Talk about super-sizing...

Well.. you have company then. :)

I usually go for around 8-9oz on the filet and bounced across the grill.

I find it has a sweetness to it no other rare steak achieves.
 
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Well.. you have company then. :)

I usually for for around 8-9oz on the filet and bounced across the grill.

I find it has a sweetness to it no other rare steak achieves.
+1 I like mine that way as well--almost still walking when it hits the plate--friends tease me that a good vet could resuscitate mine! I have noticed that the filet mignon that I got the last time I got a side of beef wasn't quite as sweet as it used to be when the meat could age 21 days instead of 14 (Ontario law--changed aging time from 21 to 14 days).
 
i know what you mean, frank. it's not just about the tenderness, but also a distinctive taste.

i like a good fil mig (in waitress talk) once in a while, but i guess i'm a pig since i like to buy the whole loin, peel, trim and cut into roughly 12 ounce portions. you don't get too many of those out of a trimmed tenderloin, though.

my family abhors fat, so when we get steak in a restaurant they often order the fil mig, while i suck away on the juicy chunks of fat in a prime rib.
 
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(Ontario law--changed aging time from 21 to 14 days).
Would it help any to age it another 7 days in your refrigerator, or does it have to age as a whole hung side of beef or something?

One of my friends advocates refrigerator aging, and the few times I've tried it I think he might have something there. In any case I always look at the 50% off steaks being sold on their last use-by date. They've tasted good and the price is great.
 
If you buy a whole tenderloin in a cryovac package from the store, it has a long shelf life so you can age it in the fridge for a week or two. Once opened, refrigerator aging is more subject to problems.
 
i know what you mean, frank. it's not just about the tenderness, but also a distinctive taste.

i like a good fil mig (in waitress talk) once in a while, but i guess i'm a pig since i like to buy the whole loin, peel, trim and cut into roughly 12 ounce portions. you don't get too many of those out of a trimmed tenderloin, though.

my family abhors fat, so when we get steak in a restaurant they often order the fil mig, while i suck away on the juicy chunks of fat in a prime rib.

Son #1 and myself will stab you with our fork if you try to touch our fat. Don't even think about it. The best part of a roasted fresh pork shoulder is the thick layer of fat around the outside. Crispy, juicy, so full of flavor. When I make a rib roast. I always ask my butcher for a strip of beef suet to wrap around the roast. He gives it to me for free. The drippings make the best Yorkshire Pudding. :yum::yum:
 

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