Beef Tenderloin (Part 2 - Where and Why)

When I was in college and starting out on my personal culinary journey I failed to understand that you couldn't make any roast out of just any cut of meat. Back then, I didn't even understand the concepts of different cuts of meat, let alone how picking the wrong cut would ruin a dish.

Now that I'm older I understand that you can't use chuck roast to make roast beef and that if you use a rump roast to cut into steaks it'll never be like filet mignon. Live and learn.

Here's a chart that explains the different cuts of meat and where they come from, courtesy of askthemeatman.com:


The tenderloin is the meat that hangs between the shoulder blade and the hip socket. Obviously, this area of the four legged mammal doesn't get much work and results in a very tender piece of meat.

The tenderloin tends to be buttery in flavor and almost melt in your mouth tender, though not as robust as a Rib Eye, my personal cut of choice, it's a favorite among chefs and foodies because it lends itself to many dishes that require the best texture and most presentable color in raw state for dishes like beef carpaccio (made from the tenderloin tip) and beef tartar (ground tenderloin).

Here is a sample reciple for beef tartar from Cooks.com:

Steak Tartar

1 lb. filet Mignon or top sirloin, freshly ground, med. grind
2 tbsp. yellow mustard
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
3 tbsp. capers, drained
4-5 dashes hot pepper sauce, or to taste
Seasoned salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tbsp. cognac (opt.)

Don't use any other grade of beef.

Mix together all ingredients lightly to avoid packing the meat too much. Mound steak tartar on chilled plates and serve immediately with thinly sliced pumpernickel or toasted French bread.

Serves 3-4.

Image Courtesy of the wonderful blogger at Restaurantwidow.com.