Filet Mignon from Eddie V's in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Filet mignon (; ; ) is a cut of

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

taken from the smaller end of the tenderloin, or

psoas major The psoas major ( or ; from grc, ψόᾱ, psóā, muscles of the loins) is a long fusiform muscle located in the lateral lumbar region between the vertebral column and the brim of the lesser pelvis. It joins the iliacus muscle to form the ilio ...

of a cow. In French, it mostly refers to cuts of pork tenderloin. The tenderloin runs along both sides of the

spine Spine or spinal may refer to: Science Biology * Vertebral column, also known as the backbone * Dendritic spine, a small membranous protrusion from a neuron's dendrite * Thorns, spines, and prickles, needle-like structures in plants * Spine (zoolo ...

, and is usually butchered as two long snake-shaped cuts of meat. The tenderloin is sometimes sold whole. Filet mignon is usually presented as a round cut taken from the thinner end of a piece of tenderloin. It is often the most tender and lean cut. Filet mignon often has a milder flavour than other cuts of meat and as such is often garnished with a sauce or wrapped with bacon. Due to the small amount of filet mignon able to be

butcher A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat, or participate within any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat and poultry for sale in retail or wholesale food establishm ...

ed from each animal it is generally considered one of the most expensive cuts of beef.

Usage

Europe

In France, the term filet mignon refers to pork. The cut of beef referred to as filet mignon in the United States has various names across the rest of Europe. E.g. filet de bœuf in French, fillet steak in the UK, oxfilé in Swedish, Filetsteak in German, filete in Spanish, filé mignon in Portuguese, filee steik in Estonian, and filetbiff in Norwegian. In the UK, pork medallion is the term used to describe a similar cut from a pig.

North America

Filet mignon refers to cuts from a beef tenderloin in North America. Elsewhere, this cut of beef is called: * Filet de bœuf (French) *Fillet steak (

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

: UK, Ireland, South Africa) * Eye fillet (English: Australia, New Zealand). In the U.S., both the central and large end of the tenderloin are often sold as ''filet mignon'' in supermarkets and restaurants. The French terms for these cuts are '' tournedos'' (the smaller central portion), '' châteaubriand'' (the larger central portion), and ''biftek'' (cut from the large end known as the ''tête de filet'' (lit. "head of filet") in French). Child J (1961). ''

Mastering the Art of French Cooking ''Mastering the Art of French Cooking'' is a two-volume French cookbook written by Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, both from France, and Julia Child, who was from the United States. The book was written for the American market and publishe ...

.'' Porterhouse steaks and

T-bone The T-bone and porterhouse are steaks of beef cut from the short loin (called the sirloin in Commonwealth countries and Ireland). Both steaks include a "T"-shaped lumbar vertebra with sections of abdominal internal oblique muscle on each side ...

steaks are large cuts that include the filet. The small medallion on one side of the bone is the filet, and the long strip of meat on the other side of the bone is the

strip steak The strip steak (sirloin in Britain, Australia, and South Africa) is a cut of beef steaks from the short loin of a cow. It consists of a muscle that does little work, the longissimus, making the meat particularly tender, although not as tend ...

Preparation

Filet mignon may be cut into 1- to 2-inch (2.5 to 5 cm) thick portions, then grilled and served as-is. One also may find filet mignon in stores already cut into portions and wrapped with

bacon Bacon is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back. It is eaten as a side dish (particularly in breakfasts), used as a central ingredient (e.g., the bacon, lettuce, and tomato sand ...

. High heat is the usual method for cooking the filet mignon, either

grilling Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above, below or from the side. Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat a ...

pan frying Pan frying or pan-frying is a form of frying food characterized by the use of minimal cooking oil or fat (compared to shallow frying or deep frying), typically using just enough to lubricate the pan. In the case of a greasy food such as bacon, ...

, broiling, or

roasting Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizatio ...

. Bacon is often used in cooking filet mignon because of the low levels of fat found in the cut (see

barding Barding (also spelled ''bard'' or ''barb'') is body armour for war horses. The practice of armoring horses was first extensively developed in antiquity in the eastern kingdoms of Parthia and Pahlava. After the conquests of Alexander the Great ...

), as filets have low levels of marbling, or intramuscular fat. Bacon is wrapped around the filet and pinned closed with a wooden toothpick. This adds flavor and keeps the filet from drying out during the cooking process. Traditional cooking calls for the filet mignon to be seared on each side using intense heat for a short time and then transferred to a lower heat to cook the meat all the way through.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Filet Mignon Cuts of beef

Usage

Europe

North America

Preparation

See also

References