As a passionate home cook and beef enthusiast, I always look forward to opportunities to prepare filet mignon. The gorgeous marbling, delicate texture, and buttery flavor make filet mignon one of the most decadent cuts of beef. Though filet mignon may seem intimidating to fabricate at home, it’s actually quite simple with the right techniques.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk through the entire process of cutting perfect filet mignon steaks from a whole beef tenderloin. From selecting the right tenderloin to trimming and slicing, you’ll learn the key skills needed to enjoy restaurant-quality filet mignon without the steep price tag. Let’s get started!
Selecting the Beef Tenderloin
The first step is choosing a tenderloin with great care, as this impacts the end result. Look for:
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Uniform shape – Avoid oddly tapered or uneven tenderloins that won’t yield nice steaks.
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Solid consistency – Pass on spongy or overly soft tenderloins, the meat should feel firm
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Bright red color – The lean meat should be bright cherry red with no grayish tones.
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Generous marbling – White marbling streaks ensure tenderness and flavor.
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Beef grade – Prime has the most marbling but Choice grade also works very well
Once you’ve selected an ideal tenderloin, it’s time to trim away any excess fat and connective tissue.
Trimming the Tenderloin
Proper trimming is crucial for quality filet mignon:
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Peel the silver skin – Use a sharp boning knife to remove this tough, silvery membrane.
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Trim excess fat – Slice off any thick sections of visible fat, leaving just thin marbling.
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Remove side muscle – Cut off the offshoot muscle running along the side.
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Cut off tapered ends – Saw off the narrower sections on both ends.
Your tenderloin is now neatly trimmed and ready for cutting!
Slicing the Filet Mignon Steaks
Now comes the gratifying part – slicing perfect steaks:
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Mark steak thickness – Decide on a thickness (1 – 2 inches) and mark intervals.
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Make straight cuts – Using a sharp knife, slice straight down through the marks.
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Portion the steaks – Cut crosswise to portion individual filet mignon steaks.
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Trim steak edges – Carefully trim any ragged edges for a tidy presentation.
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Inspect for consistency – Double check thickness and shape of the steaks.
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Optional: Tie steaks – For extra stability, tie steaks with butcher’s twine.
Follow these simple steps for gorgeously portioned filet mignon ready for cooking!
Mastering the Techniques
Cutting flawless filet mignon from a whole tenderloin does take some practice. Keep these tips in mind:
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Take your time trimming – don’t rush this key preparatory step.
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Let your knife do the work – no need to force the blade.
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Keep your knife sharp for optimal control and efficiency.
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Check steak thickness often to ensure consistency.
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Always slice away from yourself for safety.
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Save trimmings for recipes like beef tartare or carpaccio!
With some repetition, you’ll be able to confidently portion tenderloin into perfect filet mignon steaks.
Serving Your Homemade Filet Mignon
Once cut, it’s time to cook and serve your homemade filet mignon. Quick-cook methods like grilling, pan searing, or roasting really let the filet’s tenderness shine. Pairing the steaks with compound butters, wine reductions, or béarnaise sauce elevates the flavor. Served with seasonal vegetables and roasted potatoes, your DIY filet mignon makes for an incredible restaurant-caliber meal.
Final Thoughts
Step 3: Clean up the tenderloin by removing the silverskin.
Silverskin is pretty nasty stuff – it’s very tough and doesn’t break down when cooking steaks. It doesn’t make sense to have very tender beef with tough silverskin on it, so you need to take it off. You’ll need a very sharp boning or filet knife. Another knife that will work is a small, thin paring knife. These are harder to use because the blade is shorter. Put the knife just below the silverskin, like in the picture above. Then, tilt the blade up and gently pull along the length of the skin. Muscle cuts more easily than silverskin so it should glide right across. Repeat until the whole muscle is cleaned and trimmed, and always cut away from yourself.
Buying and butchering a whole tenderloin is a great way to make your beef dollars stretch further, especially on this super luxe cut.
One nice thing about light butchering a tenderloin at home is that you can make the biggest and best steaks for yourself. But it’s also satisfying to find a use for the trim and side muscles and get the most out of your purchase.
As the name would suggest, the tenderloin is the most tender muscle on the animal. There is a muscle in the back that doesn’t get used very often, so it’s much more sore than muscles that work harder, like the cheeks! Of course, since it is the most tender cut, it’s also the most expensive per pound. Particularly filet mignon steaks, which are cut from the very centre of the muscle (considered the best part).
While it’s tender, it doesn’t always taste great. This is where the quality of the beef comes in. Prime beef, the very top USDA grading, is known for it’s generous marbling. Marbling is made up of tiny seams of fat running through the meat. Fat is what makes meat even more tender and tasty.
Let’s do the math: if you take the best, most tender muscle, you can expect a very high-class experience. But luxury doesn’t have to cost a lot! For starters, buying the whole muscle saves you money per pound. The less work the butcher has to do, the more your wallet benefits. Secondly, you can be smart about where you purchase your beef. Some grocery stores and bulk clubs have excellent pricing.
Now that you know what to get and how to get it, here’s how to cut up a breast of beef:
Cut your own filet mignon! Step by step Chef David will show you how!
FAQ
Can you cut a beef tenderloin into filet mignon?
Is beef tenderloin and filet mignon the same cut of meat?
Where is the filet on a beef tenderloin?
Do you cut beef tenderloin with or against the grain?