Everything about Filet Mignon totally explained
Filet mignon (
French for "dainty fillet") is a
steak cut of
beef taken from the
tenderloin, or
psoas major of the steer or heifer.
The
tenderloin runs along either side of the
spine, and is usually harvested as two long snake-shaped cuts of beef. The
tenderloin (not to be confused with the
short loin) is sometimes sold whole. If the short end of the tenderloin is cut into portions before cooking, that portion is known as filet mignon, or the
fillet, from the French boneless meat (mignon meaning "small" as true mignons are cut from the smaller tail end of the tenderloin).
The
fillet is considered to be the most tender cut of beef, and one of the most expensive. The average
steer or
heifer provides no more than 4-6 pounds of filet. Because the muscle is non-weight bearing, it receives very little exercise, which makes it tender.
The same cut of beef can also be called:
- French: chateaubriand, tournedos, filet de bœuf. (In France, though beef "filet mignon" exists, the word doesn't usually refer to beef, but instead to a tender and expensive cut of pork.)
- English (US): medallions, tenderloin steak
- English (UK & Ireland): fillet steak
- Argentina: Bife de Lomo
- Brazil: Filé Mignon
Porterhouse steaks in the USA, equivalent to
T-bone steaks in
Commonwealth countries, are large cuts which include the fillet. The small medallion on one side of the bone is the fillet, and the long strip of meat on the other side of the bone is the
strip steak—in British Commonwealth usage, only the strip steak is called the porterhouse.
The fillet can be cut into 1-2 inch thick portions, then grilled and served as-is. One can also find the fillet in stores already cut into portions and wrapped with
bacon. High heat is the usual method for cooking the fillet. Either
grilling,
pan frying,
broiling, or
roasting is
preferred.
Bacon is often used in cooking the filet because of the low levels of fat found in the filet. Filets also have low levels of marbling, or internal fat. Bacon is wrapped around the filet and pinned closed with a toothpick. This adds flavor and keeps the filet from drying out during the cooking process. Traditionally, filet mignon is seared on the outside using intense heat for a short time and then transferred to a lower heat to cook the meat all the way through. Filet mignon is often served rarer than other meats. Those who prefer a more well-done steak can request a "butterflied" filet, meaning that meat is cut down the middle, and opened up to expose more of the meat to heat during the cooking process.
Image:Filetmignon_bacon.jpg|Filet Mignon with bacon
Image:filetmignon.jpg|Filet Mignon
Further Information
Get more info on 'Filet Mignon'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://filet_mignon.totallyexplained.com">Filet mignon Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |