DiningBuzz! - Why Do People Like Filet Mignon?

Inspired by a thread on Morton's in the SF forum, I have to ask, why eat a relatively flavorless (albeit tender) filet when there are some much more flavorful cuts out there? I like an occasional steak but I never order a filet. It's just too lean and lacks that wonderful flavor that one can get out of something like a ribeye.

So, for those of you who love it, why?

Mouthfeel?

For me the reference on filet mignon is the Club Paris in downtown Anchorage and their 14 oz. offering. They'll sear the outside but will hit the mark on doneness in the middle. I think they have an option to stuff with blue cheese, but the plain one has always been fine for me. Maybe they do something super-secret to add flavor (though it doesn't come bacon-wrapped, or anything like that).

Honestly, I have no idea. Fat equals flavor and the tenderloin completely lacks fat due to the fact from where it is located on the cow. I guess it stems back from "if it costs more money it must be better".

I agree, but a ribeye is much too far in the opposite direction. A fillet seems to work pretty well on airplanes - more forgiving, but I never ever order one in any restaurant or buy one at the store. Actually I almost never order steak in a restaurant because it's so much easier to make a far better one at home, but if I do, it will be a NY strip or sirloin.

I agree, but a ribeye is much too far in the opposite direction. A fillet seems to work pretty well on airplanes - more forgiving, but I never ever order one in any restaurant or buy one at the store. Actually I almost never order steak in a restaurant because it's so much easier to make a far better one at home, but if I do, it will be a NY strip or sirloin.

I enjoy a NY strip at home every now and again. As far as airplane food goes, I think filet is about the last thing that should be served. The beef is already too lean; cooking it and then reheating it just turns it into bland sawdust. No thanks. Braised beef is about the only thing that should be reheated and served - give me some short ribs, any day.

Filet mignon is my steak of choice. I like the tenderness of the meat coupled with the fact that no surgery is required to enjoy it.

Mouthfeel?

For me the reference on filet mignon is the Club Paris in downtown Anchorage and their 14 oz. offering. They'll sear the outside but will hit the mark on doneness in the middle. I think they have an option to stuff with blue cheese, but the plain one has always been fine for me. Maybe they do something super-secret to add flavor (though it doesn't come bacon-wrapped, or anything like that).

Very happy to see that particular reference!

However, I have to say I just had a filet from Orso (just up the street from Club Paris) that was pretty good, but more due to the creative preparation (with a glaze of veal stock and Spanish wine sauce, topped with melted cambozola, and served on a bed of wilted arugula in an apricot-walnut vinaigrette and polenta) than the quality of the steak itself. Club Paris, on the other hand, takes an excellent hunk of meat and cooks it to absolute perfection without the aid of foo-foo extras. ;)

Filet mignon = fillet?

Each to their own, but I'd always go for sirloin in preference (for steak) or a topside joint for roasting. Fillet just lacks in texture and flavour in comparison.

Filet mignon = fillet?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filet_mignon

For once, we Americans actually spell and pronounce something more like the French than you do! :D

Aha!

You have your filet, we have our aubergines. It all becomes clear!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filet_mignon

For once, we Americans actually spell and pronounce something more like the French than you do! :D

I was always confused about that... <about the time AS released its Bacon Wrapped Petite Tender :p> Yes I drug out an old menu to ensure proper spelling :D

While were also talking about Anchorage Dining :cool: I'll add that Club Paris has excellent burgers too ^

Because it's tender and expensive. Those two things ensure folk forget that it doesn't taste of anything..

While I prefer rib eyes at home, at a really good steakhouse I'll go for the filet. They'll have prime, aged meat that develops some great flavor (it's not strong, but it is complex). Cook it up black & bleu, give me some wine, and I'm all set.

Filet mignon = fillet?

Filet ("fil-lay") is usually beef, with the pronunciation referencing the French; fillet ("fill-it") is the dominant use for fish.

Why Do People Like Filet Mignon?

Because they don't have any teeth? Or taste buds?

Actually, a high-quality filet done rare has its subtle charm.

Filet and porterhouse are my favorites. They both have plenty of flavor and no need to drench them with ketchup, A-1 sauce or any other steak related toppings. Oy!

MisterNice

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filet_mignon

For once, we Americans actually spell and pronounce something more like the French than you do! :D

Filet mignon is actually pork in France today .... pork tenderloin. Beef fillet is "filet de boeuf" or simply "un filet". "Filet" in fact refers to any boned piece of fish or meat, in French as it does in English. Filet in old French was a kind of laced up headband and the boned meat or fish was similarly trussed up before cooking, hence the appelation.
OK teacher mode off.....:)

Oh yes and to the OP's question... I would suppose it is indeed tenderness over flavour. I'm with you 100 per cent though as far as steak is concerned, a good sirloin or a T-bone (British English here!!) beats a fillet everyday in flavour. I would hate a Sirloin Wellington though...

I disagree that filet "has no taste." It's taste is more subtle, but sometimes that is exactly what I'm in the mood for. Often times ribeyes just have too much fat. Sometimes disgustingly so.

But I also make a distinction between grass fed and corn feed beef. I'm not a huge fan of grass fed filets.

Mouthfeel?

And more. Umami. The same sort of pleasant sensation as eating Ahi or diver scallops--meaty, and satisfying. And as SAT Lawyer pointed out--all the prep work has been done in the kitchen. Aging the meat adds to the experience.

And more. Umami. The same sort of pleasant sensation as eating Ahi or diver scallops--meaty, and satisfying. And as SAT Lawyer pointed out--all the prep work has been done in the kitchen. Aging the meat adds to the experience.

I don't get the "kitchen prep" adding to the experience. Is this about de-boning? Removing the bone before cooking also removes flavor and that same umami sensation.

Aha!

You have your filet, we have our aubergines. It all becomes clear!

Don't forget about courgette! :)

I don't get the "kitchen prep" adding to the experience. Is this about de-boning? Removing the bone before cooking also removes flavor and that same umami sensation.

Aging the meat adds to the experience. As for the kitchen prep--I want to dine, not dissect. (so for me the prep work *does* add to the experience!)

There is no bone in a tenderloin, so there is no deboning required for Filet Mignon. My hometown butcher turned me to ribeyes 7 years ago and I have never looked back!

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

Mouthfeel?

And more. Umami. The same sort of pleasant sensation as eating Ahi or diver scallops--meaty, and satisfying. And as SAT Lawyer pointed out--all the prep work has been done in the kitchen. Aging the meat adds to the experience.

Like the Ahi reference-

Not sure that adding shoyu, sesame and seaweed would be the same... :p

Personally I prefer something a little bigger :o

There is no bone in a tenderloin, so there is no deboning required for Filet Mignon. My hometown butcher turned me to ribeyes 7 years ago and I have never looked back!

There is cutting and trimming. I don't want to deal with anything other than eating. Filet mignon is my choice for *steak*. I do think prime rib makes for a wonderful roast beef. :)

I think filet is about the last thing that should be served. The beef is already too lean; cooking it and then reheating it just turns it into bland sawdust. No thanks. Braised beef is about the only thing that should be reheated and served - give me some short ribs, any day.

I may just be lucky, but I've probably had over 50 filets all on UA, and all but about 5 have been cooked medium to medium rare and were juicy (and bland yes). I do like the short ribs too.

Filet and porterhouse are my favorites.

That tender meat on one side of the porterhouse (and T-bone) bone is the tenderloin a.k.a. filet (mignon). The firmer, and larger, side is the strip loin (a.k.a. NY Strip).

I've been using tenderloin to make beef stroganoff lately (wonderfully cheap in Canada, C$6-8/lb for a whole small tenderloin).

As for rib eyes (sometimes we get whole rib eyes here for C$3-4 /lb if you want 8 lbs of meat), I find the best is to sear them in a pan sprinkled with kosher salt.

Can't the same be said of any cut of meat. Why do people order <<type of meat>> when <<type of meat>> is more <<choose flavorful, tender, less expensive, leaner, etc>>

There's what, 25 or 30 different main cuts from a cow, there are probably just as many people who like one cut over another.

Can't the same be said of any cut of meat. Why do people order <<type of meat>> when <<type of meat>> is more <<choose flavorful, tender, less expensive, leaner, etc>>

There's what, 25 or 30 different main cuts from a cow, there are probably just as many people who like one cut over another.

I guess the better question is why people pay more for the filet? It's not as good a cut as many others, yet is the most expensive.

I've been using tenderloin to make beef stroganoff lately (wonderfully cheap in Canada, C$6-8/lb for a whole small tenderloin).


Fast food at its best --almost no prep or cook time, and a sensational meal. When it was on sale, my Mom would buy a whole tenderloin, have the butcher trim and cut into steaks. (no silverskin). Butchers are the unsung heroes of the food world.

Filet mignon is my steak of choice. I like the tenderness of the meat coupled with the fact that no surgery is required to enjoy it.^ Same here. I'll take mine bloody please :D

I think filet mignon also fondues well in vegetable oil if you can find the meat on sale at the grocery store. I'll cool it off and add a bit of flavor by dipping in California dip (the Lipton onion soup stuff).

Not for everyone, but it's different.

I guess the better question is why people pay more for the filet? It's not as good a cut as many others, yet is the most expensive.

This is basic economics. There isn't much of it, and it is perceived excellence. Besides, when you wrap it in pigfat slices, it does get some more flavo(u)r. :D

Often what is most expensive isn't the best. I think it is perfectly ok, but once I ordered it and thought it was a nice tender relatively tasteless piece of meat. Of course, it came without bacon or butter.

Very happy to see that particular reference!

However, I have to say I just had a filet from Orso (just up the street from Club Paris) that was pretty good, but more due to the creative preparation (with a glaze of veal stock and Spanish wine sauce, topped with melted cambozola, and served on a bed of wilted arugula in an apricot-walnut vinaigrette and polenta) than the quality of the steak itself. Club Paris, on the other hand, takes an excellent hunk of meat and cooks it to absolute perfection without the aid of foo-foo extras. ;)

Anchorage? Alaska? Veal stock, apricot-walnut vinaigrette? I am so there. My Juneau and Petersburg relatives favor halibut enchiladas, venison and salmon, salmon, salmon. And occasional Thai.

On topic: I really like prime beef filets. Succulent, melt in the mouthy, very nice.

We were recently on a transatlantic cruise and ate regularly in the two specialty restuarants. The Italian joint features a filet mignon that they first marinate and then steam. Mrs. Fredd unfortunately didn’t hear about the preparation before ordering, and didn't bother finishing it, but we’re sure others must rave about how “tender” it is - yet another à chacun son goût moment. ;)

Our own steak preferences run to aged and grain-fed rib eye and the somewhat leaner New York Strip. Recently we compared some USDA Prime beef with some ungraded but well-marbled and well-aged beef and it was surprising how well the ungraded stacked up, provided you know what you're looking for.

POn the subject of beef, does anyone here like skirt steak, flank steak and hanger steak?

Anchorage? Alaska? Veal stock, apricot-walnut vinaigrette? I am so there.

While you're there, try Kincaids

POn the subject of beef, does anyone here like skirt steak, flank steak and hanger steak?

I love skirt steak. Marinate and throw that sucker on the bbq..Game over.

in terms of the filet, its just a simple and very easy piece of meat to eat and cook for that matter. If im going to a steakhouse though, i dont have to open the menu since I will be ordering the porterhouse. The way a porterhouse is prepared, is a great way to judge a steakhouse, IMHO :)

Because it is BEEF ^

POn the subject of beef, does anyone here like skirt steak, flank steak and hanger steak?

Flank, yum. Hanger experience ranges from fabulous to not so much.

Filet mignon is my steak of choice. I like the tenderness of the meat coupled with the fact that no surgery is required to enjoy it.

+1

The lean nature of the meat is pleasing to me. Since I refuse to eat meat off the bone, I love the filet. If I see anything that is gelatinous or stringy (maybe a blood vessel or tendon), I will completely lose my appetite.

There is no bone in a tenderloin
Since I refuse to eat meat off the bone, I love the filet
As anyone who has ever seen a porterhouse steak knows, saying there's no bone on
a tenderloin is like saying there's no bone on a sirloin.

Flank, yum. Hanger experience ranges from fabulous to not so much.
I'll make you a hanger steak that knocks your socks off.

POn the subject of beef, does anyone here like skirt steak, flank steak and hanger steak?

Naive question: What is a hanger steak?

Why I'm asking is I decided to try making one after having a good one at a restaurant. I went to the local butcher, who's as cantankerous as his meat is tasty, and got a bit of a tirade about how he didn't know what that was. (Or, he continued, he didn't know what a "flat iron steak" is, either.) I left with steak tips. Any guidance?

Naive question: What is a hanger steak?

It's also called butcher's tenderloin and is said to be where the carcass is hung up (chest of the cow presumably where the thorax is?). Skirt steak is in its proximity and is of a similar texture taste. Flank is meatier and less so. The cut is hard to find due to the limited quantities.


Hanger experience ranges from fabulous to not so much.

Same thing at one of my favorite restaurants, to the point I'm not that keen about ordering it. I have to speak to the chef/owner.



I'll make you a hanger steak that knocks your socks off.

Recipe/technique, please. I understand it calls for a lot of marination?


FWIW, skirt steak makes wonderful beef fajitas and cuban ropa vieja.

How does everyone who likes flank steak like theirs done? Marinated then grilled?

I like the tenderness of the meat coupled with the fact that no surgery is required to enjoy it.

Completely agree

How does everyone who likes flank steak like theirs done? Marinated then grilled?

IMO flank is to good to mess up with marinade. Salt, pepper, garlic. Hot grill. Rare to medium rare. Slice thinly on a diagonal. Good cold also. I have two from Costco in the fridge right now.

Back on topic, I know why people like filet mignon, just not why they like it wrapped in bacon. Sort of messes up two good things. If filet is too lean for you, slather it in butter! Now that's yum!

a glaze of veal stock and Spanish wine sauce, topped with melted cambozola, and served on a bed of wilted arugula in an apricot-walnut vinaigrette and polenta)

If the meat is good and flavorful, why tart it up with so many ingredients? It sounds like a rumble on a plate!

I personally prefer hanger or skirt steak, flash-seared to crustiness and rare inside. Maybe a red-wine reduction of the pan juices.

ed. to add: rubbed with salt a couple of hours before cooking (per Judy Rogers), then briefly marinated with some or all of the following: salt, pepper, balsalmic vinegar, Worcestershire, soy, red wine, olive oil, minced shallots.

(Heh. I did just grumble about tarting up good ingredients. But feedlot beef needs all the help it can get, IMHO)

I like filet mignon for the texture. When done right, it can be amazingly tender and juicy.

Recipe/technique, please. I understand it calls for a lot of marination?


I used to like the Chinese-style treatment, where one
uses it like a flank steak:
--mm
Beef with mushrooms and onions
cat: mine, main, mean
servings: 4

1 lb mushrooms
1/2 lb onions
oil
salt
1 lb hangar steak
1 clove garlic, mashed
2 Tb soy sauce
1 Tb sake or dry sherry

Clean and slice mushrooms. Dry saute over high heat until
browned. Remove and set aside.

Slice onions thin. Saute in a small amount of oil over high
heat until soft; lower heat to minimum, salt, and allow to
caramelize. Add to mushrooms.

Slice hangar steak on the bias, teasing meat off the big
gristly sheet in the middle. I of course fry this gristle
separately for "cook's treat" - it is perhaps 15-20% of the
total weight of the thing. You see this cut (diaphragm?) on
menus and labels as "hangar" and "hanger." I don't know which
is right. This is a very tasty but troublesome cut and is quite
expensive in NYC - rivaling sirloin in price at times (this was
$6.49/lb - I don't know where I'd seen flank steak recently for
$3.99, but flank is almost equivalent (hangar is somewhat more
savory but has the gristle) and makes a most satisfactory
substitute. Marinate in garlic, soy, and wine for at least 30
min and then saute in a little oil over highest heat.

Combine with onion-mushroom mixture and serve with rice.

Source: moi, August 2001

---
but lately, becoming an adherent of the less is more credo,
I treat the cut even more simply. Marinade is superfluous.

I take the meat with the gristle cut out, rub a cut clove of
garlic over it, salt it, pat it dry as possible. Heaviest
frying pan in the house, heated as hot as possible. Strew a
little salt in the bottom of the pan and lay the meat on top.
Cook a couple minutes, flip, and cook a couple minutes more
for the way I like it (very rare). Slice into thin sheets,
the knife at a very shallow angle to the cutting board. I've
found that the relation of the cut to the grain of the meat
is not all that important but do tend to cut against the grain
by force of habit.

I prefer a good, simple baguette to Pop Tarts, even though many claim that Pop Tarts have "more flavor."

Likewise, I prefer filet mignon to ribeye....

i eat filet and occasionally prime rib.

if its wagyu/kobe/etc, it can be extremely marbled.

i also never do any addition besides au jus.

Filet Mignon is indeed pork for me. If I want a nice beef filet, I will ask for a Chateaubriand or for a Tournedos Rossini, but then, I am French :D

I can't believe all the people who love filet!

It really is flavorless and requires a good amount of sauce (no not A1 or barbecque, something like a red wine or mushroom sauce).

I love rib-eye in the US.

But my favorite is what they call rump steak in Australia, and I can't seem to find an equivalent anywhere else. Bring me a rare rumpsteak from Kelly's or Hurricanes' and preferably some sauce au poivre, and I will be one happy camper.

Because they don't know what real steak tastes like?

again, wagyu/etc + filet = win. although i might prefer raw. havent had that yet.

i prefer steak medium rare i think, but eat raw beef/fish/eggs as well.

i would never eat dry aged.

I generally go with filet because I eat my steak very, very rare (30 seconds on each side, max) -- other custs tend to be on the chewy side that rare. But I agree, anything more than black and blue requires a different cut of meat.

As for the filet v. filet mignon debate, I was taught that filet mignon includes that small tail piece on the end, while the filet omits that.

I generally go with filet because I eat my steak very, very rare (30 seconds on each side, max) --....

Serious question: How hot is your grill/oven/pan? I understand blue, but 30 seconds? I think my curiosity is what benefit does that 30 seconds give as opposed to eating it just, uh, raw?

ETA: I only have electric stove/broiler and lame propane grill, so things tend to get barely gray on the outisde in 1 minute or so and not much improved for 2-5 minutes per side.

ETA: I only have electric stove/broiler and lame propane grill, so things tend to get barely gray on the outisde in 1 minute or so and not much improved for 2-5 minutes per side.

I don't normally do it this way, but an electric stove on high with a cast iron skillet well pre-heated can achieve this easily in 30 seconds.

Having lived in Houston, Austin and Calgary, I really loved my ribeye. But living in London, I really learned to love 21 day aged rump steak that one can buy at Mark & Spencer...medium rare with some nice wines.

Filet Mignon, never was a big fan.

If I want a real steak I want a NY Strip with all it's tangy (dry aged preferred) beefy goodness. Barely a sprinkling of salt needed.

If I want a "Fancier" steak with a great sauce, a filet is best for that. I love the old standards - Bearnaise, red wine reduction, and I make a great sauce at home with cream, mushrooms, Gorgonzola and a hint of chipolte peppers (epicurious.com recipe "Filet with Gorgonzola Sauce"). Filet is a perfect blank canvas for a great sauce.

Filet ("fil-lay") is usually beef, with the pronunciation referencing the French; fillet ("fill-it") is the dominant use for fish. I'm afraid you are wrong. 'filet' ("fil-lay") is a pretentious way of pronouncing fillet, the most expensive cut of beef.

International board, you have to be prepared to understand that different countries have different terms for food. It's probably best not to attempt to lecture if you don't get the reference - in the UK, it's called fillet steak ;)

Interestingly, I've found fillet to be pretty bland in the US and nearly always a bit disappointing, so tend to order steaks with a bit more flavour. In the UK, it doesn't seem so bad - different quality of restaurants? Different rearing methods? Perhaps it needs slower growth, less reliance on hormone to actually work? I don't know, but I'll keep ordering fillet over here and avoiding it over there!

I'll choose fillet because I'm not a huge fan of meat fat, so if there is a nice sauce, I have to do less scraping of the sauce to ensure that I amn't going to get a mouthful of nasty fat.

Interestingly, I've found fillet to be pretty bland in the US and nearly always a bit disappointing, so tend to order steaks with a bit more flavour. In the UK, it doesn't seem so bad - different quality of restaurants? Different rearing methods? Perhaps it needs slower growth, less reliance on hormone to actually work? I don't know, but I'll keep ordering fillet over here and avoiding it over there!

Combination of things, as I understand it. UK rearing standards for beef, lamb and pork products are pretty strict now, given past epidemics. Hormones aren't used, and grass-fed is the norm, although barley (with some corn) is used too.

Part of this is legislation, part of it is down to the land in use, part of it local taste. In the US, tenderness of meat seems to be a big thing, but people here seem to like more texture and stronger flavour. Hence the classic roasting joint in the UK being topside, with a good chunk of extra fat tied to the top for good measure :)

As for the filet v. filet mignon debate, I was taught that filet mignon includes that small tail piece on the end, while the filet omits that.

It's been years since I've seen filet mignon tails, which used to sell for much less per pound than the full sized steaks. They were pretty tasty, after trimming and a good marinade.

I'll do filet at home from time to time, but I pair it with a mushroom and brandy cream sauce that I make.

I start by generously salting and peppering the meat and then searing it to rare in a pan. After removing the meat, I add minced shallots to the pan, followed by sliced mushrooms (I prefer cremini for this application, but anything works, including button). Once those have cooked down (abosrbing the beef flavor), I add brandy and let it flame off. Finally, I add cream and minced parsley, finishing with salt and pepper as required. I eat my beef very rare, but I'll finish my wife's in the oven as I'm making the sauce to get it to medium rare.

I like skirt steak for faijitas. I do my own dry rub, which I rub on the meat.

At a steakhouse, I prefer New York Strip. For roasting, I'm a standing rib roast guy.

All this said, I probably eat steak or roast beef less than once a month on average.

I'll do filet at home from time to time, but I pair it with a mushroom and brandy cream sauce that I make.

I start by generously salting and peppering the meat and then searing it to rare in a pan. After removing the meat, I add minced shallots to the pan, followed by sliced mushrooms (I prefer cremini for this application, but anything works, including button). Once those have cooked down (abosrbing the beef flavor), I add brandy and let it flame off. Finally, I add cream and minced parsley, finishing with salt and pepper as required. I eat my beef very rare, but I'll finish my wife's in the oven as I'm making the sauce to get it to medium rare.

I like skirt steak for faijitas. I do my own dry rub, which I rub on the meat.

At a steakhouse, I prefer New York Strip. For roasting, I'm a standing rib roast guy.

All this said, I probably eat steak or roast beef less than once a month on average.

What do you eat most nights?

What do you eat most nights?

I pretty much snack all day long and rarely eat a full meal in the evening. I keep a mini fridge in my office stocked with cheese, carrots and, starting now, apples. I also have a jar of almonds.

When I do eat at night, I often tap into my stash of frozen homemade soups that I made earlier.

Oh, I remember why I bought fillets the last time after reading this thread.

They make for some great Beef Wellingtons. That's one place where they pick up the flavor of the stuff they are cooked with, and make for a very tasty meal when the packet is sliced open.

Flank steak is one of my favorites, dry rubbed and quick grilled.

Stopped by Esposito's butcher shop (New York City, 9th ave and 39th or so) on the way home on Friday and picked up some top sirloin for $4.99 a lb. I would have to say it's texture was very close to fillet costing four times that, and the flavor so much better. Unless there's a great sale someplace else, I may start buying all my meat there.

As to the questions of what cut is this where you live, one website I've used for many years, and it has great information - www.askthemeatman.com

I don't understand why people like them either. Although that could be because I'm a vegetarian. ;)

I don't understand why people like them either. Although that could be because I'm a vegetarian. ;)

Enjoy your endless run of side dishes. ;)

I have never tried it.But when I will do so I will definitely share the experience with you.

Just went to my local Asian supermarket chain (pending acquisition by a much-lager national chain) where whole tenderloins were on sale for C$5/lb and ribeye and striploin slabs were going for C$4/lb. If I had an army to feed and/or weren't about to be out of town for 1/2 the next two weeks, I'd be tempted to get into one of those.

Inspired by a thread on Morton's in the SF forum, I have to ask, why eat a relatively flavorless (albeit tender) filet when there are some much more flavorful cuts out there? I like an occasional steak but I never order a filet. It's just too lean and lacks that wonderful flavor that one can get out of something like a ribeye.

So, for those of you who love it, why?

Dunno. I always go for the ribeye or a big porterhouse, myself.

It's tender and tastes great. Unless the kitchen is going to do a CT scan to look through no matter how good a ribeye you eat, you have a good chance of having to cut through, or chew through, sinew, etc.

Filet ("fil-lay") is usually beef, with the pronunciation referencing the French; fillet ("fill-it") is the dominant use for fish.

It is very odd how North Americans hold the pronounciation for beef and drop it for fish. I wonder if it has to do with the relative costs of each.

It is very odd how North Americans hold the pronounciation for beef and drop it for fish. I wonder if it has to do with the relative costs of each.

I think it's the common usage of *filet* as a verb. When employed as a noun, the pronunciation seems to matter to some. I also think there are those who like to simplify, and those who like to clarify. (and yes, it's a slow day here).

Having lived for a decade and a half in Alaska, I have never heard anyone say "fillit." While mostly they just use the word "clean" to describe the whole prep process (including filleting), when they do say "fillet," they pronounce it like the cut of beef ("fil-lay").

And I think Alaskans know their fish.

I love filet mignon, marinated in its own juice and a little salt. The texture, the taste - I'd rather pay more for that little piece than get a larger, cheaper cut. But I also have beef guilt so I only indulge once in awhile.

Oh, I remember why I bought fillets the last time after reading this thread.

They make for some great Beef Wellingtons. That's one place where they pick up the flavor of the stuff they are cooked with, and make for a very tasty meal when the packet is sliced open.



Just had to add this to this thread, had a ridiculous entree the other night at a favorite restaurant. Filet mignon, in puff pastry, topped with king crab chunks and hollandaise. I could feel my arteries hardening, and there was so much crab atop the steak that I couldn't eat all of it. Defnitely a fine way to eat a filet!

Take one bite of the Filet at Charlie Palmers in Las Vegas and you will never want to eat any other cut of meat for the rest of your life (of course you wont want to eat anywhere else for that matter)...I have been known to book last minute, one night trips to Vegas for this very reason.

The best filet we have ever had (over 80 years combined) can be found at the Brasserie Grille in the Christiana Hilton (http://www.hiltonchristiana.com/Hotel_Experiences/dining_entertainment.asp) in Newark, DE!

IMO flank is to good to mess up with marinade. Salt, pepper, garlic. Hot grill. Rare to medium rare. Slice thinly on a diagonal. Good cold also. I have two from Costco in the fridge right now.

Back on topic, I know why people like filet mignon, just not why they like it wrapped in bacon. Sort of messes up two good things. If filet is too lean for you, slather it in butter! Now that's yum!

Bandera (http://www.hillstone.com/#/restaurants/bandera/) has a Worcestershire butter they put on their filet that is exceptionally good. Their skillet cornbread is also very good :D

As a native Midwesterner who grew up in cow country on corn feed beef, the fillet mignon was never really one of my favorites. A top sirloin, KC strip or London broil were served weekly in our home. The fillet just requires too much doctoring to impart much flavor and the flavor is ordinarily the flavor of the sauce, bacon or spices and not the meat. Having said that, I wouldn't turn one down if just done simply (salt, pepper, broiled at high heat, medium rare) with some creamed spinach and a nice hearty red wine to wash it all down.

where whole tenderloins were on sale for C$5/lb and ribeye and striploin slabs were going for C$4/lb.

You didn't buy and freeze a number of those because? You can easily trim the tenderloin and make your own cuts. You can also drag age them yourself at home fairly easily.

corn feed beef

That could be your problem right there. ;)

You can also drag age them yourself at home fairly easily.


A drag aged piece of meat. (http://www.tips-q.com/files/u1/giuliani_in_drag2.jpg) This one, not so tender.

I prefer filets for the following reasons:

1. I hate fat. I nearly gag when I get a piece of fat in my mouth. This results in a couple of things:
(a) I prefer less-marbled cuts of beef. The filet avoids the fat, yet still has a greater level of tenderness.
(b) I can't stand to pay a bunch of money for a steak that requires me to trim off 50% of its mass in fat.

2. I like bloody-as-hell steaks. The filet is one of the thicker cuts that yields a high bloody-meat-to-cooked-surface ratio

3. I do not want to spend my dinner cutting out all the useless crap that I won't eat: fat, bones, connective tissue. I get paid to perform autopsies, so I don't volunteer to do them for free at dinnertime.

Fat equals flavor and the tenderloin completely lacks fat due to the fact from where it is located on the cow. I guess it stems back from "if it costs more money it must be better".

Fat does not "equal" flavor. Or, if it does, then the statements "salt equals flavor" and "Tabasco sauce equals flavor" are equally correct (and nonsensical). Wine expert Kevin Zraly would probably yell at you and say that fat has no flavor at all (since it is neither sweet salty, sour, or bitter), merely mouthfeel.

Your argument is typical of people who tend to eat corn-fed beef. An aged, grass-fed steak, no matter the cut, will have plenty of flavor, I assure you.

I guess the better question is why people pay more for the filet? It's not as good a cut as many others, yet is the most expensive.

It has fame for being expensive, but it is often not. When you consider the waste involved in a cut that has bone, gristle, and fat, the per-ounce cost of a filet is about the same. Sometimes the absolute cost is lower than a NY strip on the same menu.

I, like another poster mentioned, rarely order a steak in a restaurant because I can do it just as well at home. That said. I almost always order a Filet in restaurants and usually buy Ribeyes for home

Wine expert Kevin Zraly would probably yell at you and say that fat has no flavor at all (since it is neither sweet salty, sour, or bitter), merely mouthfeel.Well. Now that would certainly be embarassing.

Well. Now that would certainly be embarassing.

And wrong.

Well. Now that would certainly be embarassing.And wrong.I was just kidding.

I actually think it would be really funny to be "corrected" by someone who uses words like mouthfeel.