If you love a good steak, you probably have a few cuts you like to use for different occasions. Perhaps a Porterhouse is in order after a long day working outside, and your appetite is enormous. If you’re planning a Sunday afternoon fajita fest, you might be reaching for the skirt or flank steak. And if the evening has a romantic date night in store, complete with Champagne and flowers, there’s a good chance either beef tenderloin or filet mignon is on the menu.
Rightfully so, we associate different cuts of beef with different recipes and uses and, of course, different price points. But what is it about the beef tenderloin and filet mignon that puts them into a higher price bracket than the rest? And what’s the difference between these two date night steaks? Are they the same thing with different names? These are the important questions we’re here to answer.
Beef tenderloin vs. filet mignon
To put it simply: Filet mignon is part of the beef tenderloin, but a beef tenderloin is not made of only filet mignon. The beef tenderloin is a larger cut of beef that houses the section from where the filet mignon is butchered. The section of the beef tenderloin that is not cut into filet mignon steaks is delectable when roasted whole or sliced into steaks of its own.
These two cuts of beef are, obviously, very similar as they come from the same section of the cow. Both the beef tenderloin and the filet mignon are prized for their delicious tenderness and savory, beefy flavor, and both are considered to be more luxurious, pricier cuts of meat.
What is beef tenderloin?
The cut of beef from where filet mignon is butchered, the beef tenderloin is a long cut that can be roasted whole, or cut into individual steaks. Butchered from the rear section of the cow that sits in front of the round cut and under the sirloin, the tenderloin gets very little movement and is therefore extremely tender.
Roasted whole, this exceptional beef cut is a popular choice for holidays and special gatherings. We love to develop a golden crust on a beef tenderloin by searing it on the stove and then slow roasting it in the oven with garlic and rosemary.
You can also slice beef tenderloin into steaks, making it the star of decadent dishes like Steak Diane.
What is filet mignon?
Taken from the beef tenderloin, filet mignon is butchered from the muscle that reaches into the cow’s short loin. This area is immensely tender because it gets so little muscle movement, making it the most deliciously delicate cut of beef on the market.
While many think that a filet mignon is simply a steak cut from anywhere on the beef tenderloin, that isn’t the case. The beef tenderloin in its entirety isn’t made up of all filet mignon steaks – only a few. Filet mignon steaks are cut just from the tip of the tenderloin, the most delicate and tender area of the loin. Because there are only a few filet mignon steaks per tenderloin, it is a much rarer and, therefore, more expensive cut.
Filet mignon steaks are best when cooked in a screaming hot cast iron pan to develop a deliciously golden crust, then finished over lower heat until the internal temperature is medium-rare. Served with mashed potatoes and roasted or grilled vegetables, this is the perfect date night dinner.
Which cut is more tender?
While both beef tenderloin and filet mignon are known for their exceptional tenderness, filet mignon is usually the more tender of the two. Though, with proper cooking, beef tenderloin is certainly a worthy competitor.
With either cut, the best way to achieve maximum tenderness is to cook it gently and never, ever past medium. Medium rare is the best cooking temperature for maximum flavor and tenderness in both the beef tenderloin and the filet mignon.
Alternative names for beef tenderloin and filet mignon
The terms filet mignon and beef tenderloin are often mistakenly used interchangeably. Of course, given their similarities, it’s an understandable mistake, but it’s important to know the differences discussed here. To make matters more confusing, both the beef tenderloin and filet mignon are known by other names, as most cuts of beef have multiple possible aliases. It isn’t uncommon to see beef tenderloin, also referred to as fillet, eye filet, primal steak, loin steak, or tenderloin steak.
While the title of filet mignon is the one most often used for this favored cut of beef, it can also be labeled filet, beef filet, or tenderloin filet.
