Conference turris::cooks

  Technically, you're right: "filet mignon" is the dish, while
  "tenderloin" is the cut. But practically speaking, since filet mignon
  is always prepared with the tenderloin, there's no ambiguity. And
  since more people will recognize and be attracted to a package labeled
  "filet mignon", many stores prefer to label it that way. Butchers
  talking to other butchers call it "tenderloin".

Thick tenderloin steaks sometimes are labelled "Chateaubriand" rather than
"filet Mignon".

--PSW

    Filet Mignon is the cut of meat from the tenderlion a whole tenderlion
    you can get 10-12 4oz cuts  or 5-6 8oz  cuts [filets]  the tenderlion
    is the muscle that lies under the back bone of the cow [steer].
    The reason I know as the past 11 years I was a chef. And I butchered
    many 1000 lb of tenderloin for banquets.
    Dave

A bit of weekend improvisation yielded:

FILET MIGNON WITH GREEN PEPPER AND MUSHROOM SAUCE
-------------------------------------------------

Serves 2

8-10 ounce filet mignon, trimmed of all fat and membranes
1 Tablespoon green peppercorns
3 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
2 Tablespoons finely chopped shallot or onion
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon Brovil beef concentrate (or demi-glace)
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
1 teaspoon corn starch, mixed with an equal amount of water
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Rinse and mash the green pepper corns, if canned. If dry, grind them
to a powder. Cover the filet all over with the pepper corns. Drizzle
a bit of olive oil on the meat and rub the mixture into the meat.
Wrap and let marinate for at least two hours or overnight.

In small frying pan with one tablespoon of olive oil, saute the
shallots briefly then add the mushrooms. Cook until most of the
mushroom liquid has evaporated. Reserve the mushroom mixture for
finishing the sauce.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the frying pan and on medium
high heat fry the filet. For a 1-1/2 inch thick filet, 7-8 minutes per
side will cook the meat medium-rare.

Remove the filet to a heated platter. Deglaze the pan with the sherry
but don't let is cook down too much. Add the Brovil and stir in the
corn starch. Boil briefly to thicken. Add the mushroom mixture and
butter. Reheat the sauce but don't let it boil. Remove from heat and
taste the sauce. Add enough of the balsamic vinegar to cut through the
richness.

Pour the sauce around the filet and serve.

    			Filet Italiano
    
    Had an excellent filet last week at a restuarant, don't have a recipe
    but the ingredients were simple enough...
    
    Filet topped with a thin slice of eggplant
                             slice of prosciutto ham
    			     slice of cheese
    			     dash of sherry
                             mildy spiced with pepper
    
    Superb...
    

    I forgot a key ingredient - garlic.
    
    Dust the filet with garlic powder (not garlic salt) before rubbing in
    the green pepper. (About 1/4 teaspoon)

    It's best to avoid garlic powder in general - it causes bad breath
    (more so than fresh garlic), indigestion and it has to be added at 
    the end of the dish to get the true flavor.  If it's not done that
    way you end up using quite a bit which results in the bad
    breath/indigestion.
    
    Add a couple of cloves (mashed/minced) to the mushrooms when you
    saute.
    
    
    /gail

    i don't understand what all the fuss is over filet mignon.  
    
    the butchers don't recommend it.  although its one of the 
    tenderest parts of the cow, it has little taste.  i would 
    rather have a porterhouse anyday.
    
    and did you ever notice that most filet's are served with a sauce?  its
    because its boring without.  you don't have a t-bone with sauce, its
    got taste on its own.
    
    to make a long opinionated story short, i have some and am wondering what
    i could marinate them in to grill them.  i need something that would give 
    alittle flavor but not overpower them.  are they good grill anyways?  
    
    they are defrosting as i write, any help would be greatly
    appreciated....
    
    cj
    
                   

You're certainly right about tenderloin having very little flavor. In
my opinion, the most fun thing to do with a tenderloin is to pan-fry it
in clarified butter over moderately high heat. About halfway through,
turn it down a bit and add some shallots and mushrooms. At the end,
pour in 1/4 cup of cognac and set it aflame. Impressive and tasty. More
or less.

Another nice dish is Beef Wellington (baked in puff pastry with foie
gras and truffles). Too much trouble to make at home, especially when
Levi Lowell's in Merrimack does such a good job.

Tournedos Bearnaise you can keep.

I'll take a good chuck steak on the grill over any of these.

    yeah, it's like lobster, expensive and tasteless without the butter or
    sauce.
    
    :-)
    
    ed

 Instead of marinating a tenderloin steak, I just brush them with Kitchen Bouquet
and grill 'em straight up. Excellent!

We enjoy Filet Mignon trimmed and seasoned with Salt and Pepper.  Cooked on
the grill until medium-rare.

Now, the way the Hilltop cooks 'em (charred to death) is a waste.

--Sharon

    well, my husband marinated them in a vinager, hot sauce, italian
    seasoning and worcheshire mixture overnight as he already had dinner
    for me when i got home with them the other night. 
    
    i poured the marinate over them and broiled them 7 minutes per side. 
    they were totally overdone and the marinate wasn't even that
    noticeable.  oh well, steak salad for lunch today....
    
    i don't think the marinate helped at all.  i had better ones when we
    just poured garlic powder, thyme and worcheshire sauce on them when
    cooking.  don't waste your time IMO.
    
    cj
     

    
    Filet Mignon is virtually the only steak we eat at my house. Try using
    the marinade of:
    
    1/2 cup soy sauce
    1/2 cup water
    1-2 cloves garlic
    2 tbs olive oil
    1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes (or more to taste)
    2 tbsp lemon juice
    fresh ground black pepper to taste
    
    Let marinate all day, then cook.  Not overpowering, but very tasty imo.
    
    -- OR --
    
    Coat them with lemon-pepper seasoning and grill
    
    -- OR --
    
    Coat them with a thick layer of fresh ground pepper and grill for 
    steak "au poivre".

    Tenderloin is excellent if you're watching the level of fat in your
    diet.  Tenderloin is very low fat compared to other cuts of meat.  I
    guess that's why it doesn't have the same flavor.  Fat always adds
    a nicer flavor.
    
    Like most low fat meals you just need to add more herbs or spices to 
    enhance the flavor.  
    
    I like barbeque'd tenderloin steaks with Grey Poupon mustard on the
    side, or with honey mustard.
    
    Renee