What is the difference between Tenderloin and Filet Mignon?

The main reason why people ask if there are any differences between tenderloin and filet mignon is that both are cuts of beef from the same part of the animal body. However, one of the major differences between the two is that filet mignon is also a part of the tenderloin.

If the tenderloin is the tenderest part of a loin of meat, filet mignon is the steak cut of beef taken from the tenderloin, especially the portion of meat at the tip. What this means is that; while a tenderloin can also be called filet mignon, the latter does not have the exact meaning of what the tenderloin represents.

While you can cook the tenderloin as a whole piece without cutting into medallions, filet mignon is usually cooked by wrapping its steaks up so as to give it more flavor. In terms of size, tenderloin is usually larger than filet mignon.

Beef is a versatile type of meat that is taken from cow. There are various types of cuts of beef and two of those cuts include tenderloin and filet mignon. They are both muscle. Between the two, tenderloin is the long muscle and it is between the sirloin and the top loin.

Filet mignon is at the tip of the tenderloin. As they are similar, a filet mignon can be referred to as a tenderloin, but a tenderloin is never called filet mignon. Another difference between them is how they are cooked. Tenderloins are cooked as a whole, while filet mignon is cooked in slices.

Both filet mignon and tenderloin happen to be prime cuts of beef. The tenderloin refers to a long muscle that extends between the top loin and sirloin, beside the beef. Conversely, the filet mignon just happens to be a part of the muscle that is found at the tip of the tenderloin. However, a filet mignon can be called tenderloin, whereas tenderloin cannot be referred to as a filet mignon. You can choose to cook the whole of tenderloin or cut it into medallions.

The medallions can be cut through or against the grain of the meat. When you want your dish to be filled with more sauce or flavor, this is a good choice meat. Filet mignon is usually cooked in slices. You can quickly dry or grill it to prevent the meat from drying out. It does not really contain flavor, so it is usually served with sauce.