Beef tenderloin
Bos taurus · Meat
Top 10 pairings
Beef tenderloin is the long, tapering muscle (the psoas major) that runs along the inside of a cow's spine beneath the ribs and short loin. Because it does almost no weight-bearing work, it is the most tender cut on the carcass — buttery-soft, fine-grained and very lean, and the source of filet mignon, Chateaubriand and the heart of a porterhouse.
Picking a good onedrag
Freshly cut, cherry-red, firmOff: tacky, slimy, smelling wrong
Counter freshEveryday bestSear, roast or braise, but mince needs 160°F (71°C). Pregnant? Cook all meat through.
ColourRed, a brownish cast under lights
Touch the surfaceMoist and clean, still not sticky
SmellMild, clean, faintly meaty
These cues are Beef's, and hold across its cuts; where this one differs, its own page says so.