Filet mignon and tenderloin are among the most tender and delicious cuts of steak popular choices at steakhouses and for special occasion steak dinners at home. These coveted melt-in-your-mouth cuts are typically more expensive than other steaks like porterhouse ribeye and T-bone due to their quality and limited quantity as the tenderloin is a small cut of the cow. Although filet mignon and tenderloin are sometimes used interchangeably they actually refer to different but similar cuts.
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Is tenderloin the same as filet mignon?
Tenderloin is a strip of beef cut from the prime rib — the portion toward the cow’s back below the spine. Between the rib and the round the loin includes other cuts such as sirloin top sirloin bottom sirloin and short sirloin (tenderloin is between the sirloin and top sirloin). Filet mignon is cut from the tenderloin end the point that runs toward the center of the cow. In other words filet mignon is technically tenderloin but not all tenderloin is filet mignon.
Different steak cuts come from different parts of the cow and therefore vary in texture and flavor. Tenderloin is a muscle found near the cow’s spine an area that doesn’t get much exercise and therefore remains soft and tender unlike the muscle parts of the leg and shoulder. This luxury cut contains little connective tissue which makes it not only super tender but also cooks quickly compared to other tough cuts of beef like brisket.
Filet mignon is technically a tenderloin but it's considered the most tender cut of the muscle because it's cut from the loin (as opposed to the round or back portion of the cow which is more muscular). A single filet mignon which means "fine fillet" or "small cut" in French is typically only 2 to 3 inches in diameter while a whole tenderloin is about 18 to 24 inches long. While a filet mignon is perfect for an individual the larger tenderloin is great for carving and sharing in dishes like beef wellington.
