Beef Tenderloin With Marbling

Filet mignon also comes from the muscle we know as tenderloin.

Beef tenderloin with marbling.

Usda s agricultural marketing service ams employs 200 highly skilled beef graders who sometimes with the help of electronic monitoring evaluate several factors that determine the grade including the amount and distribution of marbling. The beef grading system developed by the united states department of agriculture is a voluntary grading system based on the meat s maturity and level of fat marbling these two factors are indicators of the beef s tenderness. Because almost all us cattle are finished on grain and have been for decades marbling became the quickest and easiest way to grade the beef. Beef tenderloin costs more than other cuts because its marbled fat makes it extra tender.

How to choose steak from the loin. Hence the practice of wrapping tenderloin steaks with strips of bacon without it the steak would lack flavor and moisture. For more even cooking let these beef steak cuts stand at room temperature about 30 minutes before searing. The top sirloin the bottom sirloin and the rear part of the tenderloin.

Be sure to choose at least a prime grade filet. The american heart association recommends limiting lean meat poultry and seafood consumption to six ounces per day. Beef that is given a higher grade is usually from younger cattle and has more fat marbling. It comes from a back muscle that doesn t get much exercise.

When butchers cut the tenderloin into two inch steaks it becomes filet mignon. The tenderloin does not have a lot of marbling but it is flavorful and is considered to be a prize cut of meat. These different parts vary wildly in general quality tenderness and flavor. Whether you choose top loin tenderloin or porterhouse steaks look for well marbled meat with vibrant color and a moist but not wet surface.

By and large the bottom sirloin is the inferior cut of the three. The sirloin is one of the most famous cuts of beef but it s actually generally divided up into three smaller cuts. Tenderness and marbling don t necessarily go hand in hand so while the beef tenderloin is possibly the most tender cut of beef it doesn t usually have much marbling. Tenderloin is a lean piece of meat without a lot of marbling and sinew so it has a nicer texture when raw.

Marbling is what gives beef its flavor juiciness and tenderness.